[badXC70]

Hi all,

I am new to this site, and this is the first time I have posted to a forum to get help with a problem related to my car. The car is a 2001 XC70 ex Japan, and now in New Zealand. Had the car 6 years, and generally get all problems looked at by Volvo, although this one has their technicians stumped.
They keep telling me they can't find anything wrong.

The problem is the instrumentation panel displays all error lights, and a host of error messages. The speedo, and tacho don't show anything, and there is the continuous sound of different relays clicking from behind the dash. The engine still starts, just, and the car can be driven, although it would appear very unsafe to be on the road.

Putting the car from "Park" into "Drive" or "Reverse" and the instrument still displays it as being in "Park", additionally the light beside the gear select don't change so "P" is still lit.
Driving the car is like I am a learner again, it appears the electronic clutch takes a long time to let out when first starting. Once the car it is moving it feels more normal.

Here are some videos that show the instruments:
1. Before the car is powered on, key in ignition only:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/590290/2001_xc70_powered_off.mov
(clicking sounds coming from bottom of instrumentation panel,we think they are the relays clicking)

2. Key turned to "ON" but engine not yet started:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/590290/2001_xc70_powered_on_engine_not_running.mov


3. Engine on, car running:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/590290/2001_xc70_engine_running.mov
(Clicking sounds again, also part way through you can hear me rev the engine but the tacho does not change at all, and near the end I put the car into reverse but the gear selection display still says "P")

If you have any advice at all, it will be greatly appreciated. If you want any more information on the problem, or for me to perform some tests, let me know, and I will get right on to it.

Thanks so much,

Carl.

 

[badXC70]

Update: We played with some fuses in the fuse panel by the instrument cluster, and discovered that removing fuse #32 - Central Electronic Module: ECPS, Courtesy Lamps, Glove Box Lamp; stopped the relay clicking. When we connected it all again the instrumentation panel worked. Drove the car 7km before it started to fail again.
First all the warning lights came on, with warnings about the brake failure in the message display. Then the speedo, and tacho stopped working as well a few seconds later. At this point the engine, and transmission started to perform poorly, with some jolting and shuddering.

We have removed and replaced this fuse again, it never burned out, and has been swapped out for another 10A fuse. The car appears to working alright at the moment, but we have no idea how long for. Will it be another 7km, or maybe more this time?

 

[CTShoreline]

I think I have a similar problem

I have a 2001 XC70 that I bought used with 17k miles.

My rear cargo relay panel had a similar problem. 5 or 6 of the relays would just toggle at a high rate, maybe 3-5 times a second. I thought it was a power or ground problem and ripped my entire cargo and rear passenger area apart. It took me about 2 weeks to figure out the schematics.

In the end I simply removed the relays that were chattering and now I have many reduced features like no reverse lights, no rear wiper, etc...

I'm not sure where the problem lies but the system is so complex with all the distributed computers and the network communications.

I finally got the "reduced performance mode" software update fixed after having it kick in so many times I should be dead. As soon as I got the recall done my turbo system blew a hose.

Now my front headlight relays are malfunctioning. My rear cargo relay panel is still all screwed up.

I'm pretty convinced this car is a lemon and I got stuck with it. Nice concepts, bad engineering.