Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

and forth a bunch of times (I did it with the engine off) to clean the PNP switch contacts. It works!
960 Flashing Transmission Lights. [Inquiry] After selecting low gear and accelerating, I get a
series of flashing lights: the instrument panel arrow flashes, the lights alternate between "E" and
"W" on trans selector, switch positions "E" and "S" will stay depressed when depressed, but "W"
will NOT stay depressed. The tranny shifts normally. What is wrong? [Response: Tom] You
have a faulty gear position sensor. I had mine replaced at around 68000 miles, but some last
longer. It is on the right passenger side of the tanny, next to the fluid cooler line.
Other Concerns:
Unexplained Driveability Problems: Rotten Battery Cables. [Tips from Tom Irwin]
Symptoms: No Hot Restart
My '92 960 wagon will not start after short trips. The gear shifter will lock when placed into
"park" and the car will not make a sound (other than the "click" when I turn over the ignition)
when I attempt to re-start it. Usually, after sitting for about an hour, the car will start normally. Is
this my PNP switch? [Response: Etherman] Put the trans in PARK. Turn the key to #2. Step on
the brake and attempt to shift out of Park. Does it happen? I think it will. If so, your PNP is
working. In this case, look to a bad battery and/or voltage drop in the batt cables which may or
may not exhibit signs of corrosion. Check the voltage drop on both cables. $5.00 says your
positive cable needs to be spliced or replaced.
Symptoms and Problem Diagnosis.Stalling and Random Electrical Problems
960 showed occasional cutting out, complicated by intermittent ABS warnings without any codes
set. Engine dying at intersections, etc. Apparently "ABS WARNING" when translated from
Swedish means "Low Voltage". As with the FWD Volvo's, the battery cables rot inside the
crimps, where it's not visible, and they exhibit voltage drop across the length. Volvo knows
about this and specs a max drop of 0.09v end to end. Beyond this limit everything gets
squirrely.. the ECU turns inside out, etc. Below 10volts, the ABS trips out and sets a code that's
the Swedish way of suggesting you have a battery problem. This will kill your voltage regulator
too. My Red cable was showing 0.34v drop, four times the limit. I touched the negative battery
clamp, it was cool. Then I touched the positive clamp and it was HOT! Looked real good... clean
and tight and whatnot... but that internal ROT is blocking most of my current, so the voltage
drops... My friend, the master tech says he replaces them all the time on 960's and 850's. But,
he added, the part that goes bad is always at the terminals, inside the crimp. So a repair in situ
was in order.
Repair Procedure for Battery Cable Ends
Procedure 1: I bought a Pep Boys 25 inch "NASCAR" Battery cable with two ends crimped on
it. I cut it to about 12", then I put red shrink tube around all three conductors, boom! Instant