2 replies to this topic

[billr99]

I'm hoping someone out there with either a Cdn or Euro-spec 850R can shed some light on the OBD situation that I have encountered.

Had a CEL come up on Saturday which I suspect might be a call for a new O2 sensor, but I thought I'd pull the codes to make sure. Well my Actron OBD2 generic reader wouldn't pull the codes. In fact, it would not even recognize the connection beyond confirming power to the device. So I stop in at my neighbourhood Volvo indie and his $8K OBD2 AST reader shows the same thing. Upon a wee bit of Internet research, I find a diagram of the pinouts for the 16 pin OBD2 connector standard, which I have on the console, as well as the pinouts used for the ISO-specific standard. Well, I have the right number of pinouts, but instead of having one at position 15 (one of the ISO channels), I have one at position 13. Further investigation reveals that in'95, there was an interim specification that saw Volvo move away from the old under-hood LED readout and replace it with the console-mounted odd-ball OBD2 port which required a "gizmo" to pulse the codes via an LED, push button arrangement as it was not setup as a compliant OBD2 spec system.

Anyway, the questions are: did Cdn and/or Euro-spec '96 turbos (Rs included) continue with this interim arrangement? Does the pushbutton/LED "gizmo" work as described in other forums and actually produce usable codes? Finally, does Alex Peper's (or anyone else's) OBD software read anything from this "spec"? By the way, my R's build date was early in '96 (Feb. as I recall)

As it is, I cleared the code by pulling the battery for a bit and it remains off for now; but I know that if my O2 sensor is going (or whatever else may have triggered the CEL), it would be nice to actually see what's going on before I start replacing sensors for the hell of it as well a few bucks in the process. So if anyone can enlighten me, I would be most appreciative.

Cheers,

[campbell]

My 96 855 turbo OBD II won't work with the aftermarket readers - I am sure this is unique to 96's. I got ahold of a diagram from another volvospeed member that spec'd out how to make a code reader: it pulses the codes with a LED. It cost me $7.00 to build with Radio shack parts. If you are interested let me know.

[billr99]

My 96 855 turbo OBD II won't work with the aftermarket readers - I am sure this is unique to 96's. I got ahold of a  diagram from another volvospeed member that spec'd out how to make a code reader: it pulses the codes with a LED. It cost me $7.00 to build with Radio shack parts. If you are interested let me know.

Thanks much for the offer, but I stumbled across that "gizmo" as well. Was hoping to find something a bit more revealing as far as info produced. In fact, if the Alex Peper software would work on the '96 setup, it also resets the service light and I thought that would make it worthwhile as long as it did something with the DTCs.

So is your '96 US-spec?

Thanks again,