C30 Electrics : C30 1.6DrivE - Electrical Shenanigans

[Squipz]

Hello all,

I've been a lurker here since the first lockdown. I bought a 2011 Volvo C30 DrivE 1.6D in 2020 as a project, and it would be fair to say it had not a lot going for it. It was dirt cheap though, as it had, at that time, 180000 on the clock. But as someone who had regularly bent over in front of the dealers, I thought it time to stop those wallet spanking shenanigans, and a perfect time to learn a few things myself. I'm an old dog, and I fancied a new trick.

Things I changed:

All 4 shocks and springs
All 4 tyres
All 4 callipers
All 4 discs / rotors
Brake fluid
Oil (Surprised it's only 3.7L)
Antifreeze
Power steering fluid
Intercooler intake pipe
Track rods
Drop links
CV boots
Centre / rear exhaust
Alternator
x3 batteries! (I got the wrong one twice)

Things I learned:

When the alternator failed, of course I was 250 miles away from home. So that involved recovery, and a 7 hour wait. In winter. It threw every fault code at me whilst it was dying, ABS, Airbag, power steering, engine system service urgent, anti-skid, etc, etc... speedo and rev counter dropped to zero, even though I was running 65mph on the motorway... I managed to keep it running, but as night was drawing in, and frost forming, I limped it into Leicester Forest East Services, and rang for recovery.

At first I thought it was the battery - it was I believe the original Volvo one, as old as the car, so was well past it's best. So I changed it. Stupidly, I bought a non stop start, and didn't code it in. The faulty alternator cooked the battery. Second battery was a stop start, but was doa, so a third was ordered, and that one works well, having been programmed in with VIDA and the alternator changed for a new one.

All is not as it may first appear with DIM messages though - at least that's my experience.

I've had the pedal sensor codes pop up from time to time, always inconvenient, and always putting the car into limp - sometimes, but not always, it also turned on the anti-skid.

On the DIM: ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED

On the generic OBDII reader:
P1577 Pedal Position Sensor Disagreement Between Sensors
and
P193B Throttle / Pedal Signal
P0039 Turbocharger / Supercharger Bypass Valve Control Circuit Range / Performance

I took the pedal off, took it apart, and inspected it visually - nothing apparent. Both carbon traces intact, and both reading the same top to bottom on a multimeter.

I am lucky to have DICE, however, this also told me it was the pedal... BUT

I dropped the CEM from the passenger footwell, and removed everything from it first, after reading a very many helpful, (and often conflicting posts online), I thought it likely that there was an issue somewhere there, dirty / corroded / broken wire or the like - in my head it made sense to check there first at least, before handing out circa £200 for a new OEM pedal! (I know there are non-OEM, but I also read that these don't always fix the pedal problem).

There were several potential bad connection issues, all cleaned up with electrical contact cleaner, a needle file, fibreglass pencil, and a microfibre cloth. I also changed every single mini fuse regardless. While all that was out, I also changed the pig of a job cabin filter... why not?, opportunity knocked...

Once everything was reinstalled, the car started and drove like a new one. All codes gone and none returned.

So, do check your CEM's, they can be the culprit, hidden out of plain sight. I've learned that DICE or no DICE, the obvious isn't necessarily the root cause.

Now, just the one minor issue - Alarm module service required - I have changed the siren module hidden passenger side of the rain scuttle. Even though after dismantling the original one, it was all pristine in there and the battery was still charged so likely wasn't faulty. VIDA reports the new one as faulty too, I forget the code, (glass break sensor?) but it points to the rear window demister... silver paint on standby... if anyone knows different, I'm all ears...

EOLYS tank - VIDA reported 15/15 fill level, but there was a sensor communication error. The tank had been filled in 2019, but no-one seemingly told the car... Now that the car is 'aware', I will get VIDA to do a forced regen, a regen is something that this car has never had in my ownership, but I have a Volvo receipt from an additive tank change in 2019... ECM pressure sensor is currently 2HpA at idle, so I don't think it's bad in the DPF, the DPF has only been on there itself since 2019, (about 20000 miles) again, a Volvo receipt for that one. I'm very surprised that the system wasn't activated at the time though having been done at Volvo.

The last MOT smoke test was borderline - even after a service, so a regen might just blow the cobwebs out. But then again the MOT tester held it at the limiter far longer than he should have. Hearing it scream made me weep.
So far as I am aware, it's one second from idle to limiter and then release the pedal... When I asked, querying the length on limit, his reply was 'remind me who the tester is'...

I have reported my experience.

A month on, and just over another 1200 miles under her belt, She's a lovely drive.

IF anyone is driving by Manchester / Rossendale in need of a VIDA scan, a brew, and potentially a chocolate digestive, just let me know. Happy to help if I can. I'm still learning to drive VIDA... I'm still learning all things Volvo C30...

[Gavrichard]

Hi, It sounds like you done plenty to the car - you’ll be an expert! Did you
Manage to get to the bottom of the issue with the Glass Break Wire / Alarm issue? I have the same problem! Thanks, Gavin