New XC90 2021 have some questions for Vovlo old pros

[makeyourownluc]

First off thanks so much! I am looking for some volvo vets to help me as this is my first vovlo..

Quick fire Qs

1. Can the recharge plug into a standard light socket that powers the 1/2 horsepower garage door opener? It is USA 3 prong.

2. What is this black buttlonless key fob and how do you use it in your day to day?

3. To “pre condition” heated seats is there a trick I am missing? My volvo on call has not once been able to activate it.

4. Is there a way to keep the car in a certain drive mode? I prefer “AWD” mode in the snow but I got out, filled up with gas and drove home and noticed halfway home I was back in “hybrid” mode...

5. Does anyone recommend ethanol free gas for Volvo XC90? Will it prolong engine life?

6. Finally, this is a long shot but I have heater windshield wipers but have no idea how to turn them on... this I can look up in manual but if you want to show off you skillz I would appreciate ya!


Thanks all and hopefully I can learn some tricks and help you out soon!

Myol

[amadan]

Hi,
I don't have a XC90, I have a V60PE but it's probably close enough to answer some of these.

1. Can the recharge plug into a standard light socket that powers the 1/2 horsepower garage door opener? It is USA 3 prong.
A: Maybe, I can't really answer this as I'm in the UK. It might be worth asking on Swedespeed forums. I think you can charge off 110v but I would imagine it's dog slow, in the UK lighting circuits are much lower capacity so I'd really not recommend it - but that's here.

2. What is this black buttlonless key fob and how do you use it in your day to day?
A: I suspect you're talking about the "sportkey". It's a waterproof key designed for use when kayaking etc etc, you can use it as a day to day key BUT be aware - it has no blade and the battery is not replaceable (although I did read a rumour the new one was rechargable - mine certainly isn't) so if it fails you may be stuck without access to your car.
http://volvo.custhelp.com/app/answer...28sport-key%29

3. To “pre condition” heated seats is there a trick I am missing? My volvo on call has not once been able to activate it.
A: I think there's a max temp of about 8 deg C. Pretty sure this has been covered a number of times on either SweedSpeed or here. Also I believe there is a difference between the European and USA cars wrt pre-conditioning so what you hear here may not be quite right for you.

4. Is there a way to keep the car in a certain drive mode? I prefer “AWD” mode in the snow but I got out, filled up with gas and drove home and noticed halfway home I was back in “hybrid” mode...
A: I don't believe so. Definately one to watch. I only yesterday had to warn SWMBO that she needed to switch to AWD or the car would be rear biased in yesterday's snow.


5. Does anyone recommend ethanol free gas for Volvo XC90? Will it prolong engine life?
A: No idea - I've not come across it in the UK, again maybe a US centric question? I just use what's recommended on the fuel flap. I think I've read places that petrol with ethanol in can cause premature wear of plastics and rubber but from memory this was in old cars not designed from it.


6. Finally, this is a long shot but I have heater windshield wipers but have no idea how to turn them on... this I can look up in manual but if you want to show off you skillz I would appreciate ya!
A: I have never bothered looking although I've not seen an option. My dealer said they were automatically on below 0 dec C.

Volvo's site has all the manuals online - in fact it's searchable by google so you can simply search there for something specific. Definitely worth reading the manual for some stuff as Sensus is not a particularly brilliant system compared to the competition but it does the job after a fashion.

[Philip Fisher]

On question 1.

I would say almost certainly no. Lighting circuits tend to be lower current than you need for your charger. What is the rated fuse in the lighting circuit? The sort of circuit you need is the sort of circuit where you would plug in an electric heater, or a kettle, or other high power appliance. The charger charges at 10amp in the UK on 230v, so at 110v if it charges at the same rate you will be looking at a circa 20amp draw.

[Fursty Ferret]

1. I wouldn't even try it. In theory the breaker should trip before the wiring catches fire, but that assumes that every wire and joint back to the breaker is in perfect condition, along with the breaker itself, and that it's actually the correct rating for the circuit.

