Volvo Maintenance and Repair

ksargent · June 2004

Greetings,

I was hoping that someone could help me. My stepdaughter has 940 (or 960) turbo with 130K miles or so. She was driving when all of the dashboard warning lights came on. The oil was okay and the temp was ok. It drove so she got it home. Today she drove it - and there were no lights. However it died on her and she couldn't get it going again. Any ideas on what this might indicate?

Thanks
Ken

qbrozen · June 2004

Not sure I could help no matter what, but, just in case, we really need more info. ALL of the lights came on? But the car was still running fine? That in itself, I think, is very odd. So now it died? While she was driving down the road? Or was she stopped at a light? I can only think, based on the present information, that its some sort of electrical malfunction. I would almost think a computer harness came loose. It would account for this erratic behavior. I would check all your harnesses and check all your fuses before going any further.

K9Leader · June 2004

I just picked up a 1993 940 sedan last week as an extra family car that my 16yo son will be driving. It's in great shape with only 97K miles and a lot of nice features.

I have noticed, though, there is no lighting of the gear shifter settings (P R N D 2 1). Does this car just not have lighting there or is it burned out? I haven't had time yet to examine it closely, i.e., start disassembling and exploring, so I thought I would query experienced owners. Thanks for any assistance!

--K9Leader, Newark DE
2000 Subaru Outback Ltd. Wagon (50K)
1998 Toyota Sienna (100K)
1994 Lincoln Mark VIII (105K)
1993 Volvo 940 (97K)

bw1stvolvo · July 2004

I bought a 97 850 GLT two years ago, ran beautifully, regular maintenance maintained. now I am experiencing problems such as AC ($1200), ABS ($600), and other major repairs totalling approx. $3000. Is this normal? I understand that Volvo repairs can be costly but is this normal?...thanks for your advice

qbrozen · July 2004

how many miles does it have? what other major repairs? The ABS/Tracs problem is normal on these cars, unfortunately (but, with a little research and elbow grease, this may have been fixed for $130 if it was a matter of replacing your module). The A/C ... well, depends on what the problem was, but I can't even count how many people I know who've had to have their A/C fixed, regardless of manufacturer.

shishi · August 2004

since we purchased the C70 in February two of the rims have cracked and needed to be replaced. The Volvo tech mentioned that the 17" alloys were not meant to be driven in New England weather/road conditions. From what I have been able to gather from other messages, changing to 16" steel rims will not only solve this problem but improve handling especially in winter. Is this true? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

qbrozen · August 2004

switching to 16s will NOT improve handling and the only way it will improve winter driving is with a set of snow tires (which you could get on the 17s anyway, so it doesn't make a difference).

Personally, I'd attribute the problem to weak wheels (unless you're really plowing into those potholes at full speed). However, 16s will help cut down on the problem since it will allow you to have more sidewall absorbing the bumps, and it will soften the ride with the right tires. But, they don't necessarily need to be steel. The steel won't crack, but they can still bend.

shishi · August 2004

Thanks for the reply. Since I posted this message we lost another rim AND two tires had blown sidewalls. That makes 2 rims and 3 tires in the past 2,000miles under normal (NO potholes) driving. I don't really think that is reasonable. Am going to see if Volvo can take the car back for another model. Anybody have a contact at Volvo who they felt was reasonable to work with?

lev_berkovich · August 2004

Did you try your dealer and 16" wheels?

I would make that Volvo tech you quoted, responsible for his own comments and replace the rims and the tires.

However, I would re-evaluate my driving style too, if I would be you.

I have driven my S80 on 16" alloy rims to the Mammmoth lake (ski resort) for total more than 2000 miles of snow/winter/mountain driving and never ever have blown tires or cracked rims.

funtodrive · August 2004

Can someone help me learn the mileage at which the timing chain on a 2001 2.4T is to be changed? The car does about 18,000 mile a year, 50/50 between interstate for distances of less than 15 miles and city/suburban driving.

