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Hope this helps!
Next day it returned. And occasionally (about every 5th start) all gauges go dead and no electronics work- no a/c, blower, computer, nothing.
Dealership doesn't seem to know what is wrong and have taken 2 days to try to fix problem so far. Anyone with similar problem or ideas to help?
Thanks and regards... Barry Sharp
Thanks
I was skeptical of this arrangement when I first got it, but it works wonderfully! Very quick on and off, and no interference with the doors, like normal universal aero mount towers.
Useful addition-4 lock cores, 1 for each tower, available at any Thule dealer.
Disadvantage - the rails have 1 meter of clear mount space, and don't extend beyond the towers. so forget about putting 6 bikes on top.
But that's what you have the wagon for, no?
SS
The mylar treatment which is almost invisible to the untrained eye includes protecting the wheel arches and door edges with a much thinner mylar application. The dealer outsources the work to a trained technician and will cost about $300.
What do others think about this investment?
Thanks in advance and regards... Barry Sharp
Any comment
The parts person did say however that requests for S80 headlights are few and far between. The ones he does get requests for are usually for S80s involved in collisions. He indicated that he gets about ten requests for the 70 series headlights each week and that they are far more prone to damage.
The S80 headlight glass supposedly is thicker and stonger and because of their position do not suffer the same plight as the 70 series.
Based on the $400 replacement cost I'm investing in the 1/8" thick mylar facing for my headlights.
BTW the parts man said in general he gets very few requests for S80 part items to replace day-to-day wear and tear -- a good sign I think.
One last thought before picking my car up tomorrow. As I'm opting to have the 4-CD built-in changer and surround sound I'd like to hear back on whether anyone has had CDs stuck in the unit, and if so how was it resolved?
Thanks in advance and regards... Barry Sharp
broeux
How long did you wait to wax your car? Do you really have to wait 6 months? I am picking up my T6 at the end of July through the OSD. I plan on touring Sweden and Norway for 2 weeks. Do I have to constantly be worried about bird sh** for those 2 weeks and beyond?
I've heard that the Nautic Blue paint is particularly suceptible to discoloration, so I would lke to wax the car ASAP.
Thanks.
My guess is that there has been some confusion as to waxing vs. polishing. Polish is much more abrasive and should not even be needed on new paint. I wouldn't polish in less than six months.
As it turned out, after getting the car back home in late December, we had very mild weather for the next several months, and weekly washing and spraying with Maguiar's Quick Detailer and, eventually, Pinnacle Crystal Mist carnauba wax, kept the car looking so fine it just didn't need a full wax job. Finally, after about 5 months or so, I did do a Pinnacle Souveran wax job on it. The nautic blue is splendid with a good waxing.
I have not noticed that the nautic blue is subject to discoloration at all. I just keep the car very clean, and I carry terry towels and Pinnacle spray in the trunk and clean off bird jazz and bugs about as soon as they hit. But I would do that with any car, not just out of fear of the fragility of the Volvo paint.
Some early posters here stated they had paint discoloration from bird droppings, but no one recently has mentioned it, to my knowledge. Here in Louisiana, we have more to fear from "love bug" innards, which are very acidic and will eat right through the best paint on any car in fairly short order.
On your tour of Sweden and Norway just have some water or, preferably, one of the sprays mentioned above and some rags handy to keep it cleaned up. The wax spray is extremely gentle and will put a slippery substance between a contaminant and the paint, preventing or minimizing and surface scratching, provided you soak it and then wipe gently, then turn the cloth and buff.
Good luck and enjoy your trip. It should be a blast in that new Swedish road rocket. Just watch out for police in the bushes with radar guns (so I was told)! And the following tip is free: take along your own wash cloths, if you are accustomed to using them at home, because in Sweden, particularly outside of Göteborg, they DO NOT know what a wash cloth is. They don't even have a name for it, in Svenska or English. Some hotel rooms will have one, some none. And if you ask the front desk for one, they will not know what you want. They may know it as a "small towel." Or they may simply look at you like your an alien!
broeux
I have had my Nautic Blue 2.9 just short of a year, and I waxed it the first weekend I owned it, other than a shopping cart ding the paint is in fine condition.
In all the time I have read this forum or others I have yet to see a message from a distraught owner saying that they had waxed the paint off their car. Wax it in good health, if it ever needs polishing turn it over to the pros.
Do others have any specific advice about inpsecting some items more than others.
Thanks and regards... Barry Sharp
Anybody know the difference.
Also, Broeux, what was the name of the cleaner you use on the Arrakis? The wheels are in desperate need of attention.
I loaned my car to the owner of my company today. He is driving to Malibu to visit our newest acquisition and his car is in the shop. He was acting like a kid in a candy store. Maybe I'll get a promotion out of this!
Thanks for any input.
