Detachable towbar seems loose
 

I have a 2017 XC60 fitted with a Volvo detachable tow bar.
Following some warranty work at a Volvo garage in France whilst on holiday I have found that the tow bar seems quite loose - it moves and rattles even when locked.
During the repair I believe the tow bar was removed and replaced, because we found the plastic cover for the lock had been removed and left in the car.

I am towing a caravan and it seems quite safe, but I don't remember it feeling as loose as this previously. I can hear quite a lot of noise when towing.

We are miles away from the garage which did the repair, so cannot go back to them.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Brissle

I have noted that the detachable swan necks on my last three tow cars ended up the same and my XC70 is one of those three. I've got about 1mm of movement on the Volvo and it clonks.One was a Westfalia the others Alko

I experimented and found if I applied spray grease to the bar and receptor that the play & noise disappeared. So,a closer look showed that the factory applied paint had worn off completely on the bar and receptor during fixing and removal, thus the overall clearance between the two had increased.It was still secure.
I cleaned the grease off & re-applied some black spray paint which cured it until the paint wore off again.
So I went back to grease. It is white spray grease and if left to dry in clear air goes quite sticky.

If your concerned have it inspected.

Thanks Ruby37.
That's a good suggestion, thanks.
I'll have a look around for that spray grease - we are still in France and have quite a lot of towing to do before we get home.

The clonking is worrying and if I can reduce it until I get back to my dealer that would help.

The vibration causes the jockey wheel to gradually drop down until it touches the road (however well I tighten the handle) - potentially causing damage, so we now have to stop every now and then to check.

I can see what you mean about the paint wearing off but that still doesn't seem like decent Volvo engineering to me. I'll have to see what my garage say. And although the bar seems secure, in that I can't remove it when the key is turned, it still doesn't feel right - the red indicator still shows even when it's in locked position. I've tried looking up instructions for locking the bar on the internet, but can't find anything.

Thanks for your advice.

Brissle

I think you are yearning for a bygone era of quality that is unlikely to return...and in any case you'll find the tow bar is made by another manufacturer such as Alko, Brink, Westfalia...not Volvo.

If the vibration is that bad that it causes the jockey wheel to unwind I suggest a Volvo dealer in France takes a look to ensure your not missing anything.

If the red indicator is still showing this suggests that the bar is not properly engaged and I would want to get that checked as soon as possible .....
If the indicator is working correctly then the removeable part isnt locked in properly.!!!
The key only prevents the release mechanism from turning, it has no effect on the mechanism that attaches the removeable bit .
dirt somewhere is the likely place to start .

as per my Handbook - its an earlier xc 60 but I suspect the Towbars operat much the same

"My Owners Manual says:

"Ensure that the mechanism is in the unlocked position by turning the key clockwise.

Check that the indicator window shows red.
If the window does not show red, press in (1) and turn the locking wheel anticlockwise (2) until there is an audible click." [The diagram shows the moveable part of the mechanism being pushed in (movement 1) and turned anticlockwise (movement 2)]

"Insert the towball section until there is an audible click.

Check that the indicator window shows green.

Turn the key anticlockwise to the locked position. Remove the key from the lock.

Check that the ball section is properly secured and does not have too much play. If the ball section is not properly mounted remove it and mount it again.

Uniqueue - that's brilliant - many thanks - just the sort of detailed description I was searching for on the internet.

So it does look as if the mechanism isn't operating correctly even when I turn the key to lock it.

As soon as the rain stops (yes it's now raining in France as well) I'll go out and have a look.
Many thanks
Brissle

The key is only used to stop someone nicking the removeable bit - or being serious, perhaps allowing the spring operated lever to rotate accidentally .

In my experience the thing to check is that the mech is twisted back in the "released" position before you insert it- if it isnt then none of the rest of the instructions work!!
It should be twisted against its spring and the red flash should be visible.

Normally it would end up like that when you remove it from the car , unles you have managed to do so without the latch being held back fully. - or it has been accidentally released by pressure on the tab in the end of the removeable piece

Good spot uniqueue.

So the movement I refer to is no more than 1mm.

From my own experience it is easy to get the locking wheel out of position but that usually results in the drawbar not engaging with the hitch receptor.

If you've still got the red indicator and it is semi engaged it could be suffering corrosion in the mechanism. Try flooding it with wd40 or similar and perform numerous sets of engaging and removing to see if it frees off, engages properly and you have the green indicator.

Oh, and Brissle....you can keep the rain.

OK,problem solved - thanks to both of you.
After trying to engage the removable part properly several times without success, I just squirted in loads of lubricant and left it to soak before activating the mechanism and the key again several times.

Success - when I next put the bar into position I got the audible click and the green indicator shows. Movement on the bar is now minimal.

I'll still get it checked when the car goes in for service in July.

But now I'll feel comfortable towing home.

I'm grateful for the advice.

PS the rain has stopped.