MVS member thewhitegorilla asks and answers his question: how to get the blower motor out of a Volvo V50?

It’s a pain in the tail, I’m 3/4 of the way getting it out but can’t release the catch and twist the motor out. Any experienced help will be appreciated. But in answer to your question remove the gas petal and the brake pedal. Various length nut drivers and different length sockets 10 and 13mm, and a lot of plain it’s gonna come out attitude is what gets them out. The toughest part is ignoring the pain that you feel in your back due to the awkward position you must work from. Some others have said to remove the glove box and remove the housing from the passenger side. The writeup I was reading was from a C30, similar, but I’m almost thinking that this extra pita (again very awkward positioning must be attained to achieve removal)is not necessary on the 2007 v50. I will let you know when I’m sure. I have mine removed but still inside the dash. The impression that I’m getting is that the blower motor can be removed from underneath with both petals removed . It looks like it anyway. For now I am trying to get this catch released and get the motor out. Anyone any ideas? here are the pics there is one catch directly above the electric connect and then there is a rectangular recess on the round end of the housing. Anyone know how to release this catch?

Then, success:

I got it out, I had to take the seat out and lay straight in to get one hand on the blower and one releasing the catch here’s a picture to help those after me. Look at the lower left at the middle finger in the picture

And right across from that is a round tab that’ the catch, it’s a little scraped up as I was using a screwdriver then knife to try to hold it in as I turned they both fell out a dozen times easy, finally i took the driver’s seat loose and got to where I could get a finger on the catch and turned the blower and it spun right out.

How to replace V50 climate Blower?

The post How To Get The Blower Motor Out – Volvo V50 appeared first on Matthews Volvo Site.

DIY Tool for Fuel Pump

Nice home made tool to remove P2 Volvo’s fuel pump ring! You could make the bottom piece out of hardwood easily, too.

MVS member regierart on his 2001-2007 Volvo P2 models fuel pump tool:

I Cobbled together a quick tool for the plastic ring over the sending unit. Worked like a charm.

Here’s another P2 fuel pump DIY tool, different approach.

Fuel Pump Replace DIY Overview

Jimmy57 tells us how to remove the fuel pumps:

There are two access covers under the back seat. The pump is on the RH (passenger) side and a sending unit with a venturi pump is on the left. You detach the v pump piece on LH side and tie a string or flexible wire to it. String needs to be 5 feet at least to be sure you don’t lose it into tank. Now disconnect the wires on RH side and then unscrew and remove the pump/sender there.

As you remove it you will see the piping from the LH side and the LH side hardware will be pulled out. When you go back in with the new you will use the string or wire to pull LH side piece back over to that side.

The covers will be a little tough. When I don’t have the special tool for pump retainer removal I use HUGE water pump pliers (AKA Channel-Locks) to grasp the retainer ring and use a large screw driver or pry bar to rotate the pliers to unscrew the cap. The arrangement is like a Mason jar lid, the pump is the seal cap and the retainer is a threaded ring holding the the sender/pump cap on. The LH side is held in the same way.

2002 V70 fuel pump replacement

The post Remove P2 Volvo Fuel Pump Ring – DIY Tool appeared first on Matthews Volvo Site.

Shockwave has good patience and great DIY XC90 V8 intermittent fuel pressure diagnosis chops. Just have to get that out there.

If you’re diagnosing a fuel cutout condition on a XC90 V8, this XC90 V8 intermittent fuel pressure forum topic is gold.

Initial post in the thread:

BACKGROUND: FUEL PUMP/ LEVEL SENDER replaced 6 months ago by previous owner.
ISSUE: Fuel pressure intermittently drops leading to a non-responsive throttle or engine stall. Only happens after 20+ minutes of driving. It has happened at idle, slow speed, and freeway speeds. I have been able to plug in a WI-FI OBD reader when this is occurring and the fuel pressure is dropping from 480kpa/500kpa to 200/300 kpa. It bumps back up every 5 seconds or so, but it wouldn’t go up from 200/300 kpa when I had it towed. When running “normally” the car drives “heavy” like there isn’t as much power as there should be. But this car is new to me…
RESOLUTION WHILE ON THE ROAD: Toggle the throttle to get a response back or turn it off and restart it. Also, filling up with gas seems to help. 1 time I had to get it towed. 1 time I was close to home and limped home. The other 3 times, I was able to limp to a gas station.
FREQUENCY: Has occurred 5 times over 800 miles.
SUSPECTED CAUSES: I initially suspected an incorrect fuel gauge calibration, but it has occurred with 1/4 tank of gas, 3/8 tank, and 7/8 tank.
CURRENT RESOLUTION: Keep throttle low 1.5k to 2k rpms to avoid heavy loads on the engine/system.
ATTEMPTED FIXES/DIAGNOSIS(Issue Not Resolved): Replaced FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER, SPARK PLUGS, FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR (FPS). Noticed a 3.2 engine PN for the old FPS, not sure if that had any ill effects. I tested with carb cleaner and only found a leak at the TB gasket. That will be replaced when it arrives in the mail. Also, I’m not sure if the engine should sound like this or not (possible vacuum leak)

