V70 Auto - Anti Skid Service Required - Diagnostic help.
 

1st post so be gentle, hope you guys (and girls) can help. Have researched my issues but am a little overwhelemed with the volume of info out there, thought best to join and start new thread specific to my course of diagnosis and repair as i'm keeping my new girl (dog wagon) for the long term. I know direction I need to go (I think) and hopefully this thread might help others going down same path (im sure im not the first either).

Just bought a v70 Estate Auto, '06 plate, 90k miles, good/great condition. My previous dog wagon was a v70 estate '96 plate. I am ex Porsche/BMW tech so should be able to resolve this with right guidance, but also want to treat this jewel right. She's real nice.

I bought her, with a warning message "Anti Skid service required" (cue jokes).

She drives nice, pulls well, although might be ever so slightly under powered. I only say this as not much more power than previous 140HP v70, whereas this should be 170hp, on other hand, she does go well.

I have noticed some slight torque steer, might be just front wheel drive based (as this car is still new to me compared to how old car felt), but does feel as if its "toe-ing out" slightly on the tracking if that makes sense (sensitive to road surface/camber/rutts/white lines)?. Some reading about the interwebs, and my current thoughts suggest the sensitive steering might indeed be related to the anti-skid service message that is ever present (not intermittent).

So, I want to diagnose by firstly equipping myself with the gadgets and diagnostic tools required, and then proceed along troubleshooting. My background reading suggests this fault could be down to any number of inter-related systems/sensors (as is usually the case). I have come across mention of reluctor rings, cold solder joints in ABS unit, ABS sensors dirty among others.

I Have got VIDA/Dice SW download.

So my questions to start.

1. I currently see two types of diagnostic tool. Which is best and where best to buy from? The ODB/USB type that plugs into laptop (around £50 on ebay), or the standalone unit with built in LCD screen (c. £150 on ebay). Any other sources?? or other units to consider?? Not averse to spending on the right kit.

2. What common faults/issues are known to exist, that might be root cause of the symptoms described above? Note that no other warning lights or messages are showing, no ABS lights etc. The DSTC button appears to work and illuminate normally, and no other warnings occur if activated. Speedo, tacho all working consistently. No change in available engine power, no noises clunks bangs etc, brakes seem fine. Maybe this can narrow things down as I have seen reports of other systems being affected when this general error message is present (some of which are a little scary).

3. Presumably I will be working with error codes. Is there a reference listing of these, or is all contained within the VIDA/Dice sw?

3. Any good specialists in this community from Northamptonshire area in case of work required where I dont want to get under the car? My days of turning tools for fun are long gone :) although im looking forward to this little exercise

Looking forward to hearing thoughts and suggestions, many Thanks in advance.

P

ABS faults generally come from two sources:- either the sensor is stressing about something or the module is.

Dirty rings, cracked rings, dodgy driveshaft bolts or simply a duff sensor cover the sensor library of faults. None too hard to fix, but you’ve a choice of four, so quickly it becomes expensive if you don’t know which one it is.

Dry solder joints and knackered brushes are the usual suspects in the module.

I’ve heard of yaw sensors failing too, but they’re reasonably rare.


Vida will sort most of this out for you, or a Snap-On Versus Pro if you’ve access to one.


Till you know if it’s sensor related or module related, you’d be better off buying lottery tickets as it’s cheaper and more likely to work well...

If you have Vida SW, get a Dice unit to connect a laptop direct to your car. Vida / Dice is the best diagnostic.

I have an xc70 which had the twitchy steering and anti skid service required. I have had 4 new tyres, new wish bones, drop links and 2 new front drive shafts with reluctor rings. My steering twitch has gone although my steering wheel doesn't sit straight when going straight. But I still get the anti skid service required message pop up.cant find anything on my vida dice.

Nothing on VIDA at all? That sounds rather curious, one would expect a message to be saved... Does the light go out after time, after an ignition cycle, after you hit a pothole?

If the error message is showing, Vida should find the fault.

Mine was the DEM, knackered and thus completely off line so whilst Vida wouldn't pull fault code for it... it just acted like it didn't even exist, ie it was off line.

Replacement DEM sorted it

Didley squaut comes up. it may leave the message a while or it disappears as quick as it came doesn't go if I switch off and back on its just random.

I can’t begin to explain why VIDA won’t report what’s going on; provoke it by disconnecting a wheel sensor and seeing if it spots it.
You can use Vida to prompt the pump into running. If that doesn’t work then you may well have other, bigger issues, but I would be amazed if you can’t force the pump to run whilst it reports nothing wrong.

OK Will do. Any particular supplier/forum member to buy from or any to avoid? Or just from ebay? I do prefer to support community members when appropriate.

So, the "Anti Skid service required" message IS an ABS fault that is not so severe as to bring the ABS light on? Is a message without warning light permanently on, an MOT fail? I will test ABS later with some hard braking to see if it is running. Is it possible the service message is caused by an old fault that just needs erasing?

It appears Avalon and PJHodge are my local non-franchise specialists, so may get one of them to check out my steering/suspension, and hopefully can poke my head underneath while its on the ramp. Either of them active on this forum?

@spudd: I presume they would have done tracking aswell. Mine feels solid, no steering play, no drifting (on smooth road) etc. Tyres also slightly feathered on outer tread which indicates alignment issue. Hopefully no knackered bushes, last MoT didnt report any worn bushes/linka so hopefully signs are good, of course MoT tester is unlikely a Volvo specialist knowing what to look for.

Cheshired 5, is the one on here to seek out for the unit.