Fire Be Gone! Getting The Volvo V70R Spaceball BACK On The Road -- FINALLY!

It's so refreshing to have this car back on four regular sized wheels rather than sixteen tiny wheels.
What started out as a simple PCV replacement and transformed into a CEM replacement and an electrical fire, my V70R has been through a lot. For the past month or so, it has been rendered immobile, but today is the day that all changes! My 2005 Volvo V70R spaceball manual is finally moving under it's own power again! But how? Well, you need to watch to find out. But it involved fishing for wires, testing wires, cutting wires, and a lot of hope.
Huge shoutout to XeMODeX for all of the help on this portion of the project. Their tech support was instrumental in getting this Volvo back on the road. Be sure to check them out for all of your European car electronic needs!
xemodex.com
Thanks for watching!
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0:00 Intro
0:27 How We Got Here
3:18 First Start
5:22 Test Drive
8:28 What's Next?
9:10 Outro
#Volvo #Spaceball #DontLetMeDown

[@barbaraalvis2881]

As your mom, I just want to say that I’m very happy that you got your Volvo running again..but I’m ESPECIALLY happy that your feet didn’t catch on fire!! Lol!😂 Congratulations on both counts. Love you!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Lol thanks mom! That means a lot coming from you. 😂

[@FatHead1979]

Great to see the Volvo running/driving again, although I'd be really interested to know what wires were cut and why!

[@ElliottAlvis]

The only wires that ended up getting cut were wires that were the cause of a possible short, but weren't necessary to the function of the vehicle. Like the blind spot monitoring system which is pre-wired to every car, but my car isn't equipped with.

[@blaakrose]

@@ElliottAlvis it's bad you had to push Xemodex to get answers. They should have had documentation with your replacement unit stating what you need to do in cutting wires to prevent it burning up the circuit board again. Thankfully they helped you before you reinstalled it back.

[@atodaso1668]

@@blaakrose In all fairness its on you to check the wiring of your vehicle before plugging in a new CPU.

[@artyboy92]

@@blaakrose Not really, they aren't the ones working on the car. Their service is you send the broken module to them for repair, they fix it or send you a good one. It's unreasonable to expect them to hold your hand because proper diagnosis wasn't done. It was quite clear when he got it back the first time and it said there was (almost) nothing wrong with the module that further diagnosis was needed for the shopping list of electrical problems it had/has.

[@looncraz]

@@artyboy92 Exactly, I made a comment on the early videos for this car that none of the issues made be suspect the CEM was an issue... they needed to do a good deal of wiring investigation on this car... and these problems are all from this being a flood car in my mind.

[@yixinjon]

"my feet aren't on fire" seems like an odd minimum car requirement, but we all choose the life we live :)

[@deaks25]

I LOVE the moment of silence that we all have when working on problem-projects where you're waiting for something to go wrong or are extremely suspicious of it actually working...

[@trentjones3984]

Proof that Italian Tune Up’s actually work!

[@dudenamedclem]

Those wheel carts are great for moving the car out of the way when you try and fix whatever is broken and it still remains broken.

[@ElliottAlvis]

They sure are!

[@david8804]

it's so great to see you working again on the volvo!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks David! It was great to work on the car again.

[@muskokamike127]

New rule: whenever you type volvo you have to instead replace the O's with a U and an A.....hahahah would fit your comment perfectly! lolol

[@volvoenthusiastsgroup3386]

That's an appropriate license plate. Much respect for not giving up on the old girl!

[@racerboy2212]

Props to XeMODeX for sure!

[@Soundwave501st]

Im so glad u posted on the volvo after what feels like an eternity

[@ElliottAlvis]

I know! Apparently people don’t like my non-Volvo videos 😂

[@NealWinters]

This is a car to keep forever.

[@ElliottAlvis]

It’s certainly got character!

[@uncleheide]

This is great! Glad you got it running again- now excited to see all the other stuff get sorted!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks!

