General Volvo Non-Model Specific Discussion

Feature my ride Mark forum as read and return

Hello, I've just bought a V70 D5 (185) and am looking for a good remap for the car, I like the idea of these portable ones you can switch back to the original map and update from the companies websites but was looking for peoples experiences of them to make my decision as to which one to go for. Have tried searching for the topic but didn't find much. all help appreciated

Danny

I was surfing for Volvo parts suppliers and came across this.

http://discount-volvo-parts.swedishpartsshop.com/about/

She is just off the scale!

I have a 1992 volvo 940 turbo. I have always have heard how great volvos are and that they run forever, but have to admit that this thing is killing me. I have friends who are mechanics but they won't touch the volvo which leaves me spending a lot of money at dealership for repairs PLUS is a pain getting it in there. Anyone know of a mechanic in wichita kansas area that works on volvos? Tonight it would not start after a trip to the store, tried jumping it but nothing....needless to say, it is still in the parking lot at the store and to be honest I am about to sell the thing!! HELP!!!

Hey everybody, M3dragon thinks that I am being unfair for not allowing him to advertise his events on our forum. So the question is this, does everybody want him to post his events on the forum or not. I asked nicely and am being lambasted by him and others, who shall remain nameless (driveling little &%^&*%%, name yourselves) anyway, for or against. I am staying out of this, my opinion is known. nothing against M3dragon, just don't think that it should be here. Thanks.

Power steering pumped groaned. Replaced. New one groans a little less loudly. Barely noticeable at idle, VERY noticeable while turning steering wheel. If the car is not moving and the wheel is slightly turned, a very slight pulsating is felt along with the groan. Mechanic and owner are scratching heads. Any thing we overlooked?

No-one knows why - for at least 20 years someone has been hoarding Volvo cars of all types… he’s known to everyone who exits the A1 at Eaton Socon as Volvo Man!

http://www.flyinglobe.com/2006/03/06/volvo-man/

Because existing sources of auto reliability information left much to be desired, in late 2005 I started conducting my own reliability research at TrueDelta.com. TrueDelta reports absolute stats like "trips to the shop" that make the differences between cars much clearer. Results are updated four times a year, so any significant changes in a model's reliability become apparent quickly.

A model / model year combination is added to the survey whenever 25 or more owners have signed up to participate. So far this includes a few years of the S60 and V70, the current S40 and V50, and the 2003-2007 XC90. But in all cases the sample sizes are marginal, and additional participants are very much needed.

Participants simply report repairs the month after they occur on a one-page survey. When there are no repairs, they simply report an approximate odometer reading four times a year, at the end of each quarter.

To encourage participation, panel members receive full access to the results for free.

For the details, and to help get your model year fully included:

Vehicle reliability research

hi,
i have the prancing moose sticker on each side of the car above the side marker and just put another moose sticker on the back which i think looks pretty cool - not sure if it has been around here already, though.

fritz

www.wavolvozone.com, for those interested.

I found this site, http://www.greaseolineplus.com/page2.html
Does anyone have any input on this, where its best to site the input, wether it works or not, well anything really.
Grendel

"I am looking at purchasing a used, high mileage 2002 C70 which has had the the drivers side leather replaced. I had a 98 C70 which had leather wear issues so I don't believe this was the result of a wreck. I am concerend that the SIP's will function properly - some require special threads placed in a certain manner in the inseam - Do you know if this is true with Volvo's?"

I have a 2002 S60 and I'm looking for suggestions for a good Volvo mechanic or repair center in North San Diego.

Immediate issues:
- need tune up
- front end alignment issues / tire wear
- front left headlight module broken
- minor body damage

I am always leery of going to dealerships, and believe I am being overcharged.
It would be great to find a reputable mechanic or repair place that was good with Volvo's and was semi-close.

Thanks,
Dan
danhyte@gmail.com

Ok this probably sounds like an idiotic question. I feel like an dork for not being able to figure this out.

Where is the reading level on the oil dipstick? There are no words or prominent markings. There is a criss cross pattern etched towards the bottom (pointed end) but it looks different than the picture in the manual. If I recall correctly my old car (Mazda) had the words literally etched on (Max, Min).

2001 S40. Thank you!

I've four locking wheel nuts but the adapter is missing: anyone know how to remove the nuts?

I have a 6 pin volvo maf, Bosch #0280212016, it seems that it's used in 700 and 900 series volvo's some of which are turbo. I've tried searching in google but all I end up getting are prices and rebuild prices for it. I'm hoping that some one has a link to a service manual or something like this.
My dad had it just laying around and I need to upgrade the maf on my nissan 240sx to turbo it, and it seems like this maf might work. Anyways thanks for any help you give me!

