Volvo S80

bartonhill · June 2001

My experience has not been great. The wait for loaners is too long. They usually do not have the parts you need, even when you describe the problem at the time of an appointment (requiring two separate visits).
They also have problems getting things to work when they drive the car. I took the S-80 in three times about noise on the moonroof before someone agreed that it needed a new rubber gasket. They beg for you to tell Volvo they are "excellent" but the attitude and experience do not reflect that.

bucky1 · June 2001

Am wondering if anyone can give me some input. I am ready to take my S80 2.9 in for 30,000 mile service. My dealer has quoted $435.00 for this service, which (upon reviewing the list of what they will do) seems pretty expensive. The major services (including parts) include 1.) rotate the tires; 2.) replace cabin air filter; 3.) lube, oil and filter; 4.) replace air filter; 5.) replace spark plugs (at 30,000 miles???); 6.) replace brake fluid; 7.) check and top up all other fluids; 8.) lube doors, hood, trunk, sunroof; and 9.) inspect fuel lines, brake lines, brake pads, etc.

Has anyone had this 30,000 mile service, and what did it cost you. Thanks for your help!

ddelise · June 2001

Here is my recommendation:
Have them do what the Service Book requires - nothing more, nothing less. The 30,000 mile requirements are not that bad on Volvo's, so the price quoted you probably includes many additional items. If you mention this, the service department will continue to try and 'sell' you additional services. But if you insist, you should see the total fall significantly.

mikeh20854 · June 2001

Recently my service light came on. This occurred right after the car had been serviced. Undoubtedly the mechanic failed to reset. I seem to recall seeing on this board (but have no idea how to locate) instructions for resetting this light w/o having to bring it back to the dealer. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

albert123 · June 2001

albert123 · June 2001

Topping up all fluids includes the battery. This will dilute the battery and it may die in a few weeks if its condition is bad. This happened to my S70. I complained to the dealer because they didn't warn me and they acted just like this is supposed to happened when I reported the problem to them. Well, my experience has been reflected in the Volvo online survey.

pagewil · June 2001

We bought our S80 2.9 thru the OSD program last fall. Picked up at the factory was 11/2/2000. The OSD experience was fabulous -- we did not have time for a long trip, so we drove the car to Copenhagen and back and thoroughly enjoyed the paid for trip -- it was a trip I won't forget and would do it again! I would encourage anyone to go that route, even if they can only do a long weekend as we did. It was worth it and alot of fun. We have had no troubles with the S80 and love the car. My only concern has been the running motor after I turn off the car. I remember reading some postings on this, but can't find them. Can anyone tell me what is normal-- I remember the postings as saying it was normal for the motor fan to run and it cooled off the engine or something .... ? I am getting ready to schedule by 7500 check-up and wanted to see if I should have that checked at that time.

jlfox · June 2001

You may be misunderstanding the topping off of the battery. If the water is low, it means that you've lost water due to normal charge/discharge cycles. You must replace this lost water to keep the plates covered. You are not "diluting" the battery if you mean hurting its function in some way. Volvo had problems with their batteries a while ago and added this checking and topping off to the service routines to extend battery life.

landlocked · June 2001

pagewil - I was too impatient to wait for the OSD delivery and purchased my car without. I am thinking that I should have been more patient given the positive comments I've read recently.

I have also noticed that the fan inside the car continues to run after I turn off the car. Last week, we parked the car, went to dinner and returned nearly an hour later to find that the fan was running. The outside temp was probably around 75 degrees farenheit at the time, which didn't seem terribly warm ...

Can anyone who knows about this respond to this post?

Thanks!

jlfox · June 2001

This is a feature not a bug. About 50 mins after turning off the car, the interior fan runs at hi speed (if the A/C was running previously) in order to dry moisture out of the A/C system and thereby prevent mold from forming.

albert123 · June 2001

Joel, thanks for the info. Replacing the lost water should help extend the battery life. But it shortened mine and the dealer seemed very familiar with the problem and simply said "that means the battery is bad and needs to be replaced. BTW, this is a big and famous dealer in the south bay.

jlfox · June 2001

You may be covered by full or partial warranty for the battery. I believe it's 2 years for free replacement and up to four for pro-rated. Look this up in the warranty book to check my recollection. Volvo has a very sophisticated battery tester which tells the tech exactly what to do with the battery, i.e. charge or replace it. In your case those codes may entitle you to a replacement. My 98 S70 battery died an early death too. It was replaced with a Volvo labeled battery which was made in USA.

papadoc1 · June 2001

I HAVE A NOISE ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF MY 2000 S80.
I HAVE HEARD THAT IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE..CAN ANY ONE OUT THERE HELP ME OUT.. THE NOISE IS ANNOYING..

newms · June 2001

2000 Volvo S80 T6, 22,000 miles. Just driving along and the car just died - engine shut off, no power to steering or brakes. Yellow "check engine light" appeared, but no messages. Restarted immediately, and has driven fine without recurring (for a day

)

Major scare! Anyone else experience this? Any thoughts?

