Got a list of issues, too cold dark and wet right now to go after them tonight, looking for some advice on the place to start. I'm lacking the owners manual - although I think I managed to find it online... I could probably use a greenbook - if anyone knows a source let me know.

1) By far the most serious issue I've discovered it that the hazards and turn signals do not function properly. I switch them on and the respective front and rear signal lights come on - and stays on - no flashing. This prevents me from even trying to get it inspected.

I recall that Volvos will flash rapidly if you have a bulb out. However this seems like the failure mode of a signal relay. Big question is where are the relays in this car? The newest model I've ever owned is a 940. Are they under the engine compartment fuse block? I've checked all the fuses already, no clues there so I'm thinking relays are to blame for many of the issues I'm seeing.

2) Sticking ignition
Put the key in. ignition won't turn until you try it several times. Think it is related to the shift-lock, but so far, turning the wheel and cycling the shift lock doesn't make a difference. It just suddenly "works" or it doesn't. Guy I bought it from said that the issue started right when he bought back in December. Any ideas on this? Is there some sort of safety switch that controls this?

2) Power seats (both of them) do not work.
I read a reference on turbobricks to a volvo technical bulletin about a spring and tab that needed to be screwed down to fix the issue. It seems to me that if that were the case, one or the other would still work. Anyone have any idea where this bulletin is? I'm lucky that the seats are stuck close to my height.

3) Moon roof
Same problem, switch doesn't do anything. No light-up or anything. Relay or motor?

4) Climate Control/Fan.
Seller said his mechanic had to fiddle with the fan blower to get it to run. Some sort of loose connection. I think I just need to pull the glovebox and find the connection.

There are several other things that need my attention - all electrical.

Power mirror switch, power windows, headlight wipers, front fog lights (switch lights up but no lights)

All of this together makes me think that there are some serious electrical issues - except that they are scattered around. Everything else works: dash, electronic instrument cluster, headlights, dome lights, floor lights, clearance lights, radio (needs the dealer code), rear fogs, reverse lights, defrosters, glove box light etc.

Weird. Are these known issues, or is there a common denominator I'm missing?

As it turns out the master power window switch has suffered a very common failure. The little plastic slider for the driver's window wore-down causing the contacts to arc (or something similarly bad). One contact was so corroded over, I did not realize it was in there.

I was able to lower the driver's window... but not get it back up. The passenger side window now operates normally. I'm not sure I can rehab the existing switch, but the innards are a stripped-down version of the s/v70 master switch.

I'm going to try and close the contacts with a screwdriver to close the driver's window for the night. Tomorrow I will head out to search for a master switch to cannibalize.

I'm *VERY* glad I did not have to get inside the doors.

When I just checked, the moonroof and power mirrors are working now as well!

Unless the return of window, roof, and mirror functionality is a fluke, the master power window switch seems to be the achilles heel of the system.

Good news again. Yes, the engineers at Volvo did a good job of marrying the PW, PM, and sunroof wires. You should be able to cannibalize one from 1998-2000, S/V70. Not sure about the S80.

That means you will be able to 'drive' it.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

If this is an Achilles heel electrical mis-design, maybe buying a new one will give you a few years of dependable service. I usually buy new electrical or electronic parts just to try to reduce the aggravation factor. Good job in fixing as much as you have; you have saved a nice car.

If I can't find a workable s/v70 switch at the local PnPs, I may buy a dealer switch from Tasca. They'd have the best deal on dealer parts.

Anyone happen to know the master switch part number?

Thanks for the praise on getting the car past the interior hurdles! I wish I could figure out how to get the drivers door to go back up, but when I tried to short the switch connections I nearly arc-welded my screwdriver and nothing happened. The switch assembly must be too far gone to do anything. The little orange slider bit showed a lot of damage. I think the circuits were shorted one too many times at the switch to come back.

