Instrument Cluster Issues 03 s60

Tstory205 · Post by **Tstory205** » 15 Apr 2017, 17:19

So I'm looking for a bit of advice. Yesterday I received the SRS Airbag urgent service message. Today on a 2 mile drive up the street, all of my gauges stopped working, parked the car for 10 minutes while doing some research, then started it back up and all gauges are functional. I'd really hate to spend $1,000+ to have a dealer fix it seeing as how that's 1/3 of what i paid for the car. While I was researching the issue, I came across circuit board medics. On their website they claim to be able to repair your DIM for $200. All you're required to do is pay them, remove your DIM, ship it to them and they repair and ship back. This seems almost too good to be true.
Has anyone heard of or used this service?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix the issue?

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 15 Apr 2017, 17:39

I would pull it and look for the obvious before sending it out for repair. Sometimes it as simple as a bad contacts or a bad solder joints.

Post by **oragex** » 15 Apr 2017, 18:57

Give Google a search, this is a very common issue with 2001-2003. Keep in mind, even if the DIM repaired you will still have the SRS message and yellow triangle, you need Vida or the main dealer to clear the message.

Several Ebay sellers offer a repair service for around the same price. Even better, find a tv repair shop that will kindly inspect the board and fix all the issues/replace burnt resistors.

I'd check all other possible causes for the DIM to go dead, before removing and sending it. Check battery and alternator connectors, alternator for charging properly, have a look at the CEM for any water traces.

Tstory205 · Post by **Tstory205** » 16 Apr 2017, 11:14

Much appreciated! Looks like I'll be educating myself pulling it out this coming weekend.

Post by **Botbasher** » 16 Apr 2017, 11:43

Just did this on my 03 V70. Lights all over... intermittent ops... hieroglyphics on the text display... no door chime.

Read all the same links and then broke out the soldering iron. I got one of the micro tips and after cleaning off all the conformal coating (blue goop) with denatured alcohol, I hit every lead on all the chips and the large caps... re installed and WALLA!!! Perfect operation!!! All problems and glitches gone.

It;s an easy fix if you are at all handy with a soldering iron. 40 minutes and $7 for the tip and you can save $1000s!!! I am a former board rework tech, so although I knew where I was going... It wasn't something I'd tell a noob to avoid. Just heat and move. You can always come back and do it again, but heat will only kill a chip once.

Worst that can happen is that it doesn't work and you haven't lost anything. That was my thought! FYI - your SRS will NOT go away without resetting it with VIDA. The code locks even if the lights go out. This is where I am at now. Lights out, but text display still shows error set!

Good luck with it!!

K "soldering" S

Tstory205 · Post by **Tstory205** » 17 Apr 2017, 13:30

I have absolutely ZERO experience with a soldering iron. I was planning on removing the DIM and checking for the glaringly obvious (with the supervision of someone with circuit board/soldering experience).
I did find a place that will inspect the DIM for issues for free, then they'll hit me with a quote that I can refuse.

Apparently xemodex will repair and provide a lifetime warranty for around $400.00. But I plan on exhausting my other options first before going that route.

I appreciate all the advise everyone has given me. Y'all are a lifesaver for a first time Volvo owner!

Post by **oragex** » 17 Apr 2017, 17:05

Tstory205 wrote: ↑17 Apr 2017, 13:30 I have absolutely ZERO experience with a soldering iron. I was planning on removing the DIM and checking for the glaringly obvious (with the supervision of someone with circuit board/soldering experience).
I did find a place that will inspect the DIM for issues for free, then they'll hit me with a quote that I can refuse.

Apparently xemodex will repair and provide a lifetime warranty for around $400.00. But I plan on exhausting my other options first before going that route.

I appreciate all the advise everyone has given me. Y'all are a lifesaver for a first time Volvo owner!

I have some experience with soldering and I messed the chips on my original DIM. Brought a second hand DIM to a TV shop, the guys told me there were more issues than just reflowing the chips. Better leave this to a pro if you don't want to damage the original DIM that has the right miles of your car.

Post by **Botbasher** » 17 Apr 2017, 20:40

If your buddy has any small scale experience (i.e. Chips.. not battery cables!) with soldering iron and you follow the "less is better" philosophy, this is a very doable job. You attack it with a 50W Soldering Gun and yep... you'll melt it!

I used a simple 35W Temp Controlled Soldering Station.. set on 3 of 5 (so about 15W total power) and I had the dash in and out 3x watching the improvements and making sure what I was doing was headed in the right direction. This isn't rocket science and if you keep moving the heat you'll do fine. They flow and air solder these boards, washing 400-500F solder over it. It's wild it survives but it does!! They even pre-heat the board to a couple hundred degrees! Chips will soak up an amazing amount of heat, it just needs to be applied correctly.

If you (and your pal) want to see if you're capable before, watch this guy ( ) for a snap shot of what you need to do. Keep the iron low (do not attempt with a fixed temp iron) and keep it moving. You can always come back and reflow the lead... you'll only over heat the chip once!

Killing your DIM is a scary thought, but so is rebuilding a motor then spinning it at 10k RPM, but we do it! It's a great skill to practice! Go down to the local JY and get a DIM PCB (or even just part of it so they won't charge you) and practice on it. It takes very little and once you get the motions down (heat, flow, move) it only takes seconds to do an entire side of the biggest chip. Repairing and refurbing a PCB is worth $400. Simply resoldering a couple of bad joints is worth the time and effort and you get an awesome skill for future projects!!

Good Luck!!

KS