OBD2 on 10-valve V70s (again)

[ascott1]

Hate to bring this up again, but has anyone managed to read and reset fault codes from the OBD2 socket using Vehicle Explorer on a 1998 model 10-valve V70 (with the Fenix 5.2 ECU)?

I'm pretty sure the car is EOBD-compliant, I've seen an independent mechanic read and clear fault codes from it easily using a hand-held Sykes Pickavant reader in the OBD2 socket, and the 97 and 98 models are listed as ISO-compliant at http://www.obd-2.de/tech_com-volv.html

but I can't get it to connect to my PC, and the supplier is saying helpful things like "not US and probably doesn't support OBD2" rather than coming up with suggestions for varying options in the complex configuration interface.

If anyone has managed to connect to one of these cars, and can describe on- or off-list exactly how to get a connection, I'll let you know how it goes. I've seen the led-and-switch method described in various posts but don't trust my soldering and general construction skills, and I really want to be able to observe as much info as possible from the car rather than just to reset the codes.

Thanks in advance...

[cootuk]

I didn't do any soldering for the LED method.
I bought a cable connector strip (the white strips that have screw fittings on top so you can connect two wires in the metal barrel) and just srewed it all up tight.
I was lucky and also found an OBDII male socket to make the connector more professional.


Just looking on Ebay and saw this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...930124983&rd=1

so the Sykes will read whatever car you put the pod in for, doesn't have to be ODBII or EOBD.
Plus I'm not sure that the Fenix ecu will throw out much info through the port...I don't think it was designed to. I just thought it was the in-engine bay reader wires hooked up to an OBDII socket.

[Chris_Rogers]

The fact is that the Fenix 5.2 ECU is not OBDII or EOBD compliant.
It also does not support live data even with a Volvo scan tool.

The Sykes tool is only a more convenient way of using an LED & switch.

If you purchased the ISO direct interface you can use this software with it on the rest of the car's ECU's

http://www.onboarddiagnostics.co.uk/volfcr/index.htm

There's a free Demo here:

http://www.onboarddiagnostics.co.uk/volfcr/demo.htm

[ascott1]

Thanks for clearing this up, guys, if the Fenix 5.2 is a simple LED-and-switch-readout device, does this mean that a suspect ECU can be swapped with another one of this type, without having to use VADIS or similar? I read that EOBD-type ECUs were programmed to be a unique match for each car.

[Chris_Rogers]

On a V70 they are all locked to the chip in the key immobilizer.

On early 850's they were not but the earlier cars may have different mapping.
Note also that auto / manual transmission ECU's are different.

Why are you asking have you got a problem?

If you want an LED tool I think Volvotuning do one for a tenner.

hi i have both the older volvo tool up to 1999 and the later vadis the early tool gives live data on 850 and v70 /s70 on all fenix systems and motronic.

[Philip Fisher]

I have a 1997 V70 T5 and can definately say that the ECU is not linked to the chip in the key. I had the ECU out (at an independant - trying to sort a cold starting issue) and tried another one for a while, before swapping back. We didn't have to do any re-programming of the immobiliser.

Hope this helps.

[ascott1]

Well, I got my led-and-switch reader working, so my Fenix 5.2?
(Siemens S110 395 5411C KK.2 in a 98-model 2.5 10-valve) isn't EOBD though the socket cover is labelled OBD-II. I read the codes, they say 3-1-4 (cam sensor) only, I reset the codes, the ECU says 1-1-1 (clear) then I restart the car, it misfires during starting, the fault code goes back to 3-1-4.

The cam sensor was replaced 12 months ago and the same thing happened a week or two later, and intermittently ever since, only now it's more persistent (happens most days in normal use rather than once every week or two; happens every time I try to start it after earlier switching on the ignition without cranking, probably injecting extra fuel, as you have to do when resetting diagnostic codes. The car runs fine once it does get started.

An independent mechanic looked at the sensor signal on a scope and saw a good clear pulse. He did remove the cam sensor connector as a possible source of problems, which makes it a bit harder now to do continuity testing, or try starting with the cam sensor disconnected-
one source tells me the engine should start cleanly even with it fully disconnected, anyone got any opinions on this?

Various people have said "check the connectors" and I suspect (after common parts like distributor cap, plugs, leads, fuel pump relay, have been replaced) it is something in the harness or in the startup operation of the injection system, maybe causing the ECU to log the wrong code; but how to check the harness or the injection? The harness goes from the ECU base into a rectangular flat plastic trunking, and I've heard there are connectors along the length towards the cam sensor etc which can be faulty. I just don't know how to dismantle the trunking safely; or how to check out the injection.

My local diagnostic firm won't do diagnostics on 98+ Volvos, they probably can't justify the cost of the extra tools for a few cars, and refer me to a (not very attractive) local dealer. A second independent Volvo specialist (30 miles away) wasn't able to read the code on their own reader, probably EOBD, so didn't want to investigate further. They referred me to their mobile ECU guru, who advises, like my first independent mechanic, that I have to think about another ECU, via a main dealer, whether using a new ECU or a risky scrap one which he thinks would have to be reprogrammed.

I'd still like to do substitution testing with an ECU, just to rule it out, but wonder whether it's feasible to get a cheap one from the same model year, in my part of the countryside. From others' descriptions, Volvo did seem to fiddle with the 10-valve ECUs from 97 on - different methods for resetting service lights, different mapping, possible keying to the immobiliser, compared to the same relatively low-performance car a year or so earlier. Made it hard to maintain as a second-hand car. If, as I hear, a new ECU comes in at over £700, that's probably 20% of the value of the car now.

I'm going to visit some nearby dealer when I can get time, just to check prices for the various harness/ECU parts and look at pictures of the harness, and maybe ask about the cost of any programming.

Thanks for peoples' suggestions, I'd appreciate any further thoughts meantime.

[Chris_Rogers]

The most obvious thought is to post your location so that someone may be kind and offer to let you try their ECU in your car.

If that fails try an ECU testing service, I think Lucas and some others offer this.

[ascott1]

>The most obvious thought is to post your location so that someone
>may be kind and offer to let you try their ECU in your car.
>If that fails try an ECU testing service, I think Lucas and some
>others offer this.

I'm in Ayr, in south-west Scotland (The toun o' Ayr, wham nane surpases, for honest men and bonnie lasses...) Sorry for the long posts, I find it hard to describe the problem.

I hesitate to ask for the loan of an ECU if my 98 model is likely programmed to the immobiliser and keyfobs (although I understand earlier models didn't have this feature). If anyone could offer to try theirs out, I'd be prepared to travel some way to meet, also stand several pints at least, to get round the problem.

Lucas sound attractive as an ECU tester (big company, local branch, presumably some experience of moving ECUs and other valuable parts around the country). They offer a 2-day turnround on testing "for £25", but unfortunately say they're unable to test this ECU. I can't find another local tester and am reluctant to post the box off to someone far away, even if they're reputable suppliers.

Wiring update: I went to the dealer to ask about wiring harness parts, they say Volvo won't sell harness parts, just the "entire harness" at "around £500". A mechanic suggested taking out the offside headlight and examining cables just where they go into the plastic conduit, has seen 2-3 cars with problems here, anyone any experience of doing this?

I've got a second call logged with an Internet scrap parts service, no response to an earlier request, no signs of one of these models in local scrapyards.

The long ECU model number in an earlier post had a typo, by the way, it should read Siemens S103 955 411C.