- 12/06/2014
- 2 Min Read
- By: Alex Fiehl
How to Reset a Volvo S70 Service Light & Other Neat Tricks
Part of the charm in owning a European car is finding all of its quirks. You can sit in a Mitsubishi Mirage or Chevy Cobalt and never remotely find anything resembling clever engineering, but I always seem to be finding new things in Volvos, Audis, and BMWs. Whether it be a center-visor above the rearview mirror in an Audi A4, or appreciating Volvo's headlight wipers on a sleety night, I always feel like there are easter-eggs hidden all over these cars that I need to find.
One clever annoyance in my '99 S70 is the service reminder light. This light means nothing other than the fact that 5000 miles have passed since it annoyed me the last time. However, it can be useful if you're on a 5000 mile oil change interval and don't like to keep records.
You can always pull the bulb
To reset it on a '99-00 S70, V70 or C70, put the key in the ignition. Hold the trip counter reset button, and turn the key to position 2 while still holding the reset button. Once the service light blinks a few times, release the reset button first, then turn the ignition off. Turn on the car to verify a successful reset.
If you're running a 1998 model of these vehicles, well, you're somewhat out of luck. You can always pull the bulb out of the cluster if you don't want to be bothered by it - it won't affect anything. There are also service reset tools designed to reset this light, but they may only be cost effective if you've got a few of these vehicles in service.
Follow me home lights
The follow me home feature is something you may find utterly useless or completely valuable depending on how and where you park. My 2013 VW CC will keep the lights on for 10-20 seconds after I get out of the car, which helps me get to my house without tripping over a jack, torque wrench, or anything else I left on the garage floor the night before. This feature is standard on '99-00 Volvos, and you probably never knew it was even there without knowing this trick.
After turning off the vehicle and removing the key, engage the high beam switch, then release it. (Don't bump it as if you were flashing them, fully pull the high beam stalk towards you) The headlights will turn back on and automatically turn off after 30 seconds. It's a great way to light your path if you park in a sketchy or dimly lit area. Again, 1998 owners get the shaft on this one. You'll need a headlight relay from a '99-00 vehicle to enable this feature in your car.
Remove the panel on the driver's side cowl fusebox to access this relay, it's the green 104/108 relay on a '98.
Green headlight relay in a 1998 Volvo S70, remove to install a gray "Follow me home" 99-00 relay.
Secret storage
Sedans have a neat little cubby behind the rear seats to hold your OEM Volvo Tool Pouch, or roadside necessities if you get stranded this Winter. I didn't even notice this until I had the car for a few months, nor did I realize my Volvo 850 Wagon had a built in "pet net" in each rear seat.
Will it rattle? Of course.
A little one-on-one time with your Volvo can reveal some mildly interesting features. As a car that used to be called a "Compact Executive Sedan," I'd expect nothing less. Keeping this vehicle quiet and refined has given me just that, and it's been a comfortable, quirky Winter ride for me that I've no doubt got more to discover on.
Did I miss anything?
About the Author: Alex Fiehl
Alex is FCP's Blog Editor and an IT technician from Endwell, NY. He has over 8 years of experience working on a wide array of import makes, but lately is partial to Volvo . For some reason he just purchased a Volkswagen, and is excited to see what breaks first.
