Shift to P to remove key

[mrmikkelsen]

Ever seen that message before? My 2011 Volvo XC70 won't let me get the key fob out of the dash hole. The transmission is shifted up into park, clicks in, looks just perfect. I am doing some front end collision damage repairs and the car isn't quite running yet. I was perfectly able to do the safety switch override to get to neutral, then could move the car and get the key out just like Sweden intended. Then with no indication as to why, one time the key stopped coming out and the error message appears in lights on the instruments "Shift to P to remove key". The gear shift moves to Park just great, the car just doesn't know it is in park. The cable moves through to the transmission and the level on the transmission moves right into place where it should for Park too.

Too much information maybe already. In a nutshell, one day the key fob removed fine, the next no more.

Is there a test procedure for the shifter electronic parts down on the left side of the shifter assembly? Is there a likely failure point that I need to check in to? Any help of this would sure be great!

Thank you very much,
Jon

[mrmikkelsen]

It is great to see 88 people have looked at this thread! Don't be shy about offering up some thoughts on what I could do next. My Volvo is stuck in driveway now, and the next step is a multi hundred dollar tow to the dealer. :(

Thank for anything!
Jon

[ssicarman]

I am one of the 88 people you are being bitter and resentful towards.
I have not heard of or seen anything like this and likely the other people viewing this have not either. If people don't know anything about the problem then they can't offer anything.

If you have had a front end collision have you checked the wiring on the front end of the car to see if there is any damage. The shifter is moving into park but the system may take direction from information from the transmission itself. If the wiring is damaged then the correct message may not be getting to where is should be.

[mrmikkelsen]

I am one of the 88 people you are being bitter and resentful towards.
I have not heard of or seen anything like this and likely the other people viewing this have not either. If people don't know anything about the problem then they can't offer anything.

If you have had a front end collision have you checked the wiring on the front end of the car to see if there is any damage. The shifter is moving into park but the system may take direction from information from the transmission itself. If the wiring is damaged then the correct message may not be getting to where is should be.

Wow! I am sure sorry about the perception of my message. I meant to be positive and encouraging, and I came across as bitter and resentful. That I did not mean to do. At any rate, thanks for you thoughtful reply.

[p_gill]

Jon,

It looks like its almost 200 views now.

Full disclosure: I don't own and XC70 but I do own a 2008 Land Rover LR2 which I believe shares the same basic design

Lets start simple.

When I couldn't get my key out of the docking station it was due to a flat battery.

What is the voltage of your battery?

Have you recently charged the battery?

If the voltage is low (less than 12 volts) then you should recharge the battery.

Remove the + & - leads and hold them together for 30 minutes to hard reset the electronics.

Recharge the battery and don't attach the leads until the voltage is above 12.5 volts.


The electronics are very unhappy if the voltage drops too low and some of the modules can loose communication and then they wont shut down when they receive the signal.

Let me know if this helps or if you have already checked the battery, completed a hard reset and recharged the battery.

Happy Motoring

Paul

PS it is funny how a few innocent words can be taken so negatively. (Note: don't blame ssicarman he was likely not the only one that took offense) For reference I posted on another forum about adding a drain to the front power transfer unit and 683 views with 0 replies. https://landroverforums.com/forum/lr2-35/drain-hole-added-front-power-transfer-unit-82510/ This modification would apply to 2008+ XC70 also

[mrmikkelsen]

Thanks Paul! The batter did die after sitting for months. It charged up to 12.7v if I remember right, and holds that charge well. Still, I haven't had good luck with any battery after they die out, so I'll keep the low battery stuff in the queue. The hard reset sounds sure perks my attention too.

Yeah, I don't blame sscarman either, I only blame me. I know that nobody owes me anything here, and that any response is a gift. I also know how easy it is to perceive posts differently than the writer intended. I was hoping in that second post to let folks know that I excited to hear any thoughts, whether experienced with the issue or just brainstorming. You know how it is, sometimes there are known issues that experience solves in an instant, and sometimes there are unique gremlins. I am afraid I may have a unique gremlin here in my project XC.

[p_gill]

Jon,

That's no problem.

If the hard reset works be sure to post here so that others will know.

And if it doesn't work then post here and I'll try to think of what to do next.


I can point to posts on the LR2 forums that may be helpful if you get specific about additional problems.

The fundamental Volvo design is sound and my LR2 has been the most reliable vehicle that I've owned.


When you say that your XC70 isn't running......will it crank but not start or won't it crank?


for Reference I am on my third battery at 10 years and 110,000 miles

When the original battery died the voltage dropped low enough that one of the relays in the engine compartment clicked on and off for about an hour and I couldn't get the key out of the docking station.

The second battery died in my driveway. The day before the voltage dipped during starting and I got an adaptive cornering headlight error. I ignored the error, didn't do the hard reset and just charged the battery. It was completely drained a few days later.

