Instrument Lights

[Jet2 D5]

Does anyone else find these are brighter than they might wish on minimum setting?

During dull daytime I find the digital parts can be irritatingly bright and almost a hazard entering a tunnel, at night everything is slightly brighter than desirable.

After sensor changing it has been decided that all S60 are the same so nothing can be wrong. My view is that Volvo have got it a bit wrong, maybe the output voltage is not compatible with the lower requirement for LCD, anyway I have never had a car before where the dimmer range would not meet the choice from virtually out to bordering on Blackpool illuminations.

Hi David - apart from my long list of problems associated with my 2.0 TS I too have a variation in the instrument light settings. The Volvo agent formerly of Halifax tried to tell me that I was knocking the dimmer on the dash, but it was the actual milage read-out and the radio lights that were dimming. This is due to two little switches located on the radip and below the air conditioning switches. They appear to be light sensitive. Put your fingers over tham and watch the instrument lights change in brightness!

I agree with you though, Volvo still have it wrong, as sometimes during these dark nights, they are simply too bright.

[Jet2 D5]

Hi Alex – Thanks for your support, thought I must be the only person with normal vision, yes I know about the sensors. As the dimmer is integral with the light switches it is not practical to fit a resistor to facilitate a suitable output voltage. With Volvo intransigence the best solution I have to date is to permanently use a bit of Tack on a sensor. – High tech solution to their engineering spec!

Hi David,

Glad to see that our hi tech cars have a suitable remedy. I wonder if Volvo should consider supplying a reel in the glove box 'just in case of emergency' Despite the long list of faults my car has, (which I've bored the socks off you with by sending to your email by mistake!) the latest one is a message saying multi bulb failure. Its the rear lamps (side lights) the car runs on two lights for safety in case one goes I suspect. Off to Halfords for a pair and after doing battle with the interior trim in the boot, I managed to get the old ones out but, they looked Ok, so I put the new ones in and the problem was still there. I resorted to the old faithfull of hitting the lamp unit with the flat of my hand, and hey presto the lamp lit. I then repeated the exercise on the other side, checked the message screen - all clear! The wonders of modern technology.

Any way thats it! the car is off at the end of the month. I've managed to get £10000 for it in P/E against a ....... Volvo V70 D5 SE My wife things I'm potty but I like Volvo's, despite losing loads of money and re reading the sales blurb relating to residual values when one buys them new is very convincing, I even pointed this out to the main agent salesman, "but sir" - sharp intake of air through the teeth, "cars have gone down in value" he said. Blimey I didn't notice that when I bought the new one!

I must have got a Friday afternoon one.

For the forum the fault list is as follows:

1 - New ECU Computer - x 2 Afetr many confusing messages and boot lid opening on its own, and many recoveries by the RAC
2 - New anti roll bar bushes x 4
3 - Centre arm rest cracked
4 - Fog lamps unable to be activated as the car cannot recognise the ECU?
5 - Rust coming through the rear door - turns out after a lot of probing the car had a pre-registration accident and required two new door skins!
6 - New door seals (could be as a result of above)
7 - On going 'start prohibited - try again' fault - unable to bottom the fault as the car cannot be recognised due to the ECU problems
8 - I'm sure there is one but have given up trying to remember

I decided to part company as the warranty is out in 3000 miles

I'll be on the V70 register soon, and can only hope and pray its like my previous V70 which went 175000 miles and only needed a new battery one winter. I will miss the men from the RAC - whom I am on first name terms with.

Happy Volvoing

Hi David,

Glad to see that our hi tech cars have a suitable remedy. I wonder if Volvo should consider supplying a reel in the glove box 'just in case of emergency' Despite the long list of faults my car has, (which I've bored the socks off you with by sending to your email by mistake!) the latest one is a message saying multi bulb failure. Its the rear lamps (side lights) the car runs on two lights for safety in case one goes I suspect. Off to Halfords for a pair and after doing battle with the interior trim in the boot, I managed to get the old ones out but, they looked Ok, so I put the new ones in and the problem was still there. I resorted to the old faithfull of hitting the lamp unit with the flat of my hand, and hey presto the lamp lit. I then repeated the exercise on the other side, checked the message screen - all clear! The wonders of modern technology.