Eric

sbilcheck · June 2001

Volvo is offering a leasing deal that the salesman in CT said will end on 6/30. Does anyone know if this will be extended?

dickdot2 · June 2001

My 2000 S80 only a couple months old died 2 seconds once. I have never had it occur again.
Talked to service manager and he had no explanation for it.

dickdot2 · June 2001

The A/C fan comes on 45-50 minutes after the engine has been shut off. In really hot/humid weather, it may come on sooner. There is nothing wrong. The purpose is if you have been driving in hot and humid weather, the fan eliminates mold and mildew in the A/C unit. It normally shuts off about 5 min later.

dcts1111 · June 2001

I recently bought a '99 S80 which has proven to be great but for an annoying situation when I have the sunroof open. It feels like the wind pull out the sunroof and windows (if down) pull heat from the engine (I suspect) because my legs are getting hit with warm air (passenger side also). Can't figure out where this is coming from, has anyone experienced this with your S80? If so, is there an explanation? I appreciate your input on this.

stevenmeyer · July 2001

I think I might have experience the same problem; however, I characterized it as being a clunking rattle from the front end. This is not the same clunk that I and many others have experienced only when turning (usually a right turn either inclining or declining during turn. Rather, this clunking rattle occurred all the time and was especially noticeable @ less than 40 mph. I just had it fixed last week; it took less than a day. However, due to business, I have not driven the car too far after fix, but far enough to know it is fixed. There were two parts that had to be replaced-- a bushing and some other part. If you are interested I can find the work order a give you the parts numbers.

markian · July 2001

I have heard that the s80's dash will be remodelled for the 2003 year. Ford does not like the simple plastic dash of the current model. Does anyone know anything about this and if there will be a major change, would you wait for the 2003 model instead of the 2002? Also, are there any other changes for the 2003 model.

mikeh20854 · July 2001

Is there anyway of telling when the brake pads need replacing before you endanger the rotors other than having the service mechanic advising you it needs to be done? About what mileage interval do they need replacing?

scottc3 · July 2001

Hey Mike,

I have a 2000 S80 T6.. and after 25K miles I took it in to have the front breaks replaced. I thought being a front wheel drive, the front breaks would be about due.. wrong, I still have over 1/2 the break pad left on the front, and the service tech wondered why I wanted them replaced.. "Did someone tell you, you needed new break pads? cause you don't".. I had it done anyway.. and the back pads were in "as new" condition. You can look to see, take off a wheel, and see how much pad is left. I also based my needing pads on how far down the break pedal went.. maybe 2x as much as when it was new.. but I think bleeding the breaks will fix this.

If you think you need them, it's cheap enough to get done.. for peace of mind.

pkrell · July 2001

#665 had a stall while driving. I came in to bounce a similar situation off the gang.

I love my S80 (2000 T-6, 18K) and have had no problems... until recently when it stalled and would not restart in heavy rain at highway speed (with only my wife and toddler in the car). It was like there was no battery in it. By the time the tow truck came, it showed signs of life but would not turn over. By the time the tow truck got it home, it had dried out and it started right up.

Obviously something got wet. The dealer ran the diag's, hosed it down and road tested it, but found nothing. They say they've never seen the problem. Of course, my wife is scared to drive it if rain might be in the forecast.

Anyone else out there have any water-related electrical experiences? #665 doesn't mention water, which would seem relevant, so it sounds like a separate issue.

lg2396 · July 2001

I own a 1999 S80 T-6 and having many problems.
Most recent and extremely scary, car just dies
while driving. This has occured a few times. Unable to use hazards and unable to restart for a few minutes. Was almost rearended on the freeway. What was the dealerships answer? Can't duplicate and no codes came up on the computer! Which is the answer to every problem I have had.
And furthermore if no codes, no problem, can't fix it.

The other problems have been a new transmission,
locks unlocking themselves or not locking, seats
shift back and forth, sunroof makes a popping noise when in vent position if its raining and
then days later won't open or close, rattle noises all over in the dash, other cracking noises in the windshield etc., etc. and the list goes on. Sixty two days in the shop worth. Always the same answer, can't duplicate.

