Hi Guys
I bought my 2018 S60 D4 manual (49000) in August last year and luckily came with a years Volvo warranty, as I've had nothing but trouble. This weeks problem is the three years old battery is on its way out - i read there are two batteries, is this correct ? And where do i find them ? what is involved in changing it ?

Thanks in advance
Adrian

 

https://www.volvocars.com/en-th/supp...y---start-stop

 

From what I understand, the 12 volt stop/start battery in the engine bay has a useful life of 3 to 4 years. I have read that some drivers don't replace this battery, since I believe the car will run ok without it (just won't stop/start ... which some see as a blessing).

You said you have had "nothing but problems". Would you mind elaborating?

 

Thanks Maggs for taking the time to reply, I bought the car back in August then in late October it failed to start in my drive, the dash lit up like a xmas tree and had to be towed away to my local Volvo dealer, the problem turned out to be a faulty fuse holder, luckily this was repaired under warranty ( as luckily came with a years warranty). I then took it for a service and MOT last week and the health check spotted the faulty battery and two oils leeks - one from the rocker cover and one from a crank seal . I assumed the leeks would be covered under warranty, and after a five wait this was confirmed, so it goes back in next week for repair. I have to say I wasn't expecting so many problems with a car that has only just reached the four year milestone - I was also expecting to get more than 40 MPG as Volvo state between 50 & 70.

Adrian

 

Thanks Grey Beard One

 

Recently, a friend had his "fusible link" (i.e., the fuse that's directly attached to the car's battery") fail. The dash lit up and the engine didn't get any battery power to start. His is a 2015 S60 with around 100k miles.
I'm not sure if Volvos are more brittle than other luxury car brands. I bought my factory ordered 2020 V90 Inscription T6 AWD and have only 15K miles after about 22 months of ownership. My 4 cylinder gas engine only gets around 22-24 mpg city and 29-31 mpg highway, on premium gas.

 

The OP is in Wales - perhaps a diesel?

 

Understand. Just providing info. on a gas car for comparison purposes.

 

Someone one told me that if you buy a "good car" you have to expect to have problems. Kinda reverse logic to me. My extra car is a 2002 Focus, in nearly 200,000 miles, it has only need a tow once. I've lost track of the problems with my S60.

 

The magic world of electronics!

 

Yes, it's about the electronics, but also the software, in our more modern cars. While I love the simplicity, and thus the improved reliability, of the older cars, the level of safety and accident avoidance technology in our modern Volvo is far better. It's a trade-off. Realistically, due to the difference in complexity, it's a bit unfair to compare cars from different eras, IMO.

 

I can't disagree with you there! Although, I would rather work on my 06 S60 than my 18 S60.

I fear that the more we advance our technology in cars to the point of FSD (Full self driving) people will not be able to drive themselves safely without the aid of computer automation. I already see if happening a lot with lane control, blind spot detection, reverse cameras ( which I do love) and people being on their phones etc. It is a shame that we have to advance our cars to do what the driver is supposed to because humanity is failing to be self-reliant and can't pay attention for a 20 minute drive.

end rant

 

Volvos seem to be particularly vulnerable to battery problems. A year afterI bought my 2015.5 V60 (in 2017 as a CPO) the dealer replaced the main battery under warranty. Two years later, after I complained about occasional "low battery charge" warnings, I was told that the battery needed replacement again but since I had already had "my" replacement, this one was on me - $300 for the battery and $200 to "reset" the battery monitor. $300 for another junk battery that only lasts 2 years and $200 to plug into the OBD port and hit a couple of buttons (a 5 minute task at best)? - I declined. 16 months later I'm still running on the same battery. I get the occasional "Low battery charge warning" but the car always starts - and I carry a $50 Li booster pack (never used) against possible failure.

 

Thanks for the reply Pretorien, yes I think i will wait and see what happens

 

My accident avoidance technology is between my ears.

 

Don't disagree, but stuff happens. That's why it's called "accident" (i.e., the an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally). IMO, features like BLIS, WHIPS and automatic back up braking (when an undetected object is found) help to avoid or mitigate incidents that "between my ears" may not detect, until it is too late. I've driven vehicles for over 50 years and have never been in an accident, so I can agree with what I understand your belief to be ... that the driver is the one responsible for his/her own safety. However, I don't think the safety features in our new cars is a detriment to safety. All of us get older and, as one ages, things like reaction time, sight and hearing can diminish somewhat. Even things like an arthritic neck or back can limit one's ability to turn one's head as much as one once did in their youth. On the flip-side, with the prevalence of so many inattentive drivers on the road, due to texting and cell phone calls, IMO, it's a good thing to have additional safety and accident mitigation aids in place ... for the other drivers.

 

Sadly, all the automation just enables the crappy drivers.

A few years back, I saw a documentary about an airliner crashing. I don't recall all the details but it had something to do with erroneous warnings. The conclusion was that the pilots were a product of their training and hadn't spent many hours in a light aircraft and they put too much faith in the technology. Anyone who flew uncomplicated aircraft would have known what to do but these guys didn't. I haven't flown in forty years and never flew anything bigger than a 152 but I while I was watching the show I kept thinking "Why the hell are they doing that?"