Volvo XC70 D5 - yet more comfy bargeness

[TurboRob]

bolidemichael said:

On your diagram (thanks for sharing), why is the frontal width greater than the rear (albeit by 3mm or so)?

Either a typo (1/4) or that was the difference in width between each end of the string at the time.

bolidemichael said:

With regards to this, the method for ensuring they don't degrade is to protect them with spray lacquer and cure each coat with a heat source. I paid ROC Headlights to do it in 2019 and they're still clear.

Here's a recent photo.

Thanks. This is what I've done with our cars headlight lenses that need rejuvenating - sand them down, lacquer, then polish. Not sure I can be bothered doing it with the XC70 as I usually remove the headlights. Maybe one day

[TurboRob]

aland75 said:

Great thread OP, I've just read it all.

Like the look of your lift, i've been considering one.

Pleased you're enjoying. It's feedback like this that makes me put the effort in to posting.

The lift is the single best tool I've bought for the garage. I procrastinated/compromised for years and as is usually the case with hindsight, I now wish I'd bought one sooner.

[TurboRob]

Agree with all above. The two posts in a small garage would be a PITA. Also, most posted lifts require a reinforced floor where they bolt in - the scissor lifts don't as they spread the weight over the large 'skids' at their base.

The one you've linked look the same/very similar as mine - just different colours. I suspect they all come from the same factory and are painted different colours to suit different wholesalers.

[TurboRob]

I was beginning to get a very feint rattle/buzzing sound from under the car when accelerating. Whilst up on the ramps last week to do the rear suspension I spotted a scabby looking exhaust mount, that was allowing the centre section to swing low. A bit of research showed this to be common, and even Volvo offer a replacement part that slips over the centre section.

I bought a pattern mount/bracket from eBay for the princely sum of a tenner, and fitted on the driveway in a couple of minutes.

Old bracket off. Turned out it had already had a replacement bracket in it's past, but this had corroded through on top. In background you can see the x-member the centre section rattles on if the exhaust drops too low:



Old vs. New:



Et voila:

[TurboRob]

Thanks all.

I was getting an annoying buzz/squeak from the rear passenger door when driving around. The car is so quiet/rattle free that when one appears it stands out. A bit of pushing/shoving showed it to be coming from the doorcard rattling against doorframe. 10mins stripping it down and lining with a polythene tape has cured it.

Door card takes 2mins to pop off - there's one hidden T25 torx and half dozen reusable plastic rivnuts.



This tape has solved all trim rattles/buzzing for me over the years:



https://www.amazon.co.uk/HOEREV-Transparent-Thickn...


I noticed Volvo placed a bit of felt around the area where my rattle was coming from so lined this edge:





And also on the inside of the top lip where the doorcard hooks over the doorframe:



With doorcard back on you can just see the polythene tape shimming the edge:




Door car back on and all good - no more noises from the door card.




Onwards.

[TurboRob]

S80 said:

Great thread

Thank you,


Not much to report - the Ovlov just runs and runs and runs, taking all manner of abuse from the girlfriend.

Today another oil change, Hengst filter and Comma 5w40 from GSF:



Love it.

[TurboRob]

Thank you!

They're very straightforward to work on, particularly for servicing where Volvo has positioned everything for easy access. On more involved stuff, they come apart readily and go back together easily - quality fasteners throughout and tight tolerances.

They don't appear to rust structurally or cosmetically (i.e. the body or panels). Underneath the various steel brackets that hold things on get a bit crusty, but they're easy enough to replace if it bothers you or they fail.

OBD consistently over reads 10% in my experience, e.g. on a recent trip to Kent and back it indicated 55mpg - pump to pump calc was just under 50mpg.

I like the 163hp EU3 engine too, mostly as it doesn't have a DPF and therefore the increase in back pressure/reduction in fuel consumption this brings. Get the EGR blanked! This made an improvement to mpg and mid range shove. I'd like to remap mine but as the household's workhorse I can't be bothered.

For the leather - a bar of Pears soap and a damp microfibre did wonders.

For bluetooth streaming I have one of these (the cheapest one on Amazon at the time). It has the added functionality of a voltage readout at key-on and two USBs for phone chargers etc. It works seamlessly too i.e. if I'm playing music through an app on my phone as I get in car it connects and carries on.

[TurboRob]

Added isofix brackets to the rear seat bases recently; the P2 V/XC70 doesn't appear to come with them as standard but the prep is there on the bodyshell and a the kit available from Volvo:





They bolt in to pre-tapped holes/captive nuts in the seat base under the rear backrest:

[TurboRob]

Ta

And not forgetting it's party piece...

[TurboRob]

Bled the clutch line/slave cylinder out. 5 min job with good access and a girlfriend who's slowly getting used to the pedal pushing routine.





The first few squirts that came out were black, then it got progressively less murky until it was clear after 50ml or so was through.



Doubt very much this has been done before, over the car's 190k mile life. Clutch pedal feels better as a result.

[TurboRob]

Took the beater down to SW Cornwall for a friend's wedding and for a few days in the sun. 700 or so miles round trip by the time we'd driven around down there, 46mpg overall.

[TurboRob]

Doing what it does best:

[TurboRob]

Quite! Although only it's second or third trip in the time we've had the car.


Today's job was collecting a s/h day bed from a nearby town. The Volvo swallows this type of stuff with ease - roofrack deployed for the bits too long to fit inside.

