2003 S60 CEM/DEM problems

[wdlfbio]

Just found the site. Great info. I did a search under S60 to see if anything like this was addressed before, but I couldn't find anything.

So, here goes. We have a 2003 S60 AWD. It has 126k miles and had the front end smashed pretty good last October. It was repaired and no problems noted through December. But, in January we bought a new rig and the Volvo pretty much sat around. I got in it the other day to drive it a bit and the SRS warning light came on, then the entire speedo/tach/etc cluster went dead. By dead, I mean DEAD. No lights in the cluster, no blinker function, no tach or speedo activity. The light switch works and that cluster functions. The radio functions, the hazards function. I took it to the dealer today and they said there is a communication problem. The CEM and DEM have a problem, just not sure waht it is. They want $850 to swap out the CEM. If that doesn't fix it, I still keep the CEM and they replace the DEM for $1105. IF that fixes everything, I still own the new CEM. So, potentially $2k in repairs.

Is this something that a front end collision could effect and that maybe I can go back to teh insurance company with? Is this something that I can go outside of the dealer for and save a few bucks?

Thanks

[hoohaman54]

...if it was siting for a long time, did you have to jump start it when you went to drive it again? ...or did you need to disconnect the battery for anything? Perhaps the way you jump started it you created a harmful voltage to some of the electronics and casued the damage you are experiencing.

[wdlfbio]

No jump needed. Fired right up. Which, is a good thing, otherwise the wife would blame me