'01 s60 lost throttle

Yesterday morning it was about 22 degrees F here. I started my
Volvo and let it run a few minutes as I cleared snow. Everything
seemed fine. But when I got in there was virtually no power. At
most I could go 2 mph, and stepping on the throttle did nothing.

I turned around and came back home. In the driveway in neutral
jamming the throttle, if anything, caused a slight decrease in
rpm, but mostly the engine speed held steady at 2K rpm. After a
moment it began to decrease by itself, but the engine began to
run roughly.

I arranged a tow to my mechanic, but an hour later when he got
there the problem was completely gone. My mechanic checked it out
and found nothing.

He said Volvos, or this one at least, are run by wire rather than
mechanical linkage, and he suspected that's the problem. Any
thoughts?

Thanks,
p.

 

Yes, that is my though exactly. It's referred to "drive by wire", or
electronic throttle control.

Electronics can be tricky to repair when there is an intermittent fault.
It's easier to fix when it's completely broken.

Maybe it won't happen ever again!!

 

Read and weep
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/06/1auto-170127.htm



Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things) http://www.viatrack.ca

void _-void-_ in the obvious place

 

He he. Yes, that was my thought as well. With a timing belt
coming due, if finances allow I might be selling the car this
year.

Thanks,
p.

 

Thanks. That article says it all. I have big problems with
supplying a $1000 critical device that is designed to last only
100K miles. To me, that's a violation of the implicit car
buyer/car seller agreement. Or another way to put it, it's
planned obsolescence on steroids.

Plus, it appears Volvo has been quite less than honest about this
problem. I'm going to contact dealer service and see what the
current state of affairs is. But now that I know hard starting is
one of the manifestations of this problem, I think I have an
explanation for some scattered occurrences of that which I've
experienced.

This is not good, my friend, it terms of consumer confidence and
loyalty. At all. I'm going to print this and show it to my
mechanic.

Thanks,
p.

 

OK, I contacted the dealership, and Volvo has extended the
warrantee on the wire to 200K miles, so I'm covered. I feel a lot
better about the deal now (a $1K repair at 100K miles would be a
1 cent/mile running cost, just for the throttle, by design).

I made an appointment for next Saturday. There's a $94
conditional diagnostic fee, waived if the problem turns out to be
on warrantee. The woman said the problem also could be the "mass
air <something>", which wouldn't be covered. The question I have
is, would it be better to let the problem confirm itself further
rather than diagnose it now? Seems to me an intermittent
electronic problem could be hard to pinpoint this early in the
game. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,
p.

 

Don't worry - the symptoms do not match Air Mass Meter (also known as Mass
Air Flow sensor) well at all. With that, the engine would try to respond to
the trottle but would run very poorly. What you describe is almost certainly
the notorious throttle failure.

Mike

 

Thanks, Mike. Your reply contradicts what the service rep told
me, but I think she was just trying to make the point that if
something other than the throttle were the problem, the
diagnostic fee would stand.

To zero in further, though, does anyone have any thoughts on
whether I should let the problem worsen or have it diagnosed now?
I'm concerned that an infrequent intermittent electronic problem
could easily be missed, that the dealership won't want to do a
$1000 warrantee job without substantial proof an eligible item is
the cause.

OTOH I don't want to be caught on the road with a car that
doesn't run. I was lucky this time, that the problem manifested
in my driveway.

Thanks,
p.

 

http://vexedvolvo.org/

 

Thanks much. A wealth of info. I sent the author a thank you
note.

It appears I had the worst "limp home" case - disabled throttle
with engine speed fixed at 2K rpm. The question is whether error
codes were written, and at this point I have to trust they were,
or that my explanation of the problem will convince the
dealership that sending this car out without a new ETM is not a
good idea. I'm going to go ahead and have the diagnosis done.

Thanks again,
p.

 

Here's the follow up on my drive by wire throttle problem.

Went up to Mid Hudson Volvo and they looked at it. I was hoping
the one event I had would be enough to print an error code.
Though my symptoms that time fit throttle failure to a tee, it
was not to be.

So I guess I just keep driving and wait for the problem to
resurface. It seems the temporary solution is simply to turn the
car off then back on.

The good thing is that after I asked if the $104 diagnostic fee
would be reimbursed if the throttle later proved to be defective
(the way actual previous throttle work is), MH Volvo waived the
fee altogether. They washed my car and handed it back to me, no
charge. And they said any further problem, just come in, no appt.
necessary.

They've got my business. And so far the throttle is giving no
problems.

p.