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Odysseus · Nov 15th, 2019, 09:39

My XC90 is back to full health!

Yesterday was the day it was booked in with IVS of Letchworth. IVS is tucked away down the back of a small industrial estate and there was a reassuring quantity of Volvos of varying ages outside.

IVS don't have courtesy cars, so I found myself in the area with a day to kill. The market town of Baldock was a short (1 mile) walk over the A1 where I managed to waste a few hours in a cafe, then another few hours in the public library, then I had an enjoyable pub lunch next to an open fire, and made use of the extra spare time by getting my hair cut, all interspersed by emails and a few phone calls, figuring I should probably do some actual work as well to help pay for all this indulgence.

The work on the XC90 was fairly involved. The swirl flaps were replaced, and the carbon build up around the area was cleaned, helping the car breathe. This was a big job took up the bulk of the time, and resulted in most of the cost.

The air conditioning was topped up with R134A, and no leaks were found in the system. Good to hear but still irritating that it had lost its gas in 6 months.

Question to the learned community: Does leaving the AC on and the climate control in Auto mean the AC is getting enough of a work out in winter? Should I occasionally set the temperature to as low as possible in order to make it work?

I also asked them to give the car a health check and to swap the wheels from front to back to even out the tyre wear.

My engine mounts are going soft, my turbo seal is worn, my parking brake needs attention and the (now) rear tyres are down to 3mm.

I'll tackle all these before the MOT in February, the tyres earlier if need be.

A bit of a chunky bill at £600, but I shudder to think what it would have been had I taken it to the main dealer...

The car drives better than before, having a bit more urge. Not sure if this is the swirl flaps working or better breathing as a result of the de-carbon, or both, but whatever it is it's appreciated.

Gratifyingly fuel economy is back to late 20s early 30s rather than mid 20s as it was with dodgy swirl flaps.

All in all, an expensive day out, but hopefully one that will mean the car stays functional and reliable over the worst of winter.

Thanks for reading.

Nov 15th, 2019, 09:39	#117
Odysseus Senior Member Last Online: May 11th, 2024 08:07 Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Cambridgeshire	My XC90 is back to full health! Yesterday was the day it was booked in with IVS of Letchworth. IVS is tucked away down the back of a small industrial estate and there was a reassuring quantity of Volvos of varying ages outside. IVS don't have courtesy cars, so I found myself in the area with a day to kill. The market town of Baldock was a short (1 mile) walk over the A1 where I managed to waste a few hours in a cafe, then another few hours in the public library, then I had an enjoyable pub lunch next to an open fire, and made use of the extra spare time by getting my hair cut, all interspersed by emails and a few phone calls, figuring I should probably do some actual work as well to help pay for all this indulgence. The work on the XC90 was fairly involved. The swirl flaps were replaced, and the carbon build up around the area was cleaned, helping the car breathe. This was a big job took up the bulk of the time, and resulted in most of the cost. The air conditioning was topped up with R134A, and no leaks were found in the system. Good to hear but still irritating that it had lost its gas in 6 months. Question to the learned community: Does leaving the AC on and the climate control in Auto mean the AC is getting enough of a work out in winter? Should I occasionally set the temperature to as low as possible in order to make it work? I also asked them to give the car a health check and to swap the wheels from front to back to even out the tyre wear. My engine mounts are going soft, my turbo seal is worn, my parking brake needs attention and the (now) rear tyres are down to 3mm. I'll tackle all these before the MOT in February, the tyres earlier if need be. A bit of a chunky bill at £600, but I shudder to think what it would have been had I taken it to the main dealer... The car drives better than before, having a bit more urge. Not sure if this is the swirl flaps working or better breathing as a result of the de-carbon, or both, but whatever it is it's appreciated. Gratifyingly fuel economy is back to late 20s early 30s rather than mid 20s as it was with dodgy swirl flaps. All in all, an expensive day out, but hopefully one that will mean the car stays functional and reliable over the worst of winter. Thanks for reading.