2004 V70 2.5 turbo DIM unit Topic is solved

[jc3131]

As I understand it, the DIM (driver info module) has a specific number that makes it compatible with your VIN. Kind of like padlocks at a hardware store. If you look, you'll see each lock has it's own number. If you find a duplicate number, the keys are the same. Anyone know what happens when you put the wrong number DIM unit in? I had intermittent problems with the dash going dark and all gauges pointing hard left (zero). Shifter consol lights out as well. Reconnecting the battery cables reset the DIM until it would randomly go out again. I had it pulled for repair. My guy sends them to Canada, but when he pulled it, there was already a sticker from the Canadian repair shop indicating they'd had this unit before. They said it was from a different VIN and didn't match my car. So someone already replaced the DIM in my vehicle.
I don't know if the wrong DIM unit was working fine until it went bad, or if it was always an intermittent problem.
This is all connected to a bad radiator causing the engine to overheat and finally blow. No dashboard gauges to alert the driver of any problems until you stop and see the steam.

[chrism]

When my DIM went bad I was led to believe that installing one with the wrong code would result in a DIM that doesn’t work AT ALL. If that’s the case then your problem may not be the DIM at all but rather something upstream that provides (intermittent) power to it. You might try getting a wiring diagram for your car and see what that might be.
When mine failed it started acting kooky, like the clock running backwards, but it never went completely dead like yours sounds like it is doing.

[jc3131]

It would intermittently go dead. Reconnecting the battery cables reset it. The lower portion of it was always dead. I did buy another one with matching codes, but I'm in an action regarding a bad radiator resulting in a blown engine. The DIM failing and causing all gauges to fail is part of the story. I learned that mine had been replaced in the past with one with a different numerical code. It partially worked some of the time. I was just wondering if the intermittent reliability had to do with the wrong code. I've only just learned these things even existed couple of months ago. More info is good, since I'm going to be discussing this next month.

[jc3131]

My mechanic said it could possibly be another module upline, but since the repair, it was the DIM. Was the DIM faulty or was it the wrong code? Maybe both. Just wondering if anyone has more experience with these. I do appreciate your response.

[jc3131]

The bottom line is it was the DIM. It occasionally worked even though it was the wrong code. A new DIM solved the problem. The old one supposedly was damaged since part of the display did not work. I suppose the intermittent failure was due to the wrong code. I'm using inductive reasoning. Not 100% conclusive.
By the way, during a DIM failure, my wife turned off a hwy to get to a mechanic. During the turn, the temp gauge flashed a hard red line for an instant. Perhaps the turn caused a brief connection somewhere. It was a cracked radiator.
I guess I got the answer. It seems reasonable to say the wrong DIM caused the intermittent failure. Like I said earlier, it's not 100%, but a reasonable conclusion. Thank you chrism for your input.