D2 running issues - advice wanted

[stevep999]

Is there anyway to check what software you have? Just had service and the report upgrades and recalls box was green?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by stevep999

Hi Guys

I've just bought a 03/11 D2 R design, so far all good. The dealer said when they service it any software upgrades are automatically done by computer. is this correct or do you have to make sure they specifically update software ?

Thanks in advance

Yes , this is the new service promise software updates which are now part of the services . Should be publicised in early 2012 ...

[Clan]

Originally Posted by stevep999

Is there anyway to check what software you have? Just had service and the report upgrades and recalls box was green?

you had a sheet with a shape of a car on at the top and ticked boxes at the bottom?
The ticks indicate which modules needed and got the software upgrades .

[Clan]

Originally Posted by faffi

I'm in a situation where the garage says my car is fine, whereas I say it isn't. They have updated the SW twice, and it was actually better after the first update. Issues that I have now are (sorry for being so longwinded) :

- High fuel consumption
- Reduced power in 1st gear - noticeably better acceleration in 2nd gear- Slow pickup after changing up a gear under acceleration (turbo-lag)*
- Reduced power/sluggish below 1500 rpm*
- Uneven running at low rpm, car often will not crawl along smoothly when sitting in line, sometimes even bucking and lurching to the point where it can only be stopped by de-clutching and starting over again#
- severe repeated cut-out during medium throttle use, went away when floored (worse than a stutter)
- difficult to take off smoothly, car bogs and sometimes revs soar to 2000 rpm without correspondent throttle use - but car still bogs when clutch is released at the approriate speed#
- "misfire" randomly after letting up on the throttle following normal acceleration
- sometimes the throttle pick-up or letting it up is butter smooth, other times it is very abrupt, even though the throttle is used in the same manner#

* was fine after the first update, reappeared after the second update
# appeared after the first update and stayed like this

When I first got the car, I could drive it silky-smooth, like a well-designed automatic or better. The only annoying issues were the high consumption and sometimes a judder when gently reapplying the throttle after coasting.

Now, the car is sometimes smooth, sometimes impossible to launch smoothly. And the judder has gone from something mostly I noticed to something that one fear will cause whiplash one day if a passenger is sufficiently pencil-necked.

Since the car's behaviour isn't consistent, we are down to me either suddenly having forgotten how to drive after 30 years, or the car has some issues. Even if the computer says it's fine. Anybody have some idea of what could be the culprit? What I can suggest to the dealer that has just shrugged it off since the car doesn't have any fault codes to share?

Torque is limited to 180 nm in 1st and reverse gears and to 230 nm in 2nd gear , all the other gears have the full 280 nm available

[faffi]

Gawd I hate modern electronics. Let's take an engine with very modest power and neuter it just in case a gumby comes along and use too much throttle at the wrong time. The longer I keep this electronic wonder, the more certain I am that my next car should have carbs, big pistons and run on proper fuel

But thanks for letting me know, Clan!

[Clan]

The joys of a modified 100bhp 1 litre petrol engine at 8000 rpm :-) through a standard gearbox for 100's of 1000's of miles

Looking at the D2 6 speed gearbox it looks kinda cute , not meaty like the previous volvo gearboxes , maybe the torque reduction is to protect the gearbox, after all 280 nm is not inconsiderable .

[faffi]

Perhaps Didn't notice power cuts on the old 109 hp 1.6D, though. The lack of power is very annoying when going for a gap in traffic, as the thing accelerate like my mom's old 1 litre Opel Kadett (Vauxhall something in UK) from 1966. Once out of first, though, it's OK.

[lcnar01]

Originally Posted by Clan

The joys of a modified 100bhp 1 litre petrol engine at 8000 rpm :-) through a standard gearbox for 100's of 1000's of miles

Looking at the D2 6 speed gearbox it looks kinda cute , not meaty like the previous volvo gearboxes , maybe the torque reduction is to protect the gearbox, after all 280 nm is not inconsiderable .

It might look cute, but it is a pig to use. The built-in backlash (provided as standard from new at no extra cost) sees to that!

[faffi]

OK, so the car is back from the fix supposed to fix everything. What have changed? Little except that it now drinks more fuel. The engine still throttle itself up at times - although more often than before - when I take off without touching the throttle. And then suddenly chop itself once the car starts rolling, causing it to virtually stop before commencing a series of lurches. And power is sometimes late in coming in, causing a stumbling when the engine finally catches.

I cannot keep this car. It annoys me to the point of anger, the worst piece of junk I've ever been forced to sit in. Well, that's the feeling, even though I know it's caused primarily by the jerky engine and partly by the poor build quality that has caused several warranty repairs. Life is too short to be pee'd off by a dead thing like a vehicle. I'll try reclamation, have Volvo take the car back, and if that doesn't float I'll just exchange it for something else.

This is also my first and last brand new car. I may buy a demo after driving it extensively to make sure it has no annoying issues, but I will only buy a car I have actually driven and know to work properly.

[Clan]

what exactly did they do this time?