!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT ALL 850/855 OWNERS READ !!!!!!!!

Hi

I am very concerned about this. Of course, Volvo dealers in Belgium like UK, has never had any intention of informing owners of this. The same thing happened with regards to faulty Evaporators fitted to the 8 series, (which left us with a fat 1200 Euro bill to have it replaced since the recall limitation had passed). That too is another story - oh boy what a job! I'll let you know what a s**t* mess they made of it another time!

We have a '96 LHD 850 TDI full spec. Could anybody let me know if this model is included in the re-call and what action should one take to get it seen to? My seats heat up fine and apart from some loose cabling in the past, have worked perfectly. How urgent and or dangerous is this, considering we're in the grip of a severe winter at the moment.

Many thanks


Oliver

[cootuk]

Does the Volvo Owners Club take any action regarding recalls?
ie if there's a recall in a particular country, could the VOC lobby the UK concession to also do a recall?
Would Volvo UK take any notice if an organised group approached it?

[AlastairL]

Well, after reading about this happening to a few people I for one have stopped using my seat warmers. I presume this is only dangerous if the switch is on? or could this happen with the switch off?
Alastair Lauener
1995 855 SE 2.5 10V

[Mike Smith]

Switch needs to be on!
I'm up to writing a letter or putting my name down so that VOC can take up this matter, what about you other guys??

Regards
Mike Smith
----------
96 850 GLT

Count me in Mike.

We MUST get this sorted. My drivers seat packed up a couple of months ago. I found the same problem i.e. one wire had snapped off its connector. I have soldered a new connector on but I feel that the seat gets very warm now, so I have to switch it off. Is the Thermostat and heat one and the same unit ? or has my thermostat packed up ??

Regards,

Marcel.
95 855 T5 GLE.

When getting into my 1997 S70 and leaning one hand on the seat, I occasionally get an electric shock into my hand. It had not occured to me particularly to worry about this, but now I will investigate. Thanks for the tip-off.

Has anyone else had this problem with the S70?

Richard.

[TomW]

My 96 N Reg. 850 drivers seat packed up a year ago too. Have not had it fixed. Now like you am concerned about safety aspect. Count me in too as one to call upon re getting volvo to recall our cars.
Good luck
Tom

Me too
My drivers seat has never worked (there is a wire hanging down from the bottom of the seat) never bothered to get it fixed.

Haydn

[Mike Smith]

Marcel
did you solder the connector straight onto the thermostat? If so, the heat from the soldering iron may have knackered it?
As far as I recall the thermostat acts as the switch, ie feed into 1 terminal and out to the seat element, so if the thermostat is permantly shorted out the element will stay on and possibly catch fire! I have actually changed mine and fitted a new one (mine was open circuit and not switching on) IU also sorted out the cable run, had to remove the seat though, but only took 30 mins or so to remove, not sure how you go on if you have seat air bags! (disconnecting the wiring etc)

Regards
Mike Smith
----------
96 850 GLT

I contacted Volvo Car UK with the recall information. They have confimed the recall in the US and have said that VCC has only established a problems on 96/97 model year cars in North America...they advise that they will continue the analysis and say that this will then show if it is necessary to extend the campaign to other years and markets.

They would not allow our correspondance to be published because of DP reasons but invited the Owners club to contact their press office for a formal reply and permission to publish on the site.

It sounds like the problem is caused by 'excessive'(whatever that is) seat compression causing some of the wires to fracture.
G