Hello All,

I just purchased a Volvo 2009 C70 - Manufactured on November 26, 2008. According to the Volvo Consumer Website, all C70's manufactured after Mid November cam standard with a USB/IPod interface. However my car only has an AUX port.

After doing some research, it seems that the USB interface does not come installed with the 6 DISC CD player - which is on my car. I am getting mixed information on the ability to install the USB port as an accessory.

A dealer pointed me to P/N 31260795 as a potential solution - however I am still unsure. I also notice that there are two versions - one with bluetooth and one without (my car already has bluetooth).

Can someone on the forum please shed some light on this. Thanks in advance.

Albert

 

I also purchased a 2009 C70 manufactured in November (not sure how to find the exact date.. can you tell me?) I am in audio and was very disappointed that the usb/ipod connector was not installed. I had started shopping for a convertible around May. Volvo's web site had listed the USB/IPOD interface as standard in the car. I was surprised and disappointed that it wasn't there. After contacting their customer care representative I was informed of the mid year change. It would have been nice of them to footnote their website with that informatioin. I believe it is going to be expensive to have this added - perhaps nearly $600 dollars. My confidence in Volvo and their reps has not been supported. When I called the closest dealer (in Ohio) to find out how about the add-on he was not sure what it was or how much it would cost. They believe the AUX port is all that is needed. I am planning on physically going to the dealer - a 45 minute drive - to show them the information I have gathered in order to get this install. The audio performance of this automobile is important to me.. after paying for the $1500 Dynaudio system - I am greatly disappointed in their lack of clarity about what really was standard in the car.. but it seems to me the dealers are also not clear about it. The website also had information about the standard HD radio.. also missing. We should have bought lesser autos that come with 20-30 gig hard drives and flexible audio systems. I had multiple conversations with customer care.. the only recourse I have is to pay for the add-on.. I am worried they will botch it and I will end up with less than I have. They did offer to send me a discount coupon for the parts portion of the install. I am planning on visiting dealer next week and will follow up with any information I obtain. I will end up paying to have this done.. but the quest for this has left me ANGRY with VOLVO - their advertising, their dealers, and their customer support.

 

Hello Brownrd99,

I hear you! Fortunately, the dealer I purchased the car from - Weston Volvo in Florida, went completely out of their way to resolve the issue. The car was literally in the shop for a week and half - and they did provide me a loaner. I am now happy to say that that the USB Adapter is fully functional.

Here is what the issue was:

1. In Volvo's Brochures (not website) is has a disclaimer that the USB Adapter is standard on cars manufactured after Mid November 2008. The Website makes no such disclaimer.

2. You can identify the manufacture date by opening the passenger door and looking at the door sill. This will give you Month/Year - not the day. As a point of reference, my dealer determined that my car was manufactured on November 26, 2008. The serial number on my VIN is 075680 - so you at least determine if it was manufactured before or after mine. To determine the actual date - you may need contact the dealer.

3. What type of Radio do you have? If it has the 6 DISC CD Changer, the adapter will not work. Trust me, my dealer fiddled around with this for about a week.

4. The final solution was to replace the existing radio with the single CD version (which btw - also supports HD Radio).

5. Volvo - not my dealer - ultimately paid for the entire solution - which I believe cost approximately $1,700.00 (at what I assume is dealer/factory cost) - so in a retail transaction is will most likely be higher.

6. My recommendation to you - if your dealer is not cooperative - is to continue calling and e-mailing Volvo with your issue. Whenever I encounter situations like this, I will typically research and obtain the e-mails of every corporate executive, board member, and manager that I can find; and draft a non-confrontational e-mail explaining your issue and disappoitment. On the TO: section of the e-mail use the highest ranking executives you can find, and CC all others. This has worked for me in past.

A site you can start on: http://www.ehow.com/how_2287290_find...addresses.html



BTW - I do have one question for you. Are you hearing excessive noise on the driver side when going over bumps? I am, and for a $47K car - I'm a little disappointed.

Best,
Albert

 

In answer to your question about the noise... I am generally very
pleased with the quietness of the car with the top up..I purchased my
car in mid July and have pretty much had the top down most of the
time. Recently we had some chill weather and with the top up I have
heard on 2 occasions a sort of clunk noise.. not exactly a rattle. It
happened while going over railroad tracks and sounded like it could be
just above the left side of my head. Probably the bracketry for the
top. If it reoccurs I will try to track it down.
I also stopped last Friday at the Volvo dealer to see about getting my
USB/IPOD adapter. The fellow at the counter is going to try to gather
the information about cost/etc and get back to me. I hope that they
are able to do this as the audio capabilities of the car are important
to me. My car has the Dynaudio system but NO Sirius radio. It does
have the 6 CD changer and Bluetooth. I would be willing to give up
the changer for the USB/IPOD adapter. Very frustrating after
purchasing a 47k automobile. I will keep you updated on the noises..
and the audio system.
Thanks.

 

I went ahead and had the USB/IPOD adapter installed. I had a couple more questions as a result. There is no docking station.. the dealership says its not available in the US. It is just cables coming out of the console instead... but it works.. Did your install include a docking station? Also the ads for the accessory claim that it will charge the IPOD.. mine will not. Does yours charge.. if so let me know and I will make another trip to the dealer. They were able to install this with the dynaudio system and 6 cd changer and NO HD radio and it all seems to be working fine.
I also had another comment in response to the noise that you heard in the convertible. My wife and I heard a pretty loud noise one day... we thought something broke.. It actually was an MP3 that was defective and made the loud noise thru the audio system. Hope that might be the source for your noise. This is such a gorgeous car.. but paying for a USB/IPOD port and the trials of getting the correct install have tarnished the experience for me.. Thanks..

 

I purchased a C70 in May 2008, manufactured in Nov 2007. I can only add to your thread about the noise on the driver side. I never heard it at first I guess because the top was always down. I'm guessing that about 2 months into ownership I had the top up for the first time and I heard that strange clunk when going slow over bumps but I also heard it when speeding up a bit over bumpy roads, and there are plenty of those in Staten Island. I thought it might be a bad strut but now I've been told it's noise from the brackets on the convertible top. I paid over $47k and was very upset to say the least.

I finally took it for its one year service this past June and they heard the noise too but couldn't determine where it was actually coming from and said I needed to leave the car with them for several days. They said it could be a defective part that needs replacement. Since it was warm weather again, I did not but I notice the noise seems to subside in the warmer weather....unless it's because I blast the radio and the top is down! It is not cold here yet but I'm sure when it is the noise will return and maybe I will have Volvo look into it. I hate anyone experimenting and messing my car up, esp when they haven't a clue what's wrong. I don't use the car in cold weather anyways....use my trusty Touareg instead.