2004 XC70 ETM/weather issues

[kenichols]

I purchased a 2004 XC70 about a year ago and roughly two weeks later was having problems with the car lurching and not accelerating. A "reduced engine performance" light came on. The dealer suggested this was due to living in a cold environment and somehow moisture was freezing somewhere in the engine which caused this, which sounded suspect to me. A week later my check engine/etc. light came on and I needed to have the throttle module cleaned out. The car has been running great ever since....until this weekend when it started all over again. I can't believe that the throttle module needs to be cleaned after only 7-8,000 miles. Is there any truth to the cold weather phenomenon, and if so, how do I deal with this issue?

[Steely]

Don Wilson has written reams on the poor design of the Volvo P2 ETM (search this site). Because the major design flaws are the contacting elements of the ETM, if that's your problem it won't get better. Its up to the dealer to determine that the ETM is at fault. When and if they do, there is a 100,000 mile/10 year replacement warranty on the ETM. They'll replace the part with the same poorly -designed part. I suggest you educate yourself concerning Volvo North America's ETM Warranty Agreement and take you car back to the dealer. Ultimately they'll replace it if that's indeed the problem.

There's an out-of-pocket alternative:

http://xemodex.com/