Hey guys,

Im new here but it seems like this forum is a pretty good place to get some good advice.

My wifes car is 04 S80 T5. I love the car but right now its pretty much dead in my driveway and I'm in some need of some help, so here i am.

Her car gave us the Reduced Engine Performance message, and would not go over 15 mph, engine stuttering and stalling. Had it scanned at a garage, and it gave 5 codes relating to the ETM. So i got a used one from a reputable salvage yard, installed it, and it ran fine for a few days. Then the same symptoms came back. I called the salvage yard i got the ETM from, told them I think the unit they sold me is bad, and they sent another one out the same day, no charge. I just put it in and the car still runs the same, like crap. Reduced engine performance message, and CEL. I dont have a scanner of my own so i didnt re-scan it yet.

Anybody have any insight as to what it might be, or even just an area or another system i should be checking out? Possiby The MAF? I know cars in general, just not a lot about Volvos specifically. So any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Luke

 

That part that you put it in requires programming ( i think). You could start by checking if it is the coils, one of them might be bad or start by changing the plugs. You have a misfire. I doubt is the ETM. Scan the codes and get back here

 

I dont think its the ETM either (anymore) considering im on the third one, lol. I spoke with a couple volvo mechanics and they both assured me that no software is required to switch ETMs on my car.

I would have to say its not a misfire, cause when i start it up it idles up to 1000-1200 rpm nice and smooth for a few seconds then comes down to 500 rpm and is VERY rough. Then will not rev past 2500 rpm even with my foot to the floor.

Ive seen coils do some funny stuff though, def have to look into that a little i guess. Although, none of the codes thus far have indicated an ignition problem and its been the same symptoms every time I scanned it or had it scanned.

Gonna get my hands on a handheld code scanner later on today and ill report back.

Thanks for the reply

 

So i scanned the car with a handheld scanner. Gave me a P2111 code again. I started it up, varied the accelerator pedal a few times, engine spitting and sputtering like crazy, then shut it off and scanned it again. Now it gives me the P2111 code, as well as P2135 TPS/Pedal position sensor/switch A/B voltage correlation and P0221 TPS/Pedal position sensor/switch B CKT range/perf.

Also, there was always a stiff spot in the accelerator pedal since we bought it. But ive also read that this has something to do with a kickdown button for the trans. So Im not sure if its related or not.

So I cleared all the codes and now the car runs fine, for now.

Looks like I actually need to buy a new accelerator pedal position sensor. Anyone wanna buy a used throttle body? lol

Ill post my results after i get the new one installed.

 

Well, I bought a used accelerator pedal position sensor for $35. Put it in last night and she has been runnning good ever since. Actually, I think the throttle response is better than it has been since we bought the car almost 2 years ago.

Hopefully this little thread will help someone in the future.

Anybody wanna buy a used throttle body? Cause I now have 2 extra that I apparently didnt even need in the first place.

 

Glad you got it figure it out. Do you still have a Check engine light on? you didnt have to reprogram the ETM?

 

No lights and no messages at all. Forgot to mention that. Thanks for keeping me honest gabyman, lol.

No reprogramming at all. After I installed the accelerator pedal/position sensor it sarted right up as if nothing was ever wrong. Took it for a test drive, during which i shut down the engine and restarted it 4 times. Wife has been driving it all day today, prob 40 miles so far, and not a single hiccup. (knocking on wood with crossed fingers) Hopefully thats how it stays.

 

Well, apparently Im not done yet. Car died at my wifes work in downtown Albany. Still stuck on the side of the street with a new code: P0638 VOLVO - Throttle Actuator Control Range/Performance.

I think i have a bad connection or ground somewhere. Hopefully its just a crappy pin at the throttle body. I hope its not a ecu issue. Im getting really frustrated with this car right about now. Got a real love-hate thing goin on.

 

Well, i got it home. Wiggled wires and grounds near TB. Cleared codes with my new actron scanner (gift to myself for my troubles) and it ran fine all the way home.

Rubber gasket was not seated for pcm box cover so maybe moisture got in? Ground to block just under TB is corroded pretty good. Guess i better start looking through my haystack to fiind my needle......

