My daughter’s 2004 S60 2.5T with automatic transmission went into Limp Mode a couple of weeks ago and became virtually undrivable. It starts up just fine and idles normally BUT it will not rev above 1Krpm when placed into Drive. It won’t go above 8-10 mph on level ground and is absolutely incapable of climbing the slight incline in our driveway.
We’ve had this car for nearly 8 years now and this is the first time that we’ve ever had any issues with it. All work on it has been strictly maintenance/upkeep – oil/fluid changes, brakes, etc. Never anything performance or operability related. Hence, Ic diagnostic tools don’t own/have any Volvo-specific diagnostic tools like the VIDA system that I see mention a lot online. All I have is a simple OBDII scanner to read codes.
Anyhow, when the “Reduced Engine Performance” message appeared in the little window at the lower left corner of the dash, it was NOT accompanied by any CELsymbol lighting up on the dash.
Nevertheless, I used my OBDII scanner to read the car and got 4 codes: P2121, P2122, P2121pd, and P2122pd.
Looking those up online pointed me to several communities (including this one) that indicated that the engine throttle body or the accelerator pedal assy with buit-in position sensor were the likely culprits.
I have replaced both of those – first the throttle body assy – then the pedal assembly – with no change in results.
I have also read that the wiring/connectors for these units can be susceptible to corrosion so I made certain to thoroughly clean the connectors with CRC Electrical Contact Cleaner when disassembling and reassembling things. Further, I purchased an ECU removal tool and carefully unseated the computers, carefully cleaned the connectors and sockets, and then reassembled them.
Again, still nothing changed. At this point, I am absolutely stymied. I am posting this in order to seek far more knowledgeable help. Is there anything that I potentially missed or overlooked?
I ALWAYS made sure to perform all the electrical/electronic component replacements, cleaning, etc. with the battery fully disconnected. Is there any procedure that I might have not known about to reset the ECU and clear out the “Reduced Engine Performance” message? Will not clearing that message from the computer prevent the system from operating correctly, even with the new parts installed?
I’m hoping beyond hope that you folks can guide me to the solution. Once again, the P2121 and P2122 codes are the ONLY codes that the car is generating (as far as I can tell from my simple OBDII scanner).
Thanks in advance for any tips, sugestions, theories, ideas, etc. that you can share with me.
Cheers,
Eric