98 V70 XC multiple problems, electrical, oil leak

[Slycox]

Good evening this is my first post here and I just bought a 1998 V70 XC today and am looking for the advice and knowledge to be gained here.

The car is in great shape body wise no major rust issues, no dings or dents. The rear tailgate doesn't stay up nor does the hood pop open properly but other than those the body is good.

Engine wise it seams to have a possible fuel issue when starting but I am not sure if it is a problem or tied to a dead battery. There also has been an oil leak but I haven't seen anything actively leaking and think it make be due to an improper oil dipstick.

I bought it not running, once we got it home I charged the battery and got it to start and it ran ok but almost every warning light was lit up on the dash and the speedometer, tach, temp gauges did not work. Odometer worked and the indicators for the headlights, turn signals etc worked. When i applied the parking brake that indicator light got slightly brighter. Also ABS was not functioning and the button to switch out of park isn't releasing properly.

I apologize if these are covered somewhere already but I am having difficulty with my searching today.

Are these all individual problems or is there a central location I should be looking? Ignition switch? ECM? Fuses?

I am willing to do the work myself and get my hands dirty just looking for expertise with a new to me vehicle.

Thanks for reading.

[rspi]

Welcome to the site. You may want to start here:

[BEJinFbk]

Is the battery up to a full charge?

[abscate]

How many miles are on the beast?

Get the battery on a charger and then figure out if the battery is any good. First step.

Second step..compression test to see if you have a runner or a parts car.

The ignition switch is a common failure point for these cars which would cover a lot of your symptoms, but plan on 10-20 hours of diagnosis to get all this sorted out.

ABS is probably a bad module but hold off until you can see if you hAve a runner

[Slycox]

How many miles are on the beast?

Get the battery on a charger and then figure out if the battery is any good. First step.

Second step..compression test to see if you have a runner or a parts car.

The ignition switch is a common failure point for these cars which would cover a lot of your symptoms, but plan on 10-20 hours of diagnosis to get all this sorted out.

ABS is probably a bad module but hold off until you can see if you hAve a runner

Battery will be fully charged today.

179xxx miles on it.

For this engine what are good numbers on a compression test?

[abscate]

This is for my HPT so your LPT might be different, but

150 psi
all close to each other

are good guidance

Note caveats on the actual number -

Measure compression with the engine hot and at wide open throttle

Normal value B5234T and B5254T: 1.1-1.3 MPa (156-185 psi)
Maximum deviation between cylinders: 0.2 MPa (28.4 psi)
NOTE: This applies when the engine is warm and the throttle fully open and the engine being turned by the starter motor at 4.2-5.0 rps (250-300 rpm).

The poor mans method is to pull the spark plugs and see how uniform they look - it also gives you ideas about how the car was maintained

[Slycox]

Thanks for the information. Will go get a compression tester today.

Any recommendations on spark plugs?

[abscate]

You are a turbo, so you want simple one electrode OEM plugs - not the three electrode kind everyone will try to sell you.

Bosch Copper are good budget ones that will get you the next 30,000 miles for now - but wait until you see your old ones first. They may well just need cleaning and regapping

[Slycox]

Well the rental tester read 150 ish on all the cylinders but I'm not 100% comfortable with those readings so I've got a tester on order and will update when I get it.

Going to do an oil change next and see what that looks like. The PCV system is plugged as well. Depending what I find on the rest of the checks will determine if I tackle that or what.