General: [UK] 2007/07 C70 II SE Geartronic advice sought

[Sonolta]

Hi all,

I'm a new member to this community and to the Volvo brand, so whilst my questions may seem elementary, I would much prefer to have 'real people' respond than just to take information at face value via the interweb, so please be gentle with me, and if contributors to this thread think it worthy, I'll be more than happy for any and all advice and information, so in no particular order, can you respond to the following:

1. Daytime running lights. Can this be turned off, and if so, what's the procedure? If they can, will they stay turned off or would it it be necessary to do whatever every time you drive the car? Is there a modified light switch block available so you don't have to mess about selecting which setting you need?

2. Service indicator message. Is there any way to turn this off or do you need to go to a Volvo garage and have them do it? If this info can be found online, what URL do I need?

3. Would it be financially viable to have the engine re-mapped for better fuel economy and/or possibly improving performance? I've done a very limited online search, and it seems that it could cost GBP £300 - £500 which if you do the mileage (I used to do 80,000+ miles per year) would make sense, but now I might do 2000 - 3000 miles per annum. I'm not completely ruling out the idea of having it done even with the low annual mileage, so if any other C70 II D5 Geartronic (2006 - 2013) owners have their engines re-mapped, I would like to know what they think by comparison?

I also understand that if any changes are made to a car that affects the BHP or other performance tweaks/changes that both the DVLA and your insurance company must be notified, otherwise should there be any reason to make an insurance claim, your policy will become null and void as it's a legal requirement to notify both of the tweaks and/or adjustments made. This I've taken at face value from online posts, so if anyone isn't aware who has had their engine re-mapped and/or other performance upgrades, I would advise owners to contact their insurance company and DVLA ASAP. I would think the V5C will need to be sent back to have the BHP and/or anything else changed on that document (sorry for the lengthy question and observation).

3. Is there a replacement for the 6 CD multi-changer whether a 3rd party make/model Sat-Nav with a flip-out screen and CD/radio, a direct like-for-like replacement or a single CD unit? Irrespective of whatever type is fitted, will there be any incompatibility issues or requirement to have the electronics re-calibrated? My 6 CD changer never worked from when I bought the car privately and I've had the car checked via the diagnostics which corrected all listed fault codes and corrected the front window operation when the doors were closed, but not the CD unit, thus it's a component failure.

I know you can connect to a phone or other device, but as it's an integral part of the car as supplied from new, as a component, what do other C70 owners think? If anyone had swapped their OEM unit for something else, can you advise of the make/model/type you've opted for, how you're finding it and whether you did the work yourself or had it fitted? I'm disabled now, so it would likely be a job that I wouldn't be able to tackle now.

4. Headlights (main/dipped/side). Can the standard bulbs be changed for Xenon types, and if so, what/where/which is required either as a straight swap or if additional regulators/wiring is needed and whether this is a DIY job or requires a garage to do the work? If anyone has had their lights changed, can you advise if it was worth doing (or not)?

If C70 owners have any additional advice, suggestions, recommendations however big or small, please feel free to post as it will all help.

TIA.