Towing advice with a 940
 

I currently have a p3 xc70 d5 205 6 speed but the last few caravan trips its let me down and the last trip it tried to put itself on fire so both times we swapped towcar for my old trusted p80 v70 tdi . I was shocked how well it managed for such an old car and even gave better mpg than the xc70.
My caravan is 1450-1550kg max and I'm looking at buying a 940 turbo manual and towing with that.Has anyone had any experience with the old 940s in term of stability, rear suspension sagging and how horrible the mpg is.
I also have a rica v70 t5 but the thought of towing with that gives me the fear haha.

Why not just use the V70 :rolleyes:

It's my daily and runs 18s with bilstein b6 and eibachs . The ride is firm and towing with it is pretty punishing.

I wouldn't entertain a 940 to tow my van, ive a sneaky suspicion it might sit on its arse, i know from back in the 90s my dad had to fit Monroe shocks, even a fairly new 940 it sat low (nose weight etc) was spot on. Also think it might be a bit gutless by today's standards also

Having towed in period with both 7 and 9 series cars, 'wagonwheels', I can confirm that they make excellent tow cars. Personally, I felt that their RWD configuration made them better suited to the task than FWD, due to having more weight on the rear wheels.

I bought both my long term ownership 745GLE and 944GLE second-hand already equipped for towing. The 745 also had uprated (10%) rear shocks as the previous owner towed a caravan, but the 944 had standard rear suspension.

I did not experience any noticeable suspension sag when towing, but then I only ever towed a light trailer - not a caravan. Consequently, there was no noticeable effect on fuel consumption, either. My 745 returned 27 MPG overall and the 944 29. Talking to others who towed heavier loads, large 'vans, animal trailers and the like, I would realistically expect a 10 - 20% penalty in fuel consumption - so around 23MPG (?) depending on how you drive.

Both my cars were 2.3 Automatics. I feel that it is important (essential (?)) that you also have an auxiliary oil cooler on the transmission if you intend towing with an automatic.

As 'Rich850R' so succinctly put it: "Also think it might be a bit gutless by today's standards also". It is true that these cars were no balls of fire even back in the day, but I feel that is to miss the point rather. They excel in what they do do - i.e. provide refined, safe, comfortable motoring with adequate power for most people and situations. The low-down, flat torque curve of the 2.3 N/A motors also makes then ideally suited to towing in my humble opinion, but if you are looking for sports car performance then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

In conclusion, although I have done little towing in recent years with my V70, I have to say that, on balance, it does not feel as sure-footed as the RWD cars did - to say nothing of the limited steering lock of the FWD car!

Regards, John.

Id be looking at a P2 V70 D5 euro 3 of you can get one in decent order, towed our 1600kg van with no issue at all, and returned a healthy mid 20s which was perfectly acceptable

Thanks for the replies . I've already had a p2 s60 sport d5 and a p2 xc70 d5 6 speed ,both remapped .The s60s dpf didn't like towing and used throw a wobbly and would sit right down at the back,the xc just didn't like not having money thrown at it weekly with over 4k in parts in the months I had it but towed pretty well (apart from the flywheel not liking full load with the caravan on)
The p3 xc70 towed great with enough power (mapped d5 205) and nivomats but again dpf issues spoil it with it getting so hot on the last trip that it set alight to the sound proofing under the bulkhead!
This is why I hate newer stuff! And why I want to keep going backwards in time to the 940 turbo. Obviously it will have the boost upped and an exhaust and breathing mods to suit so should be 200+bhp I'd say. I would look into retro fitting nivomats probably or some sort of assisters.
The old tdi (at about 175bhp and a good lot of torque) has no dpf,no swirl flaps ,no egr or cat 😉 so I have total confidence in the old bus...
I maybe should just use it as the towcar and keep any 940 as a plaything?

Can’t help thinking you will be throwing a hell of a lot of money on a 940 to even get it a stage where it’s a reliable tow car

Hence why I said euro 3 D5 manual no DPF issues and can pick them up fairly cheap, ours had nivomats etc

By far and away the best tow car I’ve ever had

Most reliable car and with the XC90 brakes made a brilliant car for stopping with the van on the back. I can’t help thinking that if I needed to slam the anchors on in a 940 I’d need a parachute out the back of the van to stop me!!

The p2 xc70 was a euro 3 and bought precisely because I liked the platform but the s60 dpf annoyed me. If the right v70 d5 (last of the euro 3 face-lifts) with sensible miles then I'd certainly be interested...sadly unless it's an enthusiasts car then most need alot of tlc. BCM units ,CEMs failing and stupid annoying things which I learnt from last time with things like the stereos failing and you can't really swap them out as they need coded, rear view mirrors when the self dimming lcd breaks and the mirror can't be swapped etc etc. My last p2 needed a bcm,cem and dem units 🤣....not to mention angle gear, then transfer box, AOC clutch pack and a haldex pump.
To sum up I think I'm getting old and prefer the simple thing in life haha.

We mostly tow with 240's but do also use 940's and 960's. They are much better than V70's for towing

The are great for towing and the tight turning circle is very handy.

We do adapt all our cars as the old rear suspension is too soft. Adding some towing springs and good dampers is what is needed