I'll preface this topic with this:

I recently had my 100,000 service on my 1998 V70 T5 Turbo wagon, and not even 2 weeks later the "check engine" light comes on.


I don't have this problem with my 1997 Benz C280 but I am concerned for the life of the benz as well when it comes to the catalytic converter..

read on please...

I was told by a friend that foreign cars run their best when the catalytic converter is serviced and cleaned out after so many miles. His ES300 Lexus died on him in traffic and he thought his tranny had went out, but the service guy told him that his catalytic converter was clogged and had never been cleaned or repelaced..causing the car to stall when it got too hot.

then, I was also told by an O'reilly car parts tech that the "check engine" will mainly come on when the Mass aif flow sensor is bad or there is an air leak somewhere. It's the most common thing to cause the light to come on.

Today, I did a diagnostic check for free at the autozone on my 1998 V70 T5 Turbo wagon and it came back that everything was fine but I have a large emissions leak. the autozone tech told that me that if the Mass Airlfow sensor was bad his diagnostic tool would have told him that by the code it displayed, but the sensor did not show up as bad.. and that I need to check all of my airduct hoses to see if their is a leak and fix it. well, I took the car home and put it up on ramps and begin to search. I couldn't find a damamged hose air/fluid anywhere. the undercarraige was dry as a bone. Then I remembered what my friend said about the catalytic converter and that's my next move, to get it cleaned out.

Does anybody think this is true or not?

I'm running out of options and sick of the "check engine" light being on.

I've heard of clogged converters, but I've never heard about someone getting them cleaned, unless your friend means gutting it out.. What doesn't seem to make sense to me is that the converter would be clogged regardless of temperature and not only when hot. Then again, I'm no expert.

so are you saying that catalytic converters(when clogged) should be replaced with a new one? maybe that's what my friend meant to say.

"I was told by a friend that foreign cars run their best when the catalytic converter is serviced and cleaned"

If your friend knows of a way to clean a clogged catalytic converter instead of replacing it please, please ask him to share with us how this is done!
(Also, is there a difference betwen a "foreign" catalytic converter and a "domestic" one?)

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2012 E350 Bluetech

Autozone should have told you the fault code behind the check engine light. Don't waste your time looking for a fault without the code/s.

Sixto

The check engine light will come on for something as seemingly trivial as a loose fuel filler cap. It takes a few cycles after tightening the cap for the check engine light to clear itself. It's quicker to clear the code using the appropriate device or reset the ECU by disconnecting the car's battery for a couple of minutes.

Another typical fault I've heard described as an 'emissions leak' is a loose or broken hose at the evaporative canister or whatever that vapor recover thing is called.

Sixto

Back in the 1990s, I had a 1987 Toyota Camry that had 210K miles, even in 1997. It ran very smoothly, but it was low on power. I never thought much about it at first, but it got worse. It got to where the "check engine" light was illuminating when I was on the freeway. I am not sure who told me or how I found out, but we ended up putting on a new converter and that fixed the problem. The converter was almost completely clogged. After that, I had to get a new muffler, because it was bad (although I would have never known, because no air was making it back there).

I am amazed at the power that the car had after that. I regret selling that car. I sold it in 1997 to a older gentleman, who still owns and drives the car. I know, because I see him driving it from time to time in a area of town that I have to go through frequently. I have not seen the car for a few months. Perhaps he sold it, or moved away?

Bring it to an independant! I have a 1988 Volvo 240 wagon and its catalytic converter was replaced due to a failed emissions test, however why not invest in some know how rather than parts? Volvo parts are not cheap BTW

I also owned a 1998 Volvo S70 and the 98's are a bit troublesome. In 1997 when the last of the 850's were being produced they were being produced side by side on the same assembly line. Its not uncommon to find parts with part numbers that belong to 850's on a 1998 S70. Volvo does have a number of recalls on the s70 so do yourself a favor and make sure that you are up to date on all the recalls on your car. They also have an issue with the mass air flow meter and the electronic throttle on these cars which also may have recalls on them. Your codes will tell you what the problem is. BTW the guys at autozone are IDIOTS. They are trained to try and sell you parts based on the codes. Part of their training is not to tell you the actual codes and to not reset your codes. Additionally Volvo's diagnostic systems go above and beyond OBDII diagnostics. Your car may just need the software for the ECU flashed or a number of other things that Autozone has no clue about.

If you find a Volvo Specific independant your life will get SO much easier. My mechanic does both Volvo and Mercedes so I have one place I go for both. There are a lot of honest and reliable independant shops out there that specialize in Volvo and Mercedes.

Parts stores have no place diagnosing cars. Any moron can plug in a code reader. It takes skill and experience to interpret what the code reader says. People forget that parts stores use the code reader as a tool to sell parts, parts that can't be returned once installed.