2011 VOLVO S40 Electrical System Problems

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WHEN INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT COMPLETELY BLANK I HEARD A SIZZLING NOISE BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. I LOST THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, LIGHT INDICATOR, BLINKER INDICATORS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS YOU DEPEND ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, IT CONTINUED SIZZLING SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS BURNING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND NOTHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKS, I TURNED ON THE FLASHER AND LIMPED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AS AN ELDERLY FEMALE THIS WAS VERY NERVE RACKING AS I DID NOT KNOW IF MY FLASHERS WERE WORKING NOR WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SOMETHING CALLED THE DIM HAD WENT BAD AND THAT ONLY A VOLVO DEALER COULD REPLACE WHICH WILL COST OVER $1800. HE SAID I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT...

A COLD, WET, WINTERY MORNING; PULLED INTO COFFEE SHOP PARKING LOT, PARKED CAR, TURNED ENGINE OFF, REMOVED KEY, GOT OUT OF THE CAR, LOCKED DOORS, WENT INTO THE COFFEE SHOP. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, NOTHING LEFT ON IN THE CAR. WHILE WAITING FOR COFFEE GLANCED OUT COFFEE SHOP WINDOW. SAW THAT THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. A PANIC RUSH TO CAR FOUND A FIRE WAS BURNING BEHIND DASH. COFFEE SHOP HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER; THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THE CAR, INOPERATIVE, WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. AN OPINION IS THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT INVOLVING THE CAR'S CEM (CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE) UNDER THE DASH, ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, WAS LIKELY THE CAUSE AND SOURCE OF THE FIRE. DEALER REPORT; ENGINE & DASH WIRING, CEM, HEATER HOUSING, AIRBAG, INNER GLOVE BOX TO REPLACE.

BATTERY DEAD AND CAR WOULD NOT START; CAR HAD NOT BEEN USED FOR ONLY 1 WEEK OR LESS. *TR