[TurboRob]

Air Conditioning

This hasn't worked in the time I've had the car. It isn't something that features on my agenda for the bargain loadlugger, but the now pregnant girlfriend was starting to look a bit hot and bothered.

Usually on a system this old it's pretty quick to diagnose - no pressure left in the system means a decent sized leak (condenser). However I still had 10psi in there so figured it can't be leaking too much and just needed a routine top-up. Over the years I've charged my own cars with decent success so went digging in the garage and found a can of stop leak and a refrigerant bottle with some still in. I duly deployed.










This enabled the compressor to kick-in, and the refrigerant didn't/hasn't leaked out, but I saw no improvement in cabin temps:



(Yep, that's a BBQ meat probe).




I started to wonder if it was a cabin temp control issue, as low-side pressure was good and compressor clutch behaved as it should - kicking in and out when button is depressed, and gap is good/clutch holds at high load. So I dug out the laptop with VIDA on and started digging around.

Usual plethora of errors, the only consistent one left after code clearing being the standard CCM-0040 cabin air quality sensor:






This is responsible for controlling the auto-recirc. A quick check of the logic statements/functionality shows that it can't affect the a/c operation, and disconnecting it means you control recirc manually with the button (no auto feature). I gave this a go and still no cool air from the vents.

A bit more digging and I can see the evaporator temp is not much below ambient:






Initially I missed the aircon pressure sensor readout, assuming it was somewhere on the systems low-side. However a look over of the parts diagram shows it's mounted in the drier/on the high side [item 11]:







Aircon off (compressor clutch disengaged) I have 188kPa pressure (~27psi). Aircon on (compressor clutch engaged) I have 215kPa (31psi). i.e. the compressor is doing bugger-all compressing.



Which is where I'm up to. I presume it requires a replacement/refurb compressor - I'll get the gas in the system vacuumed out and proceed. Unless anyone else has experience/ideas to pursue first?

[TurboRob]

Accelebrate said:

Does the compressor sound normal?

Interesting to see those DIY bottles in action. I’ve used a garage in Northampton a couple of times for cheap top-ups… https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/cs-autos-2 the bottles are probably easier and cheaper if you’re starting from an empty system though.

It does! No knocking, squealing or groaning.

The bottles are about £45 ea and top up 2-3 cars depending on how low they are.

[TurboRob]

shalmaneser said:

I'm trying to get my A/C system emptied and no-one is interested! Have phoned a few quik-fits and they all just say that their machines have to do a refill after a vacuum. Any other national chains you have got the work done successfully with?

Smaller outfits by and large are not interested or can't do the work. Don't want to release this stuff into the atmosphere...

It wouldn’t take much to DIY tbh - connectors/manifold/gauges are about £25 or so online somewhere. You’d then just need a tank to evacuate it too - a small calor gas one would do the trick.

Edited by TurboRob on Friday 1st July 09:29

[TurboRob]

confused_buyer said:

Replacing the compressor on one of these only books at 1.3 hours excluding the evac/refill so you might do better just to get a compressor and find someone to do the whole lot in one go for you. Using a proper machine you can be sure you've got the exact amount of gas required in there as well.

The compressors usually start making nasty noises then eventually seize on these but still compress.

Thanks, that’s good intel. Bit of a loss why this compressor isn’t building high pressure then.

[TurboRob]

Nothing exciting to report on the Ovlov, I haven't given it any attention the past couple of months. It's in the low 190k miles now and just keeps motoring.

[TurboRob]

Faust66 said:

Been looking at this thread for a while... I was after a comfy long distance cruiser that would give decent mpg (I do a fair bit of hiking around the UK) and as I'm a bit of Volvo fan I thought I'd go for an XC70 to go with my missus's 1999 V70 and my Amazon.

Took a fair bit of finding - lot of overpriced and/or dodgy cars out there - but just over a month ago I picked up a 2007 P2 manual D5 185bhp model.

Fair bit of history with new clutch and DMF at 178k miles (now on 221k), recent rear 4CS dampers and lots of other stuff. Air con is ice cold and it's got heated seats. Quite a lot of car for 2 grand.

Fitting new front discs, pads and calipers this weekend and it needs a front vacuum engine mount which I'll do soon.

So, thanks for the inspiration OP!

Nice work! And you're welcome.

If you're long distance cruising in these - the tyres make a big difference. The first set I had on were (arguably budget spec) Avon ZV7s - these gave better MPG and were quieter than the Michelin CrossClimate+ I have on now. However the Michelin's give a much nicer ride and are all-season so a piece of mid for the winter weather. Pirelli Scorpion Verde's are apparently the original fit/go to tyre for these - might try them next.

Envious of your A/C

[TurboRob]

Skyedriver said:

Interesting read.
I've had 940 Estates for close on 20 years, wife keeps hinting to get a newer Volvo but I like RWD & keep saying I can get more in my 940 than a V70
You're tempting me over with your car though. Would need to be a brighter colour but the mileage you're getting is near twice mine.
Your car does look tasty.

I had a 740 estate and 960 estate 15 or so years ago, loved them to bits but they are quite agricultural in modern terms. The build quality of this V/XC70 platform is comparable to what I can remember from the 7/900 series, but the D5 engine is the real star of the show - even weighed-up against the 3.0L I6 in the 960.