Troubleshooting the DIM on '02 V70 T5

[DaveV70T5]

I'm looking for advice and sharing what I've tried on getting my DIM (Driver Information Module) working again. Mine has the common issue that the whole panel is dark except for the CEL. Car seems to run and drive just fine; all lights, indicators etc appear to be working properly.

I'm looking into re-soldering the joints on the circuit board. Has anyone done this? How did it go?

I can also offer other thoughts on replacing the DIM with one from another car. Here's my experience, maybe it'll help you or if you spot an error I made, let me know.

I have two Volvo V70 T5 cars. One is a 2001 parts car with a bad transmission and bad brakes. The reliable daily driver is the 2002. The 2002 has a bad DIM ( Driver Information Module ). I tried to use the DIM from the '01 in the '02 but the display stayed blank, only the CEL came on. When I put the '01 DIM back in the '01, it worked perfectly. Could this mean the problem is elsewhere in the '02? I tried the DIM from the '02 in the '01 and it stayed blank too. No surprise there.

The 2001 car has a manufactured date (from the drivers side passenger door jamb) of 08/01, the 2002 has a manufactured date of 11/01. You'd hope that two cars built within 3 months of each other have interchangeable parts. I am also wondering if the PO of the 2002 (I just bought it used) may have tried a different used DIM and when it didn't work, decided to sell the car. What makes me think this are the markings on the DIMs.

The 2001 DIM that works in the 2001 car has the following markings on the back:
0484095 bar code
VCC P/No 9499670
S/No 14615
YZK P/No 69294-600T

The 2002 DIM that doesn't work in either car has these markings on the back:
0599744 bar code
VCC P/No 8637995
Spare P/No 8602473
S/No 2248
YZK P/No 69294-660T

Does the addition of "Spare P/No 8602473" signify anything?
Is the the YZK P/No 69294-600T to 69294-660T mis-match the reason the good DIM won't work in the 2002 car?

Any thoughts or experiences much appreciated! I'll post how I solve this once I do to spread the knowledge.

Thanks!

[abscate]

Wait for Henry or Mike to chime in, but the DIM might be tied to the car via software

[chrism]

When the DIM went bad on my 2003 V70, the folks at Southern Vo-vo were my savior. According to the guy I talked to there, here's how it goes:

The model year has to be the same. For instance you can NOT use a DIM from a 2002 V70 in a 2003 V70. However, in some cases you can use a 2003 S80 or 2003 S60 DIM in a 2003 V70.

In addition, the code number printed on the back of the replacement DIM has to match that of the original. I can't recall which of the numbers it is - I just started reading off numbers until he said "Stop. That's all I need. I'll call you back in a while and let you know if I have one." I thought OK, that's the last I'll hear from that guy. Much to my elation, he called back in about 20 minutes and said "Hey, I've got a match. It's from a car with XXX,XXX miles on it."

Bingo, he was right on the money. The replacement has been functioning fine for about four years now. Also, in my case, after it was installed the mileage displayed was that of the donor car, not what my car actually had on it.

[vtl]

For me it was DIY success with 05 XC70 and fail, send to Xemodex with 02 V70.

[DaveV70T5]

After looking into re-soldering the DIM myself, I sent the non-working DIM to European Electric in Tennessee for repair. Cost was $155 including return shipping. Turnaround was about a week from when I shipped it from California to when I had it back in hand. The repaired DIM is installed and working perfectly. I had a good experience with European Electric and the price is extremely fair I think.

[abscate]

Bookmarked and moved to parts forum for reference