Also if any one has the pin out data for the ECU on a volvo 760 that would help a lot as well!

my dream volvo would be a 1984 volvo 242 or 244 with a v8 twin turbo conversion dual exhaust (muscle car exhaust note) manual transmission. decked out in jet black paint, black interior....i mean everything in leather dash, panel, steerin wheel, head rests. etx. awesome alpine cd player, 8 alpine speakers, 2 alpine type x subs. tinted windows. awesome 18 inch racing wheels. hahaha thats my dream volvo...

Took this a couple weeks back. Still going strong!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uUzwBlvZo4w

Is it considered sissy to get a pair of those mechanics gloves with the knuckle armor and griptastic palms?

I really want a pair but I don't want the other DIY'ers to laugh at me.

Does anyone have anything to say or have any first hand experience with the ECU upgrades that this company offers ?

http://www.bsrab.se/

Dave in Australia

Wanted to take this opportunity to wish all a happy holiday season. Hopefully all your wishes come true. Have a safe (Oh, that's right, we all drive Volvo's so of course we'll have a safe time on the road ) time.

Hello everyone.
(This is just my personal opinion gained from personal experience)
I've just just had the misfortune to have had my car "serviced" by STAFFORD SWEDISH CARS a so-called specialist. I asked them to service my 2.0T S60 and give it a quick check over.
A figure of approx. £165 was agreed over the phone, so I dropped my car off leaving instructions to call me if any other work needed doing .
4 hours later they phone me to pick it back up and tell me it's going to cost £299!!!
When I asked what was covered by this price they told me this:

Oil and filter, Sump Washer, Screen Wash, Spark Plugs, Pollen Filter.

Then they told me that £165 only covered an oil change!!!
What a f*****g rip-off. How can they justify that? £40 for oil £7 for a filter and £1.50 for a sump washer.
That leaves over £100 for the labour? I don't think so!
In the end I told them to remove the plugs and the pollen filter and I ended up paying £187!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The moral of the (sorry it's so long) story is: Don't take you car to a dodgy "specialist" when you can get the same thing done at a Volvo dealer for the same money.
My advice to anyone in the midlands area is to avoid Stafford Swedish Cars at all costs unless you fancy having your wallet emptied and your pants pulled down!

End of Rant!!
Cheers, Daz.

Not to be critical of Volvo which is a good and safe car, but compared to some of the Hondas I've owned and friends Toyotas, Acuras and Lexuses, there seems to be far more problems.

I'm new to New England and I am looking for an independent Volvo specialist around the Hartford Connecticut area. Does anyone have any suggestions or know someone who might? I like to have other opinions in addition to those of the dealers.

Thanks in advance!

I have a 2004 C70 with 6K miles left on the original 50K miles warranty. I know these cars are expensive to repair and I'm not mechanically inclined. Could someone recommend an extended warranty package that covers everything the original warranty covered that won't cost more then the car?

I have been driving my 760 GLE for a few years now. Don't get me wrong, I frickin love the thing. I just want something a little more modern. With the ETM problems of the S70, I have decided to look for either a late model 960 or 850 Turbo. My question to all of you is, which is the better model? Which one is more reliable? Which one is cheaper to maintain? Which one has better performance options? I do like RWD so the the 960 is my favorite so far. My only concern is the inline 6 cyl. engine. Is this a reliable engine?
Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, i am a transport design student from huddersfield university. my current project is to design a volvo sleeper cabin truck. i would really like to here what you guys and gals think about the volvo brand as this would really help me understand volvos market ie the people who buy their cars. if you could reply with a couple of sentances explaining what the volvo brand means to you and what you would associate with it i would be very greatfull, many thanks
simon

Hey Everyone,

I'll be doing a major maintenance soon for the first time on a 1994 960 I bought recently. I live in Vancouver BC CANADA. What is your favourite place for buying parts for maintenance?

I also have an address in the US so purchasing online is not an issue for me as well. Any good online retailers you can suggest?

Thanks.

Hey y'all, just had to change my rear tyres as the inner edge of both (about 1 inch) had like totally gone!!!!! Seriously, 1 inch was down to the wire, yet the remainder of the tyre was pretty much ok..

I had the tracking checked and adjusted about 2 months ago so that should be ok.. It seems to me like the wheels must be at some odd angle, but to look at they are fine, although dont really know how to check this.

Any help would be much appreciated, even if only to know what to ask the garage to check rather than them telling me crap and charging me a fortune!!!!

