07 plate XC90 D5 se

[ThorV70]

Just after some advice, I’ve had lots of V70’s petrol and diesels.
Opportunity to buy an XC90. It’s the 185bhp Diesel. Not huge mileage andnotmuch on the mot advisory.
What should I be checking and looking out for? Not much experience withAWD cars.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by ThorV70

Just after some advice, I’ve had lots of V70’s petrol and diesels.
Opportunity to buy an XC90. It’s the 185bhp Diesel. Not huge mileage andnotmuch on the mot advisory.
What should I be checking and looking out for? Not much experience withAWD cars.

well parking brake performance , front suspension wishbone bushes , swirl throttle mechanism .. Intercooler leak .If it is over 10 years old I would always allow £2500 for getting it back up to scratch for another 100,000 miles

[Familyman 90]

check for evidence it has been run or maintained on the cheap. Nankang Woosung Tyres, Bombsite Motors service history (these are big, complex cars and need a specialist or a dealer, Fred in a Shed isn't up to it), Champion wiper blades, all the tell tale signs that someone's wallet wasn't as big as it should have been.

Check the car tax banding on that particular car - most are band K, £330, but a few with a particular combination of spec and wheels were band L, 585. Not a big deal for a car that cost upwards of 40 grand 15 years ago, but forewarned is forearmed.

Check the box swaps cogs smoothly, with no major clunking, jolts or flaring.

Check that everything works. If there are any warning lights of error messages be suspicious - if the seller is claiming it's an easy or cheap fix, then ask them why they haven't done it then?

AWD doesn't give trouble often on that year, so probably no issues to worry about there.

They can suffer swirl flap issues. Quite often it does not affect driveability at all and people leave them 'wedged' open, but sometimes they stick in the wrong position and power delivery can seem flat. Fixes rang for £8 for a new actuator arm, to about £130 for a full kit - it's not a challenging DIY job, but is quite lengthy.

185's aren't fast, but they are surprisingly eager and revvy.

These cars tend not to leak, even with big miles, so be mighty suspicious of evidence of fluid leaks of any type from anywhere.

And all the usual wear and tear stuff. Brakes and tyres have a hard life, so eyeball things carefully.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

check for evidence it has been run or maintained on the cheap. Nankang Woosung Tyres, Bombsite Motors service history (these are big, complex cars and need a specialist or a dealer, Fred in a Shed isn't up to it), Champion wiper blades, all the tell tale signs that someone's wallet wasn't as big as it should have been.

Check the car tax banding on that particular car - most are band K, £330, but a few with a particular combination of spec and wheels were band L, 585. Not a big deal for a car that cost upwards of 40 grand 15 years ago, but forewarned is forearmed.

Check the box swaps cogs smoothly, with no major clunking, jolts or flaring.

Check that everything works. If there are any warning lights of error messages be suspicious - if the seller is claiming it's an easy or cheap fix, then ask them why they haven't done it then?

AWD doesn't give trouble often on that year, so probably no issues to worry about there.

They can suffer swirl flap issues. Quite often it does not affect driveability at all and people leave them 'wedged' open, but sometimes they stick in the wrong position and power delivery can seem flat. Fixes rang for £8 for a new actuator arm, to about £130 for a full kit - it's not a challenging DIY job, but is quite lengthy.

185's aren't fast, but they are surprisingly eager and revvy.

These cars tend not to leak, even with big miles, so be mighty suspicious of evidence of fluid leaks of any type from anywhere.

And all the usual wear and tear stuff. Brakes and tyres have a hard life, so eyeball things carefully.

Lots of good posts here however I disagree about these been complex to service. In 2007 it may have been, and you may have wished to obtain the software updates for three years but they are exceptionally straight forward and somple vehicles to work on.

I have serviced mine from 68K to 120K for low cost and without any Incidents enjoying great reliability.

The only time I would consider specialist input would be for a complex module based error, for everything else including cam belt changes etc a competent home mechanic can work on there.

Certainly timing belts are easier than the majority of main stream cars such as Ford focuses.

