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Volvo s80 T6, 2.8. electrical problem, car won't start at times

Anomorato

New member
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
I have a 1999 volvo s80 T6, 2.8. About a month ago I went away for a couple of weeks, gave a family member the keys to run it every few days. Came back and the car wouldn't start, the battery was dead (car alarm flash lights had went off one night and the battery drained). I replaced the battery with a rebuilt one, was fully charged and in good working condition. Soon after that I started having the following problem:
Car all sudden wouldn't start, cranks, theres power but wouldn't start until after a few tries and waiting on it a few minutes.
When it does start, sometimes it doesn't start or run normally, what I mean by that is: dashboard (odometer, speedometer, temp, gas all stop working n get zerod out), car feels very rough (rough idle, as if its running on high rpm and feels like its dying out at times) .
Changed the spark plugs, didn't help.
Volvo mechanic put on scanner, no relevant codes showed up, said it might be the instrument cluster? But I.doubt that it is, since the problem is more then the display gages.

my temporary solution has been disconnecting n reconnecting the battery, which seems to reset the electrical issue. The negative battery cable is loose, will need to change it because its not tightening well.

Whats your take on this??
Thank you
 
first things first get a good terminal on there.

i had one that sent me for a loop. would start and run fine. shut it down wouldnt' start untill you disconnected the battery for about 5 minutes. spent lots of time fault tracing. in frustration i did an ecm reload. customer hasn't had the issue in over a year. not saying that is your problem. just a possible cause if everything else tests o.k.


i've never had a cluster cause a no start. the intermittant cluster issue's are normally solder joints on the chip in the cluster. bba does rebuilds on them.

the alarm could be the alarm siren in the right inner fender. they are prone to water intrusion and causeing all sorts of issues. basically anything controlled by the uem like the sunroof could have issues.

also how much amperage is your starter drawing. i've had bad starters still crank but cause no starts. (1st time i saw this, it was recomended to try by the local dealer we get parts from)

also any etm codes on that sheet from the volvo tech?

lots of other things it could be without seeing it in person.
 
It's a 99 S80 T6. If you can get it started, running and driving, drive it straight to the scrapyard. I think they are paying about $180 per ton delivered.






Seriously, though. I highly doubt there were no codes. If you want to throw parts at it, start with the ignition switch in the column, back side of the lock cylinder. They have been known to go wonky and cause strange electrical issues like that. After that, don't get me started on everything else that could be wrong with your 99 S80 T6.....

Oh, and I agree on the siren also. We replace those all the time.
 
could any of the following be causing this? Ignition coils, voltage regulator, CEM module?
I know this sounds pretty broad, but it could be one of several malfunctions, only if you ran into such a particular problem before you might have a clear what it is.
Ill get the codes the tech got on the scanner in the meantime
, although they were unrelated to the problem ( they were related to o2 sensor, heater, tail light, had cap etc)
Thanks for yurt inputs guys

QUOTE=volvo944ti;4305433]first things first get a good terminal on there.

i had one that sent me for a loop. would start and run fine. shut it down wouldnt' start untill you disconnected the battery for about 5 minutes. spent lots of time fault tracing. in frustration i did an ecm reload. customer hasn't had the issue in over a year. not saying that is your problem. just a possible cause if everything else tests o.k.


i've never had a cluster cause a no start. the intermittant cluster issue's are normally solder joints on the chip in the cluster. bba does rebuilds on them.

the alarm could be the alarm siren in the right inner fender. they are prone to water intrusion and causeing all sorts of issues. basically anything controlled by the uem like the sunroof could have issues.

also how much amperage is your starter drawing. i've had bad starters still crank but cause no starts. (1st time i saw this, it was recomended to try by the local dealer we get parts from)

also any etm codes on that sheet from the volvo tech?

lots of other things it could be without seeing it in person.[/QUOTE]
 
You could throw parts at that thing all day long and not be any closer to solving the problem. That car has an overcomplicated electrical system. Without a doubt, the faulty siren module killed the battery initially. Have you replaced that? You also said you replaced the battery with a "rebuilt" battery and you have a faulty cable end. That car is HEAVILY DEPENDANT on a good electrical system. You NEED to have a good battery as well as clean and tight connections at the sources (battery, alt, starter) or you will be chasing ghosts.

1st suspect is the rebuilt battery and faulty cable end(s). Fix those with new cables or just ends and a good "NEW" battery. Then replace the siren module as that can not be removed or bypassed from the system and is currently causing you problems. Start with that.

S80s are nothing like the older cars. They can not be hacked back together with cheap fixes, junkyard parts, educated guesses, duct tape, etc. Not saying this to sound like a dick, just giving you the truth. I have been dealing with them since they were brand new in our showroom.
 
didn't volvo come out with a download to remove the siren module from the system. or was that later models?

agreed s-80's can't be hacked. they suck and with the problems he's having probably is going to cost more than the car is worth. mainly due to not teh end of his problems by a long shot.
 
Well, I just went into the catalog and found a software for "Alarm Remove" part number 9438408 and would cost $20.27 plus whatever the dealer wanted to charge for labor, we get 1 hour. This is new to me and my lead tech isn't here today, being saturday and all, so I'll look into it next week.
 
LOL, today I was at my Volvo mechanic, great mechanic...and we was talking about Volvo's and electronics...at one point he said
''Man I know their electronics by hard, but '99 S80 T6 that's the worst year, it almost unfixable...it has problems with EVERYTHING''
Then I came home and saw this thread...

To OP, not meaning to rain on your parade or discourage you in fixing your car...but be careful..
 
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