Hello Forum. I am a new owner of a 1999 V70 XC and the ETM went out on me. I "limped" it home and it has sat in my driveway since.

The throttle body needs cleaning due to the tell-tale surging at idle. I saw a video post on that easy repair to clean it.

My main question is: if this vehicle is OUTSIDE of the 10yr./200k mi. warranty for the ETM, can a private shop do the work, or is it a specialty dealer only repair?

I am 200 mi. from a dealer, and I am limited to 25mph.
Any suggestions on repair?

 

I'm not 100% but I think a dealer has to do it since software needs to be loaded after the install. Call around though, chances are a specialist may know how to do it.

 

FYI--a non dealer CAN do this repair. Found a good shop to do work less than just part cost at dealer. A learning moment for Volvo owners outside warranty for electronic throttle.

 

I have the same problem with my car. I tried to install a used one I bought from eBay but it was locked. I found a local repair shop that has speciality in foreign cars (his labor is close of that of the dealer) but I was told he can program. He cleaned mined, cost me $196 and within hours I could not drive beyond 10 miles an hour.

Now I am in the process of making sure that's the throttle is the only thing needed since I got so many codes out of the car and also I had a code saying 'ETM' no fault found. That's dilemma for me. I posted on this forum earlier today to see who can help me translate those codes to English :-)

I also read about Xemodex. I think there is a thread about them in this forum or may be another (google it).

I am a woman so I can't venture with installing myself. I also have a turbo which means it's more difficult that the regular car.

Good luck

 

have you checked for vacuum leaks, or maybe weak turbo hoses?

 

No I have not. Is there away I can do that by myself?
I was told they have to smoke the car, something that the mechanic was busy to do when I asked him a few months ago. I know I have an Evap leak that happened right after I replaced cylinder 6 and 1/2 tune up (no fluid drained or filters changed but everything else was done).

Thank you so much for your input

 

The ETM does not require reprogramming in order to be cleaned. They are separate issues. My mechanic told me that reprogramming the ETM after a cleaning is unsuccessful is sometimes used as an attempt at a lower cost repair than going with "replacing the ETM" route. With any electro-mechanical device, they change over time and so attempting to reprogram / reflash the ETM is a reasonable choice, but it's not a guarantee. I was fortunate to improve the throttle response on my S80 with a ETM reflash, but my V70 is another story.

Your mechanic should be able to pull the volve specific ETM codes and run diagnostics on it to tell you how bad it is. The ETM will respond differently when cold vs hot so have the mechanic runs diags at both temperatures.

I'm replacing my ETM with an aftermarket product from XeMODex, will be placing the order this weekend. My mechanic frequently purchases from them and vouched for their products. Google them for details. I started a thread and plan to post my experience to the V70 forum when complete.

 

Thanks thread for your responses. Original poster here. The throttle issue seems to have reset itself, making me think its a tubo line as suggested. Two of us now are asking for help with what to look for. Yes, an engine light is still on.