Anyone know anything about DTC errors?

[Durenol]

So there's the trick you can do with the foglight button that pops up a hidden menu that reads out different modules and whether they have DTC errors logged or not.

I have two questions:

1) I recently had problems with a dead battery (now replaced), four modules report DTC errors: DEM, CEM, CCM, PSM. An ODB scan comes up clean. Is there any easy way to figure out what these errors are, or am I stuck throwing a couple hundred bucks at a dealer for a diagnostics test?

2) About half the modules say "checking" instead of ready or set. I heard somewhere that some modules like TCM will only report if you check after certain things have happened, like you've driven a certain distance or turned the wheel a certain way, or whatever. Anyone know what the conditions are for these modules to report?

[jonesg]

So there's the trick you can do with the foglight button that pops up a hidden menu that reads out different modules and whether they have DTC errors logged or not.

I have two questions:

1) I recently had problems with a dead battery (now replaced), four modules report DTC errors: DEM, CEM, CCM, PSM. An ODB scan comes up clean. Is there any easy way to figure out what these errors are, or am I stuck throwing a couple hundred bucks at a dealer for a diagnostics test?

2) About half the modules say "checking" instead of ready or set. I heard somewhere that some modules like TCM will only report if you check after certain things have happened, like you've driven a certain distance or turned the wheel a certain way, or whatever. Anyone know what the conditions are for these modules to report?

Volvo don't work well with low batt voltage.
Rather than throw money at the dealer get yourself set up with vadis on a laptop, guys sell them all setup on sweedespeed.
It has to run on win7pro. Maybe xp too.

It takes up to 2 weeks for all the modules to clear and reset. I did the drive routine which I found after googling, I wouldn't bother unless you need to get an inspection asap.
Pain in the neck finding a road without traffic so you can drive at certain rpm in certain gear. Id just ignore it.

[jimmy57]

Checking means there are no DTCs in that module now but the diagnostic routine has not completed. The length of test drive varies with ECM taking the longest, even two >30 mile drives with idling and highway driving and also an overnight cool down. TCM looks for complete shift sequence completion at a couple of different throttle levels and fluid warmed to over 50C. Some only take road speed exceeding 18 mph. The codes need to be read as those listed are not usually reluctant to go READY unless there are legit issues.

[Durenol]

Rather than throw money at the dealer get yourself set up with vadis on a laptop, guys sell them all setup on sweedespeed.
It has to run on win7pro. Maybe xp too.

I was under the impression a laptop alone wasn't good enough- you need to also buy the big DICE physical brick thing to plug in before the laptop can even talk to the car in the first place, right?

The length of test drive varies with ECM taking the longest, even two >30 mile drives with idling and highway driving and also an overnight cool down. TCM looks for complete shift sequence completion at a couple of different throttle levels and fluid warmed to over 50C. Some only take road speed exceeding 18 mph.

OK, thanks. So does that mean if I drive it around town for an hour or two then pop open the hidden menu before turning off the ignition that those should start reporting? I'm assuming they must 'forget' whatever the learned when the car is turned off.

[Durenol]

I did the drive routine which I found after googling, I wouldn't bother unless you need to get an inspection asap.
Pain in the neck finding a road without traffic so you can drive at certain rpm in certain gear. Id just ignore it.

Oh wait, there is an actual procedure with hard numbers? Do you still have that written down or know where to find it? It's not hard to find empty roads where I am.

[jonesg]

I did the drive routine which I found after googling, I wouldn't bother unless you need to get an inspection asap.
Pain in the neck finding a road without traffic so you can drive at certain rpm in certain gear. Id just ignore it.

Oh wait, there is an actual procedure with hard numbers? Do you still have that written down or know where to find it? It's not hard to find empty roads where I am.

Yes I followed a proceedure, did it at midnite on back roads. Took 20 minutes.
I can't find the paper, recently moved and everything is still packed. Google it, the information is no secret.

[jonesg]

Rather than throw money at the dealer get yourself set up with vadis on a laptop, guys sell them all setup on sweedespeed.
It has to run on win7pro. Maybe xp too.

I was under the impression a laptop alone wasn't good enough- you need to also buy the big DICE physical brick thing to plug in before the laptop can even talk to the car in the first place, right?

The length of test drive varies with ECM taking the longest, even two >30 mile drives with idling and highway driving and also an overnight cool down. TCM looks for complete shift sequence completion at a couple of different throttle levels and fluid warmed to over 50C. Some only take road speed exceeding 18 mph.

OK, thanks. So does that mean if I drive it around town for an hour or two then pop open the hidden menu before turning off the ignition that those should start reporting? I'm assuming they must 'forget' whatever the learned when the car is turned off.

Correct you need dice interface.
I paid $185 for laptop with cracked Volvo software installed and $90 for dice on Amazon.

You can get the software cheap on cdrom and do your own. I see too any people have problems and so i wanted something ready to run. Best money i spent on a volvo.

[JRL]

Don't worry about these AT ALL. Eventually they will clear, no big deal

[Durenol]

Don't worry about these AT ALL. Eventually they will clear, no big deal

Can you guess on a timeframe for that? Considering that two of the XYZ-electronics-modules are reporting an error and the other two always say "checking" but never report, I'm worried that something got fried when my battery gave out. I don't want to drive around for a month and then find out that my transmission or ECU got messed up or something.

My original question was more "is there a way to get the actual error codes without shelling out at the dealer"

[Durenol]

Additionally, will any old knockoff Vida+Dice combo work for clearing these codes, or is this one of those things like key reprogramming where it an only be done by a dealer?