forgive me for the long posting, i want to get all the details out there so that maybe someone has some advice for how to proceed, so bear with me.

so since about mid-october i've had an ongoing issue with my '05 s60 2.5t where the car will randomly, and with no warning signs before hand, fail to start, and it goes down the same way every time. i'll put the key in to start the car, all the interior lights and electrics will come on fine, but when i go to crank the ignition everything shuts off and the car won't start. it makes no noise when it doesn't start - no clicking, no attempts from the engine at turning over - totally silent. so i jumped it off my dad's car (so i thought) and took it back to the dealer, as this first started happening days after my last major service, to have the alternator and battery looked at. they checked out fine, and the dealer had no idea as to what had happened.

since this first incidence, the problem has happened another 5 times, most recently this morning. after the first failure to start jumping the car wouldn't bring it back, which seemed to confirm the dealer's OK of the battery and alternator, and after hours (sometimes days) of letting it sit, it will randomly start right up no problem.

the second time i brought it to the dealer, they found a code for some kind of fault in the ignition ring, which they said could lead the car to not start because it wasn't receiving a radio signal from the key. so i payed $300 + dollars to have that fixed, only to have the problem occur again about two weeks later.

so once the car finally started up again, i brought it back to volvo for attempt #3, and by now they've obviously grown tired of dealing with me since i get nothing but attitude and disrespect from my dealer, but whatever, thats for another thread. they cant find anything wrong with the car, and they found no stored codes in the computer. basically they said "wait and see, and if it dies again have it towed to us." at this point, after paying for repairs that haven't worked and multiple diagnostic fees, i'm not paying to have the car towed, and neither will they.

so i talked to some friends in the industry, and was recommended an independent shop that deals with european imports, and in less than two hours they had diagnosed the problem as a bad software flash the last time it was in for service, which cause a failure of communication between the ignition module in the steering column and the main computer and in turn the car failed to start. the independent mechanic said that either the flash hadn't finished last time at volvo, or the tech didnt notice an error had occurred with the flash and so it didnt take. he said that only volvo can re flash the software and that i should just explain what he had found to them and have them do exactly that - re flash the software.

so back to volvo again. long story short, they wont listen to me when i tried to explain what had happened, and after it sat in their lot for a week i called them back, only to have them tell me they can't find anything wrong.

so here i am this morning, on my way to school, and once again the car wont start. i'm at my witts end with this issue, to the point where i'm thinking about driving it off a cliff and claiming the insurance (kidding). but seriously, if you got all the way down here, thank you for reading this novel of a post. does anyone have ANY advice AT ALL on this issue? does the independent mechanic's assessment seem valid? does anyone know of any other performance shops in the NYC metro area that might be able to help? or should i just wash my hands of the whole thing and try to sell the thing, hoping that it'll start for potential buyers...

any advice at all would be TREMENDOUSLY appreciated.

 

I would try going over the dealer's head.
Volvo Cars of North America Corporate Office
Customer Service
PO Box 914
7 Volvo Dr., Bldg. A
Rockleigh, NJ 07647-0915
Toll free: 1-800-458-1552
Fax: 201-768-8695
Web site: www.volvocars.com

http://www.volvoproblems.com/taking-car-to-dealer.php

 

install a button on your dash that cranks the starter like a race car, just my 2 cents


i need some computer work on my s60, i want to get some personalization changes;

longer follow me home lights duration, lock/unlock visual confirmation, 1 press all unlock, auto dimming mirror on high, disable drl

not sure how much something like this would cost though, im afraid something like your story will happen and the dealer might break something else

 

I experienced a complete hard shutdown on my '04 S60 that turned out to be arcing in the TCM connector. Was on the road when it happened; wasn't happy. The dealer found it and re-terminated the harness and since, all symptoms have disappeared.
Hope this helps.
J

 

@ J. A. Higgens - tried to get some help from Volvo a couple weeks ago, and they basically told me that since they don't own any of the Volvo dealerships in the US there's no corporate oversight from their end and they don't get involved in issues like this. Their only suggestion was to get in touch with the owners of the dealership (since my dealer apparently doesn't have a general manager) and see if they can make something happen.

I also talked to another Volvo dealer in the area today and they told me that its definitely NOT an issue of software and is likely an issue with the starter, but suggested that I keep trying to work with my original dealer because the tech's there will know more of the car's history and wouldn't be starting from scratch.

Soooooo...anyone interested in an '05 s60 2.5T? I'll let you have it for a steal haha

 

That sounds like a cop-out if I ever heard one. So they will build the car, export it to the U.S., and send it to a dealer that has no attachment to the parent company (Volvo)? No licensing needed from Volvo to open a dealership in the U.S.? I guess anyone that wants to can set up a Volvo dealership anywhere in the U.S. then.

That said, I did read in another forum that tapping on the starter solenoid at the starter or cleaning the signal wire at the starter (the small wire) sometimes takes care of the problem.
General: - Common S60 Problems - Solutions Only - Volvo Owners Club Forum

"The engine starter is totally dead when the ignition key is turned on.

Solution;
Either have someone hold the key operated whilst you tap the starter motor body with a relatively heavy bar (or similar)
Or
Tap the starter motor body with a relatively heavy bar and then retry starting the car.

Post 1: Obviously replacing the starter motor would be the best solution but as this problems tends to happen randomly and only on rare occasions, the above solutions have kept me going for over 5 years at no expense"

Post 2: It is not the starter body which requires to be tapped whilst the key is turned to start position but the PRE-ENGAGED SOLENOID ATTACHED TO THE STARTER BODY. Problem is usually caused by the "solenoid" sticking. "Tapping whilst energised often frees it."

 

Beat the hell out of the starter all you want. That ain't it. My money's on an electrical ghost. Not for nothin', but, if the dealer's tech can't find a stuck solenoid, they probably came highly recommended from their last job at Goodwrench...

 

Screw it, I'm just going to get rid of the damn thing, its not worth the headache. Thanks for the help everyone.