Let me say at the beginning.......    I LOVE MY V70XC.      That being said, a few days ago I posted about the $300 problem of having to replace a keyless remote fob for my V70Xc...($167 unit + $45 software + $45 labour + tax + $300 +/- (Many thanks to Allen, Glenn and Dave G for their suggestions)

I started thinking (very dangerous, I agree) and recalled that I recently bought a HD receiver with a remote control for $200 complete. I called and asked the cost of the remote if it had to be purchases separately.........$28.95. The remote has 48 buttons, controls the receiver, reprogrammes......does everything but open my car door.  4.......8........30..........80 gig MP3 players are available for a few hundred dollars. Extremely sophisticated gaming consoles Wii, XBox etc are a few hundred dollars. I can navigate around the continent with Garvin or other for a few hundred dollars, far from the $3000+ my car's original owner put into the Volvo system in my V70 7 years ago. (But then it was hi-tech and new)

The question arose...........ta....da.........Why does this little crappy lo tech 3v - 5 buttons controlling  ultra simple applications with little or no technology......a piece of plastic, a little circuit board simpler than a $20 watch..... command an installed price of $300.................ANSWER....BECAUSE VOLVO IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF THIS ITEM IF I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK MY CAR REMOTELY. What a letdown...I might have to actually insert my key as I did with my 1959 DeSoto.....NO F.....'N WAY....this is 2008 and I am going to operate my doors remotely.

Let Volvo take a $2 item and fire it up my consumeristic a.s for $300.......... let them laugh all the way to the bank.........I'll be "cool" and will be able to operate my doors remotely with the cute little flashes of front and reverse lights flick on (at least I don't have to go all the way like the Yank do.....with a horn) to tell all..............I'ME 'COOL'...... I'ME UP-TO-DATE....and those squeaky little Volvo engineers can put out another purchase order for a million "keyless remote fobs" for $1.47 each and grumble that their gross margin will be dropping to only 97.5% when they sell it to the dealer and they will only make another $160 on the item and it's verrrrrrry, verrrrrrrry complicated installation. (The actual installation procedure, I am sure. is guarded by the Swedish Royal Guard).

There was a time when keyless entry was a big thing and people had to pay for this "high tech" security feature. I do think the "cat's now out of the bag"........but no one seems to tell Volvo, and many of the deep-pocketed car owners just genuflect to the shiny V O L V O sign in the service department, as they push forward their American Express card with a big "Thanks John" to the nice man whose main talents include mollifying the customer if he has any doubts about the "bill", and sending him home happily with his newly washed car with the free bottle of cold water  

Anyway, to cut a long story thin, I do love my car, but am pissed off no end when I see the price of some small parts and accessories and the cost of some car repairs.

(A little aside).......It was my wife who ran her fob through the wash, and I haven't in so many word "suggested" that she surely wouldn't feel justified in spending $300 to avoid using the key and the little key switch by the door controls. (Sounds simple doesn't it).  She'll say, "why don't I use the fob during those months with an "r" in them........and then we're off. The banter carries on over several weeks, but ends when I go into my dealer do get the $300 replacement, saying to the "adviser",  "Thanks John, here's my credit card......now where's my nice cold 25 cent bottle of cold water?' (I've been married 46 years and not a hell of a lot really changes)

Regards to all,
Gerry