to keep or not to keep--CHECK ENGINE LIGHT

[massnyvolvo]

So...I LOVE my 2001 xc70. I've got 154k miles on it and it still runs pretty nicely. BUT...The check engine light has been on for a while. I took it in and the codes read for bad O2 sensors which I had replaced at a cost of 1400 bucks. The guys who service it said it may keep the light off but there might be problems further down the line with the cat converter and the muffler--which would cost another 2-3k to fix and/or replace. There's also an issue with the tie rods up front. I've had Volvos in the past that have lasted into the mid and upper 200k mile range so I know I might have the car for a while, but the question is...should I bail now and take advantage of some deals for the 2010 xc70? I'm not as crazy about this car--design, ride, and esp the MPG! I used to have my '01 serviced at a Volvo dealership but have recently followed my service manager to his new place of employment which specializes in Volvo repair (they're just about as expensive as the dealer, but they can get some used parts, etc). Any advice on 'check engine light' problems? Any input is welcome. Thanks

[dpaton]

Wow - there are only $200 worth of OEM sensors in that O2 sensor replacement bill. Are you sure you want to follow this guy?

Can you publish the codes that were and are still there please?

Tie rods are about 30-80 each (depending on the manufacturer) and 1/2-1 hour in labour each (as long as they are not too rusted in-place) plus an alignment (<150 - four wheels).

[mesaAZ2000XC]

Holy smokes!! That "service manager" belongs in jail, he is a thief!

[jda2000]

$1400 for O2 sensor replacement. OUCHHHHHH

Hell, keep the car and get rid of the mechanic.

Invest $100 in a good OBDII code reader

[Aviator]

Sounds like a dry humping was had!! Hell, I could have flown down to your place, replaced the sensors, had a night on the town in Manhattan, and flown back home for less than that!!

Dave.

[Allen]

Disconnect your battery cables, hold them together for twenty seconds, this drains the caps in the ECU, clears the data including the CE light, and if you have a genuine problem, the CE light will come back on.

[dpaton]

If you do the above battery procedure please follow the rule for disconnect and connect to not fry the ECC - http://howardsvolvos.webs.com/electricalelectronics.htm

[massnyvolvo]

Hi Everyone
Thanks for the replies. I did in fact not take it back to the original repair shop. Funny, I took it there originally because the service manager used to 'take care' of me at the dealership when he worked there. I looked at the bill after the first reply to the thread and saw that the O2 sensors were about $350 then they replaced turbo gaskets and some other gaskets, but it was the 8 hours of labor at $90/hr that killed me.

In any case, I took it to the local mechanic up in Northwest Mass who does a lot of work on Volvos. The new check engine codes were for the air mass meter, which he replaced for a cost of around $250. I drove it approx 175 miles and the light has stayed off. I took it in for the emissions test...and it PASSED! So I will be keeping my car for at least another year. Oh, ps, while checking the air mass meter, they noticed my tie rod was shot on the driver's side--something that was called to my attention when I had the O2 sensors replaced at the expensive guy. Expensive guy said both had to be replaced at a cost of, again, $1400. Well, only the driver's side was bad and he did it for $55 bucks!

As you can tell probably, I don't know a whole lot about fixing cars so it's easy to be taken advantage of. I'll be coming here first next time to get a sense of what's what.

Thanks to everyone!

[ecbsykes]

Doing tie rods yourself is not a bad job. Took me about half a day with a great writeup I found on one of the DIY sites (Matthews or Volvospeed, forgot which one). I got OEM parts and an alignment done and it was a fraction of the cost of going to any mechanic.