2004 XC90 Reduced Engine Performance with Cruise & Transmission Issues
After tapping my break due to traffic, and then hitting the resume on my cruise, the yellow/orange ! indicator light flashed and the car went almost dead, to limp mode. The message displayed was "Reduced Engine Performance". Cars were coming along behind me at 70-80+ mph and I was barely able to get to the left shoulder before we almost got smacked. I had 2 of my children with me and was stuck on a tollway. After 15 minutes off, I tried the engine and it came back on with no warnings. Though dangerous, I was able to pull out into left lane traffic and get on the road again, all feeders as soon as possible, to try and get home. Anyone else have this issue?
In the last 9 weeks, we've had this limp/failure 4 times now with different warning messages. We've replaced the transmission, coolant system and the alternator twice now. It only has 66K on it!
It is NOT just the T6 with transmission problems as mine is a 2.5L and NOT AWD.
Would love to hear if anyone has any ideas so I know how to react when I get the "diagnosis".
I am SO DONE with this car. This was the 3rd limp mode on a highway. I think we are lucky to be alive. We spent the bucks on this car BECAUSE of it's safety record. Not to mention needing to replace tires so often....it's been a huge disappointment.
I know they are machines...
Of course things can break! However, when you maintain regularly and drive responsibly, one would not expect a car this age and with fairly low miles to shut off 3 times in traffic within 3 months timeframe, when repaired after each time. We are lucky to be alive the way this has happened with NO WARNING. We were "lucky" once and the CHECK ENGINE light came on in a parking lot instead of driving in traffic. It's hard to trust with it in the shop now 4 times in less than 3 months. I thought it could be "fixed" but now I am skeptical. Our Infinity is almost 10 years old and has only been in the shop for maintenance service. We expected better reliability with Volvo.
I've read other threads here and elsewhere regarding T5s requiring transmission replacement, but of course not to the same degree you read on T6s. They did not speculate a cause when asked. We had it just go to limp and would not reset as you read about at times.
When the alternator went out, we had the engine thumps/thrusts/knock that kept getting worse before the a/c, radio, windows, dash, etc...all electrical systems starting going haywire and then as it went to limp mode the CHECK ENGINE came on and we were stuck on a 2 lane highway on a curve with trucks roaring down the road. It was frightening. We were in the middle of vacation almost 4 hours from home.
They said they replaecd the coolant system and itemized thermosta kit, radiator, oil cooler, core return, etc.