96 Volvo 850 Climate Control Blinking Lights

T64me · Post by **T64me** » 07 Jun 2018, 20:39

I have the dreaded blinking lights on my 96 Volvo 850's Climate Control Module. I put in a new blower motor, tried 2 different CCM but the blinking lights remain.

Here's the current situation:
The lights on the CCM blink for a bit after the car is started. Then the blinking stops.
No air comes from any of the vents
When I turn the knob to defrost, I can hear the damper motor working
When I turn the knob to the vents, I can hear the damper motor working
When I turn the knob to the foot vents, I CAN'T hear a damper motor working
When I push the Recirculate switch, I can hear the damper motor working
When I slide the fan speed switch to "ON" the engine speed increases temporarily
When I slide the fan speed switch to "OFF" the engine speed decreases temporarily

I have an 850 parts car that I can pull parts from. Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated!

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 07 Jun 2018, 22:48

Pull the codes for the CCM, this link will show you how to.

T64me · Post by **T64me** » 08 Jun 2018, 07:02

So, given that I have a 96, it appears that I need a special Volvo tool to pull the codes from the CCM?

Never thought I would miss the prior OBD system...

Post by **erikv11** » 08 Jun 2018, 07:26

You can use a very simple home-made OBD tool to pull the climate control codes OBD-I style. Dozens of variations if you do a search but e.g. see viewtopic.php?f=37&t=60660

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 08 Jun 2018, 07:40

I was think yours is a '94.

Option1: You can make a blink code reader for the'96. You can find instructions and a file with the code list here.

Option 2: 850 OBD-II for Android and a ELM327 bluetooth dongle

Option 3: Get a working copy of Vol-FCR and a OBDII to serial or USB cable.

T64me · Post by **T64me** » 08 Jun 2018, 12:32

I attached my bluetooth dongle and tried the 850 OBD-II app. Was able to turn off the service light!!! Wooo Hooo!!!

I did a scan on the car too. Not sure what I am looking for to solve my issue with the CCM/damper motors. How do I use the app for this purpose?

T64me · Post by **T64me** » 08 Jun 2018, 12:33

I attached my bluetooth dongle and tried the 850 OBD-II app. Was able to turn off the service light!!! Wooo Hooo!!!

I did a scan on the car too. Not sure what I am looking for to solve my issue with the CCM/damper motors. How do I use the app for this purpose?

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 08 Jun 2018, 23:24

Yea Yea the 850 OBD-II interface does need some work. It is somewhat counter-intuitive. Some applied ergonomics would be nice. However the functionally is pretty much the best for the pre-99 cars.

Go to Service, connect to the dongle, do a scan, when the scan is finished go back to the Main/Info page and look for DCTs in the format ECC-XXX. (Electronics Climate Control.) Tap on the entry for a ECC-XXX to get more information.

Klausc · Post by **Klausc** » 10 Jun 2018, 10:38

I made a simple code reader for the ECC. Seems that every vent flap had an error, what fun! Just be careful because the battery seems to drain quickly with the home made reader.
The prior owner or mechanic had tried to reprogram the vents and screwed up - the dash vents were totally stuck closed. Removal of the dash pad was required.

Hopefully, your car only has a broken vent flap. Easy to fix after removing the glove box.

Don't forget to 'clear' all of the codes before turning on the engine and getting the active codes.

Post by **erikv11** » 10 Jun 2018, 11:11

Klausc wrote: 10 Jun 2018, 10:38 ... Don't forget to 'clear' all of the codes before turning on the engine and getting the active codes.

Yes, this is a key point!