Intermittent indicator fault V70 D5 2002

[Mark2cars]

I have not been on this forum for ages as the car is pretty reliable! now at 135K miles. However, it has just developed an intermittent fault with the indicators. I have searched but not found any similar problems posted here before, so here it is.
Just recently the indicators appear to not function, occasionally, either left or right. No ticking, no flashing symbol on the dash & lights not working. However I can make the lights flash by manually pushing the stalk (to the correct beat of course!). Fault remains for a while then they start working again. Sometimes during a drive, sometimes after engine off then on again.
I found a You tube video of how to remove the stalk and clean the contacts (on an XC 90), which I did - and they were dirty. They worked for a few miles then stopped working then started again etc etc.

What is the next step? Is there a relay somewhere..maybe in the boot - I have already changed the rear brake light relay there a couple of years ago? I did notice that the stalk assembly had a small PCB, is the flashing controlled from in there somewhere? Would a new stalk assembly solve the problem. If the ticking noise when indicating is a relay then it sounds like it is somewhere in the steering column?? Or is that just a 'ticker' to give an audible warning that the indicators are on and there is a relay elsewhere??
Any advice please? A new stalk assembly is £70, but I do not want to change it if it is just a relay at fault....

[V70 Graham]

I have not been on this forum for ages as the car is pretty reliable!

I didn't know we could only come on here when we had a problem with our cars.

[Mark2cars]

Hi Graham,
I can't tell if that is a Joke or a serious dig at me? If a forum titled 'General Technical Help' is in fact for something else then my mistake. I haven't been on it for a couple of years because the car is reliable, so it was a bit of a surprise to get such a negative response immediately ? If it is not for answering specific problems then is it just for posting random technical help without a question being asked?! If the forum is just for those with 1000's of posts then my apologies.......As you have so many posts maybe you can enlighten me as to the best way to go about posting a problem without upsetting the regulars - or am I really not welcome?!

[Mark2cars]

With some further research I came across a few references to the indicator relay being part of the Hazard Warning light switch on some other models. However My Haynes manual doesn't mention this for the 2002 V70. Maybe one of you with a lot more know-how can confirm this - one way or another? If it is, and once I have purchased and fitted, I will of course post the results in the hope it will help anyone else with the same problem....Thanks in advance.

[Redbrick]

I have not been on this forum for ages as the car is pretty reliable! now at 135K miles. However, it has just developed an intermittent fault with the indicators. I have searched but not found any similar problems posted here before, so here it is.
Just recently the indicators appear to not function, occasionally, either left or right. No ticking, no flashing symbol on the dash & lights not working. However I can make the lights flash by manually pushing the stalk (to the correct beat of course!). Fault remains for a while then they start working again. Sometimes during a drive, sometimes after engine off then on again.
I found a You tube video of how to remove the stalk and clean the contacts (on an XC 90), which I did - and they were dirty. They worked for a few miles then stopped working then started again etc etc.

What is the next step? Is there a relay somewhere..maybe in the boot - I have already changed the rear brake light relay there a couple of years ago? I did notice that the stalk assembly had a small PCB, is the flashing controlled from in there somewhere? Would a new stalk assembly solve the problem. If the ticking noise when indicating is a relay then it sounds like it is somewhere in the steering column?? Or is that just a 'ticker' to give an audible warning that the indicators are on and there is a relay elsewhere??
Any advice please? A new stalk assembly is £70, but I do not want to change it if it is just a relay at fault....


Welcome back.

All of the following is from my experience.

Firstly does your dash binnacle/clocks have a silver ring round the dials?

If it does not has the above (DIM) ever been replaced?

My DIM first showing signs of failure when the indicators stopped 'clicking' although the indicators were still working correctly. I assumed the click was from a relay in the hazard switch but was told the click is a generated sound from the DIM. My DIM was then replaced under warranty, this back in 2006/7. The replaced DIM has a silver ring around the dials. My problems were cured with this fix.

Since 2007 a few people have sprung up that can repair DIMs as they are very expensive to replace. Have a search on the VOC forums under S60/V70 for DIM repair. You could try and get one from a breaker but if the car is ever plugged in by Volvo to their system it will pick up the fact there are mismatched units on the car so much better to repair what you have.

Hope that helps.

[stribo]

Hi Graham,
I can't tell if that is a Joke or a serious dig at me? If a forum titled 'General Technical Help' is in fact for something else then my mistake. I haven't been on it for a couple of years because the car is reliable, so it was a bit of a surprise to get such a negative response immediately ? If it is not for answering specific problems then is it just for posting random technical help without a question being asked?! If the forum is just for those with 1000's of posts then my apologies.......As you have so many posts maybe you can enlighten me as to the best way to go about posting a problem without upsetting the regulars - or am I really not welcome?!

Don't worry about Graham, he's a post whore, unlike me.;) Of course you can only post up if you only have problems, and you've posted in the right section, which is a bonus, it's just some of us use the forum for the social side as well, meets, racing, whatever. I understand some people just use forums just for technical knowledge, and that's all well and good as well. :D

[Mark2cars]

Phew - thanks Stribo / Redbrick,
Certainly good advice thanks. Redbrick, maybe you have hit the nail on the head 1st time. So the indicators are somehow related to the DIM?? Now you mention it the trip computer has worked intermittently ever since I've owned the car - for the last 6 years, from 68 K to the current 135K. Sometimes its a mess of jumbled pixels, other times it reads back to front or upside down or not at all ! Then a couple of months ago we briefly had no speedo' at all - just the once though! Now this indicator thing has started just as I want to sell to a mate and get the newest version (well a 2008) of the V70 to last another 6 years...
As far as I know the DIM has never been removed or replaced - it does NOT have any silver rings around the dials, so does that mean it's original?
Do you think it is worth investigating the hazard warning switch at all - is that where the relay is for the indicators?
Stribo, would love to get into races and meets if I had the time, but for now just need a reliable Volvo to get me around....without reverting to hand signals on the motorway !!