[Familyman 90]

They are straightforward...if youre clued up.

If you're not clued up then they really are quite complex and very easy to c*** up by an ignirant spanner jockey.

For example, off the top of my head...

...using only the correct A5/B5 oil, the software updates to which you allude, Haldex servicing, the use of genuine Volvo belts being the only suitable items, the original water pump only requiring changing every second belt change and then being replace with only a Volvo item...

...this is all stuff that you or I know about because we lurk in this dark corner of the internet, but your average Fred in a Shed that looks after Granny's Corsa simply not have the knowledge or the access to the knowledge/software/tools. They also don't have access the service bulletins, some of them very important, which a dealer gets or a specialist can pay to receive.

A specialist - XC or Volvo - or a dealer will.

Test it for yourself. Simply pick a back street or industrial estste garage at random now, ring them for a service quote and without dropping any hints ask them what oil they use. Go on, it's an eye opener. Then ask them the chassis number ranges of petrol engined XC90s are exempt from the cat test at an MOT. Then maybe ask them about the service bulletin on resealing CEM covers on 163's to prevent expensive water ingress and damage. This js all very important information, potentially crucial, and they simply won't have a clue.

Im a - retried - race engine builder. Sure, I could rebuild a gearbox, or even respray a car (I have done both on occasion), but im not an expert at either - you will be much better off going to someone that actually knows that they are doing than coming to me simply because im cheap.

[XC90Mk1]

Lots of interesting points and again you put your money and take your choice. I personally use genuine Volvo parts because if you ask for a discount Volvo will sell them to you for the same price as the fram, Mann etc so I don’t see the point of not using Volvo.

Regarding Volvo servicing your vehicle they won’t change the fluid on the haldex or auto box. The official line from Volvo on the box is that it should only have fluids changed if used as a tow car or for hire. However we know dealers simply state ‘it can’t be done’.

Any proper mechanic will change auto box fluids and haldex fluids etc.

I very much rate Volvo parts which are high quality and no more expensive than Mann filters from euro car parts. However o don’t rate their service. Modern Volvo dealers and specialists are talking 100,000 miles and 10 years of life and are happy if your car does that. Proper independents are better in my opinion but each to their own.

You are very very right on the points above however, especially the oil which does always shock me

[TruckbusUK]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

Regarding Volvo servicing your vehicle they won’t change the fluid on the haldex or auto box. The official line from Volvo on the box is that it should only have fluids changed if used as a tow car or for hire. However we know dealers simply state ‘it can’t be done’.

To be honest I have never found that to be true, yes, if you ask at service reception that tends to be the "party line", but if you ask for the workshop controller and or the product specialist/Guru or the like (I cant remember what Volvo call these "expert guys",) then a brief chat and the work was always carried out as requested, no problem, or maybe just the two dealers I have used in the past have been a step above the rest.

[Moose Test]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

However we know dealers simply state ‘it can’t be done’.

That's not universally true.

My local dealer in Halesworth didn't bat an eyelid when I asked them to flush and change both my XC70, or then later on my second XC90 (now an ex franchised dealer as of 2021 but still specialists).

I've also used the current Volvo main dealer in Norwich. At one point in time they had a sign on their service reception desk *advertising* gearbox flushing, with the price.

Both highly recommended, btw. I've also time for the the specialist in Attleborough.

[ltec]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

They are straightforward...if youre clued up.

If you're not clued up then they really are quite complex and very easy to c*** up by an ignirant spanner jockey.

For example, off the top of my head...

...using only the correct A5/B5 oil, the software updates to which you allude, Haldex servicing, the use of genuine Volvo belts being the only suitable items, the original water pump only requiring changing every second belt change and then being replace with only a Volvo item...

...this is all stuff that you or I know about because we lurk in this dark corner of the internet, but your average Fred in a Shed that looks after Granny's Corsa simply not have the knowledge or the access to the knowledge/software/tools. They also don't have access the service bulletins, some of them very important, which a dealer gets or a specialist can pay to receive.

