Volvo V70 Electrical/Lighting Issues

curtcharlespdx

I have a 2000 V70R. The rear hatch light doesn't come on (bulb is known good) and there is no 12V at the connector, ever. The dash indicator of "rear hatch open" also doesn't come on.

Where is the sensor that determines hatch open/closed located?

curtcharlespdx

The sensor switch is located with the latch/lock mechanism in the hatch door. Anybody know how to get this assembly out? The control rods from the exterior handle and the lock control appear to be attached with plastic connectors. On a 9 year old car I'm reluctant to put more than a tiny bit of pressure on these for fear the plastic has become brittle and will break, leaving me far worse off than an in-op light.

I have verified that it is the switch by shorting out two pins of the connector. The interior light comes on and the instrument panel indicator for "hatch open" illuminates.

curtcharlespdx

FYI - The link between the exterior handle and the mechanism is easily disconnected at the top end; rotate the plastic clip and the part falls in your hands. The lock connector is a tad more difficult. There's a "hook" that attaches to a white part near the latch assembly. The hook can be slid towards the passenger side to remove the linkage, but it does take some force.
The entire lock and latch assembly comes out very easily. The switch is buried at the very bottom; as expected it's a tiny deal. I think there was some corrosion or something; I actuated it a few dozen times and viola', all is well again.
The door trim piece is attached with parts that slide in to metal fittings on the door. Rotate the attachment parts 90 degrees to remove them from the trim, and slide them in to the door. Then the trim piece just snaps back in position.
Good luck!

wojnar

Yesterday I had my 98 V70 inspected--all was well, I drove home. This morning it would not start--when I turned ignition, 8's came across the speedometer and clock area-no sounds to indicate weak battery--could not get car out of "park". AAA came and charged battery-they said it was dead--while car was running to get the charge, I opened the glove compartment and turned on the radio to reset the code. The car just died--it is now at my mechanic's--is it possible that something with the inspection computer messed it up?

curtcharlespdx

That's pretty odd. Did they by chance disconnect the battery during service? If so, they may have failed to re-connect the alternator - your drive home from the shop would have depleted the battery. The OBD connection they use to diagnose/tune can't really interfere with battery or alternator, so it's something else. The computer reads O2, load, speed, etc. and adjusts timing and fuel mixture. I think its a coincidence that the engine died while resetting the radio code. Then again...

hsmart

Our 2004 V70 (65,000 Miles) has begun having an intermittent starting issue. When ignition key is turned to run, all lights illuminate as normal, and any accessories left on (blower, radio etc.) start up. Sometimes when the key is turned further to start the engine, nothing happens. There does not seem to be a consistent theme with temperature or humidity. The battery has been changed, and the electrical charge system has been checked all ok. The main starting cable connections have been inspected for cleanliness and tightness. The dealer has looked at it, and is not capable of doing much because the diagnostics have stored no revealing data. My thoughts are (1) Starter/Solenoid going bad, (2) Some type of Neutral switch malfunction and (3) Ignition Switch going awry. Is anyone aware of a common problem or recall concerning this topic?

okanogan

I just bought a used V70XC s/w and the battery died.

To "restart" the radio, it calls for a code, which I do not have.

How do I get it?

Thanks - okanogan

drecc

The alarm sounds some times an hour after its set by my remote or or button on door.
I have sprayed WD in all the door locks and hood. also replaced the battery in the remote. (2004 V70 2.5T)

mamasv70

I have the same issue with my 2004 V70...the car has been idle in front of my house for four days. I've been trying to diagnos myself to no avail. What was the cause of your problem?

mamasv70

I found out the problem....the small wire to the solenoid was loose and corroded. After cleaning and pinching the connector the car fired up. Must have been getting progressively worse over time until it finally failed.

fedlawman

Phew, you may be the first person on these forums that managed to solve their problem without the assistance of a lawyer. Nice work!

