[BogdanP]

Hi all!
Excellent community work to have this forum so vivid! Happy new year!
Now, the question, a noobish question, I admit:

I own (2 years now) a V40 R design, 2019 (late 2018, marked as 2019). I've randomly seen TFT displays on older v40 models that shows the car and Road Sign Info on the spedometer gauge (see internet picture for referrence)

I can understand that maybe the software of the car does not have these "perks", although what baffles me is that one can assume a newer model means better technology.
My V40 does not have heated steering wheel, nor rear camera, nor front sensors. No parking assist (other than the tail sensors), no lane assist, no BLIS.
I do have Sensus Connect.

And the question: Is there any way I can retrofit/upgrade the TFT to obtain some of the above? Or am I missing any setup of the car? My Internet browsing made me more confused, rather than clearing it out for me.

 

[RS3100]

Don't be baffled. Many of these extras are things that are fitted to higher trim level cars, as a way of persuading customers to purchase the more expensive vehicles. Others have to be selected either individually, or as part of special upgrade packages, that have to be ordered before the car is built, unless you happen to find a used car for sale that was originally built with some or all of those features. To confuse things further, some "extras" may be included as standard specification on particular trim levels built in or after a certain model year, but not in others.

All manufacturers play this "game" as a marketing and sales tool, not just Volvo. Safety related items may trickle down to all cars over time, but it may take many years. I can remember for instance when seat belts were an option, only fitted to cars with higher trim levels as standard, as a sales tool. Heated rear windows were a stick on foil grid that you bought from a parts shop, ditto exterior mirrors, etc.

Volvo will say that if the items were not fitted during production, with few exceptions they cannot be fitted later. Of your list, I think that front parking sensors and the rear camera could be fitted separately by a Volvo dealer. I know that 5 years ago, when I bought my car, rear parking sensors cost £500 to be added by Volvo. I would expect the cost of front sensors to be similar. Now the car is no longer in production, you would have to check with a dealer whether those items are still available as upgrades though. Items such as lane assist and BLIS would require various components on the car to be replaced, and/or additional items to be fitted. As the functions are controlled by electronic control modules, they would also have to be reprogrammed or replaced, often at high cost.

An independent Volvo software program called VDash is capable of programming the car to activate many of the features you mention though. The downside is that you would either have to buy the required parts from Volvo (expensive) or source and fit them yourself from a donor car that already has those features. Some, such as front parking sensors and the rear view camera, can be fitted as aftermarket items from independent suppliers, but they may not interface with the car in the same way as the correct Volvo items. The parking sensors for instance may need a separate display to be fitted on your dashboard, and their own buzzer, as they won't interface with the car in such a way that that infotainment screen and waterfall cluster switch controls them.

The following pages on the VDash website give an indication of what items can be retrofitted using their software, and the requirements to do so. The V40 2013 onwards is a P3 platform car:

Konfigurace

VDASH - Professional Volvo Tool by D5T5.com

d5t5.com

Configuration changes - P3 cars

VDASH - Professional Volvo Tool by D5T5.com

d5t5.com

 

[Lars443]

Welcome man! RS3100 already explained in detail, But the speed icon is only there if you have the Adaptive Cruise Control, BLIS, Lane Assist.
I believe these were sold as a package, It uses the radar to see road signs and thus be able to display it on your screen. Without this camera it cannot do this.
My father has a fully kitted out XC60 CC T5 and i know he has all these features and my V40 D2 does not. i looked it up once and they said its the package.

 

[BogdanP]

Thank you so much @RS3100 and @Lars443 for taking the time to answer my questions! I understand now. And even the Volvo Cars app not working on V40 models makes kind of sense, since they've discontinued the model. Although a "not supported" message would've been more fair.

Anyways, I guess I'll chill and continue to enjoy my car as is for a few more years, until an upgrade in model (XC40 waves at me from a distance).

 

[WGA]

The Volvo app works with cars fitted with "On Call' - and is still working. The Volvo Manuals app is no longer supported but still works on my phone. On Call requires a subscription, and it might not be available in all countries.

 

[driverjgp]

When I enquired about 18 months ago to Volvo about having the reversing camera installed they priced me at £760 for the camera, rear plate to house the camera and enable the software to read the camera (all the wiring and plugs are there), thought it was a bit expensive. Might of had it done if it was a bit cheaper. My wife's Yaris has a rear camera and it's very handy despite it being a small car.

Jason

 

[Tony1]

If this helps, there is a place in Glasgow that can retrofit front and rear (or just rear) cameras to the V40 utilising the existing screen. (for about £320 - the rear cam only is cheaper)

Front & Rear Reversing Camera Volvo V40 V60 S60 XC60 ( 2015-2018 )

Volvo - Front and Rear Reversing Reverse Camera Kit for V40, V60, S60, XC60 ( 2015 to 2018 ) plug and play kit with Fitting Instructions

www.in-car-install.co.uk