My XC60 is stuck in ‘Limp Mode’, how do I restore it?

[R4robert]

Letter (email) sent to Celtic Tuning today outlining the problem.

I'm now waiting to see how they reply.

Watch this space!

Cheers,
Robert

[R4robert]

So Celtic Tuning replied to my letter about their re-map, as follows:

Mr Reid

Thank you for your email.

I’m sorry that you have had issues with your car, but anything that can be attributable to the remap will happen nearly immediately, as nothing is going to alter in the software. After 2000 miles of trouble free driving, It sounds more as though that your vehicle has an underlying issue with an electronic sensor, that when we are requesting the higher duty cycle it may be sticking causing an incorrect reading and thus flagging the limp mode.

We don’t block or inhibit any of the diagnostic system, thus it is physically impossible to not log a fault code if the vehicle was in limp mode when diagnostics were used. Without actually providing a fault code it is physically impossible to diagnose your fault especially when we do not have access to the vehicle. Both in the UK and through our dealer in Sweden we tune a large number of the Volvo brand including both petrol and diesel variants including those running the latest edc17 generation of ecu which is contained within your vehicle, without issue.

All I can offer you is 2 things:

1. We try to reinstall the software onto your vehicle and try to engage the limp mode to try and diagnose the problem.
2. Now you vehicle is reset to standard we refund your initial cost of the remap.

Please let us know if you have any further questions or which of the options you wish to proceed with.

Regards

Kevin
Customer Advisor

Well, not a bad reply. I'll probably take the refund.

Cheers,
Robert

[watchboy]

A very fair response in my opinion and they obviously want to make the situation right.

You must be happy with the response I am guessing?

Paul

[R4robert]

Originally Posted by watchboy

A very fair response in my opinion and they obviously want to make the situation right.

You must be happy with the response I am guessing?

Paul

Yes I am. It's refreshing to find a company that is so customer friendly.

(They re-mapped a friend's Passat and he was very pleased with the service he received, as well as the end result.)

Cheers,
Robert

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by R4robert

2. Now you vehicle is reset to standard we refund your initial cost of the remap.

Take the refund.

They obviously do not want any 'deeper digging'

Regards

[swallowdh]

XC60 D5AWD LUX (2010 model) Limp Mode - DPF Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor failure

Just had the problem of my D5 engine going into dreaded ‘LIMP MODE’. There was no ECM warning light. I did a scan using a portable Autel MS310 scanner (useful for getting live info whilst driving). There were no fault codes stored but it indicated that the ‘Catalyst Temperature B2S2’ was permanently at 1002 deg C. (I understand my car has two exhaust temperature sensors – the other is somewhere on the ‘downpipe’ which was functioning normally between 240 – 500 deg C depending on engine load). I disconnected the sensor on the DPF and checked the resistance which was too high to register on my meter. The voltage supply connector was 3.78V. I assumed the sensor had ‘open circuited’ and would need renewing. The dealer quoted me £250-00 (2 hours labour + part) on the basis of being able to easily remove the sensor (otherwise they would have to remove the DPF – 5 hours labour!!!).
This worried me, so from info on various forums, I decided to do an interim fix and insert a Resistor in the sensor engine side plug to ‘fool’ the ECM. I choose 270 Ohm resistor (36p from Maplins) using info from the GE- NTC Sensor catalogue – checkout..... http—http://www.ge-mcs.com-download-tempe...69A-LR.pdf.url (this gives equivalent temperature vs sensor resistance). Sure enough the Autel scanner returned 95 deg and obviously provided the ECM ‘permissive’ signal voltage and ‘voila’ .... NO MORE LIMP MODE!
It was tempting to ignore replacement of the EGT but further forum research led me to a Volvo Training Bulletin (http—http://www.free12.com-gallery-albums...83-FL2.pdf.url). This explains in some detail the DPF ‘Regeneration and the ECM calculation processes using various integral parameters of mileage, differential DPF pressure and temperatures, etc. The process consists of raising the DPF to 500-600 deg C and it would appear that whilst the EGT just protects the DPF against excessive temperature, the algorithms used by the ECM are probably far more complex and utilises the DPF temperature in other ways. So it seemed a ‘no brainer’ to replace the DPF EGT sensor!
So next job was to try and remove the dud DPF sensor which I eventually managed with 17mm extended long flat ring spanner. (It was very inaccessible and tight and needed a good soak with ‘WD40’ – it eventually went with a bit of a ‘crack’ – thought I had sheared the nut but it was ok – needed to snip the sensor plug off to facilitate use of ring spanner). Whistling a happy tune, I went down to my Volvo dealer for a spare DPF Temp Sensor (£87-00). Back home and 30minutes later having screwed in the new sensor and plugged it in, expensive repairs and LIMP mode were all just a ‘bad dream’, but a gratifying experience fixing it!
I trust this experience may prove useful to others with a similar DPF temperature sensor fault. I still do not understand why the ECM does not return a code for the DPF temp fault – may be it does on latter XC60 models which I understand may have 3 temp sensors rather two on the exhaust system.

[lindahowe]

Thank goodness we've found this topic. We've been struggling with ours for the last 2 weeks in Limp mode, One minute it's great the next slow. Fuel, oil and air filters have all been changed. It sounds as though this is where I need to take mine R4Robert.

To be really cheeky, do you have the terms on an invoice of what they did for you? I wish my French could go beyond the basic

[Paul240480]

@ Linda. I see you are in Poitiers. I am 'up norf' in Brittany.

Not sure if this is useful but this bloke http://www.manauto.fr/ comes with good reccomendations . French Volvo forumistes say he is passionate about all things Volvo , but is expensive . He is, so far the only Indie I know of in France.

Maybe too far away from you? Tis for me too really .

Just thought it worthy of a 'mench'