driverstrust

I have a 2004 V70 2.5T (220,000km). It started after work today and I drove to the store. I came out and I couldn't get it to open with the remote . I used the key in the driver side door to open it. The car starts but 3 seconds later the instrument panel lights shut off, the gas gauge drops to zero, the A/C stops but the fan works, the drivers window works, but no signals or brake lights and the doors won't unlock from the drivers armrest. The red dash light indicating the alarm being engaged is still flashing. Any ideas what is going on?

jmo6

I am having the same exact problem with my 2004 V70- I had it into the shop and they looked at the computer but said they could not find anything wrong and it seemed to be working fine for about 2 weeks and then it started doing this again.
Did you have any luck in finding out what was causing your problem?

amjd1

I'm the original owner of my 2002 V70 with 87K miles. Two weeks ago the instrument cluster started failing intermittently. The car always runs fine mechanically. One day all gauges are dead, the next day they work, the following day multiple warning lights (nearly all on the cluster) start coming on randomly and going away in seconds while driving. My independent Volvo mechanic in the Chicago area said this is the third one he's seen this summer. The only persistent warning light was an airbag sensor light, which he reset and all is fine for now. He anticipates it will fail for good at some future point, which it did for the other two he's seen this summer. My options seem to be a new cluster for over $1K from Volvo or he has a person that can repair the cluster and provide a warranty but it will be out of the car for two weeks. Has anyone else experienced this with their V70?

bishop14

I am having a similar problem with my 2000V70. Last week the ABS, check engine, and TRACS lights stayed on and then went off after I restarted the car. Other lights came on intermittently, but for the last few days no lights stayed on. Yesterday several lights stayed on and my speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge etc, were blank. Any suggestions?

grrrrrvolvo

I wish I could say that the only problem I have with my 2001 v70 is electrical, but that is all I will ask about for now. Since we purchased our vehicle less then a year ago the warning lights (i.e. break failure, check engine, abs service etc) have come on and off intermittently. The brights will also come on when you use the left turn signal or go over any bump in the cars path. I also, fairly frequently, have to get my car jump started for no apparent reason! If those don't sound bad enough, now the sunroof likes to open when I shut the car off.

buzzcut1963

I have the same problem in my 2004 V70R wagon. I just recieved it back from the Volvo service center in RI. and they diagnosised the faulty dash lighting as a malfunctioning dash instrument computer module. To replace the part with a new one will cost $900.00 for the cpu part than the installation fee of another $200.00 for a grand total of $1100.00. It is a lot of money but I don't think there is any alternative. I don't like the trail and error method some non volvo dealerships seem to practice. I will say they were able to duplicate the error at the dealership and diagnosised the problem within under an hour. Other than that I love the car, it is sporty and looks great not to mention that it will beat many so called sport cars in any race.

bishop14

Yes, the volvo dealer had the same conclusion. My repair bill was similar to yours. I must say the car is running better since the part was changed. I am looking for a 2010 V70 having a lot of trouble finding one. Any info about how they are doing and how to find one?

bishop14

I have a 2000 V70, my front lighter has fallen into the console. Volvo says it could cost almost $100 to repair. Any suggestions on how I could do it myself?

jryall

I experience the exact symptoms with my 2004 v70 2.5. The car is at the dealer right now. Did you ever find out what caused the problem?

jryall

have a 2004 V70 2.5T (220,000km). It started after work today and I drove to the store. I came out and I couldn't get it to open with the remote . I used the key in the driver side door to open it. The car starts but 3 seconds later the instrument panel lights shut off, the gas gauge drops to zero, the A/C stops but the fan works, the drivers window works, but no signals or brake lights and the doors won't unlock from the drivers armrest. The red dash light indicating the alarm being engaged is still flashing. Any ideas what is going on?

fedlawman

A dead battery in your key (fob)?