I am so dissappointed in Volvo and will never own
one again. This was my first and last! It's so
bad that I can no longer drive the car and have
had to seek a third party to resolve this. What
poor customer service. Doesn't Volvo care how
many customers they are losing that won't be returning? This car is not safe nor reliable!
And to think I spent my hard earned money for this? Now I am stuck with a car I can't drive, out the 40K and this may take up to a year and money I don't have to resolve. What does Volvo care, they got the money.

I am envious of all who have had great luck with
the car and good customer service. Hope it
continues for you.

petrie3 · July 2001

My wife drives a 2000 S80 T6. She loves the car; when it works right. From the start, we have had problems with the locking system. The car locks itself; locks can't be released with the drivers door button, remote won't operate locks,etc. These problems range from incovenient to annoying to dangerous. Recently, the car just died in an intersection. Everything went dead and the car stopped...very scary stuff. We are in L.A....not water damage per the above posts.

Also, as in the above post, the dealer, South Bay Volvo in Torrance, keeps saying "can't duplicate error, etc. The last time, they told me it must be the key fob remote and gave me 2 new ones. No change of course. My next move may be a lemon law claim. Anyone else have the locking system problem? Thanks.

broeux · July 2001

markian,

The only change I've heard of for '03 is replacing the black side body molding with color-coordinated molding.

I'm thinking about repeating our overseas delivery experience for an '03 myself and am anxious to know what other changes are planned, but I doubt anyone will know for sure anytime this year.

Broeux, Club S80 International

clubs.lycos.com [search on "volvo s80"]

scottc3 · July 2001

Yes, 30K miles now and no problems. Having the transmission oil changed soon. I have been doing my own oil changes, about every 3-5K miles.. maybe a little longer a few times, but I've had no problems with my car. I'd glad to see all the problem posts have quieted down. I'd be interested in the 2001 / 2002 comments on reliability.. I bet they are few and far between. The 1999's seemed to have problems and some of the 2000's. Are all the problems solved, for the most part, in the 2001?

Happy driving.

Scott

fongs80 · July 2001

I just suffer damage to the front headlight unit and I need to replace the unit. Is this something I can order and install myself and If yes, what's the best place to order it from.

Thanks

fongs80 · July 2001

Also, what's the best way to protect the headlights so I did not have a repeat problem.

beachnx · July 2001

I was wondering who makes the sound system in the 2000 S80 T-6. I am babysitting my friends S80 while she is in Europe - I love the car, and the sound system is one of the best sounding I have ever heard. I think it's an upgrade, but it wasn't a custome system. Any help on mfg or specs would be appreciated.

Thanks.

broeux · July 2001

beachnx,

I've been trying to get a definitive answer to that question myself. A 10/99 J.D. Power audio quality study press release said Fujitsu and Mitsubishi make the best systems. It went on to say Mitsubishi "supplies AM/FM/cassette/single CD players to Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, Mitsubishi and Volvo." It doesn't say who makes the HU-801 with 4-CD in-dash changer.

Does anyone have reliable information to share?

Broeux, Club S80 International

Lots of S80 information at my Lycos club. Go to clubs.lycos.com and search on volvo s80 to find it.

tony107 · July 2001

any one know if the 2002 S80 will come in AWD? i really like the car, but where im going, its going to snow. And what other major difference will be on 2002 model.

xebec · July 2001

June 2000 picked up a S80 2.9 Overseas Delivery in Gothenburg, went to Germany, fell in love with the car on the Autobahn and winding secondary roads, brought wife and teenage daughter. Wonderful experience, S80 was up to every minute and every challenge.

Shipped her outta Bremerhaven, and waited and WAITED for the car to leave the LA docks for Settle delivery (Volvo US loses it here; everywhere else in the experience was absolutely wonderful, first class). It was during the wait I discovered this site, and was that ever a cause for “buyers remorse.”

Bought with nicer rims and fog lights, but no sunroof and leather. Leather’I have been OK, but a sunroof in any car is a $400 fix 6-7 years down the line and Volvo US had its immutable packages. Pass. And that is my only regret on this wonderful car. I consider my S80 a nice car, but not a luxury car. Not a Caddy or a Lincoln, not even a Beemer or a Mercedes, a bit lower on the food chain, and sensible to own for the next 15 years. To that end, I wish I could have bought an S80 with the same body and engine, but a manual transmission (Volvo Xmissions are absolutely bullet-proof, as V-70 and 850 owners will attest), non-electric no-memory seats, and inside-the-car trunk release (unlike Volvo USA presumptions of buyers, I am not worried about valet parking guys stealing Christmas gifts from my trunk while I eat prime rib and lobster tail). I’d also like an alarm system I deliberately have to set.

