Hello everyone! Excited to be in the Volvo fam now but I have some questions that I have searched for and are having a very difficult time trying to find answers(or at least newer answers)

So I bought a 2006 T5 S40 AWD and one of the first things I noticed was:
1. It didn't have any aux input or iPhone connection. I have seen many different answers on this but many of them are from 2008-2010. I want to know if there is a sure way of doing it. (No fm transmitters)

2. Remote start- is it possible?

3- I noticed a lot of s40's with a real nice front lip. I think it is a R-Design but I can't find any online. I saw one on eBay but it had no reviews.

4- Wheels. I know they are 5x108 but I know some people say they run 5x110 with no issues. Is this true? And what about getting spacers with converters to make it say 5x114??

5- Lowering the car. I want to keep it simple and just go with springs. Eibach is what I'm thinking.

Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

welcome to the forum!.

1. Check out Grom products - they connect using the CD changer port to give you an aux input.

2. others have had shops do a remote starter but when things go wrong it becomes a complication. (thus the posts on the forums!) Personally I'd stay away due to the way the ECU and components in the immobilizer work...

3. Dunno if Volvo friendly web sites carry - ie IPD USA may have R line bits. Not sure if I'd worry about an ebay review for a front lip - but I would review how it sticks on (ie glue, screws) and whether it can be painted.

4. Volvo rims are hub centric meaning the hub not the bolts keep the wheel centered. 5x108s in 7 or 7.5 widths are pretty easy to find so I'd question why you'd want to mess with how the lug nuts fit into the rim. The wheel will probably stay on, but wasn't designed to have the lugs off center so you may be stressing the bolts. spacers for 5x114s? one question - WHY? (for the cost and effort you can just buy correctly sized wheels)

5. There's several brands of lowering springs available. What you want to consider is progressive rates vs fixed rates and how much that model spring will lower the car. HR & Eibach both have products for you, but you should also consider what struts/shocks match to your new springs. OEM are Boge Sachs but many choose Bilsteins or Konis when going with lowering springs. Another good option is to leave the stock springs/shocks in place and install a new rear sway bar. IPD sells on for $260 or so - this will effectively flatten the cornering and add some stiffness. the sway bar will do more for you handling than the springs... Springs have the advantage of changing how the tires fill the wheel wells - so assuming you got the Eibachs, you can envision how the wheels will look with the body 1.2 inches lower.

 

Thanks for all that info!!

Is GROM the only way of making the radio capable of playing music from iPhone? Can you put a aftermarket doubledin in dash? That GROM is pretty pricey lol.

The reason I was asking about the rims was because I have a set of 5x114.3 but thats not a big deal.

Also one other question I have is abouf HID or LED headlight bulbs. Is it just plug and play like any other vehicle or is it a little more trickier then that? I've done many HID conversion kits, is it the same?

 

true HIDs with Xenon bulbs require a ballast to boost the voltage to create the initial arc to start the lamps - thus the more complex conversion. LEDs are very efficient so they don't require a ballast but some have complained about reliability and odd light diffusion and there are a lot of inferior products on the market. New cars with LEDs have matched the reflectors to the bulbs to correct the later issue.

 

There are 3 options that I know of for adding aux capability to the 2004.5 - 2007 S40/V50 without using a transmitter or modulator. Some of these require that you have the factory CD changer. They are GROM, Denison Gateway 500 and Bluepower BLP-990.

I had the Denison Gateway 500 in my previous V50 that came with the Premium Sound and 6-disc changer. It works well and sounds very good, especially with iPod/iPhone. Unfortunately my present V50 has the cheapo sound system and single disc player. Therefore, the Gateway 500 won't work. I am looking at the BLP-990 but it is expensive and you have to order it from Sweden. On the plus side, it adds a lot of modern capabilities and expansion.

 

Thanks guys for all the input.

I think I found a hid kit that is supposed to work good with these vehicles. Looks like the grom is prob the way to go price wise for me right now.

 

Hey guys. I got another question if anyone can help me out.

I got a front end noise and I'm pretty sure it's the wheel bearing... but not sure if it could be the cv joint.

Heres what's happening- when I'm accelerating (even from a dead stop) I hear a grinding/growling/popping noise from the passenger side. When I'm coasting or just maintaining my current speed the noise is pretty much gone. When I turn right I hear it again and when I turn left it gets a lot quieter. When the car is in park and I ref the engine there is no noise at all. So I'm pretty sure it's just the wheel bearing but the fact that I hear the noise as soon as I hit the gas has got me thinking it might be something else. Thanks in advance for the advice!!

 

Wheel bearings don't usually make popping noises. That sounds more like a CV joint. You can grab the joints from under the car and see of they have play. The noise left to right could be a bearing or CV.

 

Another option is the main motor mount. It can split in two:

 

True! If the motor mount is bad, the engine will sag, putting pressure on the drive shaft and CV joints. It can significantly wear the CV joints if it goes too long.

The passenger side mount is hydraulic. When it goes bad, you may see redish-brown stain on the frame just below the mount.

 

Okay thanks for all the input. So I'll jack the car up and look at it.

If I have a lot of play at the wheel, I'll assume wheel bearing.

If I have a lot of play in the axle, I'll assume cv joint.

If I have some reddish brown marks under the motor mount, I'll go with that.

 

On my 2005 the mount was solid rubber. The noise was from the rubber being worn away over time until it was metal on metal. It only sounded off during acceleration.

 

I've replaced a lot of wheel bearings on P1s and don't remember ever seeing one with play. So if there is no play in the wheel, that does not rule out the bearing.

The mounts are hydraulic for all P1s, even the 2005.

 

Would a mount be making that noise I experience though? Cause I feel like it would be a constant noise if my motor mount was junk?

I ordered a new cv and a new wheel bearing. Going to try to fix it this weekend.

 

Yes, it could.

 

So I just lifted the car to get a better look at it. I checked the passenger side wheel.. didn't have much play at all. Checked the passenger side axle.. didn't see much play there. I checked the engine mount best I could and it seems fine.

The driver side axle however had a little play.. I could move the shaft back and forth about half an inch. Is that normal? And when rotating the tire I could hear a soft rubbing. But not sure if that is just the brakes.

Also when I had it jacked up I put the car in gear and all the tires were moving but the back driver side wasn't moving at the same speed. It would start to spin then kinda stop. Is that normal? I assumed awd, all the wheels would be moving at the same speed the whole time.

Frustrating myself over here.

 

Use a stethoscope or long screwdriver to listen to each wheel bearing by putting it on the backing plate with the car in the air, in drive at speed.

Don't worry if they are not all the same speed. A slight brake drag can slow one down.

 

On the '05, only one mount is hydraulic. That being the passenger side mount. The driver side mount is solid rubber, unless someone upgraded it to the 2008 style which is hydraulic. The torque mount underneath is rubber.

 

Correct. I was referring to the passenger side one since that was what was pictured above.

 

So after a while of trial and error, sounds like it's what many if you guys have mentioned. Volvo tech is saying now he thinks it's the passenger side motor mount! Just want to drive this car already. Had it for a few weeks and have no time in it. Hopefully this does the trick.