New XC90 T8 fails to start

[Philip Fisher]

Now that I have had a few days to get over it, I thought that I should post the following information in case anyone else has the same problem.

I took delivery of my XC90 T8 on 1.3.16 first thing. Drove it to work and also went out for a run at lunchtime in it. I then went to move it at 3.30pm and it wouldn't start. When you turned the start knob, the dials initially span round and back again, but then the gear selector did not appear on the dash. Much mucking about did not get it to work. I rang the dealer and they talked me through the problem, still wouldn't start. We performed a full reset, still wouldn't start. We did manage to get the gear selector displayed (by a long hold on the start button) but still it would not start. We could hear the actuator changing the gears but no drive.

The dealer turned up with a courtesy car and my car was recovered to a recovery compound to sulk for the night on it's own. I went home to sulk as well. It was then recovered to the dealer in the morning. When it was delivered to the dealer on the following morning it threw a proper hissy fit and refused to come off the trailer by not allowing the handbrake to release.

The dealer had it for 2 days (I was abroad with work so this was no problem) and they discovered that the software for the VDDM (Vehicle Domain Dynamic Module) was corrupted. Volvo had taken an interest in this problem and Sweden remotely connected to the car to help to identify why this corruption had happened. The diagnosis was that when the towbar software was installed it caused a conflict with and corrupted the VDDM. They re-installed everything and got it all to work properly. They are now apparently going to have to re-write the towbar software to fix the conflict for other vehicles.

I don't know if this is a T8 towbar issue or an XC90 towbar issue. I am guessing it is a T8 one as there possibly aren't many T8's with towbars out there yet.

So I got the car back on the 4th and am happy with it so far in my 3 days of ownership. The dealer were good, delivering me an XC90 D5 to allow me to get to the airport and then keeping me updated with progress and explanations. I am just hoping that this is one blip at the start of ownership and it will be plain sailing from here on in.

Cheers

[PorkaFly]

Sorry to hear about this...very frustrating for you.

I have a T8 RDesign with factory fit towbar and have moved it in and out of housing using the buttons a couple of times to show my family how it works. Thus far I've not had any issues with the car and now covered 470 miles in first week...although I realise that's tempting fate.

Was yours dealer fitted? I just wonder if it was fitted afterwards whether this has been the issue?

PF

[yeoman]

Hi,

Hope your car gets sorted soon.What sort of MPG were you getting and do you charge you car daily?

Cheers

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by PorkaFly

Sorry to hear about this...very frustrating for you.

I have a T8 RDesign with factory fit towbar and have moved it in and out of housing using the buttons a couple of times to show my family how it works. Thus far I've not had any issues with the car and now covered 470 miles in first week...although I realise that's tempting fate.

Was yours dealer fitted? I just wonder if it was fitted afterwards whether this has been the issue?

PF

I'm not sure. I think dealer fitted. There has been a spec change on the towbar just recently with the configurator quoting a post week 36 towbar and a pre week 36 towbar. Maybe mine fell as a post week 36 one and the new version (whatever that entails) had the software bug? Or maybe it is just a t8 thing and there are not many t8s with towbars? I dont know more than i posted unfortunately...

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Hi,

Hope your car gets sorted soon.What sort of MPG were you getting and do you charge you car daily?

Cheers

Car says 24mpg at the moment but really far too early to tell. Not charging yet as the electricians still have a trench to dig and some wires to run.....

[volvo for ever]

hi its not t8 issue with tow bar sw ii ihad same issue months ago had car 5 days pur nightmare ....

a lot of sw issues with these cars they will eventually iron out ,,i always say once a new car has come out give it 1 year before buying it and let them sort out niggly issues its not just volvo cars all other brand shave same faults i bet.....

[Philip Fisher]

Right, here is some info which may get T8 owners out of trip in breakdown truck.

After the issues described on delivery day, the car had the software re-installed by the dealer and has been pretty faultless since. However, on Sunday morning, 200 miles away from home in South Wales the problem came back.

Same symptoms, you turn the start knob, the dash lights up, the dials spin round and back, but the gear selector does not appear.

I was extremely hacked off and rang Volvo assistance. After the best they could offer was a truck to take me home to arrive in 2.5 hours I decided to take things in to my own hands.

I went to the 12v battery in the boot (left hand side, under a small cover) and I disconnected the large positive lead on the top (the one that loops round on the battery cover. I left this disconnected for 5 mins and then reconnected it. It sparked a bit on reconnecting but it came on and off ok. I went to the car and it started! Result. Put everything back together and drove 200 miles home without stopping in fear of it not restarting. Car then worked perfectly on Monday, stopping and starting a few times and I drove to the Dealer this morning (Tuesday).

Car went to dealers this morning. Apparently Volvo have done some more work on this and there is a Technical Service Bulletin about the problem issued just last week. This describes the symptoms and is caused by the on-board charger sending a signal to the main computer to say that the car is still charging which means that the car will not allow a start to take place. My car has now had a software download which should mean it doesn't happen again, however, if it does, removing, waiting 5 mins and then replacing fuse 11 in the underbonnet fuse box should cut the power to and therefore reset the charger which should clear the fault. Disconnecting the battery (you need a 13mm spanner/socket by the way) has the same result. I am planning on buying a 13mm ring spanner to live in the boot just in case.

Considering the hassle of a long distance recovery and the completely wasted day I could have had on Sunday I thought that this fix is worth flagging up.

You may want to remember "fuse 11" and/or carry a spanner and/or make sure your car has the software update.

Moderators - You can decide if this is worthy of a sticky to keep it at the top of the forum for a while.

[Lexman8]

Just be aware that you should always disconnect the negative terminal first to avoid the possibility of an accidental short circuit. Disconnecting the negative terminal first will still force a reset. You can then disconnect the positive lead (but only necessary if you want to completely remove the battery from the car).
_

[Skep]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Right, here is some info which may get T8 owners out of trip in breakdown truck.

After the issues described on delivery day, the car had the software re-installed by the dealer and has been pretty faultless since. However, on Sunday morning, 200 miles away from home in South Wales the problem came back.

I could have given you a lift home, was in Cardiff on a stag do Friday till Sunday, if you were that hacked off with it, I would have helped you push it off the nearest hill too, blame a faulty handbrake hahaha

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Lexman8

Just be aware that you should always disconnect the negative terminal first to avoid the possibility of an accidental short circuit. Disconnecting the negative terminal first will still force a reset. You can then disconnect the positive lead (but only necessary if you want to completely remove the battery from the car).
_

Thanks, I kind of knew that, but I was not in the most clear frame of mind Sunday morning! I looked at the negative terminal and it looked more complicated than disconnecting the positive, so I just did the positive but was careful not to also touch the car. However, looking at it again in the clear light of day the negative actually looks quite easy - probably not a 13mm though to must check so that I can order my emergency spanner!