Only problem I have had was a battery that, 2-3 weeks after Seattle delivery would not hold a charge. Ravenna Volvo did some diagnostics, could spot no problem, and replaced the battery. No recurrence, but I do not play the radio with the engine off. Ravenna Volvo and their associated Seattle Volvo are class acts. My car was on the rack at Seattle Volvo (7500-mile check) for the earthquake, and I met the mechanic who scuttled out from under her for the event. Great car, great European experience. At 14 K, I am still deliriously happy I got this car. First new car since before I got married 22 years ago.

ktee · August 2001

Just test drove the S80T6 and while I love the acceleration, I was a little concerned with the softness and drift in higher speeds turns. Current owners, do you find this a problem? I found the Audi A6T much tighter in turns and want to hear from owners of both before I buy. Thanks, Ktee

capoany · August 2001

I have an '01T6, previouly owned BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. The T6 is the best highway cruiser of the bunch IMHO, but definitely lacks the crisp High Speed control of the others. IN light of my 90 minute commute each way, each day on Parkway and Turnpike, the T6 is ideal. Seats, ride, build, brakes and acceleration rate highly. A Blue Ridge carver it is not, but more than competent for most situations.

petrie3 · August 2001

I have both a 2000 S80 T6 and a 2000 Audi 2.7t. Actually, the Volvo has been at the dealer for 2 weeks now regarding the problems addressed in my last post. Maybe I'll just keep the S40 loaner that I've been driving! My wife usually drives the S80 and since she's been driving the Audi the last 2 weeks, she's fallen in love with it. Admittedly, part of the reason is because it doesn't have the problems of the S80, but she actually prefers the way the Audi drives. Bottom line: The Volvo seats are a little more comfortable and the Dolby stereo is great, but the Audi beats it every other way, especially handling and performance. I have the sport package on mine. The S80 has lots of power but that translates into serious torque steer under hard acceleration. The Audi Quattro handles like it's on rails, and has a very smooth band of power. If you are just cruising long distances on freeways, the Volvo will be fine, comfortable and that stereo is nice (if everything works on it, see above). Otherwise, if you want a car to really DRIVE (not to mention the best looking interior of all) get the Audi.

jeffreylevin · August 2001

Does anyone know if Volvo will produce a sport utility vehicle to compete with Acura MDX or
BMW X5. Volvo Wagon nice but not enough room in the back.
Thanks

newms · August 2001

Twice now, my 2000 S80 T6 (24,000 miles), when driving at low speed, has simply died. The check engine light appears, then it restarts without problem. In addition, a message saying "check DSTC for maintenance" has appeared about 10 times (not when the above occurs). The Volvo dealer has "checked it out" and found nothing. Has anyone else encountered their car simply "turning off" while driving?

EDN

newms · August 2001

see my post 689 about my volvo dying as well - were they able to find the problem?

I also had a lock problem - the car driver side wouldn't lock at all, buttons would pop up, with a grinding noise. They had to replace the entire lock assembly on the driver side. At the same time I had them program my fob to one-touch (1 touch locks all- 1 touch unlocks all - it's great!). Found out then (probably from trying the fob so much) that if you hit the unlock button after closing the door, the car will automatically lock itself after a few minutes! The service guy says that's the way it's supposed to be. go figure.

Hope someone finds the answer to the "dying volvo" - it happened to us at low speed, but if we were going faster ......

EDN

metmdx · August 2001

From what I'm reading here it seems like most problems (self-locking doors/suspension noise, etc.) seem to be reserved for 2000 and earlier models. Can anyone give a synopsis of what problems have been encountered with the 2001 S80? Also, when are the 2002's due to hit showrooms?
Thanks.

joel2468 · August 2001

Just FYI. I have a 2001 Toyo Avalon. Great car. When all the doors are closed, whether they are locked or unlocked, and you hit unlock on the key fob, in about 45 seconds all doors lock themselves automatically. This is a great feature. What it is intended to prevent is unintentional unlock when putting the keys in your pocket, or pocketbook, etc. The remote for the Avalon is strong compared to the Volvo I had. In other words, it works further away, and doesn't have to be pointed directly at the car. In fact, it will work from inside my house, through the garage door. It also provides a neat test to see if all of the doors are closed...if you hit lock on the remote, and any of the doors are open, it beeps continuously for about 20 seconds, versus the confirmation beep received when successfully locked.

dougf2 · August 2001

I've been following this board for a couple of years now and don't recall ever reading about my current problem - when the car is cold, I cannot shift the car out of park easily. It takes anywhere between a couple of seconds and a couple of minutes to get it in gear.