I need secure the seat-back microswitches and to get the blower fan working again before I can call the interior "done" and move on the suspension and hood repair.

Feels like I'm making some good progress for just a week.

Window Switch p/n: 8638452

Available at IPD for $155:
http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S70V70-1998-2000/Interior/Window-Switch-Pack/p-128-370-3028/

Available at FCP Groton for $140:
http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exec/product_id/11910/nm/1998-2000+Volvo+S70+Non+Turbo+Window+Switch+Panel

Available at Swedish Auto Parts for $155:
http://www.swedishautoparts.com/shop/search.php?MaxCount=10&gogo=2&extra=8638452&myCat1=z&a1=Start+Search

Here is an illustrated procedure for replacing the switch:
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/2009/05/25/replace-window-switches-on-volvo-s70-v70/

Good Luck

Thanks, the Matthews-Volvo link is what got me as far as I could yesterday.

The FCP switch for the c70 is actually
http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exec/product_id/11917/nm/1998-2002+Volvo+C70+Coupe+Window+Switch+Panel
It's 134.50

PN: 8638454

I thought it was a dealer-only part, thanks for the links!

-edit-
Tasca has it for $103.19!!

Repair Update.
- fixed the turn signals by replacing the hazard switch.
- fixed the power seats by re-connecting the wiring and finding the un-sprung seatback microswitches
- fixed the leaky aftermarket wheels by having the valvestems replaced and the sealing surface ground down.

Still working on the non-functional:
- power windows
- power mirrors
- moon roof

The V/S70 moon roof controls are behind the large plastic cover. Pull the 2 clear lenses off to reveal a torx screw that holds the cover up. Then start checking the wires. The dash switch pull straight out.

Did you stop by RadioShack and pick up a mess of #7219 micro lamps? Those bulbs fit all the switch lights for $1.50 for 2.

I hope some owner didn't park this car under the arch when the water came up :)

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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

I have not explored the micro lamps you mentioned - thanks for the part numbers. The numbskulls at Radioshack only know how to sell cell phones these days. If I don't have the part numbers, I'm unlikley to find what I'll need. Is the purpose to use them as a test lamp or something else?

The car spent a lot of its life in Illinois. At worst, it might have gotten drenched by the Arch's companion fountain.

I can't explore the doors tonight, but I'll look into the door switches asap. Thanks for the tips on the dis-assembly process. I couldn't find the screws for the moonroof access when I first looked into it, but I did not think to look under the lamp lenses.

Sounds like I'm going to spend some quality time with my multimeter before I am done with this.

Thanks

The micro lamps are used to replace the burned out lights in all of the dash switches, window switches, and for the computer display in the instrument cluster. RadioShack usually carries them in the back, in a drawer full of small light bulbs.

Just turn on the parking lights and note which switches don't light up :)

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

So far they all work - except maybe the lights for the window switches. I'll look into it further after I pull and clean the switch contacts.

I think I used those same radioshack lights to try and fix my 940's instrument lights a couple years back. After some soldering, I think only two of them really worked out. I probably did not use the correct voltage lamps...

No soldering for the micro lamps. And so long as you don't dial up the full brightness for the dash, they should last more than 10 years.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

Yep... it is a total hunk o' junk

Handsome, streamlined car. Are the hubs of the wheels missing some sort of cover? Also, what happened to the fog lights? Did a previous owner sell them? Is that an Amazon parked in the street behind your car?

Thanks, been wanting one for the last 13 years. The wheels are some goofy after-market ones that came with the car. Both rear ones leak, so I'm on the lookout for some proper c70 wheels or at least some 850 s/v70 wheels.

That's my 68 Amazon on the street with my 1990 245 behind it.

If you are looking for a rare car, as you were, you pretty much have to take it with whatever wheels come on it. For more plebeian cars, after market wheels are a red flag for me. My first question is why did the owner waste money on new wheels? What was wrong with the factory ones? Second question: did the money he (she) spend on bling mean that much less spent on maintenance? Third question: where the cr*p are the original factory wheels? Did he throw them out? People are funny....