Thanks all,

Jamie

Hi, Volvo fans,

I'm considering buying a car next year for about $5,000. I am seriously considering buying a Swedish car, which should be either a SAAB 900 or some Volvo. As of Volvo, I really like the look of S70, V70 and V70XC and their techincal specs look really good. However, I also realize that $5,000 is not much when it comes to a well maintained vehicle. Plus, I probably won't afford to fix it a lot. That is why I'm also consider buying an 850. I did some research on pricing of Volvos and what I discovered is that it is definitely possible to get a decent S70, V70 or V70XC for $5,000 with 150,000+ miles on them; however, if I stick with an 850, I can get one with only 100,000 -- 120,000 miles with the money that I have. So my question is if it is worth maintenance-wise to get a newer model with more miles on it, rather than an older model with fewer miles?

Also, maybe it's not the right place to ask, but would a SAAB 900 be a better choice for me?

what volvo should i get. i want a sedan... fastest possible.. newer than 2000.. and under $13,000. i have been thinking a s60 t5. anything else?

i also plan on modding it it make it look better and be faster.

oppinions pleeasee

Good morning everybody. Would somebody be kind enough to let me know what the difference between the low Pressure Turbo and the High Pressure Turbo. I believe my S80 2.0Litre is a Low Pressure Turbo. I don't really know what that means.

Any information would be appreciated thank you.

Cheers

Hello all.

I have seen many references to ODBII interfaces to laptops and it would be nice if everyone that had one reports the good bad and the ugly about the package they use.

Owen K

Anyone know the best way to clean stained T-Tec upholstery? Should I use the same products that are used to clean cloth?

Hi everyone, I just bought a 1987 Volvo 240 DL Station wagon. It's a stick with 197,000 miles, and seems to be driving well so far.

Since I don't have a lot of money, can anyone suggest a good (and inexpensive) Volvo specialist I can see in central/northern New Jersey?

Thank you.

COOLANT SENSOR. Usually located on the cylinder head or intake manifold, this sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the engine’s coolant. Its resistance changes in proportion to coolant temperature. Input from the coolant sensor tells the computer when the engine is warm so the PCM can go into closed loop feedback fuel control and handle other emission functions (EGR, canister purge, etc.) that may be temperature dependent.

Coolant Sensor Strategies: The coolant sensor is a pretty reliable sensor, but if it fails it can prevent the engine control system from going into closed loop. This will result in a rich fuel mixture, excessive fuel consumption and elevated carbon monoxide (CO) emissions - which may cause the vehicle to fail an emissions test.

A bad sensor can be diagnosed by measuring its resistance and watching for a change as the engine warms up. No change, or an open or closed reading would indicate a bad sensor.

OXYGEN (O2) SENSOR. Used on both carbureted and fuel injected engines since 1981, the oxygen (O2) sensor is the key sensor in the fuel mixture feedback control loop.

Mounted in the exhaust manifold, the O2 sensor monitors the amount of unburned oxygen in the exhaust. On many V6 and V8 engines, there are two such sensors (one for each bank of cylinders).

The O2 sensor generates a voltage signal that is proportional to the amount of unburned oxygen in the exhaust. When the fuel mixture is rich, most of the oxygen is consumed during combustion so there is little unburned oxygen in the exhaust. The difference in oxygen levels between the exhaust inside the manifold and the air outside creates an electrical potential across the sensor’s platinum and zirconium tip. This causes the sensor to generate a voltage signal. The sensor’s output is high (up to 0.9v) when the fuel mixture is rich (low oxygen), and low (down to 0.1v) when the mixture is lean (high oxygen).

The sensor’s output is monitored by the computer and is used to rebalance the fuel mixture for lowest emissions. When the sensor reads "lean" the PCM increases the on-time of the injectors to make the fuel mixture go rich. Conversely, when the sensor reads "rich" the PCM shortens the on-time of the injectors to make the fuel mixture go lean. This causes a rapid back-and-forth switching from rich to lean and back again as the engine is running. These even waves result in an "average" mixture that is almost perfectly balanced for clean combustion. The switching rate is slowest in older feedback carburetors, faster is throttle body injection systems and fastest in multiport sequential fuel injection.

If the O2 sensor’s output is monitored on an oscilloscope, it will produce a zigzagging line that dances back and forth from rich to lean. Take a look at the waveform on the opposite page - that’s what a technician wants to see when he checks the O2 - think of it as a kind of heart monitor for the engine’s air/fuel mixture.