Kathy
broeux
Unfortuately, the local auto parts store does not carry these products. I must order them from the internet (Autopia).
Steve
With the sunroof pkg, cold weather pkg, stability/traction control and 17" wheels, looks like invoice is roughly $36500 vs MSRP of $40200.
Any good stories lately of what is considered a solid deal these days? (I have 5 dealers within 30 mins of my NJ home.)
Many thanks.
Greg
Here's a link to Autopia for this and other "fine" cleaning products mentioned in this board: http://www.store.yahoo.com/autopia/index.html
use the navigation menu on the left for areas you're maintaining to spotlight the specific products.
2. AM reception: You've given only hints of what the actual problem is and the various culprits. Consider the following:
(A) Metallic ("high performance") window films WILL interfere with AM reception. Antenna is on the rear window alongside the defroster; with this information I had non-metallic film put on my rear window and metallic films on the side windows so as to not interfere with AM (successfully). Also, new to the car is the 'warm weather' package which apparently includes infrared-deflecting (IR) films which have been reported to interfere with the navigation system. Don't know if your car has this feature and/or if IR film is mounted on rear so as to also interfere with AM reception.
(B) Wiring system on this car has been compared to aircraft wiring. Cell phone installations (without any prewiring, anyway) need to be done by people experienced with these cars. You mentioned a LoJack installation, also, which I'm sure should have the same expert familiarity. I'm no auto electrician, but is it possible that the LoJack (which uses your cell phone, no?)/cellular power feed was tapped off an unshielded source circuit (winshield wipers? A/C fan? maybe tying to one loosened the other) which, without RF filtering, is generating RF and looping it back into the vehicle's ground, where AM tends to be most sensitive? Try elimination...have the LoJack and cellular phone disconnected (not just powered down, but power taps pulled) and see if the problems persist. Maybe have them reinstalled, either by the dealer if it was originally done at an aftermarket shop, or by ANOTHER dealer if dealer-performed. Read through posts here...your profile says you're in California, there's mention of several reputable dealers, maybe you can find one who will (re-)install these accessories.
Anyway, good luck and happy driving.
Kathy
Re: Waxing etc. I have used the "One Grand" products on both of my volvos. They are GREAT products. Our dark blue 850T has 144k miles on it and the cleaning and waxing products did an amazing job. Two of their better products are the glass cleaner (HIGHLY recommended) and the Blitz Wax. This is the first time I've paid so much attention to body maintenance. If you use the preparation and wax products properly, you will find that using the non-sudsing cleaner once a week or so enables you to maintain the wax finish. The last time I cleaned the 850, I only needed water to remove the road grime. The One Grand Blitz Wax is really good stuff and lasts for 3- 6 months per applicaiton.
RE: 7,500 mile service. I paid $30. Why? I looked at the manual and realized that it included an oil and filter change. Having owned the 850T for six years, I am resolved to doing what's required, but not taking the Volvo Service guidelines to heart. These cars are designed to last. They should perform well with regular fluid and filter changes and completion of the major services, such as adjustments etc. I put 5,000 miles on the first five weeks of ownership. They won't see me at the dealershhip. I'll use the local Volvo Shop I've used since 1994 when I reach a major service inteval (E.g. 22,000 miles) To that end, I spoke with my mechanic about oil. In his 22 years of servicing Volvos he's NEVER rebuilt an engine as a result of lubrication failure linked to using "regular" oil. The Southwest Research Institute here in San Antonio tests oils extensively. None of the data supports the use of high end oils. As a result, I went with his recommendation of good old Quaker State 10W40. I do change it every 5000 miles, versus 7,500. And my car is running great.
Over the weekend, we read the over 1800 messages on this board. The information was invaluable. THANKS everyone for your important contributions. We felt better armed to meet the evil forces of consumer ignorance that the dealers have relied on for so many years. We knew more about the car its options and mechanical issues than the sales folk did.
The loyal owner program was too good to pass up. Since we keep all of our Volvos for 10 years, it was nice of VNA to eat some of the initial depreciation. We now have a big sister for our 1995 Regency Red 850 Turbo Wagon and its half brother our 1994 Electric Red Ford F250 Heavy Duty Pickup. [Yikes, we've accidently become a Ford Family....bite thy tongue wench!]
Now all we need to know is the build date of our S80 so we can see if the rear headrests drop and if the infamous O-ring bushing fix is in place and if the other little niceties Volve keeps dropping are present or not.
Our dealer service manager says that they use regular and NOT synthetic oil. That suits our pocket book just fine. Now if I could just find cheap hitest for the ponies......
Anxiously awaiting Saturday...Gina
Thanks
Geoff
gdb@med.pitt.edu
Any opinions out there?
I have the 2.9. It's more than adequate for U.S. needs, and doesn't have the problems of the overpowered T6. The 2.9 is the largest engine that the S80 frame really works well with.