After

1. Throttle body gasket
2. Clean throttle body and accessible parts of plenum
3. Clean MAF
4. Re-check for vacuum leaks
5. Inspect PEM
6. Magnet on the bottom of fuel tank

… the XC90 continues to show symptoms of fuel cutout, and here is Shockwave’s report at that time:

So, I was able to drive the car hard this weekend on a few trips. The issue did not arise while doing so. However, before one of my trips (1-27-18) I started the car and exited the car to pick something up (let it idle). When I returned, the check engine light was on but it was running fine. I proceeded to drive to the store and back without issue.

The next day, I took the laptop and DICE unit out and checked on the code. The readings were a little confusing and the check engine light was no longer on. However, the record indicated the code was signalled on (1-20-18) . The MIL/DTC did not signal on the dash until 1-27-18. As I was looking at different info in VIDA at idle after about 20 minutes, it started to act up. I captured the outputs shown below. See SHOCKWAVE_XC90_PEM_FAILURE_04 for results with the ECM-Fuel rail pressure. Unfortunately, I did not get ECM-Fuel rail pressure on the other readouts.

I’m suspecting the PEM based on the symptoms, so I’ll take a stab at throwing a part at it for what seems a good deal. I didn’t think they’d accept my offer of $50, but they did immediately.

At this point it’s been over a month since Shockwave’s first post. He’s zeroing in on the fuel pump control module:

Fuel pump (FP) control module
The fuel pump control module powers the fuel pump and regulates the output of the pump. The fuel pressure changes with the output of the pump. The fuel pump (FP) control module is supplied with battery voltage by the fuel pump relay and grounded in the car body. The fuel pump relay is controlled by the central electronic module (CEM) at the request of the engine control module (ECM). The engine cannot be started if the power supply to the fuel pump control module is faulty because the fuel pump will not then be powered. The fuel pump control module is controlled by the engine control module (ECM) via serial communication.The fuel pump control module then controls the fuel pump by transmitting pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage on the ground lead for the fuel pump. This means that the voltage drop across the pump changes, and with it the output of the fuel pump.

And then, on February 8, this theory falls out of consideration with a loud thud:

Fail! After replacing the PEM the issue is still here. Starting stumbling after getting off the freeway and idling at the light. Shut it down and restarted to get control..I shut it off at stops, and was able to make it home. I sat for about 90 seconds at one light, and it seemed to not have the stumble after that. Idled at home, and it was doing fine with one noticeable stumble while I was looking under the hood. I’ll have to consider taking it in for a Volvo evaluation at this point… quite frustrating! I was really hoping to love the Volvo car, but my patience is wearing thin!!

Then MVS Forums Moderator Abscate meets Shockwave on a weekend while he’s in California for business, and they complete further diagnosis of this stubborn XC90 fuel problem.

At time of writing, our heroes are still in theory/discovery mode. Abscate is offering that it could be a kinked plastic fuel hose, which according to lore is a not-uncommon occurrence. The other thrust is a bad ECU.

While waiting for the next installment, enjoy some stock XC90 V8 photos, courtesy Volvo North America:

XC90 V8 Intermittent fuel pressure cutout

The post 2007 XC90 V8 Intermittent Fuel Pressure Cutout appeared first on Matthews Volvo Site.

Those long time members here know I hate this car as I am now so far into it from a cost perspective I can never hope to sell it and even make back what it originally cost me without the thousands of $$’s I have invested in it and time. Every time I drive this car it is a case of just waiting for the next thing to break. Only reason it still is here is due to the rarity of the car in laser blue (I believe 1/40 sold in 2000 in North America).

Many of you think I am just joking about it, but mostly I am not.

I know it is only a short or almost immediately time for something else to break.

So having just spent $3000 with the dealer to finally rid the car of the incessant groaning from the front suspension it has had for the last 4 years, I have driven the car only 2 or 3 times since you would think I could catch a break (not of the car type).

Driving home from a store on Friday, I made the stupid mistake of thinking it was great the car was running well again and no noises from the suspension. Almost immediately the brake and ABS warning lights came on!! This is the 2nd time I have had an issue with the ABS module type failures. About 3 months ago the speedo and trip/mileage and temp gauge went out. As in that case, next time the car was started all went back to normal. The ABS module was repaired by Xemodex about 6 years ago, and the car has done less than 30,000km since (about 20,000 miles). Naturally I contacted Xemodex, but their lifetime warranty only relates to the previous owner. Not impressed by the warranty and less impressed by the repair. If the issue becomes worse, it will be back to our friend Matty Moo at Mid-West ABS. I’ve had 3 units from him and great support/service/advice so have no problem plugging his business.

