V60 D3 (5 cylinder loveliness)
Discussion
So, new car, thought I would start up a new Readers ride thread...quite like documenting this boring stuff, we all secretly like to read.
Having sold my 2011 SAAB 9-3 180 TTiD, had a good time with it
will miss that car - I knew I wanted to stick with a swede, so seems SAAB cars are not getting any younger, and nice ones are few and far between - I couldn't see myself getting another one, even though a late sport-wagon nearly swayed me...that itch has now past.
Needed something practical, yet still abit leftfield (and alot more practical than a 9-3 saloon), but nothing massive.
So step up the Volvo V60, the younger mans V70
This is the 2013 2.0 5 cylinder (135bhp) D3 Manual.
It pulls like a train and sounds awesome, I never thought that's possible with a diesel engine with only 2 litres of displacement.
Actually it sounds just like "more" of a bigger engine with bigger displacement and more like 250hp. It's definitely a unique engine in this class and I love the combination of that "big engine" feeling with a certain type of sportyness and good fuel economy.
I drove a few 1.6d units (are these Ford/PSA engines?), and were adequate, but think I would loose patience with the lesser power and were very clattery at idle in comparison, and with the idea of this car hauling gear about, it didn't build me with confidence.
In terms of VED also, this 2.0 D3 5 cylinder only costs £30 to tax! So was a no-brainer to not go for the 1.6d, as this is the reason people go for the lesser engines surely on the tax price?
Having come from 4 cylinder diesels, this is a breath of fresh air in terms of refinement and smoothness, and hope reliability - never had any major issues with diesels really in terms of reliability, but having read about Volvos 5 pots - they are among the best for longevity.
So, its just ticked over 100,000 miles (1 owner from new car), bought on the presumption of it needing a timing belt and pump (dealer didn't know if it had or not, not in the history anyway, belt says Volvo on it, so presumed its the original), so got the kit and pump thrown in as part of the deal.
I think these are due around 8/9 years or 108,000 miles on these engines??…
So, its nearly there - so my preventative maintenance head is saying just get it done now. So this is booked in next month.
So far I've changed the air filter, and going to do the pollen filter when time permits, maybe this weekend, and will get the gearbox oil refreshed also (oil is ordered)
Will do a fresh engine oil change also, start it on my service regime from the start.
Looks like a nice engine to work around really, compared to some - has an air of old-school feel about it for serviceability and getting around the bay.
So having owned it for just over a week, it was put straight to work and put about 900 miles on it since, family trip to Wales and work commitments, all is fine - its actually superb, a very well built car, perfect for the family and it is actually very nice and tight to drive, I did not know when opting for the R-Design kit, you get a strut brace across the engine, must help rigidity....that is cool!
Only a few niggles which I will sort soon.......It had abit of steering wobble at speed, but differed depending on road surface, so cheapest option first.
Pulled into a tyre place on my travels to look at wheel balancing the two front wheels, £10 spent, solved it dramatically!
Still have a slight flutter/pulsating sensation on the brakes/wheel when braking from speed, so I think the brakes may need looking at (discs/pad deposits maybe) few heated hard runs on the brakes seems to of helped a little, so can live with this for abit until they need changing.
Anyway here it is, all black, so horrendous to keep clean! But, aren't Volvos meant to be dirty all the time, it does suit them.
In the R-Design kit, 18" wheels are in very good condition, are these diamond cut?? I am not too sure. Not the highest of specs, but it was the nearest car to me for sale.
Has no phone connection or heated seats, but the latter I can live without, and the phone I can get an after-market thingy via aux.
I may get some 16" winter steel wheels for it at some point (proper Scandinavian utilitarian look) to save these wheels a little over the winter salting season (handbook says they will fit, and my spare SAAB tyres match Volvo spec as winter tyres to run 215/55/16 97H), as they are in reasonably good nick compared to some cars I saw, amazes me how many people curb/chunk alloys for fun!
