2015 V60 with 105,000 mi. Wife came home, parked the car said dash said something about the battery. It was dark so I didn't do anything until morning.
Car wouldn't start and battery measured low ( I forget how low) so I charged it. Next day drove it, no dash error message relating to charging or battery.
Got 1 mi from home and battery light came on. Measured voltage at battery with car running and total measured voltage was about 10V. On old cars this would mean it wasn't charging.
I was using a cheap Harbor Freight volt meter because all of my tools are somewhere else and the HF meter was available. I don't know if it's accurate but battery had definitely discharged during the couple of miles it was driven.

Dealer says the battery failed a load test but they haven't charged the battery so of course it will fail. Dealer says new Volvo battery is $500 (WTF?) and aftermarket batteries may or may not work.

Next issue: prior to battery/charging issue code light came on with no driveability issue. I don't have a working bootleg Vida. Dealer says leak detection pump + software update = $900.

We want to take this car on a trip and I'm tempted to just throw money at it because I'm busy and time is short. I'm also cheap and have never had a car this modern with so many interconnected electronics.
Do I need a $500 Volvo battery or will another AGM battery the correct size and amperage work.
Is there any more troubleshooting to be done on the leak detection pump or is it simply R&R? Is the software update useful &/or necessary?

The car also has enough miles that the coolant needs to be changed along with the transmission fluid. I may let dealer do this round but I expect that this total bill will be $2500 for what to me seems not much (and I'm cheap - but busy).
I do have a nice place to work with a lift - but the truck is getting the steering box rebuilt and a new AirDog fuel system 1st.

Opinions?

 

As long as the battery specs match, it will be fine. However, you will still need the battery sensor reset. If it's the original battery from the car, you got your money's worth.

Transmission fluid change should run you around $3-500. It is a standard operation, can't hurt to ask for a written quote ( I had a dealer try to overcharge me couple years ago when they quoted $250 and billed me $400) . There is a specific temp you want to the engine to be when filling the trans fluid and without vida or another quality scanner, it can prove difficult.

Coolant: as long as it looks fine, I personally think it is worth waiting until you have time to do it yourself.

 

From what I've read, in various Volvo owner forums, the stop/start battery can last from 3-to-4 years, while the main battery may start to fail around year 5. Not sure which you are having an issue with.

Suggest going to the following Swedespeed URL and page through to see if any of these posts directly relate to your battery question.

https://www.swedespeed.com/search/98...ry&o=relevance

The following Swedespeed URL main contain a specific answer to your batter question. BTW, in response #4, from "Tech", he mentions that the battery can be replaced by you, but VIDA is needed to reset the battery monitoring function.

https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/h.../#post-7886679

 

Didn't realize there are 2 batteries. This one is on the driver's side near the firewall. Where is the other?

I'll probably just pay the price to be done. I have several vehicles that all need one thing or another. I suspect that means I can't turn down a deal on something that needs repair.
The problem is that while I can fix most things, I'm having to learn that I can't fix them all. It's a difficult lesson.

 

The stop/start battery is located in the engine bay, in front of the firewall. The main battery is located under the rear storage deck, between the rear inner fender and the rear of the car.

 

In the Swedespeed forum, I've read where some have opted to not replace the stop/start battery when it failed. My friend did this with his 2016 V60 and he had no problems. He preferred that his car's stop/start system NOT work. Others may have just replaced the stop/start battery with an identical spec non-Volvo OEM one, but did not take it to Volvo for VIDA reset. Lastly, some opted to just go the dealer, and have them install an OEM stop/start battery and use VIDA to reset (prices varied, but I recall it being somewhere in the $400 to $500 range). I don't recall the dealer replacement cost for the main battery in the rear stoarge area, but I'm fairly certain it's more than for the stop/start battery. This is no different than for the Mercedes E450 estate wagon that I considered, prior to purchasing my V90. In the MB owner's forum, I read that a new battery, and even a headlight or turn signal light bulb replacement, must be registered in the car's computer to properly function.

 

I'd be happy if the car didn't stop every time I came to a red light and I didn't have to turn that option off every time I get in the car. That said, the car wouldn't start until I charged the battery.
I've decided to have the dealer handle this set of issues and I'll get set up to handle the next set.

I found a free VIDA that runs on a Win 7 virtual machine. I'd like another that runs on the OS directly because I have an old laptop with Win 7 that I can keep in the shop. I'll look around ebay.

 

Look up VIDA 2014D crack if you wish to use it. It covers up to 2015 I believe. It is cutoff somewhere in that year when they changed from a physical disk, to a subscription service.

Another option is to look for something like VDASH which I believe is free. I have not used it, but I know it has a lot of features.

However, to be able to use any of these, you need a Dice cable to connect the laptop to the car. Genuine runs upwards of $700 while clones are about $120 or so. Buyer feedback is important when considering a clone. I had a quality clone that worked with no issues in the past.

 

Dealer called. They had the factory rep log on to my car after updating software and replacing the leak detection pump.

Supposedly a thermostat code was thrown in 2021. This code didn't show up as a check engine or anything on the dash and the dealer couldn't see it with their systems and there was no fluctuation shown ever on the temp gauge on the dash. It was only available to the factory person. This thermostat code was written permanently to the ecu and can't be cleared.

Now, I'm supposed to eat the approximate $3,000 cost of a new ecu + $300 state sales tax. This brings the bill up to approximately $5,000 for a car that has 105,000 on it.
I'm in contact with customer care and asking for Volvo to buy the ecu because: The car has had all of the required maintenance on time whenever needed, even the dealer couldn't see the code, the code damaged the ecu when the car was under warranty.

I don't mind paying for wear items but an ecu shouldn't be going out in under 100,000 miles. Depending on what happens with this issue, this may be my 1st and last Volvo.
Any thoughts on how to increase my likelihood of getting relief from Volvo?

FWIW, the ecu is in stock so perhaps they are seeing a lot of failures.

 

Also, I want to add, in charging your start/stop battery, you probably charged the other battery as well. They are connected.

That ECU issue seems wild to me. I would try a battery if yours is old and not holding a charge. You can also check it for draw while the vehicle is powered off. You should read a draw of under 100mA

 

I've decided to have them do whatever is necessary to have this car finished and on the road. If it doesn't give more problems, I'll deal with the timing belt next year.

In the meantime, I'm going to get one of my older cars that I like more brought back to top shape in case the V60 needs to move out of my life. I have an 85 Mercedes diesel with beautiful paint that only needs some freshening. Even if something like the transmission goes out, those can be had rebuilt by a shop that's dealt with them since new at a cost of ~$1500. Things like climate control are well understood and the boards can be repaired. The $5k that the V60 is going to suck down could have the MBZ like new. I will cut the best deal I can but I don't love the V60 enough to put up with a hassle combined witha wallet drain.

 

Volvo Customer Care basically told me tough sht. Pay the money or don't.

Does anyone know of any appeal options? I can and will pay for the ecu but think Volvo shouldn't make money off **** poor design.