Thanks

qbrozen · August 2004

its a timing belt, actually. If it were a chain, it wouldn't need replacement (unless something went horribly wrong). Anyway, the volvo maintenance schedule says 105K miles for replacement of the belt on all 2001 S60 models. If you don't have the owner's manual, you can always check info like this at the volvocars.us website.

ernests · September 2004

i have a 1994 940 turbo wagon with 150K miles. the engine crashed and died. (no fluids, although they had been checked regularly -- regardless of what my spouse thinks)
the dealer wants $4.5K to replace the engine. so i am thinking i should look around -- even at a new car
i do not like SUVs so the other option is to look beyond a volvo at a minivan
or should i just buck up and replace the engine?

qbrozen · September 2004

The car is really not worth it, is it? I mean, can't you find a '94 volvo, possibly with lower miles, for less than that? I know, for instance, the trade-in on my '98 S70 T5 is like $5500 or so (I'm half guessing cause it was $7K not too long ago). How about asking around independent volvo shops? $4500 seems like an awful lot for replacing an engine.

jonjulie · September 2004

Gthomaspa...I am having similar starting troubles...The dealer reccomended replacing immoblizer transponder, key and antenna ring (something to do with key signal not matching up with antitheft system in car....That's where they wanted to start for the tune of 770.00 What did you end up doing to fix your start problems?

tomd2 · October 2004

I purchased the Volvo navigation system with my XC90 and am using the 2003 v2 software. I find that it is not nearly as detailed as Microsoft Streets and Trips (for $40) and it is not unusual to have navigation route errors.

I am looking for replacement software that is more accurate and detailed but don't know what would work with the DVD system installed in the car.

lev_berkovich · October 2004

It is really surprising, consider that both, Microsoft and Volvo, utilize the same data sets from GDT and Navtech, and that data in the Streets and Trips is somewhat limited even compare to the Microsoft $300 Map Point.

I am curious what kind of details are missing in the Volvo version?

lcd1 · October 2004

Our S70GLT '98 with 61K miles just had a $1600 AC job. Other repair and maintance made the bill $2323.55. Even our Volvo dealer said the AC problem is common but Volvo is has not issued a recall. Another independent shop said the same thing. We should have bought a Lexus.

qbrozen · October 2004

can you describe the AC problem? I also have a '98, so I'd like to hear about it before it happens. Mine has almost 100K now and no climate problems whatsoever so far. Is it just on the GLT? I'd tend to think not since I see no reason to change AC systems between models, but who knows.

lcd1 · October 2004

AC slowly lost its capacity to cool. According to the Volvo shop where we took the car in, there was a leak in the evap. A local Volvo dealer repair shop also said the problem is very common.

I called up Volvo customer service to inquire about reimbursement for the AC repair and found out that there were two outstanding recalls on my car. Volvo never sent out any recall notice on them. Luckily, even though it's out of factory warranty, the recalls were still covered.

volvomax · October 2004

Evap replacement is among the most common a/c repairs for any car, not just Volvo.

bwolter · October 2004

The exact same thing happened to my son's Chevrolet and it was a dead alternator. I replaced it myself (it's easy). Went to Pep Boys and bought a new one. After installing the new one, everything worked fine (has been 6 months).

sarasotas70 · October 2004

We had the A/C evaporator coil replaced in '03. This entails removing entire dash and reassembling - a $1200 job. Dash squeaks and rattles started right after. Appears 2 of 4 dash mounting clips broke. Not my fault, says dlr, common Volvo problm, even on new veh's. Clips are molded into dash assembly - a $1600 part, another $1000 labor. Is this so common that no recall or svc bulletin issued?

vestokes · November 2004

I just hit my 100K mark on my 2000 Volvo S40 and am planning to join the high mileage club.

History of my Volvo:
Purchased September 1999.
1999 to 2000 - Issue with "tire inset" (I guess that's what it is called) with Volvo logo on it coming off within the first week of owning the car. Got a free replacement. A third and fourth time during the first 6 months and dealer indicated I had to purchase the fifth.