More boring Volvo tinkering updates to come....
Having sold my 2011 SAAB 9-3 180 TTiD, had a good time with it
will miss that car - I knew I wanted to stick with a swede, so seems SAAB cars are not getting any younger, and nice ones are few and far between - I couldn't see myself getting another one, even though a late sport-wagon nearly swayed me...that itch has now past.Needed something practical, yet still abit leftfield (and alot more practical than a 9-3 saloon), but nothing massive.
So step up the Volvo V60, the younger mans V70
This is the 2013 2.0 5 cylinder (135bhp) D3 Manual.
It pulls like a train and sounds awesome, I never thought that's possible with a diesel engine with only 2 litres of displacement.
Actually it sounds just like "more" of a bigger engine with bigger displacement and more like 250hp. It's definitely a unique engine in this class and I love the combination of that "big engine" feeling with a certain type of sportyness and good fuel economy.
I drove a few 1.6d units (are these Ford/PSA engines?), and were adequate, but think I would loose patience with the lesser power and were very clattery at idle in comparison, and with the idea of this car hauling gear about, it didn't build me with confidence.
In terms of VED also, this 2.0 D3 5 cylinder only costs £30 to tax! So was a no-brainer to not go for the 1.6d, as this is the reason people go for the lesser engines surely on the tax price?
Having come from 4 cylinder diesels, this is a breath of fresh air in terms of refinement and smoothness, and hope reliability - never had any major issues with diesels really in terms of reliability, but having read about Volvos 5 pots - they are among the best for longevity.
So, its just ticked over 100,000 miles (1 owner from new car), bought on the presumption of it needing a timing belt and pump (dealer didn't know if it had or not, not in the history anyway, belt says Volvo on it, so presumed its the original), so got the kit and pump thrown in as part of the deal
. I think these are due around 8/9 years or 108,000 miles on these engines??…
So, its nearly there - so my preventative maintenance head is saying just get it done now. So this is booked in next month.
So far I've changed the air filter, and going to do the pollen filter when time permits, maybe this weekend, and will get the gearbox oil refreshed also (oil is ordered)
Will do a fresh engine oil change also, start it on my service regime from the start.
Looks like a nice engine to work around really, compared to some - has an air of old-school feel about it for serviceability and getting around the bay.
So having owned it for just over a week, it was put straight to work and put about 900 miles on it since, family trip to Wales and work commitments, all is fine - its actually superb, a very well built car, perfect for the family and it is actually very nice and tight to drive, I did not know when opting for the R-Design kit, you get a strut brace across the engine, must help rigidity....that is cool!
Only a few niggles which I will sort soon.......It had abit of steering wobble at speed, but differed depending on road surface, so cheapest option first.
Pulled into a tyre place on my travels to look at wheel balancing the two front wheels, £10 spent, solved it dramatically!
Still have a slight flutter/pulsating sensation on the brakes/wheel when braking from speed, so I think the brakes may need looking at (discs/pad deposits maybe) few heated hard runs on the brakes seems to of helped a little, so can live with this for abit until they need changing.
Anyway here it is, all black, so horrendous to keep clean! But, aren't Volvos meant to be dirty all the time, it does suit them.
In the R-Design kit, 18" wheels are in very good condition, are these diamond cut?? I am not too sure. Not the highest of specs, but it was the nearest car to me for sale.
Has no phone connection or heated seats, but the latter I can live without, and the phone I can get an after-market thingy via aux.
I may get some 16" winter steel wheels for it at some point (proper Scandinavian utilitarian look) to save these wheels a little over the winter salting season (handbook says they will fit, and my spare SAAB tyres match Volvo spec as winter tyres to run 215/55/16 97H), as they are in reasonably good nick compared to some cars I saw, amazes me how many people curb/chunk alloys for fun!
More boring Volvo tinkering updates to come....
Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 31st July 15:00
Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 31st July 15:02
I the same model and engine spec from just under 3 years old and 20K miles.
