New ETM Recall

[Edmonds17]

A new recall has been announced recarding XC's and other Volvo models. Set forth below is the news announcement:

"More than half of the vehicles being recalled -- 170,099 -- are Volvo passenger cars, station wagons and sport utility vehicles from the 1999-2002 model years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Volvo Cars of North America, a unit of Ford Motor Co., is recalling vehicle speed controls on some C70, C70 convertible, S60, S70, S80, V70, V70XC and XC70 models. A malfunctioning electronic throttle module may cause the vehicles to unnecessarily go into "limp home" mode, in which the vehicle's speed is limited to 10 to 30 mph, NHTSA said.

Dealers will install upgraded software on the affected vehicles' electronic throttles."

I guess Volvo still won't admit the inherent design/manufacturing flaws involved in the throttle module. Seem to be blaming the software for "unnessarily" going into limp mode. Bah Humbug.

Edmonds17

[Edmonds17]

Set forth below is the NHTSA recall notice.

Report Date : November 23, 2006 at 04:59 PM
SEARCH TYPE : VEHICLE
Make : VOLVO
Model : V70XC
Make : VOLVO Model : V70XC Year : 2000
Manufacturer : VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 06V441000 Recall Date : NOV 14, 2006
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 170099
Summary:
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.
Consequence:
THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS RECALL. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Notes:
VOLVO RECALL NO. R155. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

I hope this is helpful.

Edmonds17

[rodrigo]

it is indeed...i am going to look into this.

[Tyrant11429]

So they still haven't come up with a new etm design ?

[rodrigo]

So they still haven't come up with a new etm design ?

nope...it is cheaper for them to replace it with the crappy ones and keep fixing them/uploading software/replacing them as they fail as opposed to making it an official recall (instead of making it a service bulletin to dumb the computer into thinking all is fine) where everyone will have to replace it.

[rodrigo]

Set forth below is the NHTSA recall notice.

Report Date : November 23, 2006 at 04:59 PM
SEARCH TYPE : VEHICLE
Make : VOLVO
Model : V70XC
Make : VOLVO Model : V70XC Year : 2000
Manufacturer : VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 06V441000 Recall Date : NOV 14, 2006
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 170099
Summary:
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.
Consequence:
THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS RECALL. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Notes:
VOLVO RECALL NO. R155. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

I hope this is helpful.

Edmonds17

Im sorry...im a bit confused..is this Bulletin #155? If so...B.155 was out on April (?) of '06

[Edmonds17]

I reprinted the NHTSA defect recall notice verbatim.

It is quite possible that Volvo issued instructions to it's dealers long before NHTSA mandated the recall.

The important point is that, thanks to NHTSA, Volvo owners no longer have to wait to be stranded before the upgraded software will be installed.

The engine died on our XC long before the upgraded software was available. Dealer replaced the defective ETM with a new defective ETM. Now, I will be able to go into the dealer and get the upgraded software. I personally doubt that merely upgrading the software will cure the defect. Nevertheless, it is better than nothing.

Edmonds17

[tgrumaj]

I wonder if this is a differnt "software upgrade" than the one that was connected to the Volvo recall that the Calif Dept of Emissions Control generated. Last Spring Volvo initiated an extended warrenty for the ETMs (up to 10 years and 200000 miles) in the US AND a software upgrade. I had the upgrade done when I had the car in for othe service. If this is new fine...otherwise they are simply saying that what they've already done fits the need...(which it doesn't).

[Greybeard]

My dealer did the upgrade to the software, when I took the car in for another repair. This was in early November, so apparently the dealers were already notified to do this.

[JRL]

This is the same as last spring's 155 service "campaign" The only difference is that it's now a federal mandated recall, dealers have been doing it since April.
There is NO new ETB design, there never will be, so deal with it.
All the complaining won't get you anywhere.
I have found that once the software is installed (and your TB is CLEAN) there have been few to no more failures of the throttle body and if there is, you will NOT be stranded as the limp mode was removed