First-time caller, long-time listener.

I just purchased a 2017 Volvo XC90 and boy do I ever regret it. I have always had XC90s and have loved them, but this one has some serious gremlins. I have replaced the control module CEM (ouch) in hopes to fix all of the ailments but unfortunately, it did not fix the most pressing issue - no heat. Everything blows just fine and from what I have been told, the heater core is working just fine but no heat. There are errors being thrown on the flapper / blend doors and supposedly both need to be replaced but I am skeptical. Could both blend doors really go at the same time, on such a newish vehicle? The price tag to get at these from a Volvo dealership is almost 4K!!! 8 hours of labour to dismantle the dash and replace and recode both motors.

Does this sound fishy?
What else could it be?

I am so far beyond my comfort zone here and feel like I am being taken for a ride.

Thanks in advance ! Much appreciated.
Matt

 

well the way Volvos are designed is coolant is always running through the heater core and its the blend doors that control the airflow through the core and to the vents. There's something like 5 different doors, each with its own actuator, and those are controlled by the ECC computer. So that said, you could have a wiring issue, an ECC issue, a door/actuator rod issue or maybe a motor issue. I'm with you in that I'd be surprised if more than one motor has failed but I'm not sure how easy the access is to actually test the motors themselves. DId the dealer do the scan of the ECC codes or was that done by an indy?

 

I am by no means a professional mechanic, I am a young guy that fixes my own cars, but price seems a bit high. Even if they charge $200 an hour for labor, there's is no way you are paying over 2 grand for parts. If the heater core is working fine, but the blend doors aren't letting the hot air in, you wouldn't get heat. It is a big job to replace things inside the dash. I am not sure if there is any recoding to be done on the blend door actuators, something to look into. It would definitely help to see what blend door codes you have. It is also possible that just the arms may have broken on the blend doors.

To me it sounds like an incomplete diagnostic and should be further examined before spending 4 grand.

 

Thank you @mt6127 and @Dingus1 . The dealer did the scan and this is what they provided me, "We looked into the fault codes and looks like the left and right temperature damper motors are needing replacement. Parts, calibration and labour you are going to be looking at $2519.00 taxes in". I misrepresented the cost in my previous post as that included a tire quote as well. Because there were electrical issues identified and a new CEM module installed, I thought things were pointing more in that direction than actual motor / arms issues. I wish there was a way to get eyes on these damper motors to see if there is movement. In past vehicles, it was relatively easy to at least get eyes on them without having to remove an entire dash. Thanks again!!! really appreciate this.

 

You might be able to see the passenger side if you remove the inside of the glove box, Usually those arent too bad to take out.

I dont like the thought of replacing parts just looking at fault codes

 

Thank you @Dingus1. I'll look up how to do that as I agree, I am not a fan of replacing parts just based on faults, especially when they are this involved and a bit suspect. Thank you.

 

Good morning all! I believe I am having the issue with our 17 XC90. Heat works great except that it blows cold from the passenger side vents. (Driver side, 2nd row and 3rd row heat is great.). Volvo quoted me $3900 to replace a Blend Door and the Heater Assembly, but also said this “should” fix it. All my research says the same as yours…..passenger Blend Door Actuator isn’t working.

Wanted to see if you have tackled yours and what it took to get to the passenger Blend Door Actuator. Removal of the entire dash is a ton of work, like you mentioned, and I’m trying to determine if it’s even needed in my case.

Hope you got your fixed!! Thanks in advance! Dustin

 

Are there any updates to this thread? I am having the same issue now too, but didn't want to start a new thread about it. I am new to Volvo ownership, about 6 months in, but about ready to call it quits and go back to BMW. I can at least find info and Diagrams on how to fix things myself. I can't seem to find anything when it comes to Volvos made after 2016. I like to think that I am not a massive idiot, but this car is starting to make me feel like one.

 

After countless hours of research and attempting to find schematic of the heating / cooling system I contacted a local shop that has a mechanic who previously worked on Volvos. They confirmed what I suspected all along.....the front passenger side Blend Door had failed and the Heater Assembly was working perfectly.

The mechanic quoted ~$700 and (~$200 for the part and ~$500 for labor). The mechanic also indicated, as other have mentioned in this forum, it is impossible to reach this Blend Door without removing the dash, which is a task larger than I was willing to take on. It's been over 2 years and no additional issues. Heater Assembly was not an issue and is still blowing hot air at 162,000 miles. I would suggest finding a local shop that understands the process to remove the dash, which is hard for me to say considering I can perform the majority of the repairs and maintenace myself. Good luck and let me know if any questions!

 

see if you can find instructions or videos on accessing the AC evaporator. On some Volvo models, the dash needs to come apart for replacing that part and if I recall, its like 10 hours labor (had to do this on an 850T a few years back)