That 5 cylinder in this level of tune is really smooth and feels quicker than 135bhp would suggest.
Great on economy and very comfortable.
It isn't great as an estate but was always big enough for what I needed.
The only issue I has was a factory fault in that the windscreen had a slight leak. So small I never bothered attending to it.
At 100K it is probably at the sweet spot of cheap enough to buy, not expensive to run or depreciate.
Great looking car.
That 5 cylinder in this level of tune is really smooth and feels quicker than 135bhp would suggest.
Great on economy and very comfortable.
It isn't great as an estate but was always big enough for what I needed.
The only issue I has was a factory fault in that the windscreen had a slight leak. So small I never bothered attending to it.
At 100K it is probably at the sweet spot of cheap enough to buy, not expensive to run or depreciate.
Great looking car.
Looks good - I have the same D3 5 cyl engine in my 2014 V40. It’s a nice sounding thing for a diesel, but does have an annoying flat spot at around 1500-2000rpm just before the turbo kicks in, which can make it difficult to drive smoothly at times (when trying to pull out quickly from a junction or roundabout for instance). Once you get used to it, it’s not so much of an issue, but it can be annoying at times.
Nice choice of car though OP, I like the V60 a lot, and would be a good upgrade from my V40 aside from it doesn’t offer that much more space.
Nice choice of car though OP, I like the V60 a lot, and would be a good upgrade from my V40 aside from it doesn’t offer that much more space.
I love that model V60. They’re on my radar for my next daily. White or red please as we also have 2 black cars, so no thanks on the paintwork maintenance.
Are the MPGs not better on the 1.6 model? There must be a reason for it’s existence and why folk buy them. If not I’ll look for the bigger one when I’m ready.
Otherwise the little one will do as I’m a bit of a hyper-miler on my commute. Podcast on and see how many MPGs I can get. 33mpg in my current bus. Would be nice to almost double it when I change.
I think they’re a great looking car though. A tiny, non-chavvy ride height drop and some spacers on the rear wheels would have one looking perfect.
Anyway I hope you enjoy it. Following with interest.
Are the MPGs not better on the 1.6 model? There must be a reason for it’s existence and why folk buy them. If not I’ll look for the bigger one when I’m ready.
Otherwise the little one will do as I’m a bit of a hyper-miler on my commute. Podcast on and see how many MPGs I can get. 33mpg in my current bus. Would be nice to almost double it when I change.
I think they’re a great looking car though. A tiny, non-chavvy ride height drop and some spacers on the rear wheels would have one looking perfect.
Anyway I hope you enjoy it. Following with interest.
Cheers guys!
Yeah, it is a nice place to be this V60, complete world away to the SAAB I had, which I loved - but the refinement is another level in this Volvo, the Saab was starting to feel a little dated.
It is the perfect size for me and my family, I looked at the V40 also, and it does seem significantly bigger to me than that.
I am managing 50+ on the motorway on this D3, so not far off the 1.6d (realistically could achieve) remember this is a very heavy car, so it's nice to have a more torquey engine I think, especially when loaded up with family paraphernalia and bikes etc.
Anyway, not done much so far with it this weekend.
It didn't come with matt's in the car, so these have been ordered (Ebay special's for the car, £11 see how they work
)
I have also ordered some Farad roofbars (also, match my Farad Roofbox) as my mountain bike lives on my car most weekends
so this was a major priority, always have roofbars on my cars.
Sold my SAAB 9-3 ones, so got what I paid for them.
Car is booked in this week for (Engine oil & filter, Fuel filter, transmission oil and general check - that should solve my new car ocd for a while)
The timing belt and water pump is booked in next month, but quite keen to maybe move this forward if time permits.
Did a quick win yesterday while I was at home, front Volvo badge was starting to fade discolour....new 3M backed Volvo genuine sticker sorted it, £7, but took some scratching and picking to remove old one.
