Had the XC90 for a week - issues so far
 

Hi everyone. I bought my 2013 D5 52000 miles XC90 2 weeks ago from Volvo under their Selekt programme.

I am loving the car so far but noticed a few things that I want want checking out, so have booked it in with the dealer. I'm after a bit of advice about possible causes of the issues, potential fix and if they would be covered by the warranty. .

Handbrake - on a slight incline the foot operated parking brake needs to be clicked about 5-6 times to hold the car. On a steep hill it doesn't hold when pressed all the way in.

Gearbox - When selecting D the car Judders in to gear. Only noticed after 30-40 min driving. It does not do it when cold or after shorter drives. Does similar for reverse but not as harsh. All gear changes whilst driving are smooth although I did notice the revs increase for a split second whilst changing form 4th to 5th. This was whilst hot. Only noticed it once. Volvo have said they will do the adaptions the resolve these issues.

Going down hill - the car seems to go in to Neutral when going down hils. My V60 did this but if you braked, it would then hold gear so engine breaking could be used. The Xc90 doesn't seem to go in gear until you get to the bottom of the hill and accelerate away. Is this normal?

I have seen similar questions on here and answers that could cover it, but really wanted to know if any of them are related, if I should get anything else checked by Volvo and if the selekt warranty would cover it.

And replied to these question would be much appreciated.

Welcome!

Parking brake is not very strong on these cars, but properly adjusted should hold it on a hill.
I wouldn't trust it on a really steep hill though.
Sometimes the drums corrode to the point that the brake doesn't hold well. Especially if the car has been sitting around outside for a while.
Go for a drive and then click the park brake 2 or 3 clicks until you feel it slow the car a bit, let it brake for a 100m or so, then release it.
Repeat a few times.
This helps to keep the brake surfaces free of rust and helps them to grip better.
Don't overdo it and overheat the brake!
Don't expect it to be much of an emergency brake though.
If the method above doesn't improve things much, then it probably needs adjustment. Maybe needs new brake shoes.
Get the dealer to sort it out.

Gearbox: definitely get that looked at. May need new oil. Often new oils solves a lot of gearbox problems, depends also on what mileage the vehicle has done.
For a 2013 car it should still be nice and smooth. My 2009 car with 120,000km is still nice and smooth. I'm considering a transmission oil change for this years service.

Going down hill: be aware of where the transmission torque converter lockups occur. Only when the TC is locked do you get engine braking. Search this forum for transmission TC lockup for more info.
If descending with TC lockup inplace, it will disengage at lower speeds to protect the engine - ie: you cannot expect engine braking down to a full stop!

There's a lot of tech and safety systems in these cars to protect both the vehicle and the occupants. Enjoy them!

Thanks for the detailed reply. I understand what you mean about lockup, but going fairly slowly down hill I can only get it to lock up in manual, not D. I think I will use Manual a bit more and drop it down a gear or 2 at the top of the hill.

I was going to get the transmission oil changed at the next service anyway as have read that it really is beneficial in prolonging the life of the gearbox. I'm hoping to keep the car for several years. Same for oil and filter in the haldex system. What sort of mileage do people get that done at?

Check out this post:
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showt...mission+lockup

Tannaton has a wealth of experience and discusses the normal behaviour of transmission lockup

Lockup occurs at approx (mph)
30 in 3rd
40 in 4th
50 in 5th

And some overrun is allowed: ie transmission slowing the engine (engine braking)
How much I'm not sure, ask Tannation....

As has been said the parking brake isn't the best on these cars, and this is further compounded by them not being used on cars with automatic gearboxes.

As has been said try driving a few hundred yards with is on to clear any corrosion, but what usually happens is the inside of the hand brake drum corrodes and past a certain point they have to be replaced. The dealer should sort this, but how was it MOT'd ??

With regard your gearbox - oh dear....

When going into D from P or N with your foot on the brake you are likely to feel a single but very light "thunk" in the car as some torque goes through the drivetrain. If the engine mounts are worn this may be worsened. You should not feel continuous vibration or shudder. I would suggest that this can be caused by engine mounts BUT as you say it only does it when the gearbox is warm this sort of rules that out.

On older cars with issues they are often resolved by changing the trans fluid but on your car with just 52k you should not be having any of these issues. A common failure mode of the Aisin Warner gearboxes is that they develop "bad manners" when warm.

So get the dealer to check it - I would ask to drive another similar car if they have one to compare it.

With regard to the TC lockup - thank you for the complement SwissXC90 - the lockup points quoted are correct but for the earlier 5-speed gearbox. I believe the six speed that you have is the same and later models have more lockup points in lower gears - and this can depend on software version. Hence again get the dealer to check.

I noted my packing brake performance for you for comparison purposes:

1 click: nothing
2 clicks: slight resistance, won't hold the car on a slight incline
3 clicks: more resistance, just holding the car on a slight incline
4 clicks: easily holds the car on a slight incline, but if transmission is in D and engine idling (D5 diesel) car will creep forward
5 clicks: holds the car well on the slight incline, with trans in D just holding the car still
6 clicks (very tight): holds well, even with car in D

I normally engage it to 4 or 5 clicks when I park.