jays2004v70

I've read all your postings with a lot of interest. My 2004 V70 has in recent months been experiencing intermittent "seizures" (where while driving on the highway, the dashboard indicator lights start flashing and the accelerator experiences sudden jolts), which are then followed by "strokes", where the left side electronic controls go completely dark (dash lights, gauges, windows, brake lights, turn signals are completely non-responsive). The accelerator still works but feels sluggish. Strangely, enough the right-side window controls and the radio still work fine. This has been resolved by pulling over and re-starting the car, after which all electronics come back up just fine. Recently, it happened at night in rush-hour traffic... no brake lights, no turn signals and no windows to roll down for hand signals. Not good.
Took it in to the local dealer and they found a fried connection between the transmission control module (TCM) and the wiring harness (wires that network the car's computers together) that was causing small voltage fluctuations, which cause the car's computer network to rollover into fail-safe mode (hence the jolts). He told me they could attempt to apply an electrical conducting adhesive to the connection for free, or replace both the wiring harness and TCM for $1500. I opted for the former, but had another seizure/stroke on the highway this week. Methinks I'm gonna be out $1,500 soon :-(

lexaniv70

Hi everyone! I have had my v70 for nearly a year and recently I've been experiencing some headlight failure on the driver's side. I have the uber expensive Bi-Xenon bulb kits so this is posing a bit of a problem for me. The bulb and wiring are fine on the non-working headlight (I have a private mechanic who works on the car) but he has informed me that the ballast is shot. I understand that getting a ballast from the dealer is going to be exceedingly expensive (somewhere in the neighborhood of $600) and a used one isn't very reliable. This predicament brings me to my ultimate question: would it be more cost effective to just switch the headlights to Halogens? If so, is the procedure simple and what components would be involved? Are there extra parts needed to make the switch successful? I have been researching this, but it has been to no avail. I am trying to avoid paying $200 for ONE Xexon box. Thoughts?
Thanks so much!

v70stl

I had the same exact thing happen Thursday, 7/21, I'm told it's my SIMs card. It's going to cost between $1500-1800 for replacement. I've been told that this happens in hot weather. It started last week and I had the computer rebooted, but given that it didn't last and we're having a heat wave I decided to get it replaced.

driverstrust

So this has been a saga with me. The first time I had this issue, I took it to the Volvo dealership near work. They took everything appart and cleaned and reset all the electrical connections into the CEM (Central Electronic Module). Labour for this cost about $800. It seemed to rectify the problem and it worked for about 12 months. This past June (the 9th), the exact same issue reappeared. I took it to the Volvo dealership closer to my home, and they identified it as the DIM (driver information module). They cleaned and reset the DIM and it seem fixed (for $400). This past Thursday (July 21st) it happened again....so after $1200 in work its still acting up. I talked it over with the head of service, we ran further diagnostics, and we have replaced the CEM ($1360). I am crossing my fingers that this soap opera is done.

driverstrust

Its the DIM (Driver Information Module)

skibruce

Simply order an HID kit from China with Aliexpress. I have done many conversions using these kits. They are cheap and have given me no troubles. You should be able to select a kit with bulbs that match the OEM bulbs and use the ballasts that come with the kit. Possibly order the ballasts alone.

volvotech1

I hope your problem is fixed. If not, I understand that whilst replacing the CEM, the dealer must also rewire the the cabling to CEM and install a new shield that cover the cabling. This is located under the wiper motor, so you need to take out the scuttle panel to check if the modification has been done.

This was a recall / modification bullitin issues by Volvo

Hope that help.

pamela50

I have a 2003 v70 wagon (loaded, with winter package)-almost 100K miles - For no apparent reason, the fuel/temp gauges move back and forth, all dash lights disappear, the digital clock speeds ahead, the "no seatbelt" chime starts, the doors start to unlock and lock repeatedly, interior turn signal lights fail to come on, but the signals still work on the exterior (thank goodness!) - cig lighter dead as a door nail (fuse is good) - starter issues occasionally - will give a little click and nothing happens - I have to take the key out several times and restart and then she will come around. Is there hope for another 50K miles with this vehicle (our second and LAST Volvo product due to the lack of integrity of the service staff)? Or should I make her a DNR? Thanks for any suggestions or feedback. Pam