V90 Inscription plus : intermittent dashboard boot-up fail

[RobbieJK]

On an intermittent basis, the driver dashboard (i.e. the main digital display behind the steering wheel) of my 2020 V90 T4 Inscription Plus doesn't boot up. You can see backlight, so it's not failed, and it usually comes on a couple of drives later. Volvo have looked at this and are mystified as there's no error code recorded, but at least it failed at the garage so they know the fault exists. They installed the latest software updates, but the intermittent fault persists. It's a bit alarming driving with no display (there's a head-up speedometer, so I'm still legal, though I have no idea how much petrol remains, etc).

I wonder if somehow it's a battery issue, i.e. that the software is overly-sensitive to how much power is available at start-up, though the engine always fires up. But I'd rather not buy a new battery (old one is only 3½ years old) as an expensive experiment to see if my hunch is the fix.

Any suggestions or similar experiences very gratefully received.

[neilgorin]

Sounds like a hardware fault, a dry joint, rather than software.

You might be better going to an auto electrician rather than a Volvo dealer.

[RobbieJK]

neilgorin: Thanks for that suggestion (an auto electricain can't know less than the Volvo dealership did): the only thing mitigating against it is that the fault only ever happens at start-up, and if it were indeed to be a physical connection/dry joint issue, might the dashboard then sometimes turn off mid-drive? At the moment, once the digital dashboard display is on, it stays on for the journey (and vice versa, ie if the digital dashboard doesn't come on at start up, it stays off for the duration of the journey).

Going further down that possible line of checking the joints, do you know if it's a relatively easy process for an auto electrician to open up the dashboard to check the connections, or is there a load of kit to remove? (Typically this started to happen just after the three year guarantee ran out so any costs are down to me...).

[wynnj]

When it fails to come on:
1. If you switch off leave 20 seconds or so and restart does it come on then? If so so would point to SW.
2. Does it only occur when colder (or hotter) than usual? If so would point to hardware as already suggested.

[RobbieJK]

wynnj - thank you very much. Your #2 about temperature is v interesting (hadn't thought about temperature being a possible factor, though had got part way there in wondering if maybe marginally lower battery output was affecting, which would be the case after a cold night - though dashboard has sometimes been fine even after a frosty night, but the problem has certainly been worse these last few winter months).
Re your #1 switching off (even getting out, locking car, leaving for 10 mins, so that software has to re-boot on opening up again) does not usually get the digital dashboard back on. But if you do a long journey or two, usually the display comes back again on the second or third start afterwards (but quite random as to when it does decide to reappear).
Sounds as if I need to get an auto electrician to take a look at the connections. Thanks again to both you and to neilgorin

[zork]

Hi!

1)I see a lot of cases recently with their displays (either the one behind the steering wheel or the other) broken... A brand new one would fix the problem...
2)There was a thread with all kind of mulfanctiong on android auto Volvos due to very low temps outside ... I lost track of the thread , but it feels like neither Volvo doesnt know what is going on yet...

Could be one this cases...Good luck

[RobbieJK]

Zork: thanks for this. Interesting to hear from you that my intermittent dashboard display boot-up is not the only case you've read about. Before heading for a full replacement, I'm working along the lines of either a faulty connection, or maybe to do with the amount of power coming from the battery at start-up - I've read again today that Volvo digi-screens seem to be overly sensitive to the amount of power available to them from the battery at start-up.

[Simmy]

all volvo cars are voltage sensitive try charging the battery over night and re try it... a cheap test to see if there is any change in behaviour

[RobbieJK]

Simmy: Many thanks. Sensitivity to the voltage coming from the battery had been a suspicion of mine too - sounds as if you have seen wider evidence of this.