Had the typical headlight bulb failures. Got 3 lights for free and was charged for the fourth. No more problems with bulbs after 2000.

Discovered the cheap CD player in car skips when you ride over rough road. Also, the speakers are hard to balance when listening to the radio. Hey, didn't I pay for the premium sound system? Man, what a rip-off!!!

Purchased & had Volvo install a cell phone hands-free system with headset built into headrest. Love it.

Noticed the paint job on car is a little faded looking. Interesting. I wonder if I should park in the shade.

I had the brake pad & rotor replacement issues; close to $700 a pop. Unlike other Volvo owners on this forum, I've only had to do this once a year.

Could not have oil changed by quick lube guys 'cause they don't have the right oil filters for my car. Went to dealer and got charged double what quick lube guy would have charged.

2000 - 2001 - Replaced tires. I believe I had over 45K miles at that time.

More brake work and continue with dealer maintenance. I really like my dealer. I guess if you are getting an idiot like me to pay their staggering charges for maintenance, you'd be nice to me too. Though I am now starting to get really teed about this expense. I didn't care much before because as I mentioned above, I like them. Also, though I don't like to brag (wink-wink) I was doing really well financially during the 90's but had to tighten the budget a bit during 2001. Purchased oil filter from the Pep Boys and went to quick lube guy. Miss my dealer. They had Irish Creme creamer for my freshly brewed coffee. They also gave me a 10% discount on maintenance services.

2001 - 2002 - Pretty much issue free. Same brake job work and started going to quick lube to get oil changes. Car rides rough when cold. Not too happy about this but the car is rarely cold with all the miles I'm putting on it.

2002 - 2003 - Not driving car much. Moved closer to job. Allowed nephew to use car. I only drive it on weekends.

Nephew killed my passenger side-view mirror, I have a cracked windshield and scratched paint from rocks and another mishap that scratched paint. Got some of my insurance money recouped less my $250 deductible by opening a claim. Had car repainted and windshield replaced. Car looks pretty slick.

Nephew & sister had all maintenance done on car at dealer. I paid for the brake job.

2003 - 2004
Took car to Midas instead of dealer to get brake work done. Saved $100. Asked why brake pads & rotors had to be replaced so often. Was told that all European and American cars now use softer brake material because we don't like the scrubbing noise of the stiffer material. Drawback is the softer material wears out faster. So, Volvo is not the only auto maker with this issue.

The present - Moved further from job and commuting via bus & train. Car now over 100K but is driven less. Also, purchased a satellite radio and Ipod, so I rarely use the car radio/CD player other than to redirect sound to the speakers.

So, by and large my experience with my Volvo has been pretty good. This is the first car I have owned past 5 years and I don't plan to get rid of it until I have at least 3 high mileage emblems on my grille.

BTW, my dealer is throwing a Customer Appreciation Day next weekend. Irish creme coffee here I come!!!!

qbrozen · November 2004

You might want to consider doing what I did and get aftermarket rotors (both Brembo and Zimmerman make them for my S70) and pads. Yes, the OEM stuff is softer. The aftermarkets do make more noise, but I get far less brake dust and they are holding up far better, so I'll readily take the trade-off.

Also, rather than quick-lube, what about an independent mechanic who specializes in volvo? I found one in the town I used to live in and still drive it to him for the services. Costs about $4 more than quick-lube, but its well worth it since my car requires 7 quarts and the quick-lube puts in 5 quarts no matter what car you are driving (my wife's subaru required 4.5 and they always overfilled it and i'd have to go home and drain half a quart).

but, in any case, congrats on your first high mileage emblem.

naive · November 2004

I recently bough a 2001 S60 with 20,000 miles. Frequently, when accelerating, the RPMs race to the 4-5 range but the car does not accelerate. In fact, it seems to be in a stall. The feeling only lasts a few seconds, I back off the accelerator, and the engine seems to adjust. The dealer has not found anything wrong with the car, but I know there's a problem. Anyone have any info regarding this problem?

