We have a 2008 S80 with keyless entry. Today, it decided it wouldn't recognize my keyfob for unlocking, although it was fine with starting the car. I found, in further tests, that I could use the lock/unlock buttons; and then it started recognizing the keyfob for unlocking by pulling the handle on a door and locking by pushing the buttons. So the keyfob probably needs a new battery.

But the puzzling part, and what has me posting here, is that it was locking by itself when the keyfob was 20 feet away, inside the house. I was cleaning the windows (the tree over the driveway drops pitch this time of year), and the car was randomly locking up. I thought maybe I was butt-locking it, so put the keyfob in the back entryway = and the car locked itself again, a couple of times.

I am puzzled.

We always hope the problem happens before the warranty runs out :)

One of the querks with the Volvo locking system... if a locked car is unlocked and a door is not opened, it will lock itself again in about 30 seconds or so.

As you already know, once the pine sap gets baked on to the roof and hood, it is quite hard to remove. It can also do a number on the wiper blades if not wiped off first. Wax the roof, hood, and trunk while in the shade, but not under that tree!


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My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat

It is probably the security module that is acting up. Not a cheap fix. The security module has its own small battery and will eventually leak onto the circuit board, destroying the board.

Or it might just be a stuck remote. To check this, use your other remote and take the battery out of the current one.

Or, it might be a bad lock relay.

Are there any messages on the left side of the instruments?

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My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat

Klaus,

Thanks for the helpful, if slightly scary, information. The problem has not occurred again (so far); although this is my wife's, not my, daily driver, I have driven it somewhat, and I was cleaning pitch off the bodywork again today, this being the season that our cedar tree throws pitch like it's weeping for the world; so there have been opportunities for it to act up again. But it hasn't.

The indicator lights to the left of the instruments are all lighting at startup and then going out, and there are no messages in the center of the tachometer, where the information messages appear.

I hope to change the battery in my remote today. Then we'll just watch it. The car's still under warranty until September, so, if there is an issue, it'd be nice to have it surface soon.