S60 T5 Idle erratic. Help!

**AndyP** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 14:14

Hi All

I have a 2002 S60 T5 se It is suffering from an erratic tickover. A friend suggested it may be related to the a/c compressor cutting in but I have had the a/c turned off to no effect. The idle wanders between 500 and approx 1000 rpm a couple of times then settles back to normal. Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what could be causing it. I don't think there's any air leaks as same friend checked it.

**kee1173** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:04

Possible MAF sensor.. checked plugs for spark... igniton leads etc. Is the revs eratic when driving .. or holds back then goes sort of thing.. cause that could be the MAF sensor

**BruceT** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:05

I think a google search of 'Volvo ETM' may solve your problems...

**Al115** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:12

Sounds like it

Get the codes read... is always the right first step.

Good luck!

**AndyP** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:13

Originally Posted by kee1173

Possible MAF sensor.. checked plugs for spark... igniton leads etc. Is the revs eratic when driving .. or holds back then goes sort of thing.. cause that could be the MAF sensor

Seems to drive ok. It's purely on tickover.

Thanks

Andy

**AndyP** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:16

Originally Posted by Al115

Sounds like it

Get the codes read... is always the right first step.

Good luck!

A technician friend (not a Volvo familiar technician) told there were no fault codes at all. Do you think it's worth taking it to a specialist for a second opinion?

**Al115** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 15:19

Dubious... these things ALWAYS have some error codes logged in my experience (even if totally unrelated!)

Did he use a tool that was capable of reading Volvo-specific DTCs, or a generic OBDII fault code reader? The Phase 2 cars are pretty smart things... they log codes such as "PSN0030", rather than the early format of DTCs (of which "P0100" is an example).

Get thee to a Volvo Indy, I would.

**Vikingxl** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:07

I would go for ETM as well as these can apear fine when driving and only show on tickover(mine did)

**jason850t5** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:33

Hi sorry to jump in on your thread but what is the cure for a dodgy etm anyone?

**Vikingxl** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:40

new etm

**BruceT** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:41

Originally Posted by jason850t5

Hi sorry to jump in on your thread but what is the cure for a dodgy etm anyone?

Replacement etm and software.

Or get the contacts on your current unit replaced at bbs remen.

I know one brand doesn't use contacts so should last longer than the other

**Vikingxl** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:45

Usually change the pedal sensor at the same time as well

**jason850t5** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 19:51

Originally Posted by BruceT

Replacement etm and software.

Or get the contacts on your current unit replaced at bbs remen.

I know one brand doesn't use contacts so should last longer than the other

Is this expensive? Is it possible to do this yourself?

**Al115** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 20:26

I posted a thread on here (Search for it...) about my experiences. Prices etc are there. You can do the physical change of ETM yourself but you have to have a Volvo dealer code the new ETM once fitted, and until this is done the car won't go out of Limp mode.

**Al115** · Thursday 10th February 2011, 20:29

Found it for you: http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthre...&highlight=etm

**KPB** · Friday 11th February 2011, 08:43

Worth cleaning all the throttle components with a bit of WD first? Seem to remember my first S60 had this problem and fixed with a few liberal squirts in the right places.

**AndyP** · Friday 11th February 2011, 12:33

Originally Posted by Al115

Dubious... these things ALWAYS have some error codes logged in my experience (even if totally unrelated!)

Did he use a tool that was capable of reading Volvo-specific DTCs, or a generic OBDII fault code reader? The Phase 2 cars are pretty smart things... they log codes such as "PSN0030", rather than the early format of DTCs (of which "P0100" is an example).

Get thee to a Volvo Indy, I would.

Dumb question I know but wouldn't there be a warning light on the dashboard if there were fault codes logged?

**Al115** · Friday 11th February 2011, 12:35

Not necessarily.

**LeeT5** · Saturday 12th February 2011, 13:01

Originally Posted by kee1173

Possible MAF sensor.. checked plugs for spark... igniton leads etc. Is the revs eratic when driving .. or holds back then goes sort of thing.. cause that could be the MAF sensor

s60 is distributor less ignition system and therefore, does not have ignition leads.

Also the car is running...so obviously it has a spark.

Come on, keep up!

**LeeT5** · Saturday 12th February 2011, 13:50

Al is right. However i will clarify some things before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusions.

Not aiming at anyone specific but:

ETM faults can and will manifest themselves in many ways, not just poor idle. You can have poor idle yet drives ok, good idle drives erratic, loss of power, intermittant loss of power, missfire, DTC light maybe 'on' or 'off', etc etc.

In the past i had an ETM fault with my 1999 V70R and it reared it's ugly head by completely cutting out on the exit slip of a motorway. When restarted it put the car in limp mode and i was forced to drive her straight to the dealer which luckily was only a few miles away.

In my current car i had an MAF fault since day 1. However it never caused any problems until the BSR ppc was installed. Then i noticed lumpy idle. sometimes lumpy and irratic when driving but the big give away was when changing gear. The revs would drop like a stone when dipping clutch and i knew that this was not normal. All the time the DTC light was off!!

So i had the codes read and sure enough, there it was....MAF sensor code *******. Can't remember the code (in process of finding out).

So, £300 later. All much better now. All of the above symptoms gone.

What i'm trying to say is never just assume it's this or that. That's ridiculous. if a garage diagnosed cars that way then they would be out of business in a week.
Have the cars DTC's read by an approved reader, not your mates £30 special from Halfords or the like. It needs to be the correct software ie VADIS/VIDA/BSR/AUTOLOGIC etc.

Note the codes logged. Clear them ALL down. Drive the car normally for about 20 or 30 miles and re read the codes. Then you know what is logged is actually faulty and not a code that is years old and never been erased from the memory.

If the MAF is faulty then there will be a code logged, definately. The light won't always be on on the dash. It will only come on if a sensor (which the MAF meter is) goes out of parameters set by the vehicles pre programmed MAP setting on whatever ECU or module is affected. Also the DTC warning light only comes on if the fault is fuel related, ie air flow, combustion, exhaust.

Hope that clears up any misconceptions and stops people jumping on the "Oh my god, it must be the MAF sensor or ETM" wagon.

The likely hood is your fault is most probably related to one or either of these two components as they are a common failure. The clever bit is getting your codes read and diagnosing the culprit.