General: Ownership Thread - 2012 XC90 Executive

[Odysseus]

How do I get this part out? The left rear window button isn’t working from here, but the window works fine from the button on the left rear door, so I’d like to try cleaning this before going any further.

I tried a bit of levering with my trim removal tool but didn’t want to force anything. If it’s a door card off job I’ll probably just leave it.

[Odysseus]

Fixed! I posted this same question on the XC90 Facebook group who advised taking the door card off was pretty easy.

Taking the door card off was much easier than other cars I’ve done and I pulled the switch pack out. This was necessary as it’s held in by a screw.

I partly dismantled the switch, gave it a good scrub with an old toothbrush and electrical contact cleaner, put it all back together, and hey presto, full functionality restored. Probably 20 minutes work all in.

[XJSDriver]

Thanks for sharing how you fixed it. Nice!

Just shows with Volvo quality this was a 20 minute job - if you can do it yourself then these cars can become very reasonable cost wise to maintain.
Not sure will be the same in the newer cars - my XC60 has a rattle behind the dashboard but living with it because nervous of pulling anything apart on it - no repair manual available yet for the 2nd Gen Xc60.

[Turnipstar]

hey hey hey! Does anyone know where the Bluetooth Module is located?!

I could cry - my bluetooth has completely disappeared.... it is an integral factory fitted module and not a aftermarket add on.

I turn the dial to put into bluetooth mode but it no longer has the option for the blue tooth to be discoverable..... Any ideas?

I took it to Halfords who suggested I find someone who knows where the elusive bluetooth module is located in this model for replacement. I can't cope without my music and podcasts

[Odysseus]

Two updates on this one!

With the weather on the turn, it seemed increasingly risky to let my wife zoom around the countryside on tyres with barely 2mm of tread, so I decided it was time to replace all four.

I didn't go for Michelin Cross Climates again, despite them being excellent, purely on the basis of cost. Instead I went for four Uniroyal Rainsport 5s, which get good reviews and crucially are around £70 per tyre cheaper than the Cross Climates. It's looking increasingly possible that we'll move the XC90 on next year, so I thought I'd make a (rare) cost saving decision.

The four tyres were £555.96, so essentially £139 each, which I figured was pretty good. I bought them from Asda tyres in the end, and the price included fitting at a local tyre centre. This is exactly the same process as Blackcircles, but was a couple of quid cheaper for the same thing.

The pretty worn Michelins this morning before I drove to the tyre place.





And the brand spanking new Uniroyals with oodles of tread.







The Michelins that came off would definitely have been advisories at the next MOT (Feb) even if they weren't a failure, so it's nice to think we've got some tread with winter coming.

For the curious, mileage is now 226,334. This means the Michelins lasted over 30,000 miles. That's very impressive for a two + tonne SUV and I can't recommend them enough.

Another recent problem, and a new one in my ownership was a failure of the front right indicator bulb. This was evidenced by the car telling you an indicator is out, the ticking of the indicator being extremely quick when indicating right, and losing the feature that gives you three blinks when you flick the stalk, like changing lanes on a dual carriageway.

I quickly hopped on the internet to sort a replacement, finding this one on eBay at what I thought was a good price.



It arrived this morning in a study box, and it turns out I've not bought one bulb, I've bought 10. Given this is probably the first failure of this bulb and the car is 11 years old, this means I've got the next 55 years of front indicator replacements covered, which is reassuring.



Fitting was easy peasy - Volvo design these things brilliantly. Just pull out the two silver retaining rods and the whole headlight assembly slides out, then it's just a case of twisting the connector for the correct bulb a few degrees and out it pops.

Barely even got my fingers dirty.



Other than it badly needing a clean, it's nice to think it's hopefully now in good shape over the winter.

[AB-UK]

Beware - I had the same issue just before the MOT, so I decided to replaced both bulbs.
Thought I'd done well, but failed the MOT as the headlight aim was now too low.
Not sure how that happened as the pins went back in as they should.

[Odysseus]

Lots of miles covered by the XC90 over the festive period so far. Cambridgeshire to East Sussex to see in-laws and back, then Cambridgeshire to South Devon for a seaside getaway in a rented cottage.

The new tyres seem fine, and performed flawlessly on a rain drenched M5 yesterday. They're also doing well on the slick Devon lanes, even though the constant braking and accelerating is terrible for economy - if we lived round here full time I think we'd be lucky to average 25 mpg.

Mileage should creep over 228,000 on this trip.

[Odysseus]

I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

[Carlosos]

Holy moly. She took a beating! Written off yet?

[azzledazzle]

Wow that is incredible. I am gutted for you, this was a really nice example and you'd spared no expense in keeping it in such good order.

Damn you Isha and Jocelyn!