1998 Volvo S70 All Warning Lights Always On

Tiny
T11MCB
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 VOLVO S70
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
The battery in my 1998 Volvo S70 completely died over the winter. It is a brand new, good quality battery purchased late last August, but I didn't start the car over the winter and the battery drained out. I tried to jump start it with another car, that didn't work. I called AAA and they came out and used one of those high powered battery jumper things and got it started. I was told to leave the car running for 25 minutes. After letting the engine run in park for 26 minutes, I drove it to the gas station, turned off the motor and put in $10 worth of gas. Everything was working fine, except. My dashboard light was out (I thought the AAA guy had turned if off and I didn't know yet how to turn it back on). The other thing was my fuel gauge (before I put the $10 of gas in) was going from a little over 1/4 of a tank down to Empty and then going back and forth between showing a level of gas and being on empty (but the empty warning light was not coming on). I drove back home and parked it. The next day I started the car, and after the car was running EVERY one of the warning indicator lights stayed on. AND. The gauges for speed (speedometer), the RPM gauge, and the fuel gauge were all not working and sitting at zero. The odometer (that thing that can't be reset to zero. Not the trip meter), was reset to ZERO. The trip meter and clock were working normally and maintained the setting from the previous day. But the Temperature (climate temperature) that shows up next to the clock on the dash was not working. Just four dashes are showing, the previous day it registered the climate temperature. Everything else seems to be working fine.(Still no dashboard light though). The electric seats, seat warmers, electric locks & windows, sunroof, headlights, indoor & trunk lights. All that is working. The radio is not working but that is because it needs the code put back in and I haven't done it, but if I turn it on the antennae comes up and the radio lights up and asks for the code. After driving the car approximately 4 miles, the lights were still lit up. I left the engine running in park for an additional 30 minutes before shutting it off. Anyone have any ideas what is going on?

If I put the key in the ignition in the 1st position. The only light that comes on is the SRS light, and it goes off after some seconds.

With the key in position 2 "on" engine not started, ALL the warning lights come on and stay on.

With the engine running, 3 warning lights on the right side go off (the 2 on the far left of the top row, and the first light on the far left of the bottom row) but all the other lights stay on.

The battery seems to be recharged as the car starts with no problems for 3 days now.
Though the rpm gauge does not work, I tried revving it to approximately 4000 rpms, it made no difference.

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 AT 11:39 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
It seems like the instrument cluster is failling now. I really would recommend you take it in to Volvo for a proper diagnostic. If the cluster is faulty the replacement would require programming. But in your situation now, looks like you lost your true mileage now?
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Thursday, April 7th, 2011 AT 5:32 PM
Tiny
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Yes, I have lost the true mileage, the odometer reset itself to zero the day after the battery was jumped. It worked fine the first day after the jump, but on day 2 when I started the engine, that is when all the warning lights came on and stayed on with the engine running, and all the gauges (fuel, speedometer, tachometer) stopped working, the climate temperature went out, and the odometer reset to zero. The clock and the trip meter retained their counts.

Is it possible for me to reset the computer without taking it to a dealer? Or is there a way for me to re-enter the coding? Thanks!
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Thursday, April 7th, 2011 AT 10:57 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
Not that I am aware of? When we do the programming it is a software we download. We basicly print out the old values from the cluster and punch everything in manually to the new one like the mileage and tire size of your vehicle and other parameters your vehicle came with? Outside the dealership you could look for an independent shop that has access to Volvos database to download the software? Other then that I am sorry I could not have been of any help?
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Friday, April 8th, 2011 AT 6:53 PM
Tiny
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Thanks so much to taking time to reply. Sounds like I am going to have to find some money to take it to the dealership.
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Friday, April 8th, 2011 AT 9:44 PM
Tiny
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Well I took my 98 Volvo S70 to the local dealership and was told that I needed an instrument panel module replaced. Now, I'm told that everything on the panel is working except the odometer and that they cannot reset it. Makes me wonder if the instrument panel is truly repaired? That was for a cost of $1200. Now, they tell me that to get the car inspected, I need to replace the ABS module, rear brakes and rotors, and get 2 new tires on the rear at a cost of a little over $1850. I am seriously thinking of telling them if the car will now run and the battery isn't going to die every 24 hours that I will not have the additional work done. I think I can get the work done cheaper (everything but maybe the ABS module) at some place other than the Volvo dealer. I won't have an inspection sticker, but if all I'm doing is moving the car from one side of the street to the other for the street sweepers twice a week, I think I can risk it. I see no reason why the brakes and tires can't be done somewhere else. And I'm guessing I can find an ABS module online cheaper than they are offering at the dealership. So does this sound like a reasonable plan? I wish I was a man and could do it myself! Anyone know of a reliable mechanic that can work on Volvo cars in the Charleston WV area?
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Saturday, July 9th, 2011 AT 12:00 AM

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