My04 xc70 does not blink when i lock it

[stain]

I remember, it used to blink with both front and back lights Europe. But it's not working after delivery.
Does it sound like security malfunction or is there any switch that turns it on and off? It's really annoying since it's hard to figure out whether the car is successfully locked.

Also, is it possible to enable sound when locking/unlocking like most of the security systems do?

[Hiro's XC]

I don't know about the sound but if the lights are not flashing that isn't good. Is the dash light blinking? If not you more than likely have a bad door/hatch/hood sensor. Have the dealer pull the diagnostic codes. If you have a bad one it will show.

good luck,

jason

[SpudRacer]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I remember, it used to blink with both front and back lights Europe. But it&#39;s not working after delivery.
Does it sound like security malfunction or is there any switch that turns it on and off? It&#39;s really annoying since it&#39;s hard to figure out whether the car is successfully locked. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I agree with Jason in that you probably have a bad sensor.

Per the owner&#39;s manual, there are sensors for the hood, tailgate, and all doors. &nbsp;You can look carefuly at the sensors to make sure one wasn&#39;t damaged or mal-adjusted.

&quot;If the LED is not flashing, the alarm is not armed.&quot;

A quick way to find out if the car is successfully locked is to pull on the handles after the car is locked.

If you&#39;re sure all the doors are being completely closed including the rear hatch, then I agree to take it to the dealer for troubleshooting. &nbsp;Let us know what you find.

Respectfully,

Spud

[stain]

The red indicator is flashing. Basically, that is how I can figure out that alarm is turned on (by looking into the car).
It&#39;s only exterior lights that do not blink.

[Willy]

Hello Stain,
Your alarm is probably ok, the blinking of the lights can be set via Vadis.
If I am not mistaken a forum member took a photo of the page in the Volvo manual that lists the different codes, I think default settings for the US and Europa might differ.
I couldn&#39;t find this picture right now, I think it was part of a collection called &quot;Lost and found&quot;.
You could do a search for it or ask the list.
Greetings,
Willy

[Raynald]

Here&#39;s the Volvo doc Willy is talking about http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif: programmable items via Vadis (http://www.xc70.com/pics/displayimage.php?pid=1319&fullsize=1).

[Supertoyz]

Ours were not working after delivery either.....I brought it back after a few months thinking it was a choice that had to be activated but it turned out that the hood sensor needed adjustment. &nbsp;It&#39;s worked great since.

[Hiro's XC]

Interesting. I thought the lights didn&#39;t signal when you unlocked. Mine never have. Just when locking.

[stain]

Do XC70 and V70 have the same vadis codes?
How can I access Vadis to enter the code? Am I supposed to? Or is this something that a dealer can only do.

[Hiro's XC]

To access the codes you have to buy an OBDII scanner available at any auto parts store. But you have to have the codes themselves to decipher the numbers it spits out. OR, you have to go buy a VADIS machine from Volvo for &#036;30K. All volvos use the same codes. Unless there is an added system to a car, then for obvious reasons that car would have additional codes.

[wgriswold]

Stain,

My 2003 did exactly what yours is doing. &nbsp;It did not flash the lights for about a month and then decided to start flashing again. &nbsp;The dealer suggested that maybe my hood wasn&#39;t all the way down. &nbsp;It&#39;s all a mystery to me.

Wait Griswold

[stain]

I visited a local dealer today and the problem appeared to be simple. A hood. It has to be closed aggressively enough in order to activate the sensor. A guy who helped me told me that this happens a lot with xc70s.

[XCLloyd]

I had the dealer set it up so that my 04 chirps (once) as well as blinks when the doors are locked. This is a great addition, because you don&#39;t have to look at your car when you are walking away and locking it. There was a charge to do this of course and I think it was around &#036;100.00 Canadian.

Thanks, http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif

[kersti]

I have not really made a point of checking mine, but I get the impression that it sometimes blinks and sometimes doesn&#39;t. My last car did not not blink lights when remotely locked or unlocked so when I got the XC I did not expect it to blink and therefore am more surprised when it does. Seems random. I wasn&#39;t sure if I just don&#39;t notice it during the day. Should the lights blink on all locks and unlocks?