Took the car for a trip to PnP yesterday. The ‘boss’ had used the car the day before and adjusted the door mirrors. Try to adjust the RH one and it won’t adjust left to right, only up and down. While at PnP look for another motor but none on any of the P80’s there. Can’t believe there has been such a rush on mirrors!

On the way home I remembered I have a new motor (aftermarket I think) I picked up several years ago when a Volvo parts specialist was selling off clearance parts. Turns out to be the correct one so hopefully it still works!

Neil.

VRD: Why I hate my 2000 V70R!

The post Neil Hates his 2000 V70 R. Here’s Why. appeared first on MVS.

Well, the day has come. The Polestar 1 is available for pre-order @ $2500. Oddly, you can put $2500 down on it, delivery date unknown, but you can’t actually buy it. It’s a subscription service-only “Care by Volvo” car.

And get this: it’s invite only! You need to submit an application which consists of name, email address, phone number and location to confirm your interest in the car.

Volvo’s recently unveiled Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid, the first car from the new electric performance brand Polestar,  is closer than ever. Two days ago Volvo started taking pre-orders and posted a Polestar 1 online configurator.

Polestar 1 online configurator

Note the bit at the page’s bottom:

Please note this is a preliminary and not a final configuration. Additional options might be offered at a later stage.

… with a “I Understand” button, no less. Interesting stuff.

Polestar 1 Ordering Details

• Color options: 5
• Wheel options: 3
• Interior options: 2, black or grey seats

The deposit is fully refundable. Pre-orders are available in 18 countries: China, United States, Sweden, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada.

Along with the opening of the pre-order process, a new car configuration tool allows prospective customers to visualise their Polestar 1 before placing their pre-order.

With over 7,000 people interested in owning a Polestar 1 since its reveal, we are extremely encouraged by the passion shown for our product. We will now take the next steps towards delivering this beautiful car to our first customers. — Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar

The Polestar 1 is an Electric Performance Hybrid GT coupé which produces 600 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque, while offering 150 km of pure electric driving range – the longest of any hybrid car in the world.

About Polestar

Polestar is the new electric performance brand from the Volvo Car Group. Polestar will enjoy specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefit from significant economies of scale as a result of its connection to Volvo Cars. These synergies enable the design, development and production of separately-branded, high performance electrified cars.

Polestar begins this new era with the Polestar 1 – a low-volume Electric Performance Hybrid GT coupé with 600 hp, 1000 Nm and an electric-only range of 150 km, the longest of any hybrid car in the world. In the future, the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 will join the portfolio as full battery-electric, higher volume, driver-focused vehicles.

The post Polestar 1 Available For Pre-order @ $2500… Total Cost $160k-$185k! appeared first on MVS.

An autonomous Uber test SUV driving in Tempe, Arizona was involved in a fatal collision last night, and the Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode at the time the accident occurred, according to Tempe Police (via Daisuke Wakabayashi).

The Uber SUV was driving northbound, and a woman crossed in its path outside of a crosswalk, at which point she was struck by the vehicle. She was later taken to hospital, as first reported by local Arizona ABC news affiliate ABC 15, where she died as a result of her injuries.

As is required for Uber’s autonomous test vehicles operating on public roads, the AV had a safety driver at the wheel Safety drivers are in place in order to be able to take control of the autonomous test vehicle in case the self-driving system should fail or appear to be at risk of endangering others on the road.

Uber has paused all of its AV testing operations as a result of this accident, across all cites where it operates, including Pittsburgh, Toronto, San Francisco and Phoenix, Arizona.

Uber provided the following statement regarding the incident to TechCrunch:

Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident.

This is the first time an autonomous vehicle operating in self-driving mode has resulted in a human death, and that has huge implications for the future of AVs and their use on roads. It’s possible the safety driver involved could be held legally responsible, as their role is to ensure safe operation of the vehicle, but in many ways the outcome of this incident will define the path forward for AV regulation.

via Yahoo

Discussion Here

The post Uber Self-Driving Volvo XC90 Test Vehicle Kills Pedestrian appeared first on MVS.

It’s time for your 5-cylinder Volvo XC90 timing belt (interval PDF here), and you want to save some money and do it yourself. If you’re mechanically inclined and have worked on cars before, this will probably be not too difficult for you to complete.

Keep in mind this tutorial is not only comprehensive and well documented, but you can join the Volvo forum and ask questions in this Volvo XC90 2.5T Timing Belt thread, for free.

This fine DIY tutorial by MVS Contributor CN90 explains what tools you’ll need, what parts you’ll need, and how to do the timing belt, serpentine belt and water pump on 5-cylinder Volvo XC90s…

Photos: 2005 XC90 Timing Belt, Water Pump, Serpentine Belt

(There are more photos in the forum topic.)