Another possibly related symptom is a very occasional refusal for the engine to fire, once about 6 months ago and again last week. Left it overnight and then works perfectly again.
Cheers, M

PS. My parents have exactly the same age & model V70 and their trip computer display is the same, luckily not the indicators though, so the two are not always related - but then again neither were mine for the previous 6 years.

[Harvey]

Hi & welcome back.

the DIM can be fixed for not a lot of money but you would need to post it off for a couple of days, & no you can't use the car when it removed before you ask .
Sure someone will post a link up for this ?.

Found a link there are a number of people that can do this.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=volvo%20s60%20dim%20repair%20uk&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CAwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clusterrepairsuk.co.uk%2Frepa ir%2Fmodel%2Fvolvo-s60-gen1-instrument-cluster-speedometer-repair-service&ei=D4b_U5KjJ4TR7Abh-YDADA&usg=AFQjCNHctL44oqcZD8NC-mPOX4Nonr8w3g

Or you could just have a faulty indicator switch.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=106942

[Redbrick]

Phew - thanks Stribo / Redbrick,
Certainly good advice thanks. Redbrick, maybe you have hit the nail on the head 1st time. So the indicators are somehow related to the DIM?? Now you mention it the trip computer has worked intermittently ever since I've owned the car - for the last 6 years, from 68 K to the current 135K. Sometimes its a mess of jumbled pixels, other times it reads back to front or upside down or not at all ! Then a couple of months ago we briefly had no speedo' at all - just the once though! Now this indicator thing has started just as I want to sell to a mate and get the newest version (well a 2008) of the V70 to last another 6 years...
As far as I know the DIM has never been removed or replaced - it does NOT have any silver rings around the dials, so does that mean it's original?
Do you think it is worth investigating the hazard warning switch at all - is that where the relay is for the indicators?
Stribo, would love to get into races and meets if I had the time, but for now just need a reliable Volvo to get me around....without reverting to hand signals on the motorway !!

Another possibly related symptom is a very occasional refusal for the engine to fire, once about 6 months ago and again last week. Left it overnight and then works perfectly again.
Cheers, M

PS. My parents have exactly the same age & model V70 and their trip computer display is the same, luckily not the indicators though, so the two are not always related - but then again neither were mine for the previous 6 years.

Yes, no silver rings means original as the silver dials are from the later P2's, when replaced under warranty they fitted the newer units. To me with the jumbled characters and indicator problems it absolutely points to the DIM. I wouldn't bother with the hazard switch, I even removed mine to get a new unit and was told not to bother as it had nothing to do with the 'clicky' sound.

I also recall an issue where a car just would not start and that was DIM related. I don't understand how and why it is just a recollection.

I would certainly investigate the repair option, there has been a lot of success with this.

[Mark2cars]

Thanks for all the advice guys - after working abroad the past couple of weeks I have finally got time to take the DIM out tomorrow and send it off to Cluster Repairs UK, I spoke to them and booked it in.
Yesterday, on way back from airport I had the usual intermittent indicator arrows on the DIM, then in last few miles the speedo failed AND the gears started playing up. Could it be just a coincidence? The drive indicator on the DIM did not change even when the selector was moved. There are a few steep down hills where I select 4 or 3rd on the auto-box for braking. Then I started getting really lumpy gear changes and the car limped home! Fine again the next day, typically, the fault indicator worked for a few seconds and told me "transmission service required" before it gave up and went to sleep again...But it drives OK again - for now. If the DIM gear indicator is playing up maybe the gear box gets confused - I guess they must "talk" to each other??
I'll report back on the result of the fix - hopefully by the end of the week...

[LeeT5]

Any fault codes logged relating to DIM?

[Mark2cars]

Final Update: As far as I know there were no fault codes related to DIM. Anyway, got the DIM off, sent it to Lukas at volvodiagnostics http://volvodiagnostic.com/shop/index.php?id_product=14&controller=product
He repaired it and all works perfectly now. As soon as I put it back in though all sorts of messages flagged up, but I got them cleared and no faults showed up since. Phew, I can now sell with a clean conscience (I bought a new shape 2008 V70 D5 the other day).
Thanks again for all the advice....

[Redbrick]

Good result. Glad it worked.

[Mark2cars]

Woops, I spoke too soon. After driving around a bit the DIM is back to its old tricks again. Lukas at Volvodiagnostics has been very helpful and I now have the CEM off to try and see if this could be the cause. it certainly does not look like any water has got in there although there is some very slight crusting on some of the wires leading to it as shown on attachmen26872t. Has anyone else had problems with their CEM and is it curable?26871

BTW. If anyone needs to get one of these off there is a good video of how to here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRdXsCdvhVg

[Mark2cars]

Having decided the marks on the wires were just marker pen and all circuits looked clean & dry with no signs of burning, plus Volvodiagnostics tells me that my Intel 'Flash' chip is not the kind that usually goes wrong - it all went back together and car works fine as usual (I'm selling it by the way). Obviously since the battery was disconnected for the operation all the fault messages have now gone. My local diagnostics chap says bring it in again if it plays up again - it seems highly unlikely that I have real transmission, ABS, alarm system faults all appear simultaneously! At least after 6 years without I now have a fully functioning trip computer - wayhey !