Good Luck

Paul

[mrmikkelsen]

Excellent Paul. Thanks again. I'll follow up as soon as I get another chance to work on the project. For now we have a bit too much rain, and I am getting worried about preparing for the upcoming semester to start. I'll post a reply whatever happens when I play again.
Appreciatively,
Jon

[mrmikkelsen]

Oops, I meant to answer your question on starting. I bought the car with front end damaged as a project since I injured my knee and don't restore vintage motorcycles anymore. i figured I could learn something new and end up with a neat car to drive afterward. Let's just say I say I know my way around better over there. Anyway, I bridged the starter terminals to crank the motor over successfully a while back. Sounded good to me, but I didn't fire it up, just cranked it over. I haven't actually tried to fire it up yet, I am not sure if the "shift to P" thing will be a problem in that regard, so I figured I'd try to learn about and fix that first.

[p_gill]

Jon

No worries

Sorry to hear about your injury

It sounds like you have a fun project

You should post your progress here

Good luck

Paul

[mrmikkelsen]

That knee injury healed up pretty well and maybe is best seen as a hint that it was time to move along. I think it was Baron Rothschild who said his secret to success was always to sell too soon. I think of that, and I am happy to have left the sport while I can still walk. Fun memories for sure.
Anyhoo,
I went out to check the Volvo battery and try the holding terminals together reset thing. I was surprised to see the battery charge dropped clear down to about three volts even though it was sitting disconnected from the terminals since I last checked in here to the forum. A battery certainly should hold a fresh charge much longer than that, so I think your low battery tip may have been spot on.

I'll be buying a new battery soon and will report back with the results. Not counting chickens yet, but I am hopeful.

Thanks again,
Jon

[p_gill]

Jon,

Were you racing vintage Bikes or restoring them? Or a little bit of both?

I do agree that the key to success is to sell too soon, that is excellent advice.


Back to your XC70

Its possible that the battery broke in the accident.

Let us know if the new battery fixes some of the electrical gremlins that you have been seeing.

If it does at least it was an easy fix.

Good Luck

Paul

[mrmikkelsen]

Hi Paul,
I had a little over a dozen vintage mx bikes and others in my garage, restored or at least repair most all of them. Sure was fun. I sold all but three: 1974 bultaco model 121, a 360cc motocrosser, 1997 yellow Yamaha YZ250 that I had freshly rebuild everything on just before the "knee" happened, and a Honda XR400R dual sport that is the back up to my back up vehicle just in case nothing else runs and I really have to get to work. I haven't ridden any of them for 4-5 years now.
Oddly to keep this mix since both the Bultaco and the Honda where in perfect running order and those are two of the few bikes I've owned that I didn't at least rebuild. I am much more help on those forums, for sure.

The XC! The new battery fixed up the "shift to P" message lickety split. The old battery would charge up just fine, and sitting there it seemed to hold a charge well enough, except that sometimes it would just up and be dead without being connected or anything. Charged back up and seemed fine again. Still, like you say it could have been somehow damaged in the wreck. Also, that old battery was completely dead when I got the car; it took a while to charge. I have never had good luck with a car battery once it has discharged completely. No idea why, but they don't seem to like that.

At the same time as replacing the battery, I also had sent the air bag control module out for resetting. I had a replacement in there, but since it was from another care it was going to take a dealer visit to get it to talk to my car. I also had put a replacement transmission control module from a different car in an attempt to cure the "shift to P" problem. I put the original transmission control module back in and the original reset airbag control module in too at the same time I put in the new battery. The car seems to be pretty happy electronically now. I don't think those two modules were related to the key business though since the "shift to P" message was coming up before I started messing around with the modules.

The key fob is happily in my pocket now and I am sure happy about that.

Now, to figure out how to fill the cooling system with the new blue Volvo coolant that just came in the mail.

Thank you so much Paul, your input made all the difference,
Jon

[p_gill]

Jon,

That's great news.

I am really glad to hear that your XC is happy again.


And based on your statement below you are well on your way



Now, to figure out how to fill the cooling system with the new blue Volvo coolant that just came in the mail.


That is a very encouraging sign.

Fyi to remove the coolant there is a drain in the bottom of the radiator and another behind the engine near the catalytic converters.

The drain for the radiator is a flat blade that needs to be rotated

I think that this tool will work https://www.amazon.com/Thexton-THX473-Radiator-Petcock-Socket/dp/B01MXO0EHX

In my case I made my own tool using a old lug nut and a grinder because I couldn't wait.

Enjoy the project

Paul

[mrmikkelsen]

Thanks for your guidance through the "shift to P" issue Paul, it made all the difference. As for draining the radiator, that was already done for me by whatever the previous owner plowed into. ;)

Off to study fuel systems now,
Jon