General: 70: Volvo Car UK Policy on ETM Replacement

Poll Results: Concerning 1999-2001 Volvo ETM

(ref: http://v70xc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6106 )

Never had ETM failure - 60,000- 100,000 miles 9 (20.93%)
Never had ETM failure - 10,000- 60,000 miles 9 (20.93%)
Had one ETM failure 21 (48.84%)
Had more than one ETM failure 6 (13.95%)
Had failure, but TB cleaning solved problem 4 (9.30%)
Did failure case dangerous engine stall and loss of steering or control 6 (13.95%)
Did failure cause Safe "Limp" mode 14 (32.56%)
Did your ETM failure occur in California 4 (9.30%)
Did your ETM failure occur in the USA (excluding Calif) 19 (44.19%)
Did your ETM failure occur outside the USA (rest of World) 5 (11.63%)

This is the type of report that I would like to produce for the UK.

Regarding costs the list price I have for the ETM is £381.50 + vat. Labour will be over £100 + vat so total cost is around £600.

Wardair

My first one went around 69K miles, 2 weeks after purchase from (non Volvo) 2nd hand dealer, and after much agro got it replaced under warrenty.

My second one went around 76K miles, 9 months later. Gave up with my original 2nd hand dealer, got the details of the replacement from the Volvo dealer directly. Motorworld Wantage Oxfordshire with those details replaced the second ETM under warranty.

Therefore currently fortunate - no direct cost. (Other than a couple of trips between Warwick and Oxford).

But I was told that the warranty on the replacement part would only be for the balance of the original replacement part (i.e. only 3 months). So, I'm concerned that in another 4 or 5 months of driving, I will have to fork out £600 odd to replace it with my forth one.

I can't prove it, but it would appear that the software changes introduced make the unit fail-safe now (i.e. not intermittedly, and will not switch to limp mode in the fast lane)

[addyman]

Originally Posted by savanaman

Hi

If anyone has had it replaced could you tell us where and how much it cost you?

£580 main Volvo dealer in Basingstoke, done under warrenty......

Adrian

Best of luck with this new battle, Wardair.
I tried and failed to get anywhere with my dealer and Volvo UK.
I had a 2000 V70 2.4 (170) which I bought as a Volvo Select Used car at 2 years/30,000 miles. The ETM played up from around 40,000miles until it became virtually impossible to start at around 70,000miles. The ETM was cleaned by the Volvo dealer at the begining of the year (they charged me about £30) and Volvo UK promised a software upgrade. I made several requests for Volvo UK to even admit to there being a problem but gor nowhere. I waited months and heard nothing more (despite trying to contact Volvo UK). I finally gave in and sold my V70 in May. About 4 weeks later I received a letter from Volvo UK asking me to take the car to my dealer for the software upgrade!!!

Anyway, good luck with your campaign.

[savanaman]

Wardair,

Try this, say you had 1500 people who have had ETM problems, phone Volvo customer service and tell them.

Honestly try it, you will then get a taste of what they intend to do about it.

I applaude your efforts but not sure how you will proceed with the data.

We all know there is a problem with the ETM and so do Volvo already. I think we can take it as read that many many many of us have had a problem, but armed with this knowledge how can we then go forward?

Savanaman,

I fully support your assertion that Volvo intend to do little or nothing about this problem. This is evident from their actions and response so far. Their inaction and lack of correspondence to customers on the matter is actually supporting this approach, as it is very difficult to put a case together without information.

You state there are many many many people who have/are affected by this problem, but when I first visited this forum I noticed that the posts on the problem were under many different threads. There was no one place to visit to get a summary of cases and a list of related sites such as vexedvolvo. http://home.comcast.net/~donwillson/index.html

The vexed volvo and volvoxc websites in the US, where people like Don Willson have pulled together a lot of information on the subject into one place help people understand the issue and register their problem. If I can get enough responses I will start a similar UK based website on this issue and start building an information database.

If as you state I find that I am wasting my time and will get nowhere or if forum members really don't care then I will swallow my pride and disappear from the forum.

If as I hope many people feel, that Volvo (a company that I have applauded, promoted and supported for 10 years with 3 vehicles from new), have not acted properly on this matter. Then I will put time and effort (and if necessary money) to fight for a fair treatment for UK Volvo owners.

It is not the money, it is a matter of principal. I consider this is corporate malpractice by a company that I once held in high regard and I feel that rather than walk away I should make sure it does not go unnoticed.

Wardair

[SIAMBLUE]

Hi Just been sifting through my service history,
The first time it was reported as a problem was at 60478 miles 13/01/04, and at the service interval all it said was surging at idle, poss throttle bosy clean 1.5hrs,
The next report was at 82151 19/09/2005 work carried out remove and clean and refit throttle body with new gasket £82.50 + vat.
Vadis Vida diagnostic charge £27.50 + vat,

so tomorrow i am going to phone Volvo and see where i stand, as my car looks like it hasn't had the new software fitted, as when i first had the car, it was so slow i nearly sold it after a fortnight, it was only after i got it mapped and learnt to drive a auto i began to like the car,

Gary,

[Zota]

In Australia Volvo are still denying that it is a problem.
They do not have new ETMs for replacement. They say they are reconditioned but I will bet my whatever they have not replaced the carbon track.
I very much doubt they have the plant available to do it.
It is a real manufacturing process. I would suggest also in the UK they are just giving you cleaned ETMs. However I understand the cleaning is just to clean the interal body has nothing to do with the carbon track.

They are probably raiding the wreckers for ETMs as they are not available new.
In other words there is a steadly declining number of ETMs available for exchange.
They will probably end up saying we will give a good price on a new car.
Note, also as far as I have been able to ascertain they are still using a similar ETM in new cars.
I have researched this problem in other cars and the only one that I can say for certain that is not a carbon potentiometer is the Mazda where they use Hall Effect transducers to do the job including on the pedal.

Barry

Barry,

Thank you for your Aussie input. I will check out the source of ETM's in the UK with my contact. I wonder whether the yellow label (rather than white) on the replacement units signifies anything (i.e. refurbished unit?).

It looks like savanaman was right. I have had no response yet from Volvo UK to my letters/faxes. I will send a chaser letter over the weekend. Also as you can see there have been very few responses to my call for info so it looks like apathy rules. The divide and conquer approach is highly effective.

Over the weekend I will trawl the forum and prepare a list of all members who have indicated ETM failures and post this next week to try and generate a little more interest.

Wardair

[savanaman]

You can sign me up for a current problem.

Wardair,

This forum isn't really useful for obtaining the kind of statistics your looking for because most owners dont post here.

I'm wondering if the Watchdog programe had a source? Perhaps theuy might help.

The problem with Volvo is that there nothing in it for them to help since the only possible motivation for them to do so would be people not buying there new cars but it's unlikely that current owners who have the older models buy new anyway. Were smart, we dont buy at new prices but wait 3 years instead.