Dealer deleted my HEICO tune - a story with a lesson

[SwissXC90]

So I said I'd tell the story once the issue was resolved. And here it is.

In December 2018 my MY2009 XC90 went to the dealer for a 10 year scheduled service. New belts, oil change, brake fluid change etc.

When I got it back, I did a quick check of the work.
All was OK: engine air filter didn't need changing so they didn't change it. New belts fitted. New cabin air filter fitted. Oil change. New brake fluid.
Car nicely washed and tires shined
All OK so far.

Then out of curiosity I connected VIDA and saw a result that may my heart sink:
ALL GREEN. No DTCs stored at all.

Oh no. Oh dear. Oh crap. A shiver went down my spine as I realized what had happened.
I looked back at the bill. Service 2.0 was applied. Darn.

Why, I hear you say, did a No DTCs Stored condition and Service 2.0 make me upset?
Isn't a lack of stored trouble codes a good thing?

Well, no. Not for me.

My car had a HEICO official power increase tune fitted when it was 8 months old, back in 2009, by the same dealer.
Back then, it cost 3000 CHF (about 2300 GBP or 2600 EUR at today's conversion rates)
The HEICO tune was properly recorded and documented in the dealer's system, and in my car's registration papers, in the Owner's Manual folder, and on a permanent label in the engine bay. The vehicle was independently certified as compliant with all regulations and certification papers were supplied.
It was done properly, and EVERYONE knows it had been done.
It had survived 9 annual services at the same dealer without being lost.
And at Service Number 10, the service tech updated all the software in the vehicle, including updating the ECM, and thus deleted the HEICO tune.

That's a 3000 CHF option that was deleted by the dealer.

Before I jumped on the phone to the dealer, I thought I'd give it a few days and drive cycles to see if the error would reappear, and let myself cool down.
It didn't reappear.
I cooled down.

Coincidentally, the dealer workshop manager rang me the next day and asked if all was well.
I explained calmly what happened.

He was very good on the phone and didn't try to talk me down. He arranged a time with me to bring the car in.

A week later he rang back, and said he'd talked to HEICO in Germany, and they wouldn't have time to reload the tune until late January.
No problem, we rescheduled.
(I had also contacted HEICO in Germany and knew exactly what had to be done)

When I took it in, he checked the system, the paperwork, the label, and said the tech working on the car should have known.
He asked me how I discovered the loss of the HEICO tune.
I showed him the Volvo DTC reader in the DIM, which he didn't know existed.
I also told him I really noticed the drop in power by 15%.
He and I were both reasonable.
I understood totally that the tech made an oversight. He's only human.

The ECM would now have to be removed and sent to HEICO in Germany to reload the tune. It would take 1 to 2 weeks for it to come back.

He provided a free of charge loan vehicle for the time (even dropped it off at my house) and he confirmed that the reload of the HEICO tune (500 EUR charge by HEICO) and their time and the loaner car would be all at no charge to me, as it was their mistake.

He also got their techs to look at my binding rear brake and the squeaky front brake as well, while it was there.

So they dropped off the car at my house today (and collected the loaner car), saying it was all completed.
Of course, I checked it immediately.
ECM and CEM have DTCs set. Perfect. That's the way it should be.
Connected VIDA and confirmed: All good, I have the expected ECM-7700 and the resultant CEM-1F00 codes.
These are correct. Here's what VIDA shows:


All's well that ends well.
I'm not mad at the dealer.
They manned up to their mistake, took it on the chin, fixed the problem, and made sure I was happy.


So this shows:
1. Know your car. If it has anything special, understand what it is.
2. If you have a tuned ECM, be aware that any dealer can delete the tune when they do a general vehicle software update. You need to tell them you have something special.
3. If you have a tune from a reputable supplier, such as HEICO, the supplier can reload the tune to your ECM, even 10 years after it was initially applied. Not free, but they can do it.
4. If you get work done by a reputable dealer, they will back up their work and fix and mistakes they make, at their cost.
5. And whatever you do, make sure the tune is documented properly in vehicle papers, dealer records, and in the engine bay.


Lesson to the Volvo Tech: check if vehicle is standard before you start work.
Lesson to you, dear reader: always check a garage's work. And be prepared to reload a tune if needed.

And don't get mad at human mistakes.
Because we're all human, and we all make mistakes.

[okedave]

Great to hear of an (eventually) good experience when a mistake happens at the dealer :-)

[SignumGB]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

So I said I'd tell the story once the issue was resolved. And here it is.

.

Thanks for the tips. Can something like this read the ECU software version etc?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NL9FG...a-563996093944

I have a work laptop but sadly cant install third party software so need something else to read data of the ECU etc.

[SwissXC90]

I have no experience with that Autel device.

VIDA reads out the following data for the ECM:

This is my ECM:

ECU ECM
Status Active
Serial No 137614532354
Hardware number 0031272463 AA
Diagnostic number 31272414 AA
Software number 0008677490 A
Software number 0031336371 AA

[noddycat]

Great result over what potentially could have been a protracted and expensive dispute. They did the right thing, but equally it looks like you handled it in an exemplary fashion by keeping your cool and stating the facts in a straightforward manner. I'm a big believer in Aesop's fable The Sun and the Wind!

[Harley Dave]

I hadn't heard of that fable so I googled it.

THE WIND and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger.

Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute.

Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger You begin.”

So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller.

But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.

Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

“KINDNESS EFFECTS MORE THAN SEVERITY.”

I try to live like that too but sometimes you just have to give someone a good ass-kicking as they see your gentleness and good manners as weakness...

Cheers

Dave