[@emrei]

Great news from Volvo finally! Urgent bulb replacement necessary on the left headlight :) Keep this monster forever Elliott!!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Lol yes, of course that went out right before doing the external shots. Classic Volvo! 😂

[@E39bestcar]

This video was the most anticipated drop of 2021

[@GalvanizedGreatness]

Electrical shorts are gonna be a wild one for ya

[@mariusml]

Fantastisc! Must be awesome to work with your uncle on stuff and fantastis to see it running! My experience with clogged PVC-systems is that it takes the engine some time to burn of the excess oil. So the engine might be cured, but still suffer from the symptoms pre-fix. Drive it some hundres miles and check again.

[@illuminatidestroyerbear2231]

Loved your story on Vinwiki today my friend. Looking forward to seeing the Volvo on the road.👊👍

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thank you! I appreciate you checking out the VinWiki story!

[@thagerdorn2009]

The coolest Wichita tuber returns! Seriously, next to the old bricks, these are my favorite body style Volvo. I owned an 88 740 Turbo Wagon, a 2000 S80 2.9 and a 2002 S60. The S60 was by far the most reliable. Had records for days. I didn't do a damn thing to it besides replace a small module inside the passenger front fender that prevented the sunroof and some other stuff from working. I miss that car. It has over 200k when I got rid of it. It's still going strong.

[@ElliottAlvis]

They seem like great cars! I can only imagine how much better they would be if I had started out with a fully-functional one! 😂

[@thagerdorn2009]

@@ElliottAlvis my airbag warning was always on lol. And mine wasn't a high trim S60 so I didn't have the fuel distance to empty or any of that. My S80 had that and it was really nice. The S80 took me so many hours and days to sort. I was going to go with a Xemodex throttle unit or whatever they are called but I went with an updated used one and we think it ended up being that and some vacuum tee off of the booster or something. I don't remember that was over 2 years ago before my surgery lol

[@ProudCroatian99]

WOOHOO!! She’s back! Never can kill a Volvo :)

[@kellyclark4347]

Great video Elliot! I'm glad to see the Volvo is here to stay. Got a little sad in your last video when the Volvo's future was undecided, not gonna lie.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Me too Kelly, I didn't want to say goodbye to this car, but luckily we were able to figure out a solution!

[@dave2036]

White smoke out of the exhaust is one of 3 things. The simplest would be a head gasket, second would be a blown turbo and third is a cracked sleeve on the block which is common on the R's. You should start with a compression test and also check that your coolant isn't getting lower the more you drive, you should also do a combustion test on your coolant and verify that you don't have CO2 in your coolant which could mean blown head gasket or cracked sleeve.

[@YesterGearPCii]

I'm glad you dropped the "you can call me the motoring odory" or whatever it is you said lol. I think I could never understand it clearly, because I didn't think someone would say they're smelly. Grow, advance! Maybe add a joke/pun in every video in that spot. Glad to see the Volvo back to life!

[@vincentwitjes5106]

ITS ALIVE!

[@Staatus_Quo]

Ah, the wagon curse. My wife hates my SAAB 9-5. She constantly holds her thumb out from a distance to cut off the back and will say "That looks so much better!" 😔

[@arancunningham7256]

Amazing to see it get another chance! Great job Elliot!

[@RonnyBerntzen]

For Gods sake, take good care of that machine. They are fast becoming ultra classics, and here in Europe their prices are skyrocketing. So give it the care it deserves.

[@anthonybarton2103]

Elliot, You are very fortunate to have Your Uncle and Your Father in your life. I was like you very close with my Father's brother my uncle and my Father. You are Blessed and enjoy every moment you have with them both.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Anthony. I am very fortunate to have both of them play such an active role in my life. I love every moment with them.

[@MP-vd1ck]

Your uncle and dad are the best

[@Gambit4u2]

I subscribed just for this car. Props to XeMODeX

[@ziggi4800]

You got the plate I suggested!!!