 

Hey Luke,

Did you ever find the needle in your haystack? I have a long and woeful story with my 2002 Volvo V70 T5 which follows your story pretty closely.

Here's what happened... I was driving up a long hill and decided to use the manual shift option on my car to shift down into 3rd gear to get rpms up to 4k before shifting back into automatic shift. as soon as i made the switch back into automatic, the car lost RPMs and I couldn't get it past 20mph no matter how far I pushed the accelerator down. Restarted car, it revved up to about 1200RMP and then settled down somewhere between 500-700RPMs. Undrivable. Restarted car again and it was fine. After stopping for gas, the car would hardly start without the engine shaking/chugging. Seemed to be misfiring. A mechanic ran some diagnostics, and came up with several codes...

P0068 - MAP / MAF Throttle Position Correlation
P0638 - Throttle Rotator Control Range / Performance Bank 1
P0573 Brake Swithch A Circuit High (Guessing this is unrelated)

Check engine light was on in both instances, as well as indicators "Reduced Engine Performance" and "Engine System Service Required".

SO... I unplugged the MAF sensor, and it drove like a charm for 1 week... A friend of mine told me that he drove without his MAF sensor for almost a year.. I decided to keep it unplugged and buy a new one soon... this worked fine until...

Today, as I was getting onto a highway, got up to about 50MPH and all of a sudden lost power... same deal as before!! "Reduced Engine Performance" and the same chugging misfire thing... Took about 10 restarting attempts to get the car running to the point I could drive it again. Got stuck again, and replugged the MAF. It started again, and I made it almost all the way home and then had to unplug the MAF to get the rest of the way there.

Do you or anyone here have any insight as to what I should do? If unplugging the MAF a week ago got my car back on the road, I’m confused as to why plugging it back in helped it for a bit, and then I had to unplug it again...

 

Did you ever get this issue resolved? Having same problems. Please let me know what happened in the end.

 

Turned out to be a bad connection right where the wire harness plugs into the etm itself. I removed the rubber grommet off the plug and plugged it into the etm and it felt VERY loose. I was able to disassemble the plug without removing it from the harness and had access to the little female connectors in the plug. I took a utility knife and used the tip of the blade to crush each connector just a little tiny bit so it would make a good connection when you plugged it in. I put it all back together and when I plugged it in without the rubber grommet, I could feel the pins engaging this time. Put the grommet back on and it ran great for 8 months till I sold it. Good luck. Also, I have a spare throttle body that I bought for the car thinking that was the problem. PM me if it turns out your etm is actually bad. Ill let it go for cheaper than and salvage yard would.


Good luck.

 

Thank you for the response back. I did however figure out the problem last night and it is the throttle body. I took it apart last night and found that the gears that control the butterfly are worn down to spikes. I rotated one of the gears to put good teeth on bad teeth as a test to see if that resolved the issue temporally. Low and behold, it did. So I ordered a used throttle body on ebay last night. Sorry I did not wait until this morning so I could get yours.

 

This post might be the answer i have been looking for for two months now. This needs a bump and a sticky !!!!!!

 

My 2003 XC70 just gave a"reduced engine performance" message when I turned the ignition and got a misfire. Turned again and no problem but error message still there, was in my driveway so only drove another 50m at low speed. This morning message there but goes when press the erase button. The car starts, idles and runs fine just driving around the block. No problems with rough running or anything else prior to this.
Should I be worried? I'm in the country 70km from nearest Volvo dealer and it's the weekend!

 

2004 S80 non-turbo and I am having the occasional/random "reduced engine performance" message come up with loss of power and sputtering at idle. codes pulled are:
P0753- shift solenoid A
P2111- throttle actuator control stuck open
P0638- throttle actuator control range performance

From my research the throttle body on these cars were "OK" but perhaps this is still the culprit. My plan is to take apart and clean the throttle body. I will also check/clean the connector for it.

 

I tried to disconnect the throttle body but I couldnt get the connector to release. I tried squeezing both sides while pulling apart with no luck. Is there a trick to pulling this connector off?
Thanks

 

I just found a youtube video showing how to release the connector incase someone is searching for this in the future. Its at 6:30 in the video: