S60 '16 R-Design D4 - Crashy, Crunchy, warranty?

[Prof Prolapse]

Hi all,

I bought an S60 R-Design about 11 months ago. I'll be honest it's a great car, covered 13K or so, but I've struggled with it. Now I either put some things right, or take a big hit and chuck it in...

It's not a great shift especially from cold, 1-2, 2-1. It's also a bit crashy around town. So I wondered...

(1) Has anyone else suffered with the manual gearbox being a bit naff and could you remedy it with a better choice of gearbox oil?

I've taken it back to Volvo but they won't inspect further under warranty without disssambly at my expense if they don't find a fault. It really doesn't feel like synchro's or wear, and a decent engineer buddy has suggested the symptoms might be because the gearbox oil is not quite right for the box. It's just those low gear changes.

(2) It's quite crashy around town, so much so I take the Zafira around town now. Anyone had any luck with changing springs or changing wheels to larger profile etc.? I don't think throwing a full set of suspension at it is a great idea.... Combined with the box, around town it absolutely does my head in.

(3) My warranty runs out in December. The cost of renewal is likely to be over £400 to extend it via Volvo along with main dealer service prices. It's at 53,000 miles and I do between 12-20K a year.

I know nothing about the reliability of these cars or the D4, is the engine, electrics, and drivetrain (albeit crunchy) reliable enough to risk not renewing?

Thanks all, really appreciate helpful comments.

[jasmith44]

You can change the gearbox oil making sure it's the right stuff.If it still crunches then i would assume it is the box at fault.Somebody with more knowledge of your car will most likely answer before too long.

[Black dog]

When stationary Rev it up to about 3000rpm and ram it into 2nd without pressing the clutch. Dealer will certainly find something wrong inside the box after that!

[Prof Prolapse]

Originally Posted by jasmith44

You can change the gearbox oil making sure it's the right stuff.If it still crunches then i would assume it is the box at fault.Somebody with more knowledge of your car will most likely answer before too long.

I've been reliably informed the issue could be that some gearboxes can have the oil changed to another type fractionally more suitable to allow the gears to match speeds more easily, this seems to be the problem at low speeds. I'd obviously need to recruit my better informed friend to assist me.

That said, I'm still not convinced it's not slightly worn synchros, or even just, (and forgive me for saying this on this forum), a ****e gearbox. But it really is not like any gearbox with ****ed synchro's I've had before, frankly it's just no where near as severe and it's fine at higher road speeds.

The reality is at this stage it's more preference than problem, so none of these things would be a warranty claim sadly, hence me looking to see if I'm alone or not and exploring other options.

[S60RDesign]

In terms of ride you could switch to tyres like Michelin Cross Climates but that is at the expense of handling and feel if that bothers you. They're noticeably more comfortable than the set of Pilot Sport 4s I had on before though. Personally I wouldn't want to lose those nice 18" R Design wheels. Compared to my Mini Coupe the Volvo feels like a Rolls Royce!

[Prof Prolapse]

Originally Posted by S60RDesign

In terms of ride you could switch to tyres like Michelin Cross Climates but that is at the expense of handling and feel if that bothers you. They're noticeably more comfortable than the set of Pilot Sport 4s I had on before though. Personally I wouldn't want to lose those nice 18" R Design wheels. Compared to my Mini Coupe the Volvo feels like a Rolls Royce!

I've got PS4s on it, I'll be honest I'm not convinced tread pattern will help my issues. It's a suspension set-up vs my preference issue.

Well the S60 wheels were lovely until my Mrs kerbed it last month. After just coming to terms with it and finding a CNC machinist to repair, I then also managed to kerb another wheel a few weeks back after a particularly stressful day.. So yeah, they were nice, but now will repair, or use the repair money to put 17" (or lower) and up the profile of the tyres to make it a bit comfier, but it's a bodged solution for sure.

Does anyone know if the standard suspension is a straight swap?

[mattster]

I have a 2014 R-Design D4 (V60) and points 1 and 2 affect me also! My gearbox is 'notchy' at best when moving between lower gears - I thought I'd bought a lemon, but on doing some research discovered that this is apparently how that gearbox is... my method of working around it is to change gear slowly, but positively. Still frustrating though.

The R-Design cars do have much stiffer suspension than the non-R's, which leads to the rough ride through towns. Bigger sidewalls probably would help - mine is on the 19" wheels, which look good so I'm loathe to change them....

[Zebster]

I'm perfectly happy with the gearbox and gearchange on my D4(VEA) R-Design V60 (now on nearly 86k miles) and neither has my wife provided any negative feedback in this regard. I actually find it pretty good!

It has got overly harsh suspension though and - worse - transmits a horrible level of road noise into the cabin, especially when the tyres become more than about 50% worn. I think raising the profile from 40 to 45 might help.

[S60RDesign]

Originally Posted by Prof Prolapse

I've got PS4s on it, I'll be honest I'm not convinced tread pattern will help my issues. It's a suspension set-up vs my preference issue.

Well the S60 wheels were lovely until my Mrs kerbed it last month. After just coming to terms with it and finding a CNC machinist to repair, I then also managed to kerb another wheel a few weeks back after a particularly stressful day.. So yeah, they were nice, but now will repair, or use the repair money to put 17" (or lower) and up the profile of the tyres to make it a bit comfier, but it's a bodged solution for sure.

Does anyone know if the standard suspension is a straight swap?

It's not tread pattern that makes the difference but softer sidewalls.

I got my wheels refurbed back to diamond cut for £280 at Simply Wheels in Lincoln - I'd had a quote for £800 at another place...worth shopping around

[Prof Prolapse]

Thanks all. Very helpful, very glad to know the gearbox irritation isn't just me. You get to the point where you're wondering if it's just in your head as when you get moving it's a good box!

I've been quoted £100/wheel CNC, that's will a full relacquer/paint/rebalance etc. Seems reasonable to me?

Ah I understand now, the sidewalls are a bit firmer on the Crossclimate... I'll have a think about it, but to be honest they're ****ing expensive, and I go through a lot of tyres and was thinking of "downgrading", I will bear in mind sidewalls for next tyre choice though thanks.

So the D4 is pretty reliable if driven properly then? (DPF cared for etc.)

I can change parts, but the days of attempting to replace engine internals, gearboxes, and complex electrical issues are behind me... But that warranty, and the ties to Volvo servicing arrangements, are expensive....