Slow to take off at junctions

[Ulsterman]

My 2009 XC90 D5 auto has a lag at take off at junctions etc. It has been like this since I bought it 4 years ago and I have no idea how the previous owner drove the vehicle.

I have read about 'slip into neutral' feature but some say it was not present in models from 06 onward yet others say it was.

Someone (AA man attending my wifes car) advised that I get a tuning box so again I have been reading and again there is disagreement about both effectiveness and potential damage to the engine long term. I only have 70k on the car and I would really like to keep it for a good few years but have been increasingly seeing the whites of the eyes of oncoming drivers as I try to get out at junctions at busy time. Maybe I am just a crap driver!

Any advice would be gratefully received especially from someone who has found a solution that has stood the test of time and didn't require a second mortgage.

Many thanks!

[galloot633]

Ulsterman
You have what's known as " geartronic lag or delay" some do it and some don't ! mines done it since I bought it in 2010 ( my 06 ) no one has found a cure , or if they have they've never posted it , you do learn to live with it , but you will have a few heart stopping moments in the mean time
Dave

[Ulsterman]

Dave, thanks for the reply.

I have read about this geartronic lag which seems to be one of the can be fixed /can't be fixed discussions. Even some who say it can't be fixed will say that it can be improved by a re-map etc but I can never be quite sure if they are an XC90 owner or a Re-mapper doing some sales.

Yes you do tend to live with it and the XC90 is a great car all round (apart from the footbrake MOT issue but then again you learn to use the same mechanic for pre MOT service and he knows how to get it tight enough).

Hopefully someone else will post with more info on the lag issue.

Thanks again.

Stephen

[guestinlancs]

Let me share this experience of D5's. It might just be the problem:
I bought an 05 124k miles. It started and drove ok but was awful from a standing start at a junction. Auto box was geartronic and I thought this was problem. Nowhere near as smooth on acceleration and gear change as previous Mk2 04 2.4i that the d5 replaced. It was a pain, especially when turning left onto busy roads, even dangerous. I drive various work journeys, 3 times a week I do a motorway round trip of 110 miles. After about 3 weeks driving like this (80mph/2800 rpm'ish) the problem started to fade. Problem went altogether within 5 weeks or so. Bought an 04 xc90 D5, Geartronic, 104k miles a few weeks ago. Same problem, lag from standing start, especially from junctions/lights. Struggled to get above 2000 rpm, or 40mph. Then, after a few weeks of 80mph journeys, around 2,700 rpm, 110 miles round trips, the problem has disappeared, just like it did with V70 D5. So what could it be; my best guess and mechanics opinion - running car hot on a good journey clears the EGR. In turn, the acceleration and standing start is smoother, as smooth as it should be. Even if you can't do the journey/miles I have, you can get a cheap salvage EGR from ebay. 30 quid or so. Possibly cheap enough to be worth at least getting one, cleaning it, exchanging with yours and seeing if it fixes problem.

[gmonag]

Swapping parts on the off-chance that it might fix a problem is not the way to go about things.
Read DTC's and find the cause.

Having said that, this sounds like turbo lag to me. I improved my own MY2005 with a combination of:
1. Cleaning the EGR plenum.
2. Cleaning the injectors (Liqui-Moly).
3. Cleaning the turbo variable inlet vanes with oven cleaner.
4. (Only for MY-2005) Fixing leaks in the vacuum system (engine mounts etc).

No more lag from a standing start.

[Ulsterman]

guestinlancs & gmonag, thanks for the replies.

Greg, did you have any change in your fuel economy after the cleaning?

[gmonag]

Yes, about 2-3 mpg

[galloot633]

Questin, some have suggested that the delay is due to the adaptive box , drive sedately and you get a delay, drive like a boy racer and you don't , as for the egr , I had a new one fitted a couple of years ago , and it did improve mid range power but no change in the delay , on another note I'm noticing an improvement with gear changes after adding Lucas atf additive
Dave

[Ulsterman]

Every 2 weeks I make a 3 hour round trip on the motorway and I do it @ 80mph all the way. I have not thought to notice if the lag was present immediately afterward but I will do next time. In any event its back to normal lag issue next day.

[Neilfinlay123]

I got my 163 d5 xc90 mapped to 210 ish. Did help the lag. Not as obvious, didn't totally disappear