Kersti

[AutoMonkey]

Just went to check my car and... no flashing lights&#33; As per Stain&#39;s suggestion, I pressed down at the front of the hood and normal function was restored... Thanks for the tip&#33; http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif

To Kersti&#39;s point... it only blinks on locking, not on unlocking.

And, as an aside - I am delighted that Volvo decided not to include an annoying chirp along with the flashing lights. (XCLloyd, why wouldn&#39;t you want to turn back and look at your XC while you walked away from it? It&#39;s beautiful&#33; http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif )

AM

[SpudRacer]

This sounds to me like the hood sensor is requiring adjustment on a lot of XC70s out there.

If the sensor is NOT sensing that the hood is fully closed unless one pushes on one&#39;s hood, then the alarm system is NOT sensing that the hood was closed when the alarm was activated.

That being the case, one can only conclude that the hood could be forced open without setting off the alarm. &nbsp;While I doubt hoods are being forced open across the world on a regular basis, what is the point of having a hood sensor connected to the alarm system if it is not functioning normally?

If the thieving community reads threads (haven&#39;t a clue on that one), they can conclude that many of the XC70&#39;s out there can have their hoods forced open without setting off the alarm. &nbsp;Have you looked up the price of an angine ECU lately??

My recommendation, either have the service department adjust your hood sensor, or do it yourself&#33;

Does everyone follow my line of thinking here? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif

Respectfully,

Tom

[barrysharp]

If when you lock the car either with the remote or the key manually the 4-way emergency flasher lights don&#39;t blink once then the alarm system is not armed regardless of anything else (such as the flashing red LED) that may make you believe it is.

Things such as doors ajar and hood not latched correctly (the hood should be allowed to drop from at least a 12&quot; opening to latch securely) will inhibit the car&#39;s alarm system from activating.

BTW -- a chirp sound is no real indication your car&#39;s alarm is armed when numerous car are in same viscinity. It could be another car&#39;s alarm chirping and not yours. Stick with the visual indication and enjoy the sight as AM says. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Willy]

So the blinking lights indicate everything is closed as it should be, right?
This sounds (looks) like a good (although perhaps unintended) check.
@Stain: I am glad your problem is solved, sorry for putting you on the wrong track &nbsp;http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blush.gif
Willy

[ricktr1]

Im a new xc owner, I had an 00 and then upgraded to an 01 for obvious reasons&#33; When I had my 00 I took it to the dealer to have the visual confirmation feature that blinks the lights whan it is unlocked turned on, but they say it cant be turned on on my 01 any ideas? ricktr http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blush.gif

[AWD*V70XC]

It should be on, my 01 has them blinking for open and closed system.

Something wrong there, me thinks http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/devil.gif

[Raynald]

My &#39;01 parking lights blink when I lock the doors, but don&#39;t when I unlock them. Only interior lights come on. My dealer told me that it can&#39;t be changed.

[newv70xcmom]

When we close the door (2001) to the car and lock it. The car lights no longer blink. To indicate that car is locked. So I guess it one of two things? Hood not down correctly or needs to be set by viadis. Does that sound right.

[birddog]

probably something isn't closed properly.

[philosophicaldreamer]

This sounds to me like the hood sensor is requiring adjustment on a lot of XC70s out there.

If the sensor is NOT sensing that the hood is fully closed unless one pushes on one's hood, then the alarm system is NOT sensing that the hood was closed when the alarm was activated.

That being the case, one can only conclude that the hood could be forced open without setting off the alarm. &nbsp;While I doubt hoods are being forced open across the world on a regular basis, what is the point of having a hood sensor connected to the alarm system if it is not functioning normally?

If the thieving community reads threads (haven't a clue on that one), they can conclude that many of the XC70's out there can have their hoods forced open without setting off the alarm. &nbsp;Have you looked up the price of an angine ECU lately??

My recommendation, either have the service department adjust your hood sensor, or do it yourself!

Does everyone follow my line of thinking here? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif

Respectfully,

Tom



Tom:

How can I adjust my hood alarm sensors? I do have to slam my hood quite hard for the alarm to engage. Where are those sensors?