Yeah, it is a nice place to be this V60, complete world away to the SAAB I had, which I loved - but the refinement is another level in this Volvo, the Saab was starting to feel a little dated.
It is the perfect size for me and my family, I looked at the V40 also, and it does seem significantly bigger to me than that.
I am managing 50+ on the motorway on this D3, so not far off the 1.6d (realistically could achieve) remember this is a very heavy car, so it's nice to have a more torquey engine I think, especially when loaded up with family paraphernalia and bikes etc.
Anyway, not done much so far with it this weekend.
It didn't come with matt's in the car, so these have been ordered (Ebay special's for the car, £11 see how they work
)I have also ordered some Farad roofbars (also, match my Farad Roofbox) as my mountain bike lives on my car most weekends
so this was a major priority, always have roofbars on my cars.Sold my SAAB 9-3 ones, so got what I paid for them.
Car is booked in this week for (Engine oil & filter, Fuel filter, transmission oil and general check - that should solve my new car ocd for a while)
The timing belt and water pump is booked in next month, but quite keen to maybe move this forward if time permits.
Did a quick win yesterday while I was at home, front Volvo badge was starting to fade discolour....new 3M backed Volvo genuine sticker sorted it, £7, but took some scratching and picking to remove old one.
RacingBlue said:
Looks good - I have the same D3 5 cyl engine in my 2014 V40. It’s a nice sounding thing for a diesel, but does have an annoying flat spot at around 1500-2000rpm just before the turbo kicks in, which can make it difficult to drive smoothly at times (when trying to pull out quickly from a junction or roundabout for instance). Once you get used to it, it’s not so much of an issue, but it can be annoying at times.
I know exactly what you mean, there is a flat spot on it, then suddenly the turbo kicks in and sometimes surprises the car (almost...) And over revs it...quite a weird sensation.Once use to it you can really move it along really well, pulled out few times onto the main road and being surprised when I floor it to get up to speed I can progress very swiftly.
But that noise at full load is addictive! It really is, it does have a sound of a V8 at times, sounds ridiculous to say that for diesel, but it really does.
I got one of these about a month ago, R Design Nav, same colour and wheels. D4 though and mine has full leather. 153,000 miles now. Got it quite cheap and it's a lovely car!
It was originally up for £4000, but after a garage inspection, got it down to £3500 as it needs a clutch and flywheel as the release bearing is noisy. So I get a half price clutch essentially, which at that mileage is ideal.
Mine has a full Volvo history, which is nice to know too. Company car for the first 3 years and 120k miles, so it doesn't feel like it's done 150k miles.
The slight flat spot early on is a bit annoying, I agree! Once the turbo kicks in though, it's a bloody rocket I think. Really took me by surprise when I first gave it some shove.
It was originally up for £4000, but after a garage inspection, got it down to £3500 as it needs a clutch and flywheel as the release bearing is noisy. So I get a half price clutch essentially, which at that mileage is ideal.
Mine has a full Volvo history, which is nice to know too. Company car for the first 3 years and 120k miles, so it doesn't feel like it's done 150k miles.
The slight flat spot early on is a bit annoying, I agree! Once the turbo kicks in though, it's a bloody rocket I think. Really took me by surprise when I first gave it some shove.
Edited by gman88667733 on Sunday 1st August 10:03
Edited by gman88667733 on Sunday 1st August 10:29
gman88667733 said:
The slight flat spot early on is a bit annoying, I agree! Once the turbo kicks in though, it's a bloody rocket I think. Really took me by surprise when I first gave it some shove.
Yes, it really does feel a hell of a lot faster than the stats suggest, in real world driving anyway.150k that's not too bad on these engines, reading up the 5-pots can take alot of mileage if looked after, probably one of the last "oldskool" engines I think, now the highly strung 4-pots are everywhere.