On the other hand, the sports seats in the T6 are much more laterally supportive than the 2.9's. But the 2.9 has a softer ride and less road noise over rough pavement.
SS
Good luck! I love my machine. rld.
The difference that stood out the most to me was that the 2.9 had more engine noise during acceleration and was more likely to kick down to the next lowest gear than the T-6 with it's extra torque. Still, when the 2.9 kicked down the car did not hesitate to get up and go. In a way, the 2.9 gave the impression of sportiness because the engine would growl more and the transmission would kick-down while, under the same conditions the T-6 would remain very quiet and composed.
Shauns, I didn't get the opportunity to drive the 2.9 on really rough roads but am curious what you attribute this statement to:
"But the 2.9 has a softer ride and less road noise over rough pavement."
Do you feel there is less road noise on rough pavement due to a softer suspension?
I have heard the 2.9 has a softer suspension but I do not recall that impression during my drives. If anything, my 2000 T-6 gave the impression of being quieter and having a smoother ride (at least on normal roads).
MMullen
Anybody hear of such a problem?
We went to the Volvo museum and on the factory tour. Both were enjoyable but I particularly enjoyed the factory tour (english speaking tour at 1:00 pm).
While on the tour they mentioned the top speed of the S40-T4 so I asked about the S80-T6. I was told that there is a "Gentlemans Agreement" among auto manufacturers (he mentioned Audi, BMW, and Mercedes) to regulate the top speed of the cars to 150 mph (not that I plan on testing the 150 mph).
They told me that the deliver date would be August 1, because I got a 2001 model.
For those of using the OSD program, make sure before you go that you call the factory deliver center and they will arrange for a taxi to take you from the airport to the hotel and later from the hotel to the factory deliver center.
The weather was beautiful, about 78 F with low humidity. Many restaurants have outdoor dining this time of year. The public transportation is very good in Goteburg and I recommend buying the Goteburg card which includes use of the public transportation and free entry to several museums. I also recommend you take the Padden boat tour.
New for 2001, they added to the seat position memory the side view mirror position and the leather seat/sunroof option was now standard.
I am so jealous! I can't wait to pick up my T6 in Sweden on July 31.
Where did Volvo put you up and how was it? What was bad about the flight? I am on SAS and have horrible layovers. Just curious.
Thanks for the tips.
Paul
Any other information available?
If you're financing, your APR will be higher on the used car, and no incentives will be available. (Volvo's running some loyalty and year-end incentives right now, you may want to double-check what it would take to get you into a new one...)
I've always preferred a new car from the maintenance standpoint, setting aside any major failures (get an extended warranty), but at 11,000 miles the differences are so great (a la new tires, ever-increasingly-expensive service intervals, and that new-car smell versus what-in-the-hell-died-under-the-seats smell).
Enough mall parking garage in-and-outs will remind you why not to buy a coupe.
Good luck!
2 very different cars, and it really depends on what you're looking for. The performance difference was less than I expected. The CL is quicker off the line but so was the TL, and those two didn't seem all that different, both of which I think are bested by the T6. In terms of ride, both were very nice rides over all pavements, CL was tighter but stiffer, the S80 was smoother overall. Ergonomics was the biggest difference in my mind, and the S80 won that category big. I liked the S80's layout the first time I saw it, and instantly did not like the CL's. Climate controls, radio, cruise control, tach and speedometers all make sense in the S80, both in terms of how they work and where they are, not so in the CL (for me). Plastics seemed very cheap.
I went in preparing to be wowed by the performance of the CL. I didn't seriously expect to trade as I would have gotten killed by the initial depreciation, but I came out completely underwhelmed and even happier with my car.
As far as reliability, I had the bushing problem, fixed @ ~3000 miles with no recurrence, other than that the only issue was with the technician improperly completing the bushing fix and that led to another couple of false problems which were fixed at the next visit when they properly completed the fix.
Broeux
Do I understand correctly that you picked up a 2001 S80 T6 in Sweden in early July? I was told that 2001 S80s would not be available that early. Thanks.
Road noise amplitude and spectrum were directly related to the size and brand of tires used. Short sidewall, large wheel diameter tires were worse.
On the 2.9/T-6 comparisons, the T-6 had perceptibly louder road noise than the 2.9, and a rougher ride. The S80 is not particularly good at road noise isolation, averaging in the low 70dBC range at 70MPh against mid-sixties for its competition. My measurements of my 2.9 show that with the standard 16" 55-series tires and wheels, about 70-72dBC is typical, with 75dBC obtained on my rough road. The T-6 was about the same on smooth road, with about 78-80dBC on the rough road.
The car has almost 26,000 miles on it, but I've driven other cars into the ground without ever having a tie rod go. Obviously, I'm concerned because had the thing let go on the road at speed, I could be shy one of my front wheel assemblies.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
- Jim