I've lost my trip computer after a Volvo service!

[RedVolvo]

Any help with this issue i'm having would be greatly appreciated:

So I bought my first Volvo in December. Its only a C30, but I love it so far. One of the pleasant surprises when I test drove the vehicle from my local Volvo dealership was that it had a trip computer telling me my 'instantaneous mpg' and average mpg. In fact it has been a little 'game' i've played over the last 6 months of ownership to try and increase the average mpg as much as possible and the presence of the instantaneous mpg has certainly (at times) made me drive more economically. Suffice to say the trip computer has been something I have used and relied on every single day over the last 6 months of ownership.

Imagine my surprise then when the car is returned to me from the main dealer in Lincoln after a full service, which includes a software update, only to find the trip computer is now nowhere to be found. No mention of being able to switch it on or off in the manual either.

On contacting the dealer I am now informed that according to their 'printout' of all the data for my vehicle, not only does it not have a trip computer, but it has NEVER had a trip computer! While I fully accept that they can only look at what is on the sheet in front of them, what I can't reconcile is that i'm pretty sure I have not been existing in a dreamlike state for the last 6 months where my car had an imaginary trip computer.

Unfortunately the way the Volvo staff initially spoke to me it felt as though they were basically saying I was making it up, which is most disappointing as my venture into the world of Volvo this far had been positive. Now it is not.

The 'senior technician' stated that there is no way that the vehicle could have had a trip computer without it showing on his sheet. That, it seems, is that. He said that it was a £250 add on, almost with the assumption that i'd say, oh ok then and hand over my credit card.

I'm pretty dumbfounded. I only wish i'd had the forethought to take a photo of my dash!

Has anyone else any experience of this sort of thing where a service software update has wiped out their trip computer?!

Like I say, any input would be greatly appreciated, many thanks.

[SonyVaio]

I would give Volvo UK a call to see what they have to say.

The only way I can think this could happen is if the previous owner had the trip computer enable by some illegal hack and when the car has been hooked up to the Volvo computer it has picked up on illegal software and overwritten the previous software. A bit like what can happen with ECU's and people that have had remaps.

As said give Volvo Uk a call and see what they say.

[RedVolvo]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

The only way I can think this could happen is if the previous owner had the trip computer enable by some illegal hack and when the car has been hooked up to the Volvo computer it has picked up on illegal software and overwritten the previous software.

Funny, thats exactly what I suggested to the tech guy as the reason and he reckoned it wasn't possible. I still have my suspicions though. I wouldn't mind if this was the case as at least this would give me a 'valid' reason as to why it has happened.

The senior tech guy is going to chat with the manager and see whether there is anything they could/should do and let me know in a few days. If this does not resolve the issue I will contact Volvo UK as you suggest, cheers.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

I would give Volvo UK a call to see what they have to say.

The only way I can think this could happen is if the previous owner had the trip computer enable by some illegal hack and when the car has been hooked up to the Volvo computer it has picked up on illegal software and overwritten the previous software. A bit like what can happen with ECU's and people that have had remaps.

As said give Volvo Uk a call and see what they say.

That sounds the most likely reason . The DIM was upgraded as part of the service history and as far as volvo knew it had no trip computer so that's what it got .. Volvo hold all the software history in their main data base in sweden and their tech department WILL know whether it had one or not to start with . What they come back with will be the truth ..

[Falmouthboy]

It may be worth trying to contact the previous owner or the place that sold the car. I don't suppose you have the original advert? If the car is in S trim, a trip computer would have been an optional extra from new, which should show on the dealers database. I guess it could have been programmed in error from new or added by a dealer who forgot to update the database? Perhaps also speak with any other dealers in the Service Book and see if they can shed any light.

[Ninja59]

Actually on many cars the trip computer was pretty much an option even on select R -Design models that were not R-Design SE not many actually do have a trip computer.

I know recently HLM got forced into stopping it from being retrofitted after some letters from Volvo.

[TurboZutek]

Forgetting the legality of it being there (which I would think is down to Volvo to PROVE), is it legal for Volvo to remove, effectively breaking, a feature you had when you drove in?

For example, if I'd fitted a fog lamp switch to a 240 then taken it for a service and they'd removed the switch because 'oh, it wasn't there from the factory guv' I'd have every right to ask it be re-instated and if it wasn't take them to court.

Another way of thinking about it, I drive the same 240 in for a service and it clearly has illegally bald tyres: does the dealership have the right to remove them? Of course not, not without my authorisation, right? So why should it be different with software options?

:-/

/Reminds me very much of why I never took any of my cars to the dealer.

Chris...

[SonyVaio]

Fully understand what your saying and I do agree but it is not the way Volvo computer works.

The computer will detect corrupt or faulty software and flag that it needs updated, the update then returns/updates the software to the correct state with correct CRC check sum etc... This reset/update puts the state back to what it should be as per Volvo's records and in this case it appears that is 'No Trip Computer'.

Tricky one and interesting to see what the resolve will be.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by TurboZutek

Forgetting the legality of it being there (which I would think is down to Volvo to PROVE), is it legal for Volvo to remove, effectively breaking, a feature you had when you drove in?

For example, if I'd fitted a fog lamp switch to a 240 then taken it for a service and they'd removed the switch because 'oh, it wasn't there from the factory guv' I'd have every right to ask it be re-instated and if it wasn't take them to court.

Another way of thinking about it, I drive the same 240 in for a service and it clearly has illegally bald tyres: does the dealership have the right to remove them? Of course not, not without my authorisation, right? So why should it be different with software options?

:-/

/Reminds me very much of why I never took any of my cars to the dealer.

Chris...

But, to ignore the legality of the software install is to miss the point, the software was not legally installed it appears in the first place otherwise from the information provided the system would of been aware of any legitimate install of said trip computer, any illegal install would be itself a breach of CDPA 1988, the software licence and a few other pieces.

In regards to the contract between the two parties any work will essentially be carried out under the Sales of Goods and Services Act 1982 - i.e. "with reasonable care and skill."

In this instance it does appear in my view (on proof that the trip computer was not legitimately installed) that they did after all the Volvo system would of logged the trip computer being correctly installed as an additional item in this case the Volvo system did not, and if a technician could see that the trip computer:

a) was not installed at factory
b) was not installed afterwards leads to only one conclusion...

[TurboZutek]

Originally Posted by Ninja59

But, to ignore the legality of the software install is to miss the point, the software was not legally installed it appears in the first place otherwise from the information provided the system would of been aware of any legitimate install of said trip computer, any illegal install would be itself a breach of CDPA 1988, the software licence and a few other pieces.

Right. Since when did a Volvo dealer become a legal executor of any of the above? I think to be guilty of anything you mentioned would require a burden of proof to be found in a court of law, that whole cornerstone of justice and due process thing we have. The CDPA 1988 infers no rights to the software author to act unilaterally as far as I can see.

If Microsoft raid my business tomorrow and find 100 illegal copies of Windows running, they can't remove them without a court order, they can only report the incident or escalate it to the courts. They can issue a cease and desist letter and they can ask nicely, but they have exactly zero right to start changing the running configuration of my hardware without a warrant.

So returning to the original question: what gives a Volvo dealer any right to dick around with a person's software configuration, legally acquired or not? And, once they have, what right do you have to demand they reinstate it until it's proven that it's illegitimate, which hasn't happened in this case?

Pointing to the computer and saying 'but the system says so' isn't good enough, I wouldn't have thought. A customer should not be deprived of utility, goods or function without due process, right?

Chris...