s60 · November 2004

Hello, I own a Volvo S60 that I purchased in Aug. 2001, it has 12,000 miles. So far, the keys had been recalled and fixed, the heater fan was recalled and fixed, I had to replace all the rear lights, the left-side rear door locks had to be fixed, the cable to release the right-side rear seat had to be fixed three times and I had to bring it in twice because the breaks squeak. The Service Department told me that the disks on the breaks are glazed because I dont drive the car enough. In fact that has been their answer for all the problems. Could you please tell me your HONEST opinion regarding my Volvo? Thank you.

qbrozen · November 2004

i can buy that excuse for the brakes, but none of the other problems. All in all, though, for 4.5 years of service, that list doesn't sound all that bad. That 3x rear seat cable fix sounds like service department error to me. Kind of an odd problem to begin with, so 3 times is REALLY strange (hence my conclusion).

memphisprime · November 2004

Hello, I am a 26 year old car enthusiast who never considered buying a volvo till the introduction of the S60 R. I have had a infiniti Q45 for the past decade and it was time for a new vehicle. After my experience with the Q45 I had made up my mind not to buy another rear wheel drive car. I live in the north east and sometimes the weather can cause problems. I wanted something with AWD, a manual transmission, and I was hoping for European engineering. I considered Audi, BMW, VW, MB, and Volvo. In the end I found volvo was the only car manufacturer that gave me everything I wanted at the price I wanted without compromise. I saw the new 2005 S40 before it was released at the NY auto show and had decided this would be my next car. I immediately went to the dealer to see about pricing and availability. This was back in march of 2004. I was told the car would not be released till the summer. I returned in June only to discover it was a 2004.5 model that was released and the awd six speed was not coming till the fall as a 2005 model. I pre-ordered and waited 3 month to get my car. When I finally got it I was very pleased. It was Just what I had ordered, a 2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD w/ the six speed manual in Passion red w/ black leather and fully loaded with premium options. One month later I went to start my car and A message said steering wheel locked turn wheel and try again. I could not start the car. I had to have it towed to the dealership where the mechanics were at a loss, They contacted the engineers in europe and were told to change the ignition chip. Still the car would not start, then they replaced the entire steering column and finally we have ignition. I saw a consumer report article that said all the high end cars like volvo and bmw were full of problems due to the computer systems. It said the manufacturers are putting too many high tech gizmos in these cars and the computer often fails. They said the more gadgets in the car the more likely hood of problems. The best cars are the simple ones they say. Anyway I just got my car back and I am worried I will experience more problems. My car has less than 2k miles and already I have had a problem, so whats next? Has anyone else experienced this?

Kind Regards,

James

twinspeed · December 2004

My S40 is two months old and all is well.

My one issue, is that the CD player does not play any personal (burned) CD's.

All of our family cars and makes have no problem.

The dealer says many people complain about this, but offered no solution.

Can this thing be programmed or tweaked???

Thanks

tmart · February 2005

I have the 17 inch Propus wheels on my C70 convertible. They are beautiful when clean but a real PITA to keep clean due to brake dust. I've considered "dustless" pads, like from IPD, but my service advisor didn't recommend it because the harder pads could warp the rotor. Also considered dust shields, but he said basically the same thing, that the shields would interfere with the air flow cooling the brakes and could cause warping. He gave the "company line" and recommended I keep using the Volvo pads. Any suggestions???

volvomax · February 2005

Just keep cleaning your wheels.

tmart · February 2005

So, you're using the company line too. It's really interesting that my wife's ES300 wheels don't get dirty. Wonder what Lexus/Toyota knows that Volvo doesn't?

qbrozen · February 2005

i suggest aftermarket pads and rotors. that's how i solved the problem.

volvomax · February 2005

Simple, Lexus doesn't use a soft brake pad.

