So, I started my car yesterday and a bright orange arrow on my dummy dash is blinking and pointing straight up. It is positioned directly under my RPM dial. I was affraid to drive it very far as it seemed to lose a lot of power. However, it was still idleing at 1000 rpms. Any ideas?

Nobody pushed the tranny mode select switch into the Winter Mode did they? Try selecting the Sport Mode on the switch and see if the light goes out. Other than that you can read the DTC codes off the A-1 socket of the DTC boxes under the hood. If you get a code come back and tell us what it is and we can translate. Good luck..


Mike
'95 850T

You will have to read your codes in the transmission. The OBD1 test sockets are under the hood, on the passenger side, two little black boxes that open, one little probe. The A is for more important stuff, B is for extras. Turn the key in the on position, stick the little probe down in A1, hold the little button down for three seconds (I always count one one thousand, two one thousand...) let up, and the light will flash a code at you. It will flash, then it will pause, then it will flash, then it will pause, then it will flash. Count the numbers of the flashes. For example 3-1-3 is gear position signal, which it is most likely. Just continue doing the three second thing until you get back to whatever code you started with. To reset hold the button down for seven seconds (I know the book probably says something different folks...I just do what works for me), let up, the light will back on, now smash your thumb back down on it for another count of seven. It should reset. If you read it again, the code should be 1-1-1 (no code). Let us know what the codes are, and then you/we will go from there.

When the transmission detects a fault it flashes the up arrow and locks
the transmission in third gear (limp home mode). Starting in
third reduces acceleration so the car will feel slow.

A common cause is a failed PNP switch. You can search on "pnp" (below,
to the right) to find many posts on this. But, the PNP switch is not
always the cause of the problem.

More details on PNP are at:

http://volvospeed.com/Repair/pnpswitch.htm

You can still drive the car as the PNP switch failure is rather "slow".
I drove ours for about 4 months. Once the car is warmed up, turn off
the ignition and restart the car. This often resets it for a while and
gets the car out of limp home mode.

Most Volvo mechanics have replaced a PNP switch (my independent
did 20 last year) so you should be able to find someone to give
you a pretty good qote on replacement. Parts are $80 to $120
(depending on the markup) and about 3 hours labor.