Possibly related to that is that I can't get the keys out of the ignition sometimes without playing with them.

My Volvo dealer can't seem to fix the problem. Anyone else had similar problems?

tony107 · August 2001

The reason why volvo's remote works that way is only better and is done for safety. The reason is, when a remote can open a car from far away and pointing in different directions, that means that the signal is spread around, instead of like in volvo goes just to the car, straigh. THus that signal can always be picked up, and you know how most people steal new cars these days, they pick up your signal, and use it to open it. Volvo's remote prevents that, and the code that is send by the remote is never the same.

vazco · August 2001

I just got a 01 S80 2.9. Ive had it a couple of weeks and really enjoy driving it. This weekend, however, I encountered a problem similar to the one in message 693. On both Friday and Saturday, I started my car and drove a few yards to the bag drop area at my local golf club. I put the car in park while I pu the clubs in the trunk and then I could not get the car out of park. On both days, the temperature was well over 100 degrees here in Miami, and the car had been sititng in the sun for 4 plus hours.
The strange part was that it did let me get into gear on both ocassions, but only senconds later it would not let me do so. After 3 or 4 minutes, and starting the cars a few times, it does go into gear, but i dont think that this is normal. Of course, the servide department at dealership cant do anything unless they recreate the proble..a big help.
I guess misery loves company as in Im happy Im not the only one this has happened to, but I hope it sdoes not continue to happen!

vazco · August 2001

Does anyone know if the only CD 6 disc changer that works on the Volvo s80 is the one available through the dealership or is there any other models compatible with the standars sound system on the 2.9.
I did not get the multi changer when i purchased the car, but i find that i really miss this option. I am looking for either a cd changer or mp3 player compatible with the system that comes with the car (which sounds great, btw). If anyone could help, I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance...

Mario

jlfox · August 2001

There are two interlocks, one mechanical, with the ignition switch, and the other electrical/mechanical with the brake pedal. When it is working, with the key on, notice the click from the shift console when depressing the brake pedal. This is the release of the shift lock solenoid. Some early S80s had problems with that solenoid. I know of two which were replaced. When it fails, listen for the noise, pump the brake and see if that helps (could be the brake pedal switch) and see if turning the key on and off helps with the mechanical (cable) interlock. If the key is binding too, the cable is the problem. This info will help the repair folks. Let us know how this turns out.

vbnm · August 2001

my mom has a 2000 S80 T6. In spite of being forbidden to drive the magnificent beast, i love listening to the stereo in the garage. It is indeed an impressive unit and i have yet to hear a better one in another car. I don't know the exact model name, but it's made by Dynaudio, and it's secret comes from a built-in Dolby Pro-Logic digital receiver. hope this helps. it sure beats my buddy's cutlass with a "My First Sony" tape player duct-taped to the dash. there's funny, and then there's just sad.

broeux · August 2001

vbnm,

Thanks for the information. Where did you get it? Does it apply to the upgrade HU-801 system or only the standard audio system? Which system does your mom have?

Broeux

Club S80 International

clubs.lycos.com - search: volvos80 - click: Club S80 International

snjmike1 · August 2001

Perhaps applying to all Volvo models, sideview mirrors are adjustable in 4 directions with a driver side button. But my 2001 S80's passenger side mirror does not adjust down or outward. So, I took it to a dealership.

In two diagnostic visits, even after changing the mirror's motor which made no difference, no one seems to figure it out, requiring a third visit (electrical probing) and perhaps more trial-and-error process. (Each appointment has been 7-8 days apart due to dealership backlog...seems to take a long time to fix what seems to be a possible software/prog'g issue.)

Have you experienced this type of defect? How did you get it repaired? I'd like to help out the dealership mechanic and help shorten the repair cycle.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

broeux · August 2001

Mike,

Sorry I can't help you here; this is one I've not heard of before. But I would appreciate it if you could report back when the malfunctioning mirror is fixed, as I'm accumulating problems/solutions for future reference.

You can email me at mrtsix@hotmail.com or post it at my Lycos club.

Thanks and good luck on getting this aggravation resolved once and for all.

Broeux, Club S80 International

Go: clubs.lycos.com
Search: volvos80
Click: Club S80 International

Volvo S80

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