European cars use softer pads because they disperse heat better.

Euro cars are mean't to run @ higher speeds than japanese ones. Therefore their braking systems have to be better. If your brake pads heat up a condition called brake fade occurs. Brake fade means that your brakes are less effective. Stopping distances become longer. Dangerous if your racing, possibly fatal in traffic.

carbert · February 2005

I'm looking at a 2005 S40, and am interested in learning whether the brushed aluminum inlays are easy to scratch.

lev_berkovich · February 2005

If they are from the same metal as on XC90 - they are not. Look very cool.

carbert · February 2005

I don't know whether they are the same. When I spoke with OSD, I asked whether they could leave the wood grain effect out of the premium package for me, and she told me they couldn't. I mentioned that the wood effect looked really, really tacky, and asked why it was part of the premium package. She told me that people complained that the aluminum scratched easily. I asked her more about that, and she repeated that that is what people complaining about. I got the impression she didn't believe it was a problem.

And why do they put that fake wood in there anyway? Does anyone think it looks attractive?

lev_berkovich · February 2005

You might be surprised but we do. The sparse wooden (or wooden like) trim makes a big difference in appearance.

And I agree with the sales person and do not believe that the scratching IS a problem.

carbert · February 2005

You are the first person I've heard from who likes the wood effect. Everyone I know hates it, including some current Volvo owners who have it.

Apparently there is a kit I can buy to replace it with the brushed aluminum, though it seems crazy to pay for the 'upgrade' from aluminum to wood effect and then again to switch back to the aluminum.

lev_berkovich · February 2005

I am not surprised. I am usually at odds to others.
But jokes aside, I contribute it to the age factor. I always relate the wood to the upscale status. The younger drivers might have different view on it.

tmart · February 2005

Make me number 2. I've got wood (real) on my C70 convertible, and love it. Would not get the metal even if it were an option. Different strokes for different folks.

carbert · February 2005

The age thing makes sense to me. I think the aluminum looks classy. What do you think of the iced aqua? I'd thought it might be an option for me, but after seeing a picture of it, it looked sort of tacky. I should probably try to see it in person, though.

volvomax · February 2005

When we were initially ordering the 2003's for our customers the wood was requested by well over 90% of them.

sparesock · February 2005

PLEASE PLEASE can any one help with a problem with my 340,
why can i not get it to idle ??. i have changed the inlet manifold gasket and the carburetor but to know avail, it will idle if i turn the throttle screw up but then it fluctuates between 500rpm and 1500rpm if you are lucky.????????
please help. mick.

carjar · March 2005

Just a question. I recently purchased an S80, which is a great car. However, this winter I have gotten stuck in the snow 3 times. I am driving with all season tires. When I get stuck, I have tried getting out with the car in both the "W" mode, and just in drive. Neither seems to do the trick, I have had to have people push me out of the snow all 3 times. Is it better to put the car in "W" or just drive, am I doing something wrong? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

volvomax · March 2005

Yes, don't get stuck

Seriously, there isn't much you can do if you do get stuck. 4WD's can get stuck in snow.
Perhaps you can drive a little slower and more cautiously.

qbrozen · March 2005

get better tires.

ryryry · March 2005

I have a XC90, 2005. The windshield washer fluid does not work when temperature is below freezing. I was scared to death when I was driving on the highway from Boston.
Took it to the dealer 3 times. Still not fixed.
Did anybody else have a similar problem?
(The headlight washing fluid comes out well all the time.)

saras850 · March 2005

My daughters 1993 850 started and she accidentally rolled foward into a small tree. The engine turns over great, but will not start. I know that there is no inertia switch in this car. Has anyone else experienced a similar situation?

qbrozen · March 2005

that's strange. Was there any damage to the car?

maybe a dumb question, but she did put it back in park after hitting the tree before trying to start it again, right? (its actually not THAT dumb because I've had 2 people tell me their cars wouldn't start only for me to find out they didn't have it in park)

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