[@Oyvind88]

Finaly on the road again, great work with you uncle and video😀❤

[@JasperV70-205CT-BX]

Really happy the Volvo is driving again, and moreover that there will be more videos on it! You are great Elliott!

[@sportzntouring]

Love that plate! Perfect! Still a way to go but you have brought it so far. Looking forward to seeing what happens with the puffs of smoke. Enjoy Car Week!

[@Julian-do7bv]

Really awesome to see this beast back on the road and im sure the smoke will clear up

[@johnrefoy6916]

Just caught this video, it's put a massive smile on my face! Great work, you, your uncle and xemodex, possibly the best customer service I've seen in the automotive industry!

[@baseballtrading3731]

I cant wait to see what's next to work on this Volvo!

[@RichieRouge206]

Love this car and so happy that the ECM and wiring are sorted. Funny how it needed several cutting! So pleased to hear it is here stay and can’t wait to see the progress. These are getting so rare now so to see you bringing this old girl back to life is brilliant and hats off to you for sticking with it and persevering with it - most people would have called it junk and got rid of it.

[@chrisbolton5461]

Hope you keep making progress. Got a V50 T5 AWD Manual and love it to bits.

[@amirs6418]

Love the Volvo! There's a deep satisfying feel after a repair for every Volvo. Not many cars has this effect.

[@confestpete]

Like the out-takes, ala JR. Keep them going.

[@calebevans7408]

Getting my 06 s60r back on the road today. Swapping the engine and trans into my 07 v70r. Glad to see yours back on the rd!

[@RowanRedbrush]

The Volvo has not been given up on! Glad to see it being inducted into the fleet after such an uncertain previous episode, and I LOVE the license plate! Thanks for keeping the entertainment coming, and have fun next week, Elliott!

[@lilredexptsc]

Nice to see the Volvo under it’s own power again!

[@brandonmorris2513]

Good to see her getting sorted!!

[@thatoneguy5903]

I can't wait to see this car on the road in good condition. I wish there were more of them because these were truly great cars.

[@dustinfox7176]

Glad to see this back on the road!

[@ElliottAlvis]

You're telling me Dustin!

[@solt4548]

Just tell the car smoking is bad for you 😂. Glad you got the car back up and running!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Haha, I'll just submit the Volvo to a Truth campaign and see if it stops.

[@rxtuninginc8444]

Glad they got you sorted! XeMODeX is 6km from me in Mississauga. Great group of people. Look forward to more of the V70!

[@michaelpfaff6009]

I'm so glad that the Volvo is up and running!! Just some hard lovin' is all she needed!!!

[@SiHawk]

Saw you driving on Rock Road today… was driving my red S2000, behind you. Glad you got Spaceball running.

[@ElliottAlvis]

I saw you too! I thought I saw you nod in my rear view. It’s good to finally drive the car.

[@kennethjennings9292]

The only thing missing from that tag, is Rick Moranis dressed as Dark Helmet presenting it lol

[@windronner1]

Congratulations!! Aside from sports cars. Nothing beats a really unique performance sport wagon. Am relieved no electrical fires.

[@BigBundy82]

I love it... And I am happy to see that you got it running!!!!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Wesley!

[@livin4dios]

I'm glad you finally reVOLVOed back to working on this car! And I'm glad you didn't BRICK it again ... I'll show myself out.

[@kyleyork92]

Loving this build! Can't wait to see it back to showroom quality

[@TheBBodyBuilder]

The Vanity Tag should have been Meatball as in Swedish meatball. Glad to see it’s up and running again. Hats off to the vendor for how they supported you…sounds like they went above and beyond.

[@gauravjoshi6310]

Hey Elliott, Just came here from Vinwiki channel, congratulations and keep it up Bud

[@ElliottAlvis]

Hey, that’s awesome! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@RuthandBen]

Nice to see it up and running again!!

[@ElliottAlvis]

You and me both Ben!

