99 S80 Emission/service light

My 99 S80 (2.9, non turbo, alas) is approaching 80,000 miles.
Around 79800 to be exact.

The "Check Engine' light has been coming on, as well as the message
"emission service required" on the dash.

I know I should just bite the bullet and have the dealer look at it, (
3 non-dealer shops have turned me down so far, due to their not having
the right computer or possible needed parts for a fix)

Just wondered if this is a normal thing since it's approaching 80k
miles.

Is this something the dealer wil charge mega bucks for just resetting
the lights, or could it be a more serious issue?

The car is running fantastic, no running prob's at all.

In fact, for a non turbo it seems very quick and responsive.

And I suppose there is no way for me to reset it myself without a
special code reader/programming device, right?


It does have an extended warranty that will hopefully cover any needed
parts, just wondered if it's an automatic preset warning deal.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>
> My 99 S80 (2.9, non turbo, alas) is approaching 80,000 miles.
> Around 79800 to be exact.
>
> The "Check Engine' light has been coming on, as well as the message
> "emission service required" on the dash.
>
> I know I should just bite the bullet and have the dealer look at it, (
> 3 non-dealer shops have turned me down so far, due to their not having
> the right computer or possible needed parts for a fix)
>
> Just wondered if this is a normal thing since it's approaching 80k
> miles.
>
> Is this something the dealer wil charge mega bucks for just resetting
> the lights, or could it be a more serious issue?
>
> The car is running fantastic, no running prob's at all.
>
> In fact, for a non turbo it seems very quick and responsive.
>
> And I suppose there is no way for me to reset it myself without a
> special code reader/programming device, right?
>
> It does have an extended warranty that will hopefully cover any needed
> parts, just wondered if it's an automatic preset warning deal.

The guys who are turning you away better get with it soon - as a 5+ year
old car, they're going to be turning a lot of business away. Any
generic OBD-II code reader will be able to read the trouble code, and
reset the light. The warning can be caused by something as simple (and
therefore undetectable) as a loose gas cap, or something much more
serious that will cause consequential damage. (Chances are if you don't
notice any difference in the way it's running, the problem is minor.)
Autozone in the US will read codes for free, but I don't think they
reset the light any more.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

Thanks Mike.

I did the gas cap try, as I had heard about that.

I guess I will take the plunge and bring it in.

Thanks



On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:22:04 -0500, Mike F
<"mikef2316()"@allsttream.nett> wrote:

>(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>>
>> My 99 S80 (2.9, non turbo, alas) is approaching 80,000 miles.
>> Around 79800 to be exact.
>>
>> The "Check Engine' light has been coming on, as well as the message
>> "emission service required" on the dash.
>>
>> I know I should just bite the bullet and have the dealer look at it, (
>> 3 non-dealer shops have turned me down so far, due to their not having
>> the right computer or possible needed parts for a fix)
>>
>> Just wondered if this is a normal thing since it's approaching 80k
>> miles.
>>
>> Is this something the dealer wil charge mega bucks for just resetting
>> the lights, or could it be a more serious issue?
>>
>> The car is running fantastic, no running prob's at all.
>>
>> In fact, for a non turbo it seems very quick and responsive.
>>
>> And I suppose there is no way for me to reset it myself without a
>> special code reader/programming device, right?
>>
>> It does have an extended warranty that will hopefully cover any needed
>> parts, just wondered if it's an automatic preset warning deal.
>
>The guys who are turning you away better get with it soon - as a 5+ year
>old car, they're going to be turning a lot of business away. Any
>generic OBD-II code reader will be able to read the trouble code, and
>reset the light. The warning can be caused by something as simple (and
>therefore undetectable) as a loose gas cap, or something much more
>serious that will cause consequential damage. (Chances are if you don't
>notice any difference in the way it's running, the problem is minor.)
>Autozone in the US will read codes for free, but I don't think they
>reset the light any more.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Thanks Mike.
>
> I did the gas cap try, as I had heard about that.
>
> I guess I will take the plunge and bring it in.
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:22:04 -0500, Mike F
> <"mikef2316()"@allsttream.nett> wrote:
>
>
>>(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>>
>>>My 99 S80 (2.9, non turbo, alas) is approaching 80,000 miles.
>>>Around 79800 to be exact.
>>>
>>>The "Check Engine' light has been coming on, as well as the message
>>>"emission service required" on the dash.
>>>
>>>I know I should just bite the bullet and have the dealer look at it, (
>>>3 non-dealer shops have turned me down so far, due to their not having
>>>the right computer or possible needed parts for a fix)
>>>
>>>Just wondered if this is a normal thing since it's approaching 80k
>>>miles.
>>>
>>>Is this something the dealer wil charge mega bucks for just resetting
>>>the lights, or could it be a more serious issue?
>>>
>>>The car is running fantastic, no running prob's at all.
>>>
>>>In fact, for a non turbo it seems very quick and responsive.
>>>
>>>And I suppose there is no way for me to reset it myself without a
>>>special code reader/programming device, right?
>>>
>>>It does have an extended warranty that will hopefully cover any needed
>>>parts, just wondered if it's an automatic preset warning deal.
>>
>>The guys who are turning you away better get with it soon - as a 5+ year
>>old car, they're going to be turning a lot of business away. Any
>>generic OBD-II code reader will be able to read the trouble code, and
>>reset the light. The warning can be caused by something as simple (and
>>therefore undetectable) as a loose gas cap, or something much more
>>serious that will cause consequential damage. (Chances are if you don't
>>notice any difference in the way it's running, the problem is minor.)
>>Autozone in the US will read codes for free, but I don't think they
>>reset the light any more.
>
>
If you hava a Extended warren try on your car it does no harm to return
to the dealer & have them read the codes stored in the car the gas cap
will not set the emission service required message in the DIM there is
something else that set the light off what will happen is that the
dealership personal will read the codes off then determine what parts
are needed to perform the correct repair then they will go to the
service advisor who will contact the extended warren try company to see
what they will cover on your car most companys cover most of the various
parts but it all depends on who is your carrier from experience if you
have Volvo VIP they should cover the repair Western general is a another
good company other then these 2 i know about i can not comment on others