Joe bloggs's 100k barrier is still alive and present these days, but makes them utter bargains to us in the know
It's definitely the best color combo aswell! I was nearly swayed by red, but my wife really detests red cars...so was never going to win that.
Update
Managed to get round to doing the pollen filter, and what an absolute ball ache that was to get too
...when I got to it I am not surprised anyone wants to replace it regularly, it was way overdue just look at it, makes me feel sick tbh, and the weight of it compared to the new Bosch one, all that filth built up.
Buried right up on the passenger footwell, and tucked behind the dash, some wiring harness and trim all had to be removed, and my body wil forever ache now doing this, so awkward! Grrrr, but all done.
It does help having long skeletal fingers to reach
Edited by DailyHack on Sunday 1st August 12:43
The weight difference will be due to the old one being the more expensive charcoal type filter, the one you have fitted is a paper only one.
I've got the higher powered 163 HP version of this engine in my V60 and its very economical.
Clean out your MAP sensor and TMAP sensor or replace them, you'll be amazed at the state of them, one will be at the passenger side front of engine in rocker cover and secured by a torx bolt and one in the passenger side intercooler pipe area.
I replaced both mine and it made a massive difference, but not as much as an optimisation software download did at Volvo!
I've got the higher powered 163 HP version of this engine in my V60 and its very economical.
Clean out your MAP sensor and TMAP sensor or replace them, you'll be amazed at the state of them, one will be at the passenger side front of engine in rocker cover and secured by a torx bolt and one in the passenger side intercooler pipe area.
I replaced both mine and it made a massive difference, but not as much as an optimisation software download did at Volvo!
DailyHack said:
gman88667733 said:
The slight flat spot early on is a bit annoying, I agree! Once the turbo kicks in though, it's a bloody rocket I think. Really took me by surprise when I first gave it some shove.
Yes, it really does feel a hell of a lot faster than the stats suggest, in real world driving anyway.150k that's not too bad on these engines, reading up the 5-pots can take alot of mileage if looked after, probably one of the last "oldskool" engines I think, now the highly strung 4-pots are everywhere.
Joe bloggs's 100k barrier is still alive and present these days, but makes them utter bargains to us in the know
It's definitely the best color combo aswell! I was nearly swayed by red, but my wife really detests red cars...so was never going to win that.
Update
Managed to get round to doing the pollen filter, and what an absolute ball ache that was to get too
...when I got to it I am not surprised anyone wants to replace it regularly, it was way overdue just look at it, makes me feel sick tbh, and the weight of it compared to the new Bosch one, all that filth built up.
Buried right up on the passenger footwell, and tucked behind the dash, some wiring harness and trim all had to be removed, and my body wil forever ache now doing this, so awkward! Grrrr, but all done.
It does help having long skeletal fingers to reach
Edited by DailyHack on Sunday 1st August 12:43
cento16v said:
The weight difference will be due to the old one being the more expensive charcoal type filter, the one you have fitted is a paper only one.
I've got the higher powered 163 HP version of this engine in my V60 and its very economical.
Clean out your MAP sensor and TMAP sensor or replace them, you'll be amazed at the state of them, one will be at the passenger side front of engine in rocker cover and secured by a torx bolt and one in the passenger side intercooler pipe area.
I replaced both mine and it made a massive difference, but not as much as an optimisation software download did at Volvo!
Is this an easy job? Mine only does short runs (8 miles or so commute each way) lots of uphill too, so not ideal for economy... I'm getting mid 30s with mostly commuting. Probably no fault of the vehicle, but I'd like to eek a few more MPGs out maybe. On a run its superb thoughI've got the higher powered 163 HP version of this engine in my V60 and its very economical.
Clean out your MAP sensor and TMAP sensor or replace them, you'll be amazed at the state of them, one will be at the passenger side front of engine in rocker cover and secured by a torx bolt and one in the passenger side intercooler pipe area.
I replaced both mine and it made a massive difference, but not as much as an optimisation software download did at Volvo!
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