1998 Volvo S-Class service brakes, hydraulic problems

“I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S70 WHICH HAS ABS/TRAC LIGHT PROBLEMS. I'VE BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THIS WHERE THE INDICATOR LIGHTS COME ON AND THE ABS WILL SOMETIMES PULSATE AND IT MAKES A TERRIBLE NOISE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHEN THE ABS INDICATOR IS ON, I DON'T HAVE ABS BRAKES. IT APPEARS FROM THE VOLVO BRICKBOARD THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY (BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT IS SCARY WHEN THE BRAKES START GOING) AND THINK VOLVO SHOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE ONLY ON THIS YEAR/MAKE. *TR”

“ABS BRAKE UNIT FAILED AT 60K MILES; ALL SERVICE WAS DONE AT DEALER. DOZENS AND DOZENS OF OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS TO NHTSA FOR EXACT SAME MAKE AND MODEL. NHTS SEEMS POWERLESS TO TAKE ON THIS ISSUE. HOW MANY DEATHS WILL IT TAKE TO GET SOME ACTION? VOLVO DEALERS AND FORD KNOW WELL THE PROBLEM -- JUST COUNT THE CASH THEY ARE MAKING ON THE REPLACEMENTS, AND THEN MULTIPLY BY 10 BECAUSE MOST ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY $1,000 FOR A $200 PART. *NM”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTILOCK BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. ALSO, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED CAUSING BOTH COMPONENTS TO BE INOPERABLE. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED BOTH SYSTEMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/31/2006 -*NM”

“THE ABS ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IN MY 1998 VOLVO S70 FAILED. THE DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATED ABS & TRACTION CONTROL (TRACS) FAILURE. NORMAL NON-ABS BRAKING REMAINED. RESEARCH ON SEVERAL VOLVO OWNERS WEB SITES (SUCH AS BRICKBOARD: HTTP://WWW.BRICKBOARD.COM/AWD/?MODEL=S70) SHOWED SYSTEMIC FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE VOLVO PART # 9162675 DUE TO PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD SOLDER CRACKING AFTER 6 YEARS. THE CAR WAS TESTED BY A VOLVO DEALER CONFIRMING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILEDURE. VOLVO CHARGES A TOTAL $650 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. THE "BRICKBOARD" OWNERS GROUP SUGGESTED A REPAIR SHOP IN CALIFORNIA THAT RESOLDERS THE CIRCUIT BOARD, REPLACES AND UPGRADES FAILED COMPONENTS, TESTS & RETURNS IT FOR $130 PLUS SHIPPING. WE HAD THE OLD BOARD REPAIRED, SINCE A NEW EXACT REPLACEMENT BOARD FROM VOLVO WOULD HAVE THE SAME FAILURE AFTER ANOTHER 5 YEARS. THE REPAIRED ABS CONTROL UNIT HAS BEEN REINSTALLED & THE CAR NOW WORKS PROPERLY, WITH FULL ABS AND TRACS CONTROL. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PRINTED CIRCUIT FAILURE FROM VOLVO. OUR 1993 VOLVO 940 TURBO HAD TWO BOARD FAILURES: 1, THE RELAY BASE BOARD SOLDER CRACKED, AND RESULTED IN THE OVERDRIVE RELAY NOT WORKING; 2, CRUISE CONTROL OPERATED…”

“DT: THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING POWER, IT SHUTS DOWN. USUALLY IT WILL START BACK. CAN CUT ACROSS TRAFFIC, AND IT WILL JUST STALL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY PUT DIFFERENT PARTS ON IT TO NARROW DOWN THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO POWER STEERING AFTER IT STALLS. BACK IN JANUARY THE TURBO WENT IT OUT AND THEY REPLACED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL SKIPPING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AROUND JANUARY 15, 2005. *NM THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. *JB”