This is probably not the answer, but that's about exactly what happened to me. After I'd bought my wagon, it went to one shop for the safety check and some work, then to another shop for the e-test. When it was all done I got the paperwork and plates stickered and put them on the car. It started fine then, although a bit sluggishly because it had been sitting for a week. So I drove home and rode out on my bike to pick up the Volvo. After loading the bike in the back, I could not start the car. Cranked and cranked but wouldn't fire. The wipers would also cycle and I could not seem to turn them off. I called the import shop that had done the safety to ask if there was some Volvo trick I'd missed, but that was no help. Oh yeah, another clue; the gas gauge was on Empty. Long story short, between the previous owner and the two shops, they'd completely run it out of gas. After getting a gallon from CAA it fired right up and I drove it home with the wipers going intermittently. Only after checking the owner's manual did I discover the up position on the wiper stalk was intermittent, not off. In my confusion I had not been able to find the off position. I'm still getting accustomed to the upside-down British style dash switches!