Procedure: 2005 XC90 Timing Belt, Water Pump, Serpentine Belt

1. At 110K miles, the Timing Belt shows very minor hairline cracks. My guess is this TB should last another 30K or so. Ditto for the Serpentine Belt, minor rib cracks but no big deal, it should easily last another 30K. Anyway, I put this Serpentine Belt in the trunk as spare for long trips.—> Serp Belt pulley free-wheels and slightly noisy, glad I replaced it.—> The TB Idler Pulley is still solid, no free-wheeling. The TB tensioner pulley: still OK —> no free-wheeling, but this is the culprit in many forums…when this particular item goes south, there goes your engine.—> The Water Pump bearing is solid, no play at 100K. My experience with my S70, at 145K, slight bearing play but no leak. This WP is known to last 180K-200K easily. Anyway, I am there, I may as well replace it.
2. A note on TB and VVT system. Do some readings, but the TB does not care about the VVT system, all the TB cares is the relationship between the Crank Sprocket and the Cam Sprockets, as long as this relationship is perfect, you will be fine. The VVT is activated by the solenoids, allowing the cams to be advanced or retarded as needed.
3. RF Wheel removed, I used 2 Jack Stands: the standard 4-leg Jack Stand and a Screw-Type Jack Stand, this allows me to have 2 Jack Stands for maximum safety and the Screw-Type Jack Stand allows the load to be evenly distributed between 2 Jack Stands.

2005 Volvo XC90: Timing Belt, Water Pump, Serpentine Belt

The post XC90 2.5T Timing Belt, Water Pump, Serpentine Belt appeared first on MVS.

Cream Yellow 850 T-5R Facts

• It’s Volvo paint code 607. If the product plate doesn’t have 607 on it, it’s not a yellow T-5R.
• Cream yellow was only used in model year 1995 for the Volvo 850 line, and only on the T-5R variant.
• 364 sedans imported to the United States, that’s it.
• 49 wagons imported to the United States, that’s it.

Have something to say? Comment below.
Volvo Paint Codes, the complete list (2017).

Cream Yellow 850 T-5R Volvos are rare. According to Wikipedia:

Cream yellow – 2537 worldwide including saloon and estate. Cream Yellow was marketed in the Australian market as ‘Faded Yellow’ to compensate for the unrelenting Australian sun. The Gothenburg boffins were aware of the 1990s paint technology, and the fact it wouldn’t retain its deep luster over the course of time, and hence, the clever marketing descriptor, ‘Faded Yellow’ was coined.

Stone Black – 2516 worldwide including saloon and estate

Olive green metallic – 1911 worldwide including saloon and estate

 erikv11 » 

The original paint code is right there on the product plate next to the VIN, you can tell the original color right away for any Volvo.

If and only if the plate says 607 then your T-5R came from the factory with Cream Yellow paint. There is no Volvo paint color named Gull Yellow.

zhenya »

No clear coat also means that the color will change radically depending on how the paint has been maintained. If it has not been cleaned well and polished in many years, it will look much lighter and faded. With a good polish (chemical or abrasive, depending on need) it will bring back the reflective qualities of the paint which will change the color.

The dark greenbones are said to be the rarest with global production of 500 only (last T-5R batch). Still an ugly color.

Intersting is that the cream yellow was supposedly a T-5R only color, yet i saw a very early cream yellow v40 wagon with a diesel engine at the junkyard a while back. It looked factory painted because every part of the car was cream yellow, so i doubt it was an aftermarket paintjob.

Cream Yellow 850 T-5R Volvos, and Paint Code

The post Cream Yellow 850 T-5R Volvos & Paint Code appeared first on MVS.

Volvo News – March 2018

The biggest news in the Volvo world is of course the Volvo XC90 Uber test vehicle that struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona ten days ago.

Polestar 1 hybrid supercar is available for preorder for $2500. It’s only available as part of Volvo’s new subscription-based ownership model named “Care by Volvo”.   The Polestar 1 joins the new XC40 in this regard.

Polestar is the official Volvo Cars performance company and brand, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Polestar develops electric performance cars, high-performance cars based on Volvos and offers technical and cosmetic upgrades to enhance Volvo models.

The 1800-ish pages that make up MVS outside the forum proper have been updated with a new theme! Whooo!

It works better on mobile and desktop. Take the Volvo AWD guide for instance. https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/volvo-awd-system-guide.html Faster. Prettier. Give it a shot!

MVS Volvo Forum

Air pump fix thread evolves into interesting discussion on which regions require emissions testing. And it also progressed into the moral implications of skirting emissions regulations.

TLDR: A “Volvo Specialist” shop screwed me with shotty work and I need a new head gasket again. I want advice on the best possible parts to buy for the replacement to help ensure it does not happen again. All suggestions are welcome. Thank you. Pics coming soon of my Volvo family of two.

Recent and popular: How to identify a true Cream Yellow 850 T-5R

MVS Forums member ZionXIX will be bringing his 1996 850 Turbo Wagon out of the shed for full time daily driving! This is a huge Stage 0 job, similar to Fix List for a V70.

Airbags did not deploy in this 2004 S60. Passionate forum discussion followed.

Quick Tip of the Month

You can always see a list of your posts in the forums by clicking this.

Thanks for being an MVS Newsletter Subscriber!

As always, please contact me matt@matthewsvolvosite.com if you have suggestions on making the site better. Or if you just want to say hi

The post MVS Newsletter – Volvo News – March 2018 appeared first on MVS.

Overview

CN90 continues his documented DIY tear with this fine 2005 XC90 Heater Core Replacement piece. The cabin heater in his XC90 was blowing lukewarm air. Now it’s hot again.

UPDATE, outside temp today was in 32F.
Normally, it is lukewarm with the OLD heater core.
With this brand-new Heater Core, it is so HOT that I have to turn the fan down to minimum speed and the temp control down to near the BLUE color.

Anyway, if you have heat issue, do 2 things as mentioned:
1. Thermostat replacement.
2. New Behr Heater Core.

You will be happy. It will make windshield cold weather and snow defrost a lot better too.

This DIY (follow the link down below to get to the rest) is good because it also includes CN90s foray into fixing the Temp Control linkage.

I think I found the reason why I broke the Temp Control linkage! My Temp Control knob was in COLD!

When set in COLD, one of the arms in the linkage blocks the HC, so when you pull the HC, you will break one of the linkage arm!

So, turn key to position I, fan at some low speed, turn the driver Temp Control knob to HOT, then remove the key.

You will see the linkage arm moving out of the way.

Heater Core Replacement Specs and Characteristics

• 2005 XC90 2.5T with 109K miles.
• Heater Core did not leak but only put out 145F at center vent (heat max, tach at 2500 rpm cruising speed).
• After replacement, the center vent reads 160F (heat max, tach at 2500 rpm cruising speed), so I am ready for winter.
• Time for new Heater Core. A little research showed that Nissens ($90) may leak at the crimp. A little more research showed that Behr is OEM, bought it for $95. Make sure you get the 2 new Volvo O-rings, the factory O-rings broke apart during removal.

Heater Core Replacement Parts

• Behr Heater Core (Made in France)
• Two (2) new Volvo O-rings
• Plastic Bag
• Torx #25 key
• Coolant + Distilled water
• Pair of channel-lock pliers

2. Place plastic bag to collect coolant, then gently pry the metal clips. The LOWER metal clip will hit the plastic housing, so turn it downward to remove it.

3. For the UPPER clip, I used this setup: something to act as a cushion so I could pry the clip out:

4. Disconnect the pipe: pay attention so you don’t damage anything. I damaged the arm that controls the driver’s side temp control (what a bummer, I will fix this later!). You need to bend the pipes a bit to the FRONT to allow the old heater core to come out.

5. Remove the single T25 screw holding the HC. Remove the old Heater Core. In the XC90, there is more room, so no need to remove steering column or pull hard like the S80 (which can cause some dent in the heater core, see rpsi video on youtube).

– Pay attention to the factory foam, do the same for the new heater core.

6. During installation:
– Clean the pipe ends with fine sand paper to remove old O-ring material.
– I used a bit of grease on the new O-rings, install them on the pipe side, not the HC side.
– Install new HC.
– Re-bend the pipes back and insert them in. Gently tap with your hand to be sure it is fully seated.
– The metal clips: if bent, straighten them out before insertion. Re orietation: I switched the LOWER clip around b/c it is easier this way.
– Re-install the single T25 screw holding the HC.

7. Refill with coolant + distilled water, you will need approx 1/3 gallons or so.
Fill it to about 1″ above MAX. Reinstall the cap. Test drive around the neighborhood for leak etc. Carry some distilled water with you in case you need to stop and add coolant (add only to cold engine).

8. Re-install trim pieces.

That is all!

*** I broke the arm controlling the driver’s side temp control. I will have to fix this later, what a bummer!!!

DIY: 2005 XC90 Heater Core Replacement

The post DIY: 2005 XC90 Heater Core Replacement appeared first on MVS.

MVS member Martin has a question about his Euro-spec (being in Norway) 1994 Volvo 850… can he install stock lowering springs if he can find them?

He wants a lower ride height, but he’d like to stay original equipment (OE). Did Volvo make lower-height springs for some 850s? Were stock lowering springs a stock item? Maybe for the T-5R or R models… at least?

As per usual, the conversation wandered around a bit, and is fairly enlightening.

Anyway, here’s Martin’s question:

Hi everyone.

I cant find any info about this, so I’ll ask here:

I have a 94 850 SE 2.5 10V 144Bhp
The ride height is a bit high for my taste, and I know that some 850’s came with OEM lowered springs (about 15mm lower).
This was a costumer choice back in the days these cars were ordered new.

I have a ’92 GLT 20V 170 Bhp spare-parts-car, and I’m wondering if they are stiffer / lower than others.
If maybe all GLT’s came with stiffer / sport springs ?
I’ve already taken off the rear sway bar and mounted to my SE, and since the GLT has sway bar, does it then also have lower springs?