--
"*-344-*Never Forgotten"
Is for the New York City Firemen who lost their lives on September 11,2001.
The official count is 343, but there was also a volunteer who lost his life
aiding in the initial rescue efforts. And I will never forget them as
long as I live,
nor should any American.
"Mow Green"

Thanks for the info!

I will take it in tomorrow or try to get a Sat. appointment. (Hard to
do here)

It's an extended warranty fromCarMax, I expect to get reamed in the
process, I always do with these extended warranty companies.

But I will bite the bullet and bring her in.


On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:41:14 -0500, Glenn Klein <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>> Thanks Mike.
>>
>> I did the gas cap try, as I had heard about that.
>>
>> I guess I will take the plunge and bring it in.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:22:04 -0500, Mike F
>> <"mikef2316()"@allsttream.nett> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>>>
>>>>My 99 S80 (2.9, non turbo, alas) is approaching 80,000 miles.
>>>>Around 79800 to be exact.
>>>>
>>>>The "Check Engine' light has been coming on, as well as the message
>>>>"emission service required" on the dash.
>>>>
>>>>I know I should just bite the bullet and have the dealer look at it, (
>>>>3 non-dealer shops have turned me down so far, due to their not having
>>>>the right computer or possible needed parts for a fix)
>>>>
>>>>Just wondered if this is a normal thing since it's approaching 80k
>>>>miles.
>>>>
>>>>Is this something the dealer wil charge mega bucks for just resetting
>>>>the lights, or could it be a more serious issue?
>>>>
>>>>The car is running fantastic, no running prob's at all.
>>>>
>>>>In fact, for a non turbo it seems very quick and responsive.
>>>>
>>>>And I suppose there is no way for me to reset it myself without a
>>>>special code reader/programming device, right?
>>>>
>>>>It does have an extended warranty that will hopefully cover any needed
>>>>parts, just wondered if it's an automatic preset warning deal.
>>>
>>>The guys who are turning you away better get with it soon - as a 5+ year
>>>old car, they're going to be turning a lot of business away. Any
>>>generic OBD-II code reader will be able to read the trouble code, and
>>>reset the light. The warning can be caused by something as simple (and
>>>therefore undetectable) as a loose gas cap, or something much more
>>>serious that will cause consequential damage. (Chances are if you don't
>>>notice any difference in the way it's running, the problem is minor.)
>>>Autozone in the US will read codes for free, but I don't think they
>>>reset the light any more.
>>
>>
>If you hava a Extended warren try on your car it does no harm to return
>to the dealer & have them read the codes stored in the car the gas cap
>will not set the emission service required message in the DIM there is
>something else that set the light off what will happen is that the
>dealership personal will read the codes off then determine what parts
>are needed to perform the correct repair then they will go to the
>service advisor who will contact the extended warren try company to see
>what they will cover on your car most companys cover most of the various
>parts but it all depends on who is your carrier from experience if you
>have Volvo VIP they should cover the repair Western general is a another
>good company other then these 2 i know about i can not comment on others

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Thanks Mike.
>
> I did the gas cap try, as I had heard about that.
>
> I guess I will take the plunge and bring it in.
>
> Thanks

It takes quite a while for the light to reset itself after a fix. The
exact logic is in the owner's manual; it's along the lines of several
successive self-checks, which are only done after some period of solid
driving, need to come up clear before the light will go off.

Keep looking for a good small-shop independent Volvo specialist who has
the diag equipment, it'll be worth it.

Chip C