Back when I bought my 98 R, it had AR wheels on it. Still 16", I wondered why for a few months. Then I found evidence of a front end collision which probably destroyed the wheels. It took a long time before I found a set of Volvo wheels from a 2000 R. The replacement wheels were terrible, my new tires wouldn't balance. Found one of them cracked, one wobbled, so I got rid of the bunch.

I would like to have a C70, but the top must go up and down! And I would have to increase the size of my stable.

klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

It's something of a balancing act. The 245 must go as I don't have the brainpower for a more than three kinds of Volvos at one time.

I, too, wonder where the original wheels are. The car has some excellent tires on some lousy wheels. I took the rears to a service pace today and they guys took a grinder to clean up the sealing surfaces. They told me the tires has some green slime inside - even though the rubber is almost new. These are "arelli" wheels - the rims are badly corroded on the inside. They need to be pulled and reconditioned. They don't even fit very well. The bolt pattern is close, but not quite right and I'm pretty sure that the car shakes on the road because they have to be tightened "just so"

I've been going over the car and there is no evidence of accidents, although there are some small dings here and there as well as the hole in the hood where the front strut blew. The body wear (or patina) is consistent throughout - suggesting no serious collisions or similar trouble.

What I've seen so far is a car owner by someone who really liked it(radio was replaced with an upgraded volvo unit), but did not want to spend the cash on small breakdowns as they appeared. According to the dealer, the original owner stopped taking it there for service after 2005 - although the timing belt was replaced more recently. The blown strut alone suggests a lack of proper maintenance.

All that given, this is still a very nice car for the price I paid. I have no regrets on the purchase.

Been there, done that. My garage had a 164, 854, and a V70 along with my wife's A4. It was so confusing, trying to keep up on the different maintenance schedules. At least the Volvos all had the same oil filter. But, 3 different kinds of oil cans in the garage!

I am going to sell my Jeep Wrangler, 94, this spring. It never gets used because it is always blocked by some other car, and I am too lazy to put the top on it so it can only be used on warm sunny days.

I lucked out with the wheels. I was at Strandberg Auto salvage getting a new moon roof glass for my V70, when the owner showed me a set of refurbished R wheels from a 2000. At $150 each, they immediately went into the rear of the wagon.

You have time to look for parts. I don't envy you with those folding front seats. My 1988 780 had the same problems and there aren't any junk yards that carry buckets of parts for the C70.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

The seats are fixed - sorta. I tightened up all the wiring connectors and then found the loose folding mechanism that engages the microswitch. Holding the "sprung" part I was able to operate both front seats through the entire cycle. I just have to figure out precisely how to secure them so that the microswitch engages.

What I worry about is the door windows. I've read people dropping 1k on each for a temporary roller fix. There's a permanent fix out there, but I think my issue is a loose connection or corroded switch inside the door.

I'm painfully aware that the doors are truly unique and that I'll have to MacGyver my way through it if there is some busted in there.

It is pretty weird that *both* windows are inoperative along with the moonroof and mirrors - while all the door lighting, power locks, and gas/trunk switch work just fine.

Now that the tires stay up, I can start to focus on the doors before I have to start spending money to fix the strut mounts.

The hardest part about the wheels yesterday was finding a rear jack-point. It is pretty weird that the jack point is in the middle of the car...

I'll keep you guys in the loop

I always liked the center jack point, great for rotating wheels! For just a rear lift, use a floor jack under the rear shock mount.

Because both windows don't work, it will be electrical and not mechanical.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

I didn't have much luck jacking the rear or find a place for the jackstand, but I did finally figure it out. I hope I can slide the jack under the front crossmember when I take off the front wheels.

I found a decent write-up with pictures about the window switch on the s/v70. I'll try that as soon as I can.