The parking brake pads were replaced 2 years ago

Thanks both for your replies.

When selecting D it is more of on one off jolt rather than an ongoing vibration.

When cold is is as you describe it should be when torque goes through the gearbox. (More feeling it than hearing anything) When warm it was more noticeable and you can hear a sound.

I will try another one out to see how it compares.

Are there any other XC90 owners in West Yorkshire that would be willing to meet up so that I can compare? Ideally with a similar age/mileage car.

parking brake - I replaced parking brake shoes and spring when the car was bought by me (220k mileage 2 years ago) and put the adjuster. No problems going through mot since then and in the first year it worked really good. It is still much better than many my friends have after having it serviced in different garages.

Gearbox - Volvo (and many others these days I'm afraid) say the oil is lifetime so most users servicing through dealers don't change it at all. The problem is when you change it for the first time when the mileage is high. There is no filter in the gearbox it is now sealed with the old oil. If you want to keep the car for longer then the first thing you should do is to change the oil. However, once you do it the gearbox will be cleaned of the old oil's dirt/mud. It means if there is something wrong with the transmission you will definitely notice it after the change and if it is you'd better find out before the warranty runs out. Most of the automatic transmission problems happens when the oil is warm (after 30-50 miles).

I don't have auto but i'd done a lot of research before buying manual (was looking for a car with mileage >100k).

Don't trust to dealer you bought the car from :). Find a good transmission service and ask them to have a look.

Thats a super description of what your parking brake does SWISS, for comparison purposes, mine is very near the same..... having just had a new footbrake mechanism replaced and everything readjusted. :thumbs_up:

Thanks! That makes me believe mine is somewhat "normal" (whatever that means for that spineless weakling that Volvo call a "parking brake")

It's booked in with Volvo next week, so I'll see how the brake compares after that. At least I know what it should be like.

Had a decent drive this weekend and haven't noticed any bad behaviour from the gearbox.

One thing I have noticed though is a bit of vibration at about 1600-1800rpm in any gear. The key ring rattles and I can feel a very slight vibration through the steering wheel. It it just a bit more than outside this rev range. is this just another XC90ism or should I get the dealer to investigate whilst they have it on Tuesday?

Get them to investigate. maybe usual culprit of engine mounts...

Just had an phone call from Volvo.

The good news - The park brake issue has been resolved by adjustments.

The bad news - It needs a new gearbox. They think that there is an internal issue with the gearbox as it would not accept the adaptions, and there are some error codes. They are waiting for Volvo uk approve the warranty claim for this.

Although I'm glad it will be getting a new gearbox for free, I'm a bit concerned that this was not picked up before I bought the car.

Is there anything else that I should get them to check whilst they have it?

I'm glad I decided to buy from Volvo otherwise it could have been very expensive further down the line.

Is it a volvo dealer and if so are they reading their service bulletins ?
They wont get a gearbox passed as the cure is to take it out and take the bell housing off , remove front clutch and fit some modified shaft seals . They should be well aware of this as the bulletin was updated with the repair recently . Great if you get a gearbox ,( with new oil ! ) but i doubt it ..

Is it a volvo dealer and if so are they reading their service bulletins ?
They wont get a gearbox passed as the cure is to take it out and take the bell housing off , remove front clutch and fit some modified shaft seals . They should be well aware of this as the bulletin was updated with the repair recently . The manual adaption process in not used now .Great if you get a gearbox ,( with new oil ! ) but i doubt it ..

It is a Volvo dealer. Guess they mustn't be as clued up as you.

I'll have to wait and see what they say, but now that they have told me it needs a new gearbox surely they can't change their mind.

I think they will (change their mind) as soon as the accountants at Volvo UK get to know about it...

Still, an approved fix can't be a bad thing.

Cheers

Dave

Just had the call from Volvo and the engineer sent to make the decision agreed that a new gearbox is required. They have ordered it so I should be getting it fitted in the next couple of weeks.

Based on previous comments I wasn't expecting this. When I go to collect the car today I will ask for more info about that the issue is.

Are there any other maintenance jobs that you would recommend having done at the same time as the gearbox, or anything that I should ask them to check?

Not for a 2013 model. If it were 10+ yrs old then it would be worth looking at the core plug and crankshaft seal.

Update
The car went on for the new gearbox yesterday.

I collected it today and on the 10 mile drive home it seemed fine.

The vibration at 1600rpm seems to have gone and the gear changes are smooth.

On a steep long hill near my house it did 'coast' down the hill unless I put it in to manual. It then held in gear once my speed reached about 20mph in third. I'm assuming this is normal behaviour?

I'll try and get out for some longer trips over the weekend to give it a proper test.

Thanks to everyone for your previous comments.

Yes, normal.