Any way thats it! the car is off at the end of the month. I've managed to get £10000 for it in P/E against a ....... Volvo V70 D5 SE My wife things I'm potty but I like Volvo's, despite losing loads of money and re reading the sales blurb relating to residual values when one buys them new is very convincing, I even pointed this out to the main agent salesman, "but sir" - sharp intake of air through the teeth, "cars have gone down in value" he said. Blimey I didn't notice that when I bought the new one!

I must have got a Friday afternoon one.

For the forum the fault list is as follows:

1 - New ECU Computer - x 2 After many confusing messages and boot lid opening on its own, and many recoveries by the RAC
2 - New anti roll bar bushes x 4
3 - Centre arm rest cracked
4 - Fog lamps unable to be activated as the car cannot recognise the ECU?
5 - Rust coming through the rear door - turns out after a lot of probing the car had a pre-registration accident and required two new door skins!
6 - New door seals (could be as a result of above)
7 - On going 'start prohibited - try again' fault - unable to bottom the fault as the car cannot be recognised due to the ECU problems
8 - I'm sure there is one but have given up trying to remember

I decided to part company as the warranty is out in 3000 miles

I'll be on the V70 register soon, and can only hope and pray its like my previous V70 which went 175000 miles and only needed a new battery one winter. I will miss the men from the RAC - whom I am on first name terms with.

Happy Volvoing

Hi Again.

Looking at my last entry in the forum, I feel an update is required.

I've still got my S60 2.0TS. Late last year an enforced career change made me cancel the order for the V70 D5 SE. Due to finances I decided to stick with my Scarab Green friend.
To-day its gone into Harrats the main Volvo dealers for a service and a list of faults to be repaired. Since my previous forum message the list has grown.
Coming back from Paris last week the message panel was and still is displaying 'emmision check required', 'ABS service required', 'STC service required', and the most concerning, 'Brake failure urgent service'. Due to a lack of technical French at a Volvo agent outside Paris I decided to go for broke and drove to the Chanel Tunnel, I got back to Blighty and even managed to get home to Yorkshire with all warning lights on and the messages displayed. The cruise control also has packed in, but I think it must be related to the STC/ABS set up. The other concerning fault is the steering wheel is loose! it wobbles when turning. Mileage reading now 63000 miles.
Warranty extended and despite the problems I feel a little more confident with the car, well perhaps not the car but the dealer who is sorting out all the faults.
The value now as a matter of interest is £8500 as a P/X against another Volvo or £8000 as an outright purchase. As its paid for I've decided to keep the car and run it until the death. So I will be able to report on the long term issues of owning a very high milage Volvo S 60. My current milage is 50,000 PA.
To day I am in a Bi-Fuel S 40 (loan car)which seems to run smoother on propane than petrol. Also the cost of propane is approx. half the price. So guess what my next project is to be... a propane conversion, the cost savings seem to be there with a short pay back. There are one or two issues; the warranty will be void, the efficiency of burning propagne, it is not as efficient as petrol ie more is used, and for some strange reason there is a grant available from the government, for an automatic S 60 but not the manual - drat!

I'll keep everyone posted

[Peter Milnes]

Beware of gas conversions. You will not be able to use the Channel Tunnel with gas fitments on your car. This is a safety ruling by the Tunnel operators. You would be better off changing your car for a diesel version. Diesel is cleaner and greener than either gas or petrol and will give very good mpg figures. Your gas mpg is about half the petrol mpg so it is not such a good idea as it seems because when they have ensnared more people into going gas they will double or treble the duty on gas. So much for Blur rule.

All the best, Peter

Thanks for the information Peter - The trouble is my S 60 is worth very little in a part exchange deal, particularly against a D5 as there is a great demand for them at present. I'm a high milage driver and with 55000 on the clock I can only get £8000 in a p/x deal from a main dealer. The value is dropping weekly at present. I ve decided to stick with it for the time being, but I am getting similar feed back from propane users, and no doubt the tax will rise. 2004 is the review date for gas/propane - this could include CNG & LPG

Regards
Alex