1999 xc70 ETS light, limp, codes Dodgertom troubleshooting

Dodgertom · Post by **Dodgertom** » 04 Apr 2023, 13:55

hello all, my first post here.

first, thanks to abscate for his help so far.

my 99 v70 xc went into what i learned was limp mode yesterday. the following are symptoms and codes:

ets light on
no check-engine light
for a brief time the car died, all dash lights went on, and it would not respond to the ignition key
battery reading 12.3 volts (at rest) both at battery and at kidney-fuse box buss
same readings at battery negative and grounded chasis
ets light went out for a while, but very soon in limp mode and light on again

as i said, no check-engine light, but
two p codes:
p 1238
p 1651

and three volvo ecm codes:
6806
981a
9040

amf is relatively new

no vida, just a carsoft code reader that is starting to die

so, replace the throttle body, or do other diagnoses?

all help or ideas greatly appreciated

Post by **abscate** » 04 Apr 2023, 19:19

Changed user name.

Do you think it’s the original throttle body on the car? It originally cam with a white label , often the replacements are yellow labelled

Dodgertom · Post by **Dodgertom** » 04 Apr 2023, 20:01

thanks for the name change, steve.

carafe records indicate the po replaced the throttle body in 8/08.

Dodgertom · Post by **Dodgertom** » 04 Apr 2023, 20:01

meant carfax. damn spell check.

Post by **scot850** » 04 Apr 2023, 22:22

Then the label should be a Yellow Volvo ID label as Abscate mentioned earlier. They tend to fail less often and at the age of yours it is possible but if it has it is unusual.

Did you erase all the codes and they all came back?

As your car is a turbo, I would have a load test carried out on you car battery first. These cars do not like bad batteries or low voltages. I would consider charging your battery and check what voltage it shows after a 24 hr charge. The re-fit and clear codes and try the car again.
Before starting the car, open the top of the kidney shaped fuse box just forward of the brake booster. Look down in the front of it. There is a brass nut and cable end. Is it bright and shiny or dull? If dull, look closer below it and look carefully where the B+ cable enters the fuse box. These cables are prone to failure in 99- cars. Can happen in older ones but not as often. The shielding on the cables can melt and cause shorts.

What brand of MAF did you use?

Neil.

Dodgertom · Post by **Dodgertom** » 04 Apr 2023, 23:09

thanks for your input, neil. yes, erased the codes, and yes, they returned.

the ets light leaves, but comes back. limp mode was worse this last time than previously.

all buss contacts look clean and bright.

the maf was a bosch from fcp. didn't fix the issue at hand that last time, though can't remember what the issue was. still have the one it replaced. not original, i believe.

is 12.3 volts low enough to cause these issues?

just asking, cause the last time the battery died, these problems were not evident.

thanks, again.

dt

Post by **scot850** » 04 Apr 2023, 23:14

I would have the battery load tested. How old is it? Last time I had issues the battery showed 12.2V but When load tested it was bad. I was able to open it and test the cells and found one that was bad. If it tests ok on a load test them we can move on from there.

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 05 Apr 2023, 00:55

Can you double check that last Volvo code
?

Is it 9040 or 9400?

P1238 is the turbo flow error, probably not important.

ECM 981A is an ECM internal fault but that’s often spurious, too.

Dodgertom · Post by **Dodgertom** » 05 Apr 2023, 09:38

icarsoft reader is dying, won’t check volvo codes. but, my notes say 9040, something about ets light, which, yeah, i already know that, i’m checking the codes cause the ets light is on!

Post by **scot850** » 05 Apr 2023, 10:15

It may well be the ETM is failing. However the replacement/repair is expensive, so just want to ensure that all other bases have been covered first. The 99- are finicky with battery condition and can cause lots of random errors. Although in your case they appear to be repeatable.

Most good auto parts stores can check your battery for condition and load tests. It may well be ok, but at 12.3V it is getting low on a daily used car. A used ETM is a crap shoot unless it can be warranted from a running car with no issues. A rebuild is not cheap, but Xemodex is the usual recommended repair shop for those. They replace the position sensors with contactless ones and warrant them for life for the person who paid for the repair.

Neil.