instructions online are saying clearly - download Senus Update to 32Gb USB stick, put it in car's USB port, press NAV and everything should be taking care off from then...well...after inserting my USB and pressed NAV, I got no messages to follow although car recognised USB ...what's wrong?

 

Your car probably needs updated software to allow you to update the maps via USB

 

I finally updated my Sensus at Volvo - CAD$ 130 (!!) and updated maps myself. Here is a hint: Maps are downloaded in a folder i.e Sunsus_Update RSI that car's computer cannot see - I had to move all it content to a USB stick and then Sensus saw that....

 

I'm very pleased with my 2015.5 V60 T5 and was keeping a weather eye out for the time when the new V60 will be a stock, not a "special order" item (I'm not going to buy a car without driving it)

I looked into the Vidas "rental" after reading the key fob thread above and was appalled at the prices quoted. Here I read of a $130 charge - to update software! This is pure unadulterated greed and I will have no part of it.

There is no excuse for a manufacturer loading a product with electronics and then effectively barring (by price) the product's owner from information on how it works.

The V60 is my 5th, and last, Volvo

 

well...$130 was the cheapest price I found around me - from $180 to $330 to even $780. Price included $25 for a software update ( apart from Sensus upgrade) - I so far found a new radio display...DSTC is now ESC ( I assume Electronic Stability Control)
And besides - Volvo dealers charge here , in Ontario CAD$159 plus taxes per hour and for them EVERY repair needs TIME...someone must pay for their flashy buildings...two weeks ago I installed a trailer hitch in my 2013 S60....Volvo dealership wanted CAD$800 +taxes, saying this is a half a day job...well...the trailer shop installed me a hitch for CAD$450 ,taxes included and it took them little bit more than an hour....

 

It isn't just Volvo. I've owned and do own other cars from other manufacturers that use updated software. They all charge a lot for updates and the cost is more than I think is a reasonable charge. What is to be done to protect the consumer from this new profit margin? I don't know but I do know that I don't like it.

There is a big difference from charging an hourly labor rate for a skilled mechanic opposed to paying the same hourly rate for someone to hook up a computer cable. Do you have to be an ASE certified mechanic to hook up a cable? IMHO I don't think so.

 

I think there is another (hidden) agenda. More and more functions are being migrated to "touch screens". I think there are three drivers behind this:

1. It is sold as a feature - I disagree. Needing to make my eyes off the road to, of example, adjust the temperature instead of simply reaching for a tactilely identifiable **** is a bad idea.

2. With the plummeting cost of electronics, it is cheaper on the manufacturing floor to mount and plug in a pre-wired module than mount and connect a plethora of switches, rheostats etc.

3. And the big one - when a function fails, you must now replace a $1500 screen system instead of a $10 switch.

I really don't think I want a new car.

 

I agree.

I recently purchased a 2015 Outback Limited and it had a touch screen. You do need to take your eyes off the road and yes it is about $1800 to replace and replace is somewhat common. My car was a certified car and the head unit was bad, at 36,000 miles it was bad. The dealer didn't change it before selling the car but I noticed within the first week that it was full of lines. The lines are formed when the Capacitive or is it Resistive breaks down. I contacted Subaru of America and the dealer fixed the problem.

I decided to go back to Volvo so I traded the car in on the V60. I found that I could not STAND their CVT transmission. The area I drive and my driving habit is in a very crowded suburban like area with an average 20 MPH and a lot of traffic lights. A CVT transmission is at its most inefficient curve at lower speeds and it was not fun in stop and go traffic. On the subaru site they call it put-put herky jerky feeling. There is a reason why Subaru has an extended warranty on the drivetrain.

I only had the Outback for 8 months and took a $5,000 hit on getting rid of it. We nickname our cars and its nickname was boomerang. Boomerang because it liked heading back to the dealer for service. The certified warranty covered everything but on a 36,000 mile car, a three year old car I would expect it to not see the dealer. I three years of ownership, our CR-V has never been back to the dealer. Oh wait ... one time for a Takata ari bag recall.

One more odd thing that the Outback did. There are times I want to listen to Howard Stern doing intervies (not keen on him other times). Subaru has this thing that if you stop your car with any XM station tuned in, when you restart the car it reverts back to the Sirius #0 station. Subaru says, they did that in case you start the car and their may be children in the car. Excuse me, it is my car and I when I had kids it was up to me to monitor things, not my darn car!

Oh BTW for my type of use the V60 is getting about the same MPG as the Outback. The V60 offers more comfort and is more fun to drive.

 

Sometimes I'm tempted to get a nice big Garmin with lifetime updates.

Imagine if Microsoft charged for every update to their OS, there would be a uprising of the people! Even if the car people wanted to charge for an update it should be a few dollars and not $130.

"Garmin nuvi 2789LMT 7" Travel Assistant with Free Lifetime Maps and Traffic Updates"

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Garmin-nuvi-2789LMT-7-Travel-Assistant-with-Free-Lifetime-Maps-and-Traffic-Updates/45161435?athcpid=45161435&athpgid=athenaItemPage&a thcgid=null&athznid=PWVUB&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020 &athguid=ce5bcc57-0eb-169a0bbd604b23&athena=true

I just saw that your map update was free.

I wish there were a way to find what updates are needed on our cars without having to go to the dealer.