I’ve checked the product plate under the bonnet, but it doesn’t have any of the product codes. Only color code and interior…
Cant find any info on VIDA either.
I just don’t want to go through all the hassle of changing them, just to realize they are the same, or worse…higher.

And no, I don’t want adjustable suspension, and no, I don’t want it any lower than 15mm

Clemens »

The only factory lowered option was to order a t5-r (95) or an R (96-97). They come lowered with just the right stance, soewhere innthe neighborhood of one inch lower than stock.

My 94 T5M wagon and my 95 NA sedan sit at exactly the same height.

…

Don´t forget that the T-5R and R wagons came with nivomats in the rear. The springs are cheap, the nivos – if still available – around a grand for 2 of them.

VRD: Is 850 GLT springs stiffer than SE ??

The post Was There a Stock Lowering Spring for Volvo 850s? appeared first on MVS.

Aping the 173-post topic What Did You Do To Your P2 Volvo Today? started by MVS Contributor oragex 1.5 years ago, MVS member hethaerto hilariously posts several days ago  What Did You Put Off Doing to Your P2 Volvo Today?

Because we all put off car repairs. If you don’t put off repairs, you’re either a big liar or you’ve not telling the truth.

hethaerto » 

I put off lubricating my trunk latch. It freezes in the winter and won’t latch. Maybe tomorrow. Might use graphite.

Rattnalle » 

I’ve put off replacing a broken head light wiper motor all winter since I have to do it outdoors.

The blower motor has been squeaking all winter on the S60. So I bought another blower and put it in the garage. Problem fixed! Basically.

The post What Did You Put Off Doing to Your P2 Volvo Today? appeared first on MVS.

Emergency sale, at this point. Save me from the crusher type of sale.  It’s not mine.

Craigslist ad, MVS forums post

condition: fair
cylinders: 5 cylinders
drive: fwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 201000
paint color: black
size: mid-size
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: sedan

I’m selling my ’96 850R and need it gone before the end of April and I don’t want to have to scrap it or sell it to a dealer.. It definitely runs smooth and rides well, but has it’s fair share of quirks and necessities. The previous owners had taken care of some of the maintenance and even put in some of their own work into upgrades and modifications, as have I. Asking for $1500, feel free to call or text me so we can set up a viewing and/or test drive if you’d like.

1996 R model came with:
– Operational up/down/open Moon/Sun roof
– Electric, 3 setting memory, omnidirectional Heated Seats made with Alcantara Leather/Suede
– Fully functional electronic 6 info display under instrument cluster (includes live mpg readout)
– Mirror and rear windshield heater
– Exclusive R Door Trim and Rear wing
– HP Turbo and 5 speed auto transmission
– Winter, Economy, and Sport driving modes’ switch (operational)

From the Previous Owner:
– 3″ Angled Flange Downpipe from turbo
– 2.5″ Steel Exhaust with race cat and muffler from the downpipe
– Front and Rear Sway Bars
– IPD’s Stage 2 ECU upgrade
– 17″ Arelli Jovan Wheels with low profile Barum Bravuris tires (good condition, still has about 75% tread)
– (New then, about 60% now) Brake pads and Calipers
– 2 10″ Alpine Subs in Box with Pioneer Amp and Interactive 2-port touch display radio interface with matching speakers/tweeters all around.

Upgrades and Maintenance I’ve done:
– New Radiator done at Integrity Auto
– New Do88 Silicone Hosing for Intercooler and Turbo
– IPD’s High Definition TCV for the turbo
– IPD’s Short Ram Air Intake with fence
– Upgraded PCV System with silicone line and a wider exit for better oil vapor flow.
– New Fuel Filter
– New Coolant Expansion Tank and Cap
– New Heater hose Firewall Junction and seals.
– New Heater Core
– New 3 year warranty Duralast Gold battery from Autozone
– Regular interval Oil Changes

Repairs it does need:
– A new A/C condenser
– New inner tie rods and sway links (I have the parts from IPD if you want to do it yourself)
– ABS sensor needs replacing
– Paint on the rims starting to chip (modification done by previous owner)
– Clear coat and paint, mostly on the top, is starting to fade and chip
– Small scratch and dent on driver’s side door from previous owner
– Driver side front quarter panel’s paint is a little off (no clear coat) since it was replaced by previous owner
– Antennae motor raises and lowers but the antenna itself is loose (I have a new one to put in)
– Passenger side front door latch froze and is very stiff still, takes some force to close passenger door correctly
– I wanted to replace the rear brake discs, calipers, brake lines, and pads but haven’t gotten to it yet. (I have all the parts: Bosch quietcast rotors and pads, OEM calipers, HD stainless braided brake lines from IPD)
– Still has a slight positive crankcase pressure issue that makes it smoke a little out of the dipstick tube, even with the upgraded PCV parts and wider modification to the PTC valve.
– Before I changed the Heater Core, the old one had leaked some coolant under the carpet on both sides, I have done as much as I can but will probably need new front carpets/foam at some point.
– Both front and rear batteries had completely died so I had to replace the front battery and haven’t gotten a chance to get another one for the subs and amp in the trunk.

