Electrics: xc90 both satnav and CD intermittent.

[john langrick]

Hi,
Xc90 2003. I have a problem where the sat nav and CD fail to work occasionally. The audio selector model will not display the CD as an option and the sat nav unit does not pop up. Radio works fine..

Start the car again and both will work as normal, perhaps a few days, then same thing happens. Both fail together and then work as normal.

Can anyone PSE advise?
Thanks john l

[SwissXC90]

For a fault like this you need to connect VIDA and read all the stored fault codes.

You may have an intermittent MOST bus break problem

Do you move your left hand front seat a lot? If so, check the cables under the seat are not fouling with anything

[john langrick]

Many thanks, will check. I have been moving cables around as trying to fix rse problems. I also noticed today thstvwhen this fault occurs, the parking sensors and phone do notveork also.
My local independant volvo garage also suggests I check earth points under both seats. Will do this first thing.
I do have an odb reader and will also look for codes.
Incidentally, on start up this am, all worked. I stopped on my journey and when I set off again, problem returned.
Another problem I noted was a damp patch in nearside (left) passenger floor well. I checked the sunroof drain behind the door trim and it had actually pulled out of the small receptical. In effect this pipe was too short. I extended this so now will not pull out. I will check your suggestion tomorrow and also try and check earth points.

Again, many thanks for your response.

John l

[SwissXC90]

A number of issues are likley:

Stereo failure causing loss of power/display/control, as identified here:
http://volvodiagnostic.com/shop/inde...duct&id_lang=1

Water in floor affecting Amplifier (under right hand front seat)
Remove amplifier and check carefully for signs of water damage. Must be clean and dry. Dusty is OK. However water here would affect sound, but would not affect control of stereo.

MOST bus failure causing ring breakage. This will kill all audio (stereo, nav, parking beepers, phone) as the ring must be complete for all devices to work.

I doubt earthing will be an issue, that is something very remote in terms of probabilities.

VIDA is your friend

[john langrick]

Hi and again, many thanks.

I connected odb reader, power on, satnav etc all working. Ran tests, only message is regards air con low pressure, which I know about and needs re-gas in spring. I assume if error was detected st any time it would have been stored?

The right hand side floor is perfectly dry, all that area under seat looks connected and fine, but I believe there is an earth connection there so will Just check anyway. Under the left seat and behind sat Nav is an in-line fuse (30a), this seems out of the norm for a volvo, but could there have been a problem in this area earlier and this fuse non standard?

Incidentally, the radio always works, even when problem exists. On the info display I get from the button on the right of display unit, will normally have DVD as an option, but when problem exists, it is no longer an option on the menu. This is why I thought there must be some relay somewhere that selects the optional items, but I guess they are plug and play type additions?

Another strange thing that happens is that when usimg the radio, the info lime along the bottom of the screen that describes the program being listening to disappears.

Of course the rse is still not working but my indi garage is trying to find a wiring diagram and I believe the forum guru on this subject (peter Elliot) is on to newer things and no longer contactable. I suspect this 10-DVD system is an adjunct to the rest of the car electronics and will stand alone, so really a wiring diagram is a must.

I was an electronics engineer, then worked on computer o/s for a number of years so used to both software and hardware, but, without any proper schematic or functional description it seems pretty confusing and I do appreciate your advice. It is very frustrating when I was used to having all info and resources to hand.

I have also noted that for some reason. I do get single beeps, I assume from satnav or parking sensors, but could this be an error?

Yet again many thanks. This car is new to me, currently selling my faithful old v70. That was certainly easier to sort and even the Haynes manual matched the car, which is not the case on xc90!

Cheers john l

[john langrick]

Hi, I do have an odb reader which works fine and can reset codes but no codes for current problem ever gets recorded.

The issue is that while radio always works, occasionally CD changer, phone and satnav and park sensors do not. Usually first sign is that the sat nav does not pop up and the lower line on radio display unit is blank. When working there are symbols such as phone icon isplaued.

The next morning all will work OK for a while.

I understand that this may be a MOST problem and may need a VIDA dice unit to diagnose which I understand will integrate with a laptop.

I also understand that there are units available which will 'exercise' various components, but does anyone know if this will exercise the above areas and will it retrieve more error messages than my old odb unit?

