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ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850

Alright folks heres one that I could not find on the board.

My ABS & track lights are both on every time I start up the car. Every time I hear this "elephant" sound (vacuum hose?) the lights sometimes turns off. But to turn back on again when I hear the "elephant" or hit a good sized bump on the road.

-Whats the source?
-Is this a DIY project?
-or am I really screwed and have to take it to the nearest dealer? (Putnam volvo in the Bay has very bad customer service: rude on the phone and snoby)
-Will this affect the effectiveness of the ABS?

Thanks for the help!

aa








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    ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850

    Thank you for the recommendation guys.
    RWS_850, what year is your 850?

    All the ABS control units (Installed on 96 and newer 850, 70 series and S80 models) will eventually fail after they reach 65,000 miles or 5 years. The average is 85,000 miles and/or 6 years for failures.
    The erratic ABS light and/or no trouble codes is an indication of a defective ABS unit.
    A dealer will charge from $60.0 to $120.00 to diagnose the problem and about 95% of the cases the mechanic will recommend to replace the ABS control unit.

    Here's more information on this issue and a replacement alternative.
    Vitor's Volvo ABS website








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      ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850

      vitor,

      any chance you do saab 9-5 abs, there a bunch of guys on saabnet,
      that could use your help, big bucks for the 9-5 abs

      93 850 glt 5 spd 103k sold
      97 850 wagon t5 80k sold :(

      00 9-5 se v6 60k








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      ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850 1997

      Vitor,
      Im definitely in your ballpark. Dan and Dick describes exactly what I am going through. This board is definitely making my weekend a little bit better. Thanks guys!
      I have a 1997 850. I have not checked yet but a mechanic had mentioned that the car is turbo equipt. Thanks to the board I will be confirming this find over the weekend when the Mrs is not driving the car.
      Fortunately I work in a shop where there is an abundance of tools and will look for the correct socket. If we dont have it, I can arrange to have one picked up to lessen my burden of taking the module off.
      Vitor, please send instructions or is the web page sufficient to follow, to take off the abs module? You also mentioned that the check engine light will turn on when the module is taken out. Will the check engine light turn back off once the fixed module is reconnected? Just dropped 5 bills to have the light turned off last April.
      Thanks for the post and help!

      alan








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        ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash V70-XC70 1998

        Assuming you disconnect the battery for a half hour or so, you won't have the CEL on when you reconnect it after you reinstall the ABS module. Victor fixed mine last summer and it works fine. I just had my state emmissions inspection and all was well with the OBD2 system, etc.








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        ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850 1997

        Alan--when I removed the ABS module from my 97R wagon and got it back from Victor, the check engine light was on. And it stayed on for about two days every time I started it up. But after about the sixth or seventh time I started it, it suddenly went out. I think it takes a while for the diagnostic check system to determine that the ABS module is okay and then it goes ahead and turns out the light. After having Victor fix the module drive the car for at least a week before spending any money to have a garage do it if the light doesn't go out by then. Think about getting Alex Peppar's diagnostic software (www.obd-2.com) which you use in conjunction with a PC laptop computer. Will cost something over a hundred for the software and it will allow you to check almost anything and everything on the codes the car kicks to the computer, and, it will let you turn off the service as well as the check engine light. It's the best software out there for Volvo owners and a bargain at that price. You can save the price of the software on just one trip to a Volvo service center.

        The only instruction I failed to give you about removing the ABS module is the connector for loosening the electrical lead to the module. There is a little black handle on the side of the lead connecting to the module which you lift up, and then you wiggle the wire bundle, and the multiple-pin connector will come loose. Don't get ham-handed and break the little handle trying to lift it up. Sometimes it hangs up part up and if you force it you will break off one of the lugs like my friend did on his 96 wagon. Take it easy. The connection will come loose, and then you have the unenviable job of getting those four long screws out. Whatever you do, don't lose one down inside the engine compartment like I did on mine. It's not a screw you can walk down to the local nut and bolt store and buy. Very unique. So be careful. Dick








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    ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850

    AA--Sounds very much like your ABS module is going. The sound you hear is probably the ABS pump cycling because of the faulty module. It goes through a little check every time you start the car, and when the module is faulty you hear this weird noise coming from the pump, which is under the hood next to the module.

    DON'T take your car to a dealer to replace the module. They will stiff you six to eight hundred, depending on what they think you're worth. Take the module off and send it to Victor Roche. Look him up on the net. You have to send him an email to get his address, telling him that you have a Volvo with a shot ABS module and he will email you back his mailing address. It will cost you about $135 plus postage to have Victor fix it. If you take it in to Volvo and they fix it, they will install a new one and it will fail again. Victor's fix is permanent. The ABS module is made in the Philippines or some such place, is used on a lot of different European cars, fails regularly since it was introduced about ten or twelve years ago, and is a cash cow for service departments.

    The ABS module is located beneath the brake fluid reservoir, a square black piece of plastic about three by four inches and one inch deep. It is held in place by four corner screws whose heads takes an E5 socket. This is a female Torx socket, not male. There are E6 Torx sockets all over the place, but the E5 is hard to find. Slip a piece of cardboard or plastic under the car below the ABS module because the chances of fumbling one of those long screws and dropping it down into the engine compartment (you're lucky if it makes it to the ground) is great. Disconnect the battery first BEFORE taking out the module. It's a witch getting those four screws out because you can't see them--they're on the bottom side of the module. It's a real feel and fumble operation. Once you get it out DON'T open it up. Doing so apparently causes diagnostic problems for Victor. He says as much in the email he sends you, along with his address. Once you remove the module your speedometer needle won't work. Not a biggy. You will have standard brakes but obviously not ABS. Victor is very fast in sending the module back because of the above. Turn around is often just three days--day down (if you send overnight) day there day back.

    Hope this makes your weekend for you. Dick








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      ABS Trac light problems -Elephant in my dash 850

      I second the motion.

      Victor repaired my abs control module two years ago and it still is in fine shape. He includes pictures and instructions on removal and reinstallation.

      A few words of caution are in order. First the E-5 torx socket is generally required. After purchasing it from a place called WIHA tools somewhere in Minnesota, I found that I had torx 10 screws in mine. Look before you buy. Make sure you are loosening the screws or bolts in the right direction as I over tightened (rather the loosened the first screw) and had to cut it off with a hacksaw. It cost me another $10 for Victor to patch the plastic corner of the unit back together (lefty loosey--righty tighty).

      Dan

      PS: You are not alone. This is a classic Volvo 850 repair due to a defect in Volvo engineering and manufacture. Why do you think they changed the name to the car to S70 so fast?

      Dan







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