The comparative cost of having a 240v charging box installed in your garage is nothing compared to the price of the car (may even be subsidised depending on state) and definitely nothing compared to having to rebuild the house from the ashes.

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Fursty Ferret

1. I wouldn't even try it. In theory the breaker should trip before the wiring catches fire, but that assumes that every wire and joint back to the breaker is in perfect condition, along with the breaker itself, and that it's actually the correct rating for the circuit.

The comparative cost of having a 240v charging box installed in your garage is nothing compared to the price of the car (may even be subsidised depending on state) and definitely nothing compared to having to rebuild the house from the ashes.

Indeed. I know nothing about US electrics, but I can only assume that the garage door lifter is on the lighting circuit so that when you turn on the lights the door lifts up (or vica versa).

I convert half a horse power into 370 watts, so this is way below the likely 2500 watts for the car charger.

Is all the US 110v as standard? I assume this means that all their circuits are double the current? So a lighting circuit would be typically 10amp and a socket circuit over 50amps? Or are all their appliances typically rated at a lower current?

[makeyourownluc]

Thank you all especially poster #1 who one by one answered the Qs! Gold star! And the electricians who saved me from burning the car up!

[Lexman8]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Is all the US 110v as standard? I assume this means that all their circuits are double the current? So a lighting circuit would be typically 10amp and a socket circuit over 50amps? Or are all their appliances typically rated at a lower current?

There's a common misconception about the US electrical supply being only 120 volts. In fact, it's 240 volts. Yep, that's right.

US homes have a split-phase supply (from a centre-tap transformer) so both 120 volts and 240 volts are available. Therefore US homes can utilise 240 volts for appliances which draw a higher current, eg stoves, air conditioners, water heaters or electric car chargers*. They have special sockets and plugs for these. The standard (crappy) sockets we're used to seeing there are the 120v ones.

In the UK virtually all homes are single phase 230v unless the property is very large in which case it'll probably have a 3-phase supply.

*It would take forever (well double the time) to charge a car on a 120v supply with the same current as a 240v supply. And for all sorts of reasons you can't just double the 120v current to compensate.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by makeyourownluc

First off thanks so much! I am looking for some volvo vets to help me as this is my first vovlo..

Quick fire Qs

1. Can the recharge plug into a standard light socket that powers the 1/2 horsepower garage door opener? It is USA 3 prong.

2. What is this black buttlonless key fob and how do you use it in your day to day?

3. To “pre condition” heated seats is there a trick I am missing? My volvo on call has not once been able to activate it.

4. Is there a way to keep the car in a certain drive mode? I prefer “AWD” mode in the snow but I got out, filled up with gas and drove home and noticed halfway home I was back in “hybrid” mode...

5. Does anyone recommend ethanol free gas for Volvo XC90? Will it prolong engine life?

6. Finally, this is a long shot but I have heater windshield wipers but have no idea how to turn them on... this I can look up in manual but if you want to show off you skillz I would appreciate ya!


Thanks all and hopefully I can learn some tricks and help you out soon!

Myol

Certainly not, there are legal implications you need to check them out ! In uk you need a specially wired 240v 13A socket wired for the car charging socket .

[amadan]

Originally Posted by Clan

Certainly not, there are legal implications you need to check them out ! In uk you need a specially wired 240v 13A socket wired for the car charging socket .

Out of interest what do you mean specially wired? Until I got a Pod-Point I just used a standard household plug.

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Clan

Certainly not, there are legal implications you need to check them out ! In uk you need a specially wired 240v 13A socket wired for the car charging socket .

No you don't clan. You need a socket capable of supplying 10amps continuously. You just need to check that such a load will not overload the existing circuit.

Most sockets in UK domestic properties are on a 32amp ring main, so if you want to charge your car off the same circuit which also has your kettle, your oven and a fan heater on it then you might have an issue with overloading. If the socket just has a few phone chargers and a TV then there will be no issues.

This idea of specially wired is complete nonsense which we have debunked previously on this forum.