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Elliott, it's great to see the Volvo off the skates & driving again!!! I'm sure that it will provide many more fun videos along the way, I do love your personalized license plate. As always, thanks for taking me along on your various adventures!!! 👍👍🤓

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Christopher! Be sure to check out my VINwiki story today as well!

[@christopherkraft1327]

@@ElliottAlvis thanks Elliott, I'll check it out right now!! 🙂

[@BuchholzGeoff]

I hope it sounds as good in person as it does on the video! Great to see it moving!

[@phishphood423]

Oh, they do! Any Volvo 5cyl sounds pretty amazing (especially with a good exhaust).

[@TheHienax]

It's alive its alive!!!!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Yes!!!

[@warummussmeinnameangegeben6502]

Btw, I am that guy who was interested in your smoke fix. My smoke fix was a new Turbo sadly and a new set of spark plugs, that needed to be gapped correctly. Now it runs perfectly fine smokeless.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Oof. How much did a new turbo set you back?

[@warummussmeinnameangegeben6502]

@@ElliottAlvis was alright, just bought rebuild one with a new center section from melett - that was around 230 Euros with some discount, but my turbo is the normal for a T5 model frame size, so it's not as special

[@warummussmeinnameangegeben6502]

But, the spark plugs were a big part, they were gapped too tight (because I didnt check them when installing) and the engine management really didn't like that. Stock gap is key with Volvos, they seem to be very unhappy otherwise

[@CupwakeRBLX]

Glad to see it running! That thing was basically the Malibu a month ago…

[@glassvial]

"What I'm glad about is I'm not actively on fire" - Elliot Alvis, 2021. 😂

[@MrTimdtoolman1]

Congrats on the Volvo running.

[@nicko6710]

Valve stem seals if on cold start or under engine braking smokes. Turbo if your intercooler is full of oil or let it idle for 10 or so minutes.

[@TheRealAlpha2]

I legit applauded at the same time as the sound effect. I can't believe the solution to the computer fire was to actually cut wires.

[@smh3293]

Much love from Seattle. Vinnie

[@davidruffjr6045]

Nice video sir 👍🏻👍🏻

[@badcorgis]

Why on earth are they having you cut wires? I'd love to know more about what was cut and why.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Long story short (pun somewhat intended), they were able to determine what wires were likely shorted in the car based on where the old CEM was fried. The tech was basically have us track down some of the possibilities and check them for continuity, and in a couple of cases cut wires that were unnecessary.

[@badcorgis]

@@ElliottAlvis ah finding the short makes sense based on what cooked in the module but wouldn’t fixing that short be the best path? I’m curious what wires were unnecessary? Would also lead you to fixing the shorts knowing what traces were suggested to be cut.

[@sunnohh]

@@badcorgis in another reply elliot says it was stuff that gets wired for all cars but is an option, such as lane change assist

[@vickestr794]

Awesome to see that the Volvo is not scrapped! 😅❤️

[@DocMackGarage]

Your uncle is a good addition to the Channel. Well done on getting the car back on the road.

[@kevinm5177]

Love this car. License plate is great too.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks! I love silly custom plates 😂

[@tollefreyerson6710]

Congratulations on getting the “V” back on the road! Looking forward to more fixes!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thank you!

[@theEagleBeagle]

it took a little bit of poking, but glad the Volvo computer people came through in the end! Very cool!

[@ElliottAlvis]

I know, I’m so excited!

[@michelswerissen6544]

Volvo's never die.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Lets hope that's true!

[@janmartens7954]

Fantastic car!!!! Spaceball one!

[@brianzwuup6875]

Love this volvo series, my dad has one v70 on LPG ( also with problems 😰 ) im curius about the park assist thing Always love the video's

[@deonoosthuizen42]

Aaaah, she is alive. Can't wait for the rest of the videos.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Deon!

[@tcpnetworks]

I lusted after a V70R back in the day. They were very quick cars. The police used them as highway patrol cars.

[@rickbdatsun]

Woohoo! Fast wagons rock!

