How Serious is the Engine System Service Required Message on a Volvo? When you get the engine system service required message on your Volvo, you may think that this is a dire emergency that you need to respond to immediately. Is this true?
One important thing to remember about any vehicle alert system is that it will go off if there is any problem with your computer system at all.
What this means is that any fault or malfunction could cause a message to appear in your Volvo.
Clearly, you want to make sure that you take care of the most serious situations so that they don’t progress into something worse.
That being said, you don’t necessarily need to panic just because a single code has gone off in your Volvo.
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How Serious is the Engine System Service Required Message on a Volvo?
It is clear that an engine system service required message is something that you should pay attention to if you notice this appearing on your Volvo. That being said, you shouldn’t panic as this type of message may appear for any mechanical reason whatsoever. It could be something as simple as an individual sensor not functioning properly. The only way to know for sure is to have a mechanic do a diagnostics test on your Volvo. Take your Volvo and get it looked at as soon as you can so that you can identify the problem causing the message.
When The Problem May be Relatively Minor
Everyone wants to hear that the issue on their specific vehicle is something that is relatively minor.
A minor issue doesn’t necessarily require a huge amount of resources to be applied to it in order to get a resolution. As such, most people would prefer if they could learn that their Volvo was experiencing a minor technical issue that they can easily resolve.
If you were driving a newer model Volvo or you have not had the vehicle for very long, then the issue that you are looking at is probably relatively minor. The vehicle is still attempting to warn you that there could be some small mechanical issue that needs attention at some point.
However, the odds of a catastrophic failure of your Volvo, if it is a newer model, are slim.
What you can do if you were driving a newer model Volvo is simply take it to the dealership to have it looked over.
They can reset the codes for you if it turns out that it is nothing more than a minor mechanical glitch.
How to Reset Codes on Your Volvo by Yourself
Perhaps you have determined that the issue on your Volvo is nothing more than a minor technical glitch.
If this is the case, then you may want to reset the code yourself so that you don’t have to worry about looking at them all the time. In that event, all you will need to do is the following:
- Next to your speedometer is a button labeled Button A
- You will need to press that button
- As you are holding that button down, make sure that all of the doors are shut and locked
- Also make sure that your key is turned to position one
- If all of that is true, then your codes should reset
You will only want to reset the codes on your Volvo by yourself if you are absolutely positive that there are not bigger issues at play that you need to get addressed.
You should leave the codes visible on your Volvo until you’ve had a mechanic take a look at it in the event that you are uncertain about what is causing the problem.
The mechanic will need to take a look at those codes in order to figure out exactly what is happening to your vehicle.
When Should You Be More Concerned?
We have already discussed the points in time when you don’t need to be as concerned about codes that may be going off in your Volvo. Now the question is, when are there times when you do need to be more concerned about what is happening with the Volvo?
There is not one simple point in time when you need to be absolutely concerned about the codes and your Volvo.
The determination of your level of concern has to do with how much you know about these codes, how new your Volvo is, if it has experienced issues before, and what kind of problems are typical with the model and year of Volvo that you are driving.
Every situation is unique and if you are overly concerned you can make sure to get your Volvo taken to a mechanic so that your mind will be at ease.
At the very least, the mechanic will be able to diagnose what has been going on with your Volvo and give you some straight answers about what steps you may take next in order to clear these problems if they exist.
Finally, you may want to consider extra concern about the codes that appear on your Volvo if you’ve noticed that it has begun to drive differently than it did before.
Any major changes to the way the Volvo drives could be an early sign that there is something more serious going on with your vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Engine System Service Codes on a Volvo
Can you drive a Volvo with the check engine light on?
There are times when your check engine light indicates nothing more than something like a loose gas cap. Therefore, it is technically possible to drive a Volvo with the check engine light on. Of course, there can be some more serious issues that are the reason for your check engine light coming on. Therefore, it is recommended that you get your vehicle taken into a dealer as quickly as possible in order to avoid more significant issues.
What is the most common reason for a check engine light on a Volvo?
Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons for a check engine light on your Volvo is simply a loose fuel cap. The cap is important to your car’s fuel delivery system, and if it is loose, your car will attempt to warn you about this. Thus, you will want to make sure that your gas fuel cap is always secure on your Volvo. Securing it may resolve this issue for you.
Conclusion About Engine System Service Required Message on a Volvo
If you get an engine system service required message on a Volvo it is something you need to look at. However, there is no need to panic and you can also turn off the message if you are certain that there is nothing wrong with your car. But the best thing to do is to get in touch with your mechanic or dealership and have them check your vehicle.