I have a 96' 850 wagon with a manual transmisson. I have searched through the archives for hours but cannot find a problem similar to mine:

My 'tracs off' light is lit and does not turn off when I try to switch the tracs on. I assume that my tracs is not working correctly but where do I start trouble shooting? Has anyone had problems turning on their tracs systems?

You may have a defective ABS/Tracs controller. The traction control function and the ABS function are basically the same thing applied to different driving situations. Each uses electronically controlled braking to gain traction. You can search this site for "ABS" for a lot of information and you can go to Victor's site at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~vicrocha/Volvo_Parts/Volvo_V70_ABS.htm

I am among Victor's many satisfied customers. You'll spend a lot of money if you rely upon your Volvo Dealer's shop to diagnose and fix. There are plenty of stories about needlessly replaced wheel sensors and the high cost of labor and parts for replacement of the controller.

Regards,

Calvin (92 940 198K, 96 850 Turbo 97K)

Tracs should be on by default - the switch is there to turn Tracs off until next time you start the car. I would assume there is a fault in your Tracs system?