[@Mikes84Corvette]

Your custom license plate game is strong.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Mike! I pride myself on it lol.

[@racerboy2212]

Great step forward on the car! Looking forward to seeing some fresh color in her! BTW, the driver DRL is out.

[@jeffreyoldham55]

Great work on the Volvo, Elliot! Glad to see "SPCBALL" properly christened. Also, congratulations on you VINwiki appearance. First of many, I'm sure.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thank you so much Jeffrey! Yes, I’ve got a few more VINwiki stories coming for sure.

[@gradient602]

yes! it stays!

[@markguillory281]

good see it on the road,,,,

[@jamesdk5417]

Thanks for another great show. I hope you tell us to be next video why you had to cut all the wires and what they were for.

[@ElliottAlvis]

I did in a couple of replies, but I think it’s worth going over for sure!

[@OnlyTheFinest125]

Great Vinwiki video!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thank you so much! That was so cool to do!

[@JB77070]

Back to Space

[@ElliottAlvis]

🚀

[@dbrandon4528]

The Volvo is working!!! A can of seafoam in the tank and a can in the oil for 500 miles can help clean out the engine and cat

[@kaichuuuuuu]

I love that puff of smoke right into the SUV at the very end

[@clonetrooper576]

Turbo seals & valve seals would still cause that blue smoke puff

[@teamdrivealot8441]

But doesnt it smoke Valve seals when u down shift? Likeley it is the turbo?

[@nothinglike1586]

Before you replace the DRL bulb, check out HIDprojectors for the best mod for the R in the North America. Euro lights apparently not federalized, so for the NA market Volvo just decided to tilt the (weak) low beams up to create (even weaker) high beams.

[@nicholasbrown8384]

The smoke is a neat feature called anti-fly mode. It scares flies out of the car by filling itself up with smoke 😉

[@alfa7561]

You convinced me. Bought a Volvo myself...

[@MilanStier]

Oh yeah, this was entertainment excellence!

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Milan!

[@nsh0325ppp]

Get yourself the VIDA DICE tool so you can do factory resets on the airbag and see which modules are having problems and do seat resets. Only $100. I had a white smoke from the exhaust on my v70r it cleared up fairly quickly. The person I got it from had let it sit for awhile. Some time you'll have some leftover oil and junk in the intercooler system that needs a bit to get out. Give it a nice long drive like and hour if you still have smoke it might be the the turbo. If so then you can do an upgrade guilt free! BTW if you do go down the mod rabbit hole I'd stay away from IPDs exhaust I personally think it is too loud and resonates too much I'm having to build a Helmholtz resonator to quite it down some.

[@bluetyphoon2100]

Love the content! Moar!!!!!

[@clifbradley]

And congrats on being on VinWiki .you've almost reached the Pinnacle of Automotive KZbin. Shmee or Supercar Blond-idiot visiting is next. You got the Life of Palos mention a few times and now VinWiki. Amazing,

[@ElliottAlvis]

Thanks Clif! The VINwiki thing was a huge deal for me! And I always love a Life of Palos mention!

[@brettkirkpatrick464]

What circuits got cut to allow the CEM to work without melting? It would be useful to know if this ever happens to my V70R. Great video and help from XeMODeX!

[@skynetd-termination98]

If you're looking for ways to constantly have channel content, Volvos and Saabs are the way to go. Glad she's running again...for now. ;-)

[@ElliottAlvis]

Maybe I should get a Saab next? lol

[@Kimsey47]

@@ElliottAlvis not everyone likes a Saab story ;)

[@alexandrecouture2462]

@@Kimsey47 Oh!

[@ElliottAlvis]

@@Kimsey47 hahaha

[@skynetd-termination98]

@@ElliottAlvis Wrenched on Saabs for a long time but parts are super-scarce now that the mark is gone. I've had 900s, 9000s, and a 9-5. My favorite was a 1989 900 Turbo SPG, but it was so needy all the time.