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TCAM Problems

wyenot?

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City
Hereford
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Non-US
Country
United Kingdom
What I Drive
XC60 T8 Ultimate Dark PHEV
#1
My new XC60 is stuck in the port because "it has a TCAM issue" (the module that controls all wireless facilities). This seems to relate to the key fob not working so they can't unlock the car, amongst other things, and there is lots of discussion on the Polestar forum. The TCAM can be reset by disconnecting its 3.6V battery but I was unaware the car had a third battery (HV, 12V & 3.6V li-ion). Anyone had this problem with their Volvo? Do you know where the 3.6V battery is?
 
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City
Basingstoke
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Non-US
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United Kingdom
What I Drive
2023 XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark
#2
I just received my new XC60 Ultimate (2023). Two days after handover, I have lost all on-board Internet, Google drive, Google maps, Spotify, BBC Sounds, etc. It all demo'd OK when I collected the new XC60 from dealer. I contacted my Volvo dealer, who talked me through a system reset (hold the main media button down on the dash for 20 seconds until the Volvo symbol re-appears), but no fix. The dealer Technician tried a remote reset but no fix.

I traded in my lovely XC60 Inscription Pro (2020) for this 2023 model and the Volvo Sensus infotainment system in my previous XC60 worked great. It never let me down. The dealer has now asked for the new XC60 to be returned to dealer to have a new TCAM installed. After only two days! This doesn't bode well for a new luxury SUV. Just wondering whether I should have kept my 2020 XC60 instead!!
 
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City
Basingstoke
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Non-US
Country
United Kingdom
What I Drive
2023 XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark
#3
Has anyone else had any TCAM issues on new XC60's or any other Volvo models that they are aware of?

After searching the web, I picked up a post from another forum and noted TCAM issues on other Volvo products including the Polestar. It appears TCAM issues have materialised on XC40's XC60's and a few XC90's with quite a few on the Polestar (Volvo's own sporty BEV). One post adds some clarity on what the "TCAM" is and what its main function is. I found this information quite interesting, so have shared the relevant information below for others who may be interested. Credit for info below goes to jaykresge on reddit platform.

What is the TCAM?
Stands for Telematics and Connectivity Antenna Module, and it's in the "shark fin" on the roof of your car. It basically controls all aspects of digital connectivity - LTE, GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, even your keys. TCAM issues can run the gamut from minor (temporary LTE outage) to severe (can't get into your car or start it). While the severe issue only impacts a SMALL number of users, it's not the sort of issue you want on a road trip.


What vehicles are impacted?
2021-2022 (2023) model years of the below vehicles:

  • Polestar 2
  • Volvo XC40
  • Volvo XC60
  • Volvo XC90
What's causing the TCAM issue?
There are numerous causes of TCAM issues, many of which are software related and can be solved with a reboot or by disconnecting/reconnecting the battery. And these kinds of issues have been around for years in a majority of cars. The purpose of this thread is to focus on a known defect - moisture intrusion due to a degraded or poorly completed seal. You don't need to open anything or have any mechanical expertise. A visual inspection of the base of the roof's "shark fin" will suffice.


What's the fix?
Depends on the brand. Volvo and Polestar are currently handling this in different ways.
Volvo has released a technical service bulletin (TSB) to address it.

Active Service Campaign : A10140 Antenna Cover : Model Year 2021 and 2022 90 Series, XC60 and XC40 Item:A10140-2021-12-09
The fix is to inspect the TCAM, replace if any signs of moisture, and reseal the "shark fin" so that this doesn't happen again. Ideally. As you can see from the TSB, this is recent. Volvo released this to the field on December 9, 2021.
Polestar hasn't yet caught up to Volvo's TSB, so they're still fumbling in the dark. A wide range of advice is given from different resets to bringing it in for a firmware reflash to a full on TSB replacement. The service department gets reimbursed from Polestar/Volvo when they follow directions, so Polestar's techs in the field need this TSB before they can reliably and consistently fix this issue.


I will see what the Volvo dealer say about the TCAM on my 2 day old XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark after I have taken it into them (on 07/02/2023), but I am surprised that a component so obviously critical to the major components and functionality of the car tech has failed so easily and is so vulnerable to moisture. As a British driver, my XC60 is operating in a more temperate climate so even more concerned that the TCAM seems to be failing due to "moisture intrusion due to a degraded or poorly completed seal" which is more of a concern than to our North American or Californian cousins!!
 
Last edited:
Messages
6
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City
Basingstoke
State
Non-US
Country
United Kingdom
What I Drive
2023 XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark
#4
In case anyone was wondering what LTE means, it stands for Long Term Evolution which is a wireless broadband standard (4G or 5G?) and is used instead of wireless (WiFi) connection.
 

wyenot?

New member
Messages
4
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0
City
Hereford
State
Non-US
Country
United Kingdom
What I Drive
XC60 T8 Ultimate Dark PHEV
#5
Sorry to hear your problems. It seems your keys are working so that is slightly different from the information re my car. My Volvo app gives me the facility to un/lock the car just in case, but no problems since the car arrived. I understand the HV battery charges the 12V battery which in turn charges the TCAM battery. Any faults in these circuits or charging might cause a TCAM problem. I would be pleased to hear how you get on after 7 Feb.
 
Messages
6
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0
City
Basingstoke
State
Non-US
Country
United Kingdom
What I Drive
2023 XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark
#6
Interesting info regarding the charging series. As a follow up as I was awaiting the dealer to call me to book the XC60 in for TCAM investigation, I jumped into the car on the Friday morning (03/02/2023) and the full infotainment system was functioning again. The top left corner of the central display showed the tiny letters indicating that the TCAM system was back up and running again. Totally bizarre. Unless there is an intermittent fault with the hardware, it may be down to a software fault? Maybe the dealer instigated a reboot of the system remotely to flush out any software issues? I understand the Google system can do over-the-air updates behind the scenes. In my experience, electronic components either operate or fail. They rarely flicker’ with faults ongoing. So all is working OK at the moment. I’ll advise if anything changes.
 


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