Posted by OurVolvo.com on Mar 27, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
WHERE WE CAN GET TOGETHER . . . . .
SHAKE SHACK BABBBYY….. THE SHAKE SHACK BABY!
The Shake Shack is located just between Cleveland, TN and Ocoee, TN off Waterlevel HWY. It was established in 1959. It is a good old American owned and operated Drive In restaurant that is worth the stop.
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Mar 20, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
Watched an episode of Hell’s Kitchen where THE CHEF goes to a local restaurant and tries to help them out. This little restaurant reminded me of the family owned joint that was turned around. The food here was great, but a bit slow on service. And needs a little remodeling to inside, but it is a great little piece of Americana Italian style. The melting pot is what makes America so great.
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Mar 17, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
Wow and I thought I was loyal about advertising products. Been thinking about getting a tat on my back with “ourVOLVO.com. But now I’m not sure, because THEY say these things are contagious. But when I think about it, who are “they” anyways. I’m going for it. Stay turned. I think I got the courage …
Another story from YouTube has a S60 driven in Romania, which reminds us, we have some footage of driving our 1995 Volvo 460 (1.8i) from Berlin to Bulgaria that should be posted here soon…
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Jan 30, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
So a few hours after our purchase of this great 1999 Volvo V 70 and a few hours before we could even get it on our insurance, you guessed it . . . it began to hail out of nowhere. All of the sudden a black cloud covers the town and then dumps buckets full of marble sized hail on our pristine condition car.
So what do we do?? We run out in the middle of the storm. Take the cover off of our Classic 89 Honda CRX and go and protect the Volvo, what any other loving owner would do. We risked our lives to save another. Nobody was hurt in this attempt, although we do suggest to NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON YOUR OWN. We are trained professionals for all we have a website ourvolvo.com
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Jan 25, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
This post deals with detecting problems in your ETM (Electronic Throttle Module) manufactured by Magneti Marelli (Fiat) for Volvo between 1999 and 2001.
A few years back, VOLVO denied the problem and did NOT recall the part, but extended the warranty to 10 years or 200, 000 miles (whichever comes first). So, in most cases you are out of luck for the warranty. Don Willson at VEXEDvolvo.org has put a list of all affected Volvo models as follows:
White label means your ETM is original and has not been replaced by Volvo and/or the previous owner
All Volvo dealers we contacted were aware of the problem. They all said it could be fixed for around $1,000 after a mandatory two-hour inspection at the dealership at a cost of $89 per hour (Volvo of Chattanooga), $99 per hour (Clayton Volvo of Knoxville) or $105 per hour (Dyer & Dyer Volvo of Chamblee, GA).
However, generally Volvo dealers put the same model ETM part during repair, which causes the same problem after a while. You can purchase the same part manufactured in Canada with already preloaded software and the necessary warranty at: xemodex.com (Thanks for the recommendation by Don Willson at VEXEDvolvo.org)
Apparently, you can get the ETM for your Volvo from any online auto-part store located in Europe even cheaper, but you will need Volvo to load the software on it, which they most probably will not do for you. At least, not for free, judging from their prices above.
You can watch the video bellow of a Volvo with ETM problem and use the following PDF chart to diagnose your ETM. (Chart courtesy of Chris at xemodex.com – Thank you!)
A very, very special “Thank You!” goes also to Rob from VolvoTips.com, who helped us with our engine’s condition remotely.
Chris has shared a video of a Volvo with ETM problem on YouTube. He said that Volvo dealer
“just cleaned the throttle body and upgraded software which reduces the sensitivity of the light but only really masks the problem, I’m living with it as the light only comes on for 5 miles out of every 50-100 now. Should have pushed harder for a replacement but its too late…”
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Jan 20, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
Well I tried! I couldn’t get the radio working and it said OFF when turned on.
So I call “my local Volvo dealer” :). And ask for the Volvo radio code. It was either that or bringing it to their service department which charge $105 per hour. So I got the code for the radio for MY VOLVO after giving them the VIN number.
