2004 Volvo S60 Electrical problems ONLY during summer

[oragex]

This also happened to me again today. Very hot in the car. I was on my way to my mechanic's when I noticed that the instrument panel was out and the air conditioner was blowing warm. When I got there I turned the car off and tried to start it again. No luck. My mechanic could not bring up any codes. I suggested disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, and it started fine. Ok driving back to work with no problems. Just hope it starts when I leave to go home.

It is not good news, but everybody here has had probably those issues. Knowing the time and price to fix those, my first choice would be to sell/return the car. If that is not an option, the instrument panel can be replaced with a used one off Ebay (having the exact model numbers) but the miles displaying will be those of the donor car. Dealer sells it for about $1500. When removing it have the battery disconnected.

The A/C is typically an issue with the clutch plate on the compressor that gives up when the engine bay gets hotter. 2000 s70 question about ac compressor shim fix

As for the non start or not going into drive, it could be two different issues. The non start condition could indeed be the CEM (expensive to fix even at Xmodex). There might be other places that fix it for much less in Europe, look up on the UK volvo forums. The not going into drive could be an issue with engine mounts or with the transmission.

[hankb]

I'm still dealing with the original problem in this thread and I can't quit until it's solved.

A few weeks ago I recognized that humidity is a strong contributing factor to the problem. I have narrowed the humidity window to 40%. Faults occur ABOVE 40%, they do NOT occur BELOW 40% humidity. I have used this rule successfully to prevent faults while driving.

I previously said that faults do not seem to occur while the transmission is not engaged (Park), but this is not correct. The electrical fault occurs regardless of the transmission engagement.

Today I have new information, and I really don't know how related it is. The outdoor humidity is 80%. I put a mobile dehumidifier in my car and ran it until the interior humidity was 20%. I started the car and it idled fine. Next, I used my PPA code reader to run a diagnostic (while the car was idling without any errors). First, a CEM 1A61 error came up. As the test continued, it threw a TCM E000 and the transmission simultaneously threw a fault on the DIM.

Here's the video:


This car currently has a confirmed-working CEM replacement from XeMODeX and a factory TCM replacement from Darrell Waltrip Volvo in Nashville.

I remain desperate for a resolution to this problem.

Mod note..edited to conform to forum rules.

[doublebug]

if the test continues after TCM code is thrown does it store codes in other modules (besides CEM)?

[hankb]

It has been about 8 weeks since my last follow up, so I thought I'd fill in some blanks.

I took the car to Darrell Waltrip Volvo in Franklin, Tn. They kept the car for 8 days and soldered the spliced CAN wires and charged me $600. The fault occurred again the next day, so that clearly wasn't the issue. They remained kind to me throughout the process, but I have lost confidence in their ability to repair my car. I will not return.

I contacted Volvo Cars of North America and spoke with a very unkind representative named Ann. Ann said that my car was too old, had too little value (it was declared a total loss based on a barely broken headlight), had too many miles on it, and had aftermarket parts on it. Based on these issues, Volvo was unwilling to offer any help. My retort is that I know my car isn't new or perfect, but that doesn't mean Volvo shouldn't be able to point me in the direction of a solution for a car that they manufcature. Whatever. I am done owning Volvo's and I can no longer speak positvely about the brand.

At any rate, I still own the car and now the gloves are off (figuratively). I took the DIM out and reflowed the solder, to no avail. I also purchased a replacement DIM on ebay and experienced the same symptoms. This doesn't definitively rule out the DIM, but it does make me less suspicious.

Fall is coming and the air is cooler and more dry. The primary symptoms (ABS light, BRAKE FAILURE STOP SAFELY, and gauge failure) may have subsided for the season.

The thing that makes me most frustrated - I love the car. I want to keep it. I want to remain loyal to Volvo. It looks like that's going to pass. I'll drive it for another winter then park it at a salvage yard in the Spring if I don't figure something out.

Also - I'm curious - what brand would you all recommend after Volvo? I'm thinking VW or BMW. I'm interested in Tesla, especially if they sell a $30,000 car, but it's still a little pricey for me. (Looking for a solid 5 year old $12,000 car).

[Green21]

I have a 2004 S60 and I've been experiencing the EXACT same problem(s) as you since May of 2010. I purchased the car in 2005 with just under 20,000 miles on it. Reading through your posts was like a roller coaster ride (Oh great, he's got it figured out!! Oh wait, no he doesn't. Repeat.) with a sad, sad ending... no resolution.

Thanks for sharing with us. I think I'll try giving Volvo a call myself. My car has no aftermarket parts, and has never been declared a total loss. It is old...no getting around that. It is not acceptable that a problem that numerous Volvo owner's are experiencing has no known solution. It should not be acceptable to them either.

[bigbrain]

Wow - I think most people would have given up and sold the car but I guess it's now a matter of principle to get it fixed. I had 2 years of electrical problems with my V70 which (fingers crossed) I've now finally fixed. The source of my problem came to light in the middle of a storm here in the UK - the drivers side of the car filled with 3 inches of water! The source was a 2inch tear in the outer door seal along the top of the roof at the rear corner of the door. Unfortunately I had to strip out all of the carpets....the carpets are about an inch thick so had been hiding the water for some time. I also changed the door seals on both front doors (not cheap). Might be worth checking under the carpets for water ingress which could be hidden. I also had the crazy wipers too but that turned out to be a busted switch...it seems that any "noise" in the electrics can cause huge issues with the sensitive electrics on these cars....good luck. Whenever I see ABS I think it's worth checking the basics like the hub bolts, abs ring and sensors etc. Am thinking you've eliminated most of the complex sources of the issue so maybe it's something more simple.

[RegisT]

Hello hankb great work! Any updates?

[hankb]

This is a copy/paste of the solution I posted to a new thread, please respond there: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 47#p368647


I can hardly believe I'm writing this, but I'm ready to consider my intermittent electrical issue with my 2004 S60 solved. If you've read through the thread, you'll see that I replaced the TCM, CEM, and BCM but continued to experience High Speed CAN crashes in high heat and humidity (above 50% humidity and 80° F). I applied the fix 14 days ago, but I held out on reporting until I could take the car on a long trip. We drove 600 miles this weekend to the Great Smoky Mountains and back in high heat and humidity - and with no car trouble.

The solution? I applied DeoxIT contact cleaner to the ECU connection. The inspiration for DeoxIT came from this youtube link. Note that the product I purchased was not the exact product recommended by the video, but it does appear to have worked (The video recommends the 100% solution, I purchased the 5% solution out of naivety).

Thanks to everyone who has offered help and suggestions here! After dealing with this problem for so long I would recommend that people with a similar problem purchase DeoxIT early in the process and clean out the HS CAN module connectors, then purchase the VIDA tool to narrow down the problem if the DeoxIT doesn't work. I suggest that it is worth the money to buy the $30 ECU/TCM removal tool at the same time you purchase the DeoxIT.

I'm a little hesitant to say this is a complete fix, but I've had this issue for six years and I have never successfully driven it in the heat+humidity condition without experiencing trouble.

[precopster]

I've written here on MVS about a 2004 XC70 that had recurring throttle codes causing limp home mode and ECM-003 code.

After replacement of MAF & throttle I decided to remove the ECM and use contact cleaner. Problem was solved.

Previously when the owner sent the vehiicle to an experienced Euro workshop they did everything to the car including replacing the front control arms and presented the owner with a $2,400 repair bill. They addressed the fault by updating the ECM (costing $500) As far as I know there is no Volvo bulletin regarding throttle codes being addressed in this way.

[abscate]

Link to other thread here

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =9&t=69667