A specialist - XC or Volvo - or a dealer will.

Test it for yourself. Simply pick a back street or industrial estste garage at random now, ring them for a service quote and without dropping any hints ask them what oil they use. Go on, it's an eye opener. Then ask them the chassis number ranges of petrol engined XC90s are exempt from the cat test at an MOT. Then maybe ask them about the service bulletin on resealing CEM covers on 163's to prevent expensive water ingress and damage. This js all very important information, potentially crucial, and they simply won't have a clue.

Im a - retried - race engine builder. Sure, I could rebuild a gearbox, or even respray a car (I have done both on occasion), but im not an expert at either - you will be much better off going to someone that actually knows that they are doing than coming to me simply because im cheap.

What a load of nonsense.
Any good brand timing belt or water pump will drive a xc90. Anybody tells you any different hasn't a clue and has no garage experience of fitting these parts.
A few posts back someone is spending £7000 throwing parts at it it doesn't need in a main dealer. If it was an independent garage you'd be gassing to take it to s main dealer. Its still not right and you also disagree with what the expert main dealer is telling him. So you must know more than these specialists.
There is one main dealer left in Northern Ireland, how many xc90s do you think actually go their. So all the rest are falling apart?

[wynnj]

I bought a 2007 XC90 D5 auto 133K miles myself last August, comprehensive service history though not all Volvo. I’d already got a 2007 S60 D5 auto with 135K miles which I'd bought in 2010 with 24K miles, which I’m keeping, and a 2002 V70 with 192K miles D5 (euro3) auto which I put onto French plates and keep there permanently; I bought this to replace a similar aged S60 D5 auto that a French cement mixer lorry took a dislike to and wrote off. I was looking for a larger vehicle and a major consideration in choosing the XC90 was my knowledge of servicing the P2 D5s myself since 2005, a lot of which I gleaned from this forum, and having a VIDA/DICE which is invaluable.
I had no knowledge of AWD systems and would have gone for 2WD if that had been an option.
Certainly heed the advice already given here and certainly check that the bevel/angle gear still works before buying if AWD is important, or get the price down low if you can live without it. I didn’t but fortunately all was OK with mine and over the last few days I’ve changed the oils in the Angle gear, the Rear Diff and the Haldex/AOC box (and filter) without any drama. Before buying I did a road test and found the gearbox very smooth, however after buying it I found it started to bang when changing from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th, but only once the box was really warm after about 15 miles or more. First job was a full gearbox oil change which has improved it significantly; if it deteriorates or gets to the point of really annoying me I’ll replace the valve body later this year. I knew on a test drive that the rain sensor didn’t work, nor some of the interior lights. I took a chance on that being something fairly simple to fix. The lights, and the rain sensor activation were easy, being a missing fuse, however the continued functioning of the rain sensor refused to behave. I eventually tracked that down to a non Volvo (or Pilkington) front windshield having been fitted at some stage in the past. It seems the rain sensors are very particular about what make of screen is fitted, presumably something to do with the thickness and/or refractive index of the glass used by aftermarket suppliers. Budget on timing and auxilliaries belts and associated tensioners and pulleys unless you've got irrefutable evidence that they've been done and are stiil within milage and age. OE parts from RUFE in Swansea are very reasonably priced. The water pumps on these are generally considered to be bomb proof.
If you need work doing on the AWD then I’m sure it could be expensive, but apart from the front wishbone bushes being much heavier duty than the standard S/V version of the P2 platform the rest of the car is no more complicated than its saloon/estate cousins. In fact replacing the front bushes with polyeurethane recently was easier than the S/Vs as neither bush has a metal sleeve and can be pushed into the arm with just a standard bench vice.
It’s obviously not as quick off the mark as the S60 with the same engine and it’s thirstier, but I like the driving position and getting in and out is a lot easier for someone who’s passed his 3 score years and 10. It's no slouch either though and I've never had a problem keeping up with rest of the world.
I know this is only one person’s experience but if you go in with open eyes I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.