So now you are asking well, how did you get the radio to display “CODE” instead of “OFF” so you can even enter the code they just gave you. And I’m glad you asked.
STEP 1: Leave the key in the ignition in position I (one – with the door open in case it locks on you)
STEP 2: Wait for 2 – 2 1/2 hours
STEP 3: Enter CORRECT code – you have 3 tries or it will lock again. You know you have entered incorrect code when it displays EEEEE.
So I enter the code the dealer gave me that is associated with my VIN number and I get EEEEE 3 times and it locks. Hummm…. So I called back the Volvo Dealer of Memphis who were exceptionally nice again and they tell me how to pull out my radio and get the serial number and part number so they can give me the correct code because it appeared the radio had been changed.
After taking the radio out (by pushing in the 2 little handles on the sides which pop out) I see that it is a remanufactured part and they give me the correct code. I wait 2 1/2 more hours, enter the code and I’m good to go listening to the Music in The Air. I love that song.
Again, THANK YOU VOLVO OF MEMPHIS. Your service department was extra kind and helpful.
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Jan 15, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
Detecting a problem with the brake lights on 1999 Volvo V 70 Classic (North American Edition) is easy, especially with the help of our friends at http://www.volvotips.com/
If your light bulbs and fuse are OK, the problem is most probably the self adjustable brake light switch located at the top of your brake pedal. The problem in 99% of cases is there and not in your relay. BTW on the North American Classic model the relay is NOT in the trunk compartment (neither left nor right side, since they are empty) but behind your radio. Start messing with the relay ONLY if you are sure, the problem is not in the (1) fuse, (2) bulbs or (3) the switch.
The brake light switch on the 1999 Volvo V 70 is a fairly simple device fabricated by Volvo to activate your brake light when the pedal is pressed and deactivates when the pedal is not pressed, in which position the pedal and the switch actually touch.
The most probable reasons why your switch is failing, is the small white cylinder which provides the adjustable part of the switch. Often, if you press on the pedal with one hand, you can adjust the white adjustable cylinder with your other hand for a (temporary) fix.
In most cases, however, the small tracks on which the white cylindrical adjuster moves ware out and cannot be restored. The safest thing to do is order a new one at about $40-50 at any auto part store. We got ours at Advanced Auto Parts which has always been helpful in diagnosing our problems. The replacement of the switch is shown on the following picture (and yes, it is possible to remove the switch without breaking it):
It is also possible to take the switch apart. In our situation, the switch had started to fuse together at the two metal points which provide the actual contact for the electric circuit. Yes, you could brush it and clean it to be reused, but do you really want to do that at the risk of your brake lights not working (which BTW is illegal to drive with in North America).
Posted by OurVolvo.com on Jan 10, 2012 in 1999 Volvo V70
We’ve seen this car on the internet a few days ago and had planned to go see it as an alternative option. When Sean Auto (Duluth, GA) and OnlineCars.com failed to furnish their promise for the reason of false advertisement, and Nalley’s Toyota of Roswell would not give us the time of the day, we decided to stop at Palmer Dodge across the street.
Sure enough, among the beautiful V10 Vipers they had a very nice, well kept and maintained, 1999 V70 at only 84,000 miles. With the exception of one small dent on the driver side fender, both the exterior and interior of this car had been kept in pristine condition. It had the same 2.4l 5 cylinder engine and automatic 4-gear with overdrive transmission as our old 940, which the spring tornado of 2011 retired forever at 274,000 miles.
So, when all hope was almost gone, the legend continues.
This post is an ad of gratitude toward a great customer care and professionalism of Palmer Dodge. If you are looking for a good deal (Dodge especially) Scott and Buddy at Palmer Dodge are the people to go see. I guarantee you nothing else but great service.
The brake light switch on the 1999 Volvo V 70 is a fairly simple device fabricated by Volvo to activate your brake light when the pedal is pressed and deactivates when the pedal is not pressed, in which position the pedal and the switch actually touch.
