XC70: Engine Do you annoy the start / stop function?

[Peter86]

Personally I have never found the headrests blocking my rear vision unless someone has lifted up the middle one on occasion. From my position they pretty much just cover the rear light area of the car and very slightly to either side but not enough for me to consider dropping the head rests.

[apersson850]

For me, the rear headrests obscure the lower part of the rear window, beside the wiper motor attachment. And that's exactly where the rear edges of my trailer are visible, provided the headrests are down.

[green van man]

We are all different. I watched with envy the ease that a class 1 HGV driver slotted his 40' trailer into a delivery bay no more than a foot wider than the vehicle around a 90 degree aproach. Lined it up and hung out of the right hand window to watch his side and judge the gap as the left hand side was unsighted due to the cab angle. One shunt and he was done and dusted.


Paul.

[richardt1994]

I know what you mean GreenVanMan. A few years ago I was visiting a large haulage company and watched one of their drivers spend half an hour adjusting and checking his mirrors by reversing and swinging the cab from side to side, stopping to adjust the mirrors several times. The cab had 3 separately adjustable mirrors stacked vertically on each side of the cab. When I asked him what he was doing he explained that it was a new vehicle he had not driven before and did not want to look like the a***hole who can't park it properly! I got the impression that reverse parking, quickly, accurately and in one attempt, into a crowded loading bay was a matter of professional pride for him :-)

[Tatsfield]

And I'm sure he drives his Volvo in the same manner. But I'm also sure that if he felt the rear seat headrest in any way impeded his view in any particular direction, he would take the same care to drop them down and if he could do it with a single press of a button, he would.

If you want to look at a needless automation on my XC70, not being able to automatically release the EPB unless wearing a seat belt. It is not mandatory to wear a belt when reversing the vehicle but Volvo insist that you do. When reversing from a standstill I always manually release the brake but every time I am irked that Nanny Volvo is so demanding of her charges! I had a Honda where the seatbelt warning wasn't triggered if you engaged reverse.

[St Evelyn]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

If you want to look at a needless automation on my XC70, not being able to automatically release the EPB unless wearing a seat belt.

Not had the V90 long, but my now-departed 2012MY S80 used to allow me to release the EPB without wearing a seat belt if I had my foot on the foot brake and activated the switch manually.

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

I had a Honda where the seatbelt warning wasn't triggered if you engaged reverse.

Again, the old S80 was the same - when doing a little driving forwards and backwards whilst turning the car around I always found that, even if the seatbelt warning had activated whilst driving forwards, it would then cancel when I went in to reverse.

[St Evelyn]

Originally Posted by noscralc

yes I wonder how many starter motors will need replacing during its life ????

Back in December 2016 I had to replace the starter on my then 5.5 year old S80 at a cost of ~£800. That one incident alone caused me to fall out of love with stop-start and I now de-activate it every time I jump in a car.

To the point made earlier - I can't see how a small fuel saving through using stop-start can be better for the environment, or save me money, versus paying £800 out to get a failed starter replaced after 'only' 130K miles. It's the only car I've ever owned that needed a new starter...

[Tatsfield]

my now-departed 2012MY S80 used to allow me to release the EPB without wearing a seat belt if I had my foot on the foot brake and activated the switch manually.

Of course I can always release the brake manually if I hold the car on the foot brake or it would never be able to be moved!

It's the automatic release to which I am referring. You don't have to put your foot on the brake pedal as the EPB holds the car until you touch the accelerator and then it releases for a smooth pick up but it insists that you have the seat belt fastened even if you've engaged reverse. The ECU could easily recognise when the car was in reverse gear and allow the automatic release to function, but Volvo never thought of it. That's a damn nuisance as it is much more difficult to swivel in your seat to look backwards with the belt fastened which is why the law doesn't demand that you wear a belt when reversing the car, but Volvo do!

[RPB]

Is it just the Euro 6 compliant D5 that has stop-start? The one with 220bhp?

I'm looking to replace my V50 and the XC70 is near the top of the list. I see that some models have the stop-start symbol and others don't and I can only surmise that is the obvious difference between the euro 5 and 6 models of D5.

[Evgeny]

On XC70 and XC60 start-stop function was installed from MY2016 and onwards