Car not utilising the hybrid battery at all
 

Hello everyone.

I have a 2016 Volvo XC90 T8, and this is a CKD model assembled in Malaysia.

Everything was fine and dandy for about 2 years until about 2 months ago when I encountered a string of problems.

First it was the steering lock that needed replacing - the car wouldn't start at all!

A week later, the entire dashboard had to be removed to replace the cooling coil as I told it was leaking. This time round my car was off the road for about a month awaiting spares from Sweden, allegedly.

Two days ago, I discovered something very strange. Usually when I start the car, it would start up using the hybrid battery. However, this time it started using the ICE. As I began to drive on, I noticed that the car would not utilize the hybrid battery at all, despite me driving at a very leisurely pace.

So, to force the car to utilize the hybrid battery, I engaged the "pure" driving mode. However, the car still would not switch to the hybrid battery. The ICE stayed on at all times.

What's even more peculiar is that under the "Constant AWD" mode, there is an error message saying "Cannot be selected due to limitations", and this drive mode is greyed out. I have tried googling this error message and other than the excerpt from the car manual, there is nothing at all that comes up - that's unbelievable. Nothing on forums, nothing on groups.

Other than this one message, there are no other error messages or warnings from the car.

My nearest dealer is an hour away by flight, and I got on the phone with the service manager and he said that the problem is probably due to faulty ABS sensors, as they can cause the hybrid battery to be "deactivated". I find that hard to believe and I certainly hope it's not an issue with the hybrid battery itself.

Any advice or insight is much appreciated. Thanks all!

Hi,

Is the problem solved for you yet?

I have the same problem but happen slightly different.

I had my T8 for about a year and a half. Around 3 months ago when I started the car ICE started which is unusual, but after a few KM drive hybrid system kicks in. However a few KM later i fealt the jerkyness and loss of power suddenly ICE came on again and stay on until I shut the engine off, next start up won't happen for the whole day. But next day it will repeat again. But someday the loss of power didn't happen.

But about a week ago. Started up ICE kicks in as normal but battery never kicks in ever. No matter how many times I turned the car off.

Battery only be used for other system I guess, as it very slowly drained down while I drive with ICE on all the time.

Recently I just tried to use B gear, normally I would feel the pull from hybrid motor breaking but with this problem, there is no different from D and B

If you got it fixed please share what the dealer change for your.

Thank you so much

Any solution?
 

Did you manage to get this solved? What was the problem? Could that be the start battery being toi weak? I am experiencing the same issue. Thank you.

I’m having this exact issue. It’s as if the electric drive is completely disabled. It sporadically works on startup, but usually i have ICE only. On a few occasions when electric drive works, after 30 or so miles at highway speed (I commute 100 miles round trip daily) a high pitched 2-tone alarm sounds from underneath the rear end of the vehicle. It’s barely audible inside the vehicle bit easily heard from outside. Dealer had no clue and can’t even tell me which part in the rear of the vehicle is equipped with such an alarm. Problem started with hybrid drive appearing normal from inside the car, but no power being applied from the electric drive. Dealer replaced components of the electric real axle drive (ERAD) and while now I sometimes get electric drive, mostly the car just behaves as if it’s not a hybrid at all. I also have the issue with constant AWD not available. Seems like a software setting, or else the ERAD fix wasn’t done right. Many trips back to dealer to no avail.

2021 XC60 T8 Recharge doing the same
 

Just noticed the other day that the XC60 fired up the ICE as soon as I went to move it on the driveway... asked Mrs D if it had been running the engine all the time when she drove it over the previous couple of days ... "oh, I hadn't noticed"...

Despite having full charge in the battery pack, it shows no sign of using the power

https://i.postimg.cc/s2bCF8gw/IMG-20211002-100602.jpg

and trying to select a drive mode, both AWD and Pure are simply unavailable.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMpKMmJN/IMG-20211002-100557.jpg

Off to the nearest dealer it shall go, I suspect (sigh).

Not at all an ideal situation especially with a new car.
Not the standard ERAD issues as experienced by other T8 owners on here so possibly a fault with one of the many ECU's that control the interaction between the ERAD and the ICE.
Ewand, please keep us all informed as this progress's as I'm wondering if this might be the next big T8 issue.

Will do. Just off the phone to the nearest dealer and they say they'll need it for a couple of days. If I want a courtesy car then the next slot they have is mid November (!) or if I'm prepared to drop it off and leave under my own steam, then I only need to wait 2 weeks. FFS, I want someone fixing it right away! ;)

That's terrible, I know most dealers are pretty busy at the moment especially if you need a courtesy car but 2 weeks just to be able to drop the car off for them to look at with this level of fault, bonkers!!
I take it you cant call Volvo assist as the car is still drive-able.

SitRep - car went into the dealer this morning with an expectation they might take 2 days to diagnose and fix. I got a call back 90 mins after dropping it off to say they've found the problem; it's a software problem that Volvo is aware of and they're working to rewrite the software.

No ETA for a fix.
No workaround (I suggested clearing the fault, resetting the hybrid system etc but the did that and it came back)

At this rate I'm pleased that I spend that extra £10K on the Recharge model as I can't drive it in Hybrid mode, and I don't have a charger installed yet :buttkiss:

Dealer suggested I call Volvo Customer Support to ask them for info on when the fix is due - like some dude in a call center dealing with front line enquiries is going to know what the development roadmap is like.

Kinda wish I'd bought that Polestar 2 after all...

I'm speechless, its ridicules that its a know problem and there is still no ETA for the fix.

Although contacting Volvo Customer Support will likely get you nowhere on getting an ETA for the software fix, I think it would be well worth lodging a complaint and requesting some form of compensation, after all, you have paid extra money to buy the T8 to enable you to save money and the environment (well, kinda) by utilising the PHEV advantages the T8 offers however, not being able to use these means you are basically driving around in a fat T6 using extra fuel to lug about all the hybrid components that you cant actually use!!
As its an admitted known fault, Volvo can't argue the issue isn't there leaving them little recourse but to accept your complaint and hopefully offer you something.
Its a personal choice for some people to buy a T8 and hardly/never use its hybrid ability in order to utilise the better BIK tax implications it offers but in your case, you have no other option than to not utilise the hybrid system.