Overall, It’s a great project car, and it’s extremely enjoyable and comfortable to drive. I do have a clean title, and records of repairs I hadn’t done myself, and receipts for parts I bought and did put in myself. There is some room to negotiate, seeing as it could be a daily driver with a small amount of work and I need it gone before the end of April!

The post 1996 Volvo 850 R For Sale, $1500, Eugene Oregon appeared first on MVS.

Need a list of Volvos with CarPlay? Be careful what you buy! Not all new Volvos have CarPlay.

I’ve been using CarPlay for a year, and I love it. I’d have a difficult time going back to a car without it, in fact. I like it so much I started a CarPlay information and news site with my tech writer friend Ryan.

As of this writing if, you’re going to buy a new Volvo off the dealer’s lot, with the exception of the V60 and S60, it will have CarPlay.

Volvos with CarPlay

The post Volvos with CarPlay appeared first on MVS.

MVS Forums moderator donation drive in 1 week!

1. Amazon, and New Volvos’ Trunks
2. Stretch S90 as a Luxury, Rolling Planetarium? What?
3. So the Four Ain’t an Eight After All
4. V70 Dies… A Moment of Silence Please
5. MVS Classifieds: Laser Blue V70 R (oh baby), S60 AWD
6. Another V70 R… This One a Project Car
7. QOTM1, QOTM2

Amazon Will Start Delivering Packages Straight to Your Parked Volvo

Volvo and Amazon have partnered to form a trunk delivery system to have your Amazon purchases find their way to your new Volvo’s trunk. This is not a joke.  The program will be active in 37 U.S. cities, as Amazon seeks new delivery methods for customers who may be wary of leaving packages outside or allowing couriers into their homes.

The in-car delivery scheme, available to Amazon Prime members, is an attempt by Amazon to overcome the hesitation that many feel about opening their home remotely for couriers. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-24/amazon-starts-delivering-goods-to-gm-volvo-trunks-in-the-u-s

S90 Imagined as a Rolls Royce and… Planetarium?

In China, where Volvo’s parent company (Geely) is located, chauffeurs are common. To North Americans or Western Europeans, this may seem like a strange concept, but the gigantic class of Chinese business executives crave the status of a chauffeur. Volvo has long offered stretch Volvos, and today offers a somewhat long-in-the-tooth S60 Inscription, which is a long-wheelbase S60 that surprisingly has been brought to North America for the 2018 model year. Anyway, back to S90 concepts: here’s an S90 planetarium.  http://www.thedrive.com/news/20331/superfluous-three-seater-volvo-s90-ambience-conceptualized-for-china

The 2.0 Volvo 4-Cylinder May Not Be Enough After All. Shocking.

After cutting out all engines other than the Drive-E 4-cylinder units over a painfully torturous five years, Volvo may partner with Diamler to get Mercedes engines. You read that right. Among other uses (EVs), Polestar may want the grunt and prestige of a Mercedes 8-cylinder. In other words, the world hasn’t warmed to the idea of $100k cars with 4-cylinders powering them. Shocking. Geely, we told you, but you wouldn’t listen. This Diamler-Geely hookup will solve that problem, because Mercedes has 8-cylinder units that go over 500hp. https://sanvada.com/2018/04/24/volvo-may-soon-get-mercedes-engines/ (slow loading, be patient)

MVS Contributor’s V70 Dies in a Fire

benpineapple — Bought the car three and a half years ago, it replaced my 1990 240 (which I sold for about the same as I paid for my V70). I logged over 80,000 miles in that bad boy. Did SO much work on it over the years. Everything from pulling the engine to replace all seals, to PCV (twice), to timing belt, to adding fog lights, roof racks, and other mildly useful features. Will sorely miss camping out of the back of that car every summer.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85136 Ugh.

Classifieds

2000 V70 R Laser Blue , Philadelphia

Pulls hard, automatic true 5 speed auto Black Leather and Alacantara fabric insets on the seats. AWD but took rear drive shaft out due to noise and it was all quiet after. Comes with rear driveshaft . This car is fast you can feel it. It is way faster than my c70’s and my 98 v70R it was replacing. https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=85131

2003 S60 2.5 T AWD, White w/Tan, Central Ohio

Timing belt and cam seals just completed at 184,435. Within the last three years has had both rear wheel bearings replaced, new spring seats, control arms, struts, IPD sway bars, lower torque mount, front tie rod ends with alignment. Cosmetically almost perfect on the exterior. https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=85084

2000 V70R Not Engaging Any Gear

MVS Contributor bmdubya1198 — I just picked up a 2000 R project the other day, and I’m very excited to get it back on the road! There’s one big issue with the car… it won’t engage any gear.