Can a failing driver's side switch disable both sides?

Any thoughts on the power mirrors?

I'm nearing the end of my repair list...

You can use any part of the engine sub-frame to lift the front of the car.

The window and mirror switch are part of the same unit. If the ground is loose... Or even if the fuse is loose which happened to my 850. I doubt that the window rollers are at fault on both sides. Pull up the switches and check for voltage.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

You bought that piece of junk anyway!! Well, the fun starts...

The flasher relay is in the emergency button, bottom center of the dash. It is all one unit.

There are a mess of relays under the dash, driver's side.

For the seats, there are large amp fuses under the fuse tray in the 1998, not sure about 1999.

Green Book? They haven't made those for decades. Never was a manual for the C70. Online owner's manual: http://www.volvocars.com/us/tools/OwnersInfo/Pages/VolvoOwners.aspx

Get your voltmeter out and dusted off, you are going to need it. I wonder if one of the owners had the electrics fry due to a bad voltage regulator?

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

Well, say what you will, I think it was worth the $1500 I paid for it. But as a former archaeologist and historic preservationist, I tend to see value where other see junk and empty land. It is in fairly good shape, overall. I think the non-car-guy seller was overwhelmed expecting something with fewer issues.

This car has a lot of nice features - particularly the dolby surround sound, combo cassette/in-console 3-disk changer.

Anyway, I found a just one replacement hazard switch at the junkyards I went to today, fortunately it worked and now the signals work too.

My front fogs don't work because they were removed from the front valance at some point. The switch is still there.

The original battery had a bad cell and several other problems were solved when it got a new battery. Although it did set the security code for the stereo.

If the Voltage Regulator was bad, I suspect that I'd see an amp light and more problems throughout the entire system - not just with the parts with servo motors.

Power seat failure is apparently extremely common due to some sort of weakling tab at the folding junction of the seats. Weird that both would have failed, together, but admittedly I don't know if one went, then the other 1-10 years ago.

I managed to track down the Volvo VADIS for this span of production. I'll look at that before I post for more assistance in here.

Thanks for pointing me to those other relays. With the extra light and warmth today, I spent some time under the hood finding the relay and main fuse compartments. All the fuses are intact, so I'm left with potential bad connections and/or failed fuses. I'll check under the dash as soon as I can get back to the car.

At the risk of telling you something which you already know, I strongly suggest that you use the archive search feature at the top of every page. There is a wealth of knowledge contained therein. It us difficult to come up with a new problem that has not been previously asked and answered on this Forum.

Good luck.

Sound advice, although I've found most of the answers to my questions on other volvo forums. The c70 forum here is very sparse and not all C70 issues pertain to the v/s70 models.

Until this car, I've kept to the 120/200/900 forums since I joined the BB.

The relay I know for sure is part of the hazard light switch. The whole button pulls out and contains the relay. You can give it a good whack with the butt of a screwdriver and see if you can get it to work again. Pull out the radio and you should be able to push out this switch from the inside.



I'm not sure I can be of much help for the other problems. The sunroof module can probably be reset. I've never messed with the power seats, but often the plug just comes undone under them.

While you've got the radio out pulling out the hazard switch(I think the inside of a C70 dash s the same as an S70?) take a look at the wires in the back of the ECC unit. It is held in by 2 clips underneath and will then slide out similar to the radio.

The electrical systems on Volvos are shoddy at best as they start to age. Some of the newer ones are becoming electrical nightmares for their owners as they continue to get older. It's a shame really, the rest of the car is very solidly built.

Good pic. Noticed a LOT of dust in your cabin temp sensor. Probably why your ECC is not working correctly.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

Sometimes this works for BMWs with goofy electrical problems. Disconnect the battery for several minutes and then touch the cables together. Then reconnect. In the meantime, make sure all the grounds are clean and solidly screwed down. Clean off the terminals on the battery cables. Good luck, I hope it all works out for you.