1997 VOLVO 960 Shows CHECK ENGINE

Hi:

I have bought this car from a dealer less than a year ago. The car is
at 89.8K miles now. I just drove 5K miles so far. I love the car and I
was hoping to drive it for much longer. From last Thrusday, the CHECK
ENGINE light just got turned on. I have been religiously changing oil
and had a diagnostic check done on the engine before I bought the car.
The mechanic had said that the car was in an excellent condition and I
should definitely consider buying it.

Does anyone have similar experience? I don't mind minor repair, but
just don't want to get completely ripped off.. Any suggestion,
information would be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Santanu B.

 

Hi there !! I have the same car, and it has been a very reliable car, the
check engine light came on, and the transmission select light were blinking,
and it turned out to be a loose contact on the transmission gear selector,
it went away after parking the car and moving the gear shift through all
the different positions a few times. You might want to consider either
purchasing an OBD2 reader or taking it to a chain like "Autozone" to have it
scanned for codes. take a look at this link:
http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvocodereader.htm
or this one.
http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.aspx?CategoryID=1721&NodeID=5380&RootID=629

Good Luck
Arnold

 

The important thing to remember is that the "check engine" light is there to
let you know there is an emission related problem that you might not know
about unless it told you. As long as the engine runs okay it is safe to
drive around town, and as long as the fuel economy is fairly normal (20 mpg
or so) it can be driven normally.

The question is "why did the light come on?" The answer requires an OBDII
scanner to read the codes. In the meantime, make sure the gas cap is tight.
Loose gas caps probably account for more than half of all "check engine"
light episodes. If the cap is loose, even a little bit, the light will stay
on for several days of driving after you tighten it.

Mike

 

Thanks! In my case the transmission select light is not blinking.. I am
trying to get and OBD II reader..

 

Great suggestion!! However, I have double checked the gas cap and it
seems pretty tight. I will get at an OBD II scanner to check the code
first thing Monday.

Thanks for your reponse..

 

Without having a code reader say what is wrong it is impossible to make
even an educated guess.

 

I have this. Disconnect the battery, and undo the two leads to the lambda
sensors. They are down near the gearbox filler(on RHD anyway).

The get gummed up. Reconnect them and the battery.

Hopefully should be ok if not then something more serious I'm afraid.
John

 

While my Volvo is in rehab, I am driving a 200 Hyundai Accent
(yee-ha!). It is NOTORIOUS for a check engine light - comes on, goes
off, has a mind of it's own.

I researched it -- O2 Sensor. $140 to replace (part only).

"this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine,
this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"

 

Oh, yes, disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes worked for me to
reset it. (for about a week)

 

One possible cause of the light coming on is if you ran out gas, or
just got low. The sputtering will activate the light.