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97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

posted by  Isotopia on  Sun Apr 4 06:34 CST 2004
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last visit: Sat Oct 18 09:20 CST 2008
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Hey folks, I have a 97' 850 GLT wagon that currently has 123k miles. Just yesterday I noticed that almost all of the dashboard status lights came on briefly while driving through town (San Francisco). A few minutes later they came on again and remain on while the engine is running. By status lights I mean all the various amber and red lights that come on when you turn the ignition key before tarting the engine. Curious enough it seems the only two lights not to remain on in this current situation are the 'ABS' check light and the 'engine service light.'

Have no idea where to start with this but hope to get it to a shop here within the next few days. Although there is no change in engine performance or any such thing I am wondering if this might represent a safety concern and whether I should just park it for the time being rather than continue to drive.

Any insight/input/suggestions greatly appreciated.

Ray Russ
rruss@stanford.edu








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    97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

    posted by  someone claiming to be Chris on  Mon Apr 5 08:45 CST 2004 [RELATED]

    I live in S.F. too--just out of curiosity, where do you take your car for service/repairs?

    Thanks,

    850 GLT 98K 1993








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      97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

      posted by  Isotopia on  Mon Apr 5 09:42 CST 2004
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      last visit: Sat Oct 18 09:20 CST 2008
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      Volvo Centrum
      3512 16th St.
      (415) 863-7790.

      They do ONLY Volvos, two of their four mechanics are Swedes one of whom has been doing brick work for decades.

      Prices are fair, work has always been top notch and I've never felt ripped off as long as I've been going there.

      BTW, my problem was a bad alternator.








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        97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

        posted by  someone claiming to be Chris on  Tue Apr 6 03:23 CST 2004 [RELATED]

        That's where I take my car as well. I started out at Popular Mechanix but one day my rear view mirror broke off and I needed a new one pronto. I called Popular but was told they were "too busy" to help me. Called Centrum and they got the part and put it in for me same day, no hassle. The only thing I find a bit expensive for them is an oil change at $68.00! I am used to about $38.00 with all volvo parts. . .








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    97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

    posted by  Isotopia on  Sun Apr 4 08:15 CST 2004
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    last visit: Sat Oct 18 09:20 CST 2008
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    A followup: after posting the above messageI started about on a series of errands and after an hour of driving around town the car became very sluggish several blocks from my neighborhood. The errant dashboard light I noticed had grown dimmer and gradually the car came to a halt. attempts to start the enging were frutitless with nothing as much as a noise from the starter. It's obvious that the battery is dead. My plan is to remove the battery and have it charged in the hopes that i can start it and drive it to my mechanic who is located several blocks from my house. In the mean time I'm wondering if the car's woes indicate just a bad alternator or if the issues goes deeper and perhaps more expensivly into the realm of big electrical problems.








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      97' 850 GLT dashboard lights remain on after starting 850 1997

      posted by  850 owner on  Sun Apr 4 09:52 CST 2004
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      last visit: Sun Sep 2 21:30 CST 2012
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      Definitely a bad alternator. Due to the design of the electric system, all those lights go on if there isn't sufficent charge. How do I know this? I still have the old accessory belt in my 850, and it's known to not to have enough tension on the pulleys as the new 850 belt design (and new belt routing). So whenever I drive over puddles, and am sitting at idle, all those lights flicker for a bit, so I know the alternator's not spinning up to speed at idle in those extreme conditions. My explanations may sound a little scatterbrained, but hopefully it's understandable.
      --
      '94 854 N/A.







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