2004 XC70 Instrument Cluster Issues

[DonnVa]

Does my car smell the exasperation? Did she hear me mumble that as soon as I get you running you're out of here, I don't care for how much!?

More testing tonight in the dark.

Maybe “she’s” playing hard to get…

[BlackBart]

She will have to earn her way back into my trust.

[DonnVa]

It sounds like your making some progress. Keep working it.

[BlackBart]

OK, I should report on the findings and hopefully the conclusion to this saga.

As I mentioned above, with your help, I cleaned some fuses and put them back in snug. I pushed all the fuses in snug. The DIM was plugged in and unplugged several times - all the same way, with a solid CLICK from the catch on the plug. The pins were all straight, the wires were all in their slots.

Friday night I plugged the DIM in again and started tests.
The car unlocked and locked with the fob. No alarm. Alarm light is OFF when the car is unlocked. All normal.
Dome light comes on when you open the door, chimes comes on - correct.
Key position 1: Service alert window, i triangle lamp, ODO / clock / temp on.
Key position 2: Warning light on for +/- 5 seconds, CEL is on, oil light is on, RED ! triangle is on, gas gauge jumps up.
START! - ! RED triangle lamp is on, CEL is on, Info windows are on. Sudden idle jerk is gone now. Tach works. Idle 650.

Testing buttons and switches:
Gas flap opens, light switch works, headlight flasher works, front and rear fogs come on, taillights, reverse lights, blinkers, flashers all good. Wipers work, and return to rest position.
Power seats work, Dome lights switch on and off, ALL windows up and down, sunroof works, power mirrors work. Radio / AC / seat heaters - all fine.

I screwed the DIM down. All still good.

Warnings and Info Window messages:
CEL
! RED triangle warning
"SRS-Airbag Service Urgent" (I've read about this some - normal after you unplug DIM)
"Time for Regular Service"
"Engine System Service Required"
2 bulbs out

I put the cluster trim back in, fixed that rubber boot on the wiper handle that was never right, adjusted the wheel position.

Then we... drove it around....crazy I know. Went to the garden center, up a steep hill to a trailhead, some errand trips, a short 10 mile freeway jaunt and back. It runs smooth, that idle weirdness must have been part of this, which I don't quite understand. Great torque, nice driving. Fingers firmly crossed.

So no doubt in the morning I'll have to explain to the Xemodex people that the smoke has cleared, "nothing to see here" when they finally call back. I don't understand what changed from the first connection to the final plug in. It went from literally everything wrong to everything behaving normally.

The CEL is part of the disconnection, or some sensor went off when the idle dove? Regular Service? Coincidence or mileage clock? Engine System Service? I'm told the SRS warning has to be done with VIDA(?) or dealer?

I feel like I should do something preventative, like pull each fuse and wire brush it, snug it back up.

A big thanks to you guys for advice and guidance.

[DonnVa]

It’s weird that cleaning and reseating some fuses resolved it, but I’m glad it all worked out for you!

[firstv70volvo]

OK, I should report on the findings and hopefully the conclusion to this saga.

As I mentioned above, with your help, I cleaned some fuses and put them back in snug. I pushed all the fuses in snug. The DIM was plugged in and unplugged several times - all the same way, with a solid CLICK from the catch on the plug. The pins were all straight, the wires were all in their slots.

Friday night I plugged the DIM in again and started tests.
The car unlocked and locked with the fob. No alarm. Alarm light is OFF when the car is unlocked. All normal.
Dome light comes on when you open the door, chimes comes on - correct.
Key position 1: Service alert window, i triangle lamp, ODO / clock / temp on.
Key position 2: Warning light on for +/- 5 seconds, CEL is on, oil light is on, RED ! triangle is on, gas gauge jumps up.
START! - ! RED triangle lamp is on, CEL is on, Info windows are on. Sudden idle jerk is gone now. Tach works. Idle 650.

Testing buttons and switches:
Gas flap opens, light switch works, headlight flasher works, front and rear fogs come on, taillights, reverse lights, blinkers, flashers all good. Wipers work, and return to rest position.
Power seats work, Dome lights switch on and off, ALL windows up and down, sunroof works, power mirrors work. Radio / AC / seat heaters - all fine.

I screwed the DIM down. All still good.

Warnings and Info Window messages:
CEL
! RED triangle warning
"SRS-Airbag Service Urgent" (I've read about this some - normal after you unplug DIM)
"Time for Regular Service"
"Engine System Service Required"
2 bulbs out

I put the cluster trim back in, fixed that rubber boot on the wiper handle that was never right, adjusted the wheel position.

Then we... drove it around....crazy I know. Went to the garden center, up a steep hill to a trailhead, some errand trips, a short 10 mile freeway jaunt and back. It runs smooth, that idle weirdness must have been part of this, which I don't quite understand. Great torque, nice driving. Fingers firmly crossed.

So no doubt in the morning I'll have to explain to the Xemodex people that the smoke has cleared, "nothing to see here" when they finally call back. I don't understand what changed from the first connection to the final plug in. It went from literally everything wrong to everything behaving normally.

The CEL is part of the disconnection, or some sensor went off when the idle dove? Regular Service? Coincidence or mileage clock? Engine System Service? I'm told the SRS warning has to be done with VIDA(?) or dealer?

I feel like I should do something preventative, like pull each fuse and wire brush it, snug it back up.

A big thanks to you guys for advice and guidance.

This is really good news and I didn't know if all the problems were related to the CEM but I did know some of the problems were CEM only, like the fog lamps not working. For some reason it does appear one of the power sources to the CEM wasn't there or low in voltage. The timing of the problem unfortunately happened while you were working on the DIM and I don't know if it was just an unfortunate coincidence of not but at least it does appear your car is in much better shape now. If you want to do something preventative you could buy new fuses just in case and get some Caig Laboratories Deoxit D100L for the fuse contacts, not cheap but good stuff. Also, thanks for all the details you've provided and the follow up on how things are now, I was wondering how your car was doing.

[BlackBart]

Mrs BB is taking her to work tomorrow!

[BlackBart]

On your light switch module, do the backlights work? If the fog light buttons and headlight/parking knob doesn't work and the backlights are out, this should only be a CEM problem and why I think checking the power fuses for the CEM is worthwhile.

I misunderstood this question earlier - no, the backlight / button lights on the switches were out.

[firstv70volvo]

On your light switch module, do the backlights work? If the fog light buttons and headlight/parking knob doesn't work and the backlights are out, this should only be a CEM problem and why I think checking the power fuses for the CEM is worthwhile.

I misunderstood this question earlier - no, the backlight / button lights on the switches were out.

Not long ago I had to repair a problem in the light switch module in my car and found out it just has the one single communication line going directly to the CEM and with all the problems you described your car was having the fog lights not working was a good clue there was a problem between the CEM and LSM and not related to the DIM or low speed bus. I asked the question about the LSM backlights because that's another CEM to LSM communication type problem. I worked on the LSM problem in my car on and off for several weeks because it was intermittent and worked fine for days and then have a problem, The problem would go away when the board was flexed some so I reflowed the solder on just about every place on the little circuit board in the LSM and finally fixed some flaky solder joint. Electrical problems can be so frustrating, especially intermittent type problems or, in your case, where another problem pops up while working on the original problem.

[BlackBart]

Well I'm getting an unexpected electronics lesson with this, generally above my pay grade!

Is the LSM right there behind the switch itself? It was the connection to the CEM, or the module that was the problem?

(See next post with response from Xemodex)..........