Thanks.
Ta-ta, janusz :confused:

[TrueBlue]

There's not much worse than a supercilious technician saying "you didn't close the bonnet (hood) properly"...

My car had to visit the bodyshop recently to replace the nearside wing and plastic bumper.
When it came back the flashers had ceased to work.
Before I took it back I asked where was the sensor?
In the hood, I was told.
Rubbish, there are no wires in the hood, nor evidence of a magnetic catch.

I guess they adjusted whatever is there and rather than apologise - said it was up to me. (No probs; no charge)

Sooo, I'd also like to know where the sensor is,please

[Fredrik]

I just experienced this no-blink-confirmation-when-locking-car-syndrome this weekend, and thanks to this thread I was able to solve the problem. Yep, it was the hood sensor that didn't work. I had to fill up some oil in the engine Friday and being gentle to my XC70 I closed the hood nicely. Since then the blink confirmation disappeared. After Googling the problem and finding this thread, I tried closing the hood more forcefully (by simply dropping it from about one foot). That did it.

This thread has a couple of years now and it seems Volvo have done little or nothing with the hood sensor problem; my car is a 2006. Is the alarm even working properly with this sensor malfunctioning?!

The factory config, which can be changed, is a little different depending on market. European cars give a one long blink confirmation when locking and a quick two blink confirmation when unlocking (and unlocks all doors). North American cars also give a one long blink confirmation when locking but nothing when unlocking (and only unlocks the driver door; for all doors to unlock you need to press the unlock button twice). If you want to change the current behavior of your car, just remember to ask for it the next time your car is due for service.

Great forum! Thanks!

[Mink]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Fredrik. I had exactly the same problem a couple of weeks ago, and it turned out to be the hood (MY04). I realize now that I'm also guilty of gentle-close-syndrome, instead of using the brutal-one-foot-drop method. BTW, my car is also one blink lock, two blink unlock. When I'm brutal.

[gbooth]

At Christmas 2008 I took my XC70 deer hunting and got a onepoint buck. Unfortunately, the collision did neither the deer nor my "new" Volvo any good. This past week--after waiting 4 months for backordered active Xenon headlights to arrive the repairs were completed but i still experienced the above referenced syndrome.

A good slam of the hood (bonnet) fixed the problem. Thanks for the suggestion, it was most useful and enabled me to avoid a 300 Km trip to the dealer to have the problem resolved.

Gordon

[seriousmontana]

Same here, the above mentioned symptoms occured after the car was at Volvo Umhlanga for 160000km service. After I reviewed the forum several times I found this thread I closed the bonnet by dropping it out of 40 cm height. Problem solved! Thx for that saved me a lot of hassle and money...[thumbup]

[volxcor]

[QUOTE=hansgl;23328]Yep,

It must be the hood. I remember that it was not closed correctly when I noticed the lights not &nbsp;blinking.

Hans[/QUOTE

I had the same situation every time trying to activate or disarm alarm. I noticed did not flash. Answer: OPEN THE HOOD 1 FOOT AND LET IT DROP HARDLY and the hood sensor will engaged completely and now my light are flashing back to normal.

[volxcor]

[QUOTE=wgriswold;23327]Stain,

My 2003 did exactly what yours is doing. &nbsp;It did not flash the lights for about a month and then decided to start flashing again. &nbsp;The dealer suggested that maybe my hood wasn't all the way down. &nbsp;It's all a mystery to me.

Wait Griswold

I had the same situation every time trying to activate or disarm alarm. I noticed did not flash. Answer: OPEN THE HOOD 1 FOOT AND LET IT DROP HARDLY and the hood sensor will engaged completely and now my parking light are flashing back to normal.

Bill
Seattle, Washington

[volxcor]

I had the same situation every time trying to activate or disarm alarm. I noticed did not flash. Answer: OPEN THE HOOD 1 FOOT AND LET IT DROP HARDLY and the hood sensor will engaged completely and now my light are flashing back to normal.

[volxcor]

I had the same situation every time trying to activate or disarm alarm. I noticed did not flash. Answer: OPEN THE HOOD 1 FOOT AND LET IT DROP HARDLY and the hood sensor will engaged completely and now my light are flashing back to normal.

Bill
Seattle, Washington