Could anyone advise best unit to order and what O/S base would be needed. I have an old XP laptop and a newer Window 10

Cheers john l

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by john langrick

Hi, I do have an odb reader which works fine and can reset codes but no codes for current problem ever gets recorded.

The issue is that while radio always works, occasionally CD changer, phone and satnav and park sensors do not. Usually first sign is that the sat nav does not pop up and the lower line on radio display unit is blank. When working there are symbols such as phone icon isplaued.

The next morning all will work OK for a while.

I understand that this may be a MOST problem and may need a VIDA dice unit to diagnose which I understand will integrate with a laptop.

I also understand that there are units available which will 'exercise' various components, but does anyone know if this will exercise the above areas and will it retrieve more error messages than my old odb unit?

Could anyone advise best unit to order and what O/S base would be needed. I have an old XP laptop and a newer Window 10

Cheers john l

I have full wiring diagrams of the car, and they are freely available on the Internet, such as here:
http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/?...ing%20Diagrams

Your symptoms appear typical of a failing radio unit (I believe it is old dried up capacitors in the power supply areas and display driver that cause the problems, as well as dried up solder joints).
Easily repaired, see here:
http://volvodiagnostic.com/shop/inde...duct&id_lang=1

VIDA simply tells you much much more than any generic ODBII reader
VIDA allows you to get a lot more data from each unit and also activate various outputs to control many things
So for example even if the radio display is not working, VIDA can tune the radio and tell you received signal strength which allows you to determine if the radio receiver and antenna system are working correctly

You can also change CDs and eject CDs, which allows you to run some basic tests on the CD changer.

You can also interrogate the phone to determine the phone status

The popup nav screen has only internal diagostics which you can call up without any ODBII device connected.
It'll allow you to run some display tests (color patterns) and some interface tests (check for communications with the car) as well as showing GPS receiver signals

To activate the GPS diagnostics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJTVI***dO8
1. Ensure the car is totally powered down (has been off and locked for min 10 minutes)
2. Insert key and turn to pos I or II (engine does not need to run)
3. While the nav is booting up, press BACK, ENTER, BACK, ENTER, BACK, ENTER etc continuously (with either steering wheel controls or remote control) until the nav has booted into diagnostic mode
4. Browse the menus to observe various data and conduct various tests

[SwissXC90]

PS the 10-DVD RSE system is a UK-special and thus not in the standard wiring diagram

But it is a standalone system so as long as it is fed with power it will fire up.
It doesn't use any CAN bus connections

I also have the full technical description of the audio system on my VIDA (but not at home tonight) if you wish to peruse the technical details of how the MOST bus works

[john langrick]

Hi and again, many thanks. I have downloaded all the wiring diagrams, the xc90 plus the additional supplement. It does show grounding points which is my next job to check (when I get a dry day). I will disconnect the battery and start to clean and fit new star washers.

I do understand the ICM may have component failure, but the radio always works fine, never a problem, and remains at full power.

My belief is that there is a power on signal, probably generated in the ICM unit that kick starts and initialises other devices. That signal appears to go AWOL occasionally., at least that is what it seems.

With the problem, the satnav simply does not rise out of it's cradle, turning the ignition on and of a few times does not appear to help.

I know when I start the car tomorrow, it will work fine. I will drive for approx 30 mins and park the car. When I start to drive in about five hours, it inevitably will not rise from the dash etc, but the radio remains absolutely fine.

I will persevere for now but may well sort the ICM itself in the new year.

If I purchased one that was 'working' on eBay, could this possibly work without any programming?

I know would be best to send my unit back to be checked, but I would not like to use the car with a gaping chasm! I could fit anothe init just to plug the hole.

Cheers john l

[john langrick]

Many thanks tet again, if you could send me any detail on MOST operation it would be helpful.

Thanks also for detail on RES. I will have a closer look at this also when weather improves. The unit certainly has power, it is just that nothing seems to initiate it. I have traced the IR input into small box under left floor. This unit has power and an 'acc' pin on power socket and I believe that should get power when IR is detected, but never does. This operated a relay which I can activate and this does indeed power on the audio transmitters (lights go on), but not the headrest screens.
But that can wait until I sort the other problem.

Thanks again and if you could possibly get me anything on the MOST bus operation detail it could be v helpful, but only if you get chance.

Cheers john l