O2 Sensor Strategies: Unheated one- or two-wire O2 sensors on 1976 through early 1990s applications should be replaced every 30,000 to 50,000 miles to assure reliable performance. Heated 3 and 4-wire O2 sensors on mid-1980s through mid-1990s applications should be changed every 60,000 miles. On OBD II equipped vehicles, the recommended replacement interval is 100,000 miles. The O2 sensor’s responsiveness and voltage output can diminish with age and exposure to certain contaminants in the exhaust such as lead, sulfur, silicone (coolant leaks) and phosphorus (oil burning). If the sensor becomes contaminated, it may not respond very quickly to changes in the air/fuel mixture causing a lag in the PCM’s ability to control the air/fuel mixture.

The sensor’s voltage output may decline giving a lower than normal reading. This may cause the PCM to react as if the fuel mixture were leaner than it really is resulting in an overly rich fuel mixture.

How common is this problem? One EPA study found that 70 percent of the vehicles that failed an I/M 240 emissions test needed a new O2 sensor.

MANIFOLD ABSOLUTE PRESSURE (MAP) SENSOR. This sensor is mounted on or connected to the intake manifold to monitor intake vacuum. It changes voltage or frequency as manifold pressure changes. The computer uses this information to measure engine load so ignition timing can be advanced and retarded as needed. It performs essentially the same job as the vacuum advance diaphragm on an old fashioned mechanical distributor.

On engines with a "speed density" type of fuel injection, the MAP sensor also helps the PCM estimate airflow. Problems here may cause an intermittent check engine light (light comes on when accelerating or when the engine is under load), hesitation when accelerating, elevated emissions and poor engine performance. The engine will run with a bad MAP sensor, but it will run poorly. Some PCMs can substitute "estimated data" for a missing or out of range MAP signal, but engine performance will be drastically reduced.

MAP Sensor Strategies: Some MAP sensor problems are not the fault of the sensor itself. If the vacuum hose that connects the MAP sensor to the intake manifold is loose, leaking or plugged, the sensor can’t produce an accurate signal. Also, if there is a problem within the engine itself that causes intake vacuum to be lower than normal (such as a vacuum leak, EGR valve that’s stuck open or leaky PCV hose), the MAP sensor’s readings may be lower than normal.

THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. Mounted on the throttle shaft of the carburetor or throttle body, the throttle position sensor (TPS) changes resistance as the throttle opens and closes. The computer uses this information to monitor engine load, acceleration, deceleration and when the engine is at idle or wide open throttle. The sensor’s signal is used by the PCM to enrich the fuel mixture during acceleration, and to retard and advance ignition timing.

Throttle Position Sensor Strategies: Many TPS sensors require an initial voltage adjustment when installed. This adjustment is critical for accurate operation. On some engines, a separate idle switch and/or wide open throttle (WOT) switch may also be used. Driveability symptoms due to a bad TPS can be similar to those caused by a bad MAP sensor: The engine will run without this input, but it will run poorly.

MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR (MAF). Mounted ahead of the throttle body on multiport fuel injected engines, this sensor monitors the volume of air entering the engine. The sensor uses either a hot wire or heated filament to measure both airflow and air density.

MAF Sensor Strategies: The sensing element in MAF sensors can be easily contaminated causing hard starting, rough idle, hesitation and stalling problems.

VANE AIRFLOW SENSOR (VAF). The VAF has a mechanical flap-style sensor that is used on Bosch and other import multiport fuel injected engines. The function is the same as a mass airflow sensor, but air pushing against a spring-loaded flap moves a rheostat to generate an electronic signal.

VAF Sensor Strategies: The drivability symptoms for the VAF are the same as those of a mass airflow sensor if the sensor fails.

MANIFOLD AIR TEMPERATURE (MAT) SENSOR. Mounted on the intake manifold, this sensor changes resistance to monitor incoming air temperature. The sensor’s input is used to adjust the fuel mixture for changes in air density.

MAT Sensor Strategies: Problems with the manifold air temp sensor can affect the air/fuel mixture, causing the engine to run rich or lean.

CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. Used on engines with distributorless ignition systems, the crankshaft position sensor serves essentially the same purpose as the ignition pickup and trigger wheel in an electronic distributor. It generates a signal that the PCM needs to determine the position of the crankshaft and the number-one cylinder. This information is necessary to control ignition timing and the operation of the fuel injectors. The signal from the crank sensor also tells the PCM how fast the engine is running (engine rpm) so ignition timing can be advanced or retarded as needed. On some engines, a separate camshaft position sensor is also used to help the PCM determine the correct firing order. The engine will not run without this sensor’s input.

There are two basic types of crankshaft position sensors: magnetic and Hall effect. The magnetic type uses a magnet to sense notches in the crankshaft or harmonic balancer. As the notch passes underneath, it causes a change in the magnetic field that produces an alternating current signal.

The frequency of the signal gives the PCM the information it needs to control timing. The Ha