volvo alarm problem

[AdrianPetts]

On holiday in France. Left Paimpol this morning and after 30 minutes motoring the engine alarm started buzzing and the warning lights on oil, water and generator came on and stayed on. Managed to get back into Paimpol. Engine Volvo MD 2040 with keyless ignition panel. The fact that all warning lights are on seems to suggest a more general problem than individual sensor failure. Any ideas?

 

[Daydream believer]

On holiday in France. Left Paimpol this morning and after 30 minutes motoring the engine alarm started buzzing and the warning lights on oil, water and generator came on and stayed on. Managed to get back into Paimpol. Engine Volvo MD 2040 with keyless ignition panel. The fact that all warning lights are on seems to suggest a more general problem than individual sensor failure. Any ideas?

You need to ask yourself what might have caused the complete failure
Did the engine get hot, was water coming from the exhaust
Is there oil at correct level in the sump
Is the alternator turning & are the electric connections on it all clean & tight
Are there any leaks to oil & water
Why not run the engine up in the marina & keep an eye on it
It may be a poor connection in the wiring & not a direct engine problem. Is it all clean & is the connection plug in firm etc
is the rev counter working, May not if a poor connection. The hour meters clap out on most Volvos so if that is not working it may not be electrics so do not use that as an indicator
I had an alarming alarm problem & it turned out to be a display unit had to be replaced & was not a direct engine problem at all ( still cost £ 300-00 though)

 

[parbuckle]

Quick checks I would do is the alternator/drive belt as this will cause overheat and charger light warnings physical check on dipstick level and if any oil leaks also coolant level and temp of water and if any leaks also raw water flow at exhaust, check battery voltage. If all seems ok I would be looking for a wiring problem the main cluster connector may be shorting could be damp , all bayonet connectors may need cleaning especially the switch panel area. Sorry if I duplicated other replies good luck.
Just looking at possible wiring problems and if you have an alarm test button a short would cause these symptoms.

 

[AdrianPetts]

Alarm problem

Quick checks I would do is the alternator/drive belt as this will cause overheat and charger light warnings physical check on dipstick level and if any oil leaks also coolant level and temp of water and if any leaks also raw water flow at exhaust, check battery voltage. If all seems ok I would be looking for a wiring problem the main cluster connector may be shorting could be damp , all bayonet connectors may need cleaning especially the switch panel area. Sorry if I duplicated other replies good luck.
Just looking at possible wiring problems and if you have an alarm test button a short would cause these symptoms.

Thanks for the replies. The engine has been stood for a few hours. When I press the power ON switch the alarm sounds continually and the three lights are illuminated befor I start the engine. They do not go off when engine starts.

 

[seadog30]

Hi

Check the -

1)electrical socket on top of the engine that connects a sensor to the wiring loom, mine fell apart and disconnected the wires this causes the alarms to sound.

2) check the main loom connector to the relays (under the fuse box)

3) check the connector on the rear of the instrucment assembly.


If your drive belt is ok, the engine is not to hot and water is circulating and you have oil then the fault is electrical. I ended up having to clean all of the connectors and tape up all of the loom connectors as the quality is not very good.

Good luck

 

[RIBW]

When I press the power ON switch the alarm sounds continually and the three lights are illuminated before I start the engine.

A caveat about the following suggestion. It only applies if your panel circuit design is roughly the same design as the one for the VP2003 (mine).
The alarm can normally only sound when the alternator is not generating if the sounder test button is pressed.
The possibilities in your case would be:-
Stuck test switch (which probably wouldn't relate to lamps staying on with the engine running)
Wiring fault completing the test circuit to 0V.
The latter leads me to agree in general with Seadog;
Disconnect both ends of the wiring loom (engine and panel ends), clean up both halves at each end with switch/contact cleaner and inspect for wear of insulation. Reassemble and switch on.

Best wishes
Bob

 

[Daydream believer]

A caveat about the following suggestion. It only applies if your panel circuit design is roughly the same design as the one for the VP2003 (mine).
The alarm can normally only sound when the alternator is not generating if the sounder test button is pressed.

Bob

Probably not the same on all Volvos as on my MD2020D the alarm sounds if there is a water problem & it overheats( Impellor gone)
It also sets off for a few seconds when the engine is stopped. Possibly due to no longer charging
Sometimes it sets off again after a minute or so if I leave the power on presumably oil pressure dropping