When you move the shifter, the RPMs drop as you would expect, but the car doesn’t move at all. I know this is the troublesome AW55 in this car, and I know they are known for cooking solenoids. After reading, I’m pretty sure that is the problem since the transmission spontaneously stopped working. The PO told me he was dailying the car until one morning it just wouldn’t go into gear. https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85128

QOTM

There are two Quotes of the Month this month because they’re both really good, and, well, I forgot to put in last month’s.

abscate — We are in the beautiful time of year when a weak battery magically works again, and lulls you into the confidence that it is fine, and you will get another year – only to whack you over the head next November with the text from SWMBO ‘my car won’t crank’ just as they close the door on the plane to the 12 hour flight to TLV… https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=469789#p469009

 

 j-dawg — But it sounded like you were looking at this as an opportunity that had cropped up. There is never an opportunity. All car-related opportunities are traps. The best you can hope for is to own and enjoy a car for a while, then lose less than $1000 upon sale. The least I ever lost on an impulse-buy car was when I made $100… https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=469929#p469929 So true, so true.

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This Amazon link helps MVS. It helps keep us on the Web by giving a small portion of what you spend to MVS. It doesn’t cost you a penny. But you must use the link before you put something in your cart. THANKS.

The post Volvo News! April 2018 Newsletter appeared first on MVS.

The post Expanding Brain Meme – Volvo P80 Wagons appeared first on MVS.

I just grabbed this shot in the DU area of Denver yesterday. With a tow rating of 3300 pounds, a 2007 XC70 is a capable hauler. This trailer looks to be about a 1000-lbs trailer which is about as big as you want to go on Volvo passenger cars, and here’s a roughly equivalent trailer I found on the Web to get hard numbers for a proper evaluation.

My initial reaction was this looks a little much for this Volvo, but after examination he looks to be well within spec. The back end is not sagging much at all, and with a 3300-lbs tow rating the XC70 should have no problem.

Surprisingly, the Volvo 850 has the same tow rating. I tested this limit 11 years ago with my trusty old 1997 850.

The post 2007 XC70 Towing a Large Trailer appeared first on MVS.

Volvo Cars North Miami wanted to make a television ad for the new Volvo XC40. Ok, nothing out of the ordinary here, except for perhaps the sheer quality of the finished product. And that it’s gone viral. Or rather, the “making of” video of the ad is going viral. The ad we can’t find.  You know it’s 2018 when you can find the making of, but not the ad itself.

Generally, Car Dealer Ads Are…

Often unintentionally funny, car dealer TV ads have been a staple on American TV for decades. When I think of car dealer ads, I think of low quality kitsch like this:

This XC40 Ad Was Different

First, this ad is very well done. I’ve worked in video production and for an ad agency, and this effort cost the dealer quite a bit of money to produce. We Believers ad agency created this piece for Volvo of North Miami, featuring pregnant women, to promote  Volvo’s new XC40 during the President’s’Day Weekend Sale:

Kinda fun, right? We Believers, on the project:

Volvo of North Miami asked us to produce online videos featuring pregnant women to promote the new Volvo XC40 during the President’s’ Day Weekend Sale. So, knowing that the challenge was to drive people to the dealership, we decided to organize the casting… in a different way than the usual. Instead of calling future moms to the typical casting facilities, we asked them to go to the Volvo dealership. THE UNDERCOVER SALE CASTING is an idea that generates traffic and exposes our potential customers to Volvo’s safety features. Even before we produce the campaign. And because the casting footage was used for the campaign, we saved money on the final production… and we hired them all. — https://youtu.be/RG-9YP7gUWo

As Forbes summarized:

• The pregnant moms invited to the casting call likely had an incredible experience, one that they are sure to share with their local friends.
• Having the pregnant moms memorize the lines for the “video” was insurance that when they did share their experience with their friends they had product points top-of-mind.
• Not to mention these pregnant moms were likely being sold, themselves, on the safety of Volvo, being in the dealership full of metal and memorizing those copy points, I mean script.
• The idea is a purely local idea. I doubt Volvo would ever do this nationwide because of the logistical nightmare it would present. But it’s doable on a local level, down to a single dealership.
• The “casting calls” footage was great. The little extras the pregnant moms threw in off-the-cuff made the film less acted and more authentic. My personal favorite was the “air bags” comment, where the future mom indicated she was turning into an airbag. Ha!

The post The Volvo XC40, Viral Video, and Future Moms appeared first on MVS.

Donate to the MVS Moderators

Tally of donations so far

I do this twice a year to get some beer money together for these guys. They do so much for us Volvo owners. Maybe they’ve helped you.

The post Moderator Donation Drive On Now appeared first on Matthews Volvo Site.

How Many Miles Do You Have on Your Volvo?

You can vote for up to 3 different Volvos you own/owned.

Especially if it’s over 500K miles, please comment about which it is: Classic, 200/700/900, 850/S70/V70/C70/XC70, or P3… 2001+.

Do you have a high mileage club badge?

The post How Many Miles Do You Have on Your Volvo? appeared first on Matthews Volvo Site.