Just got myself an S60R
 

I finally did it... I upgraded from the 850 with 250K miles on it (and rebuilding the entire car 1 part at a time)...

Got myself a 2007 S60R with only 16K miles.

Just bought it yesterday (in Denver)... so i'm wondering, right off the bat, anything I should be aware of? Weary of? Obvious simple mods that are no-brainers?

I'm not too interested in "pimping it out"... I love the car stock, as is. I could see a K&N filter, maybe some silicone hoses, anything else I should really consider?

Or can someone point me to some other threads? Thanks a lot guys.

-Dave

First, Congrats! You'll love the car.

The very first things to do would be to make sure (what has been dubbed) the Exhaust Bracket of Death has been removed, if not do it ASAP.
If it's there it's a the only bracket that hangs down right behind the center resonator. It's been the cause of thousands of dollars of damage by hitting speedbumps, driveway entrances, animals in the road, ect.... When it's hit, it shoves the exhaust into the driveshaft therefore bending it. Google "exhaust bracket of death"

Also cut out the resonator and replace it with a straight pipe. This will eliminate "rain squeal". Rain Squeal happens when the lower half of the resonator gets rapidly cooled from rain/snow/slush hitting the resonator. The top half bows upwards due to the rappid cooling of the lower half and touches the drive shaft making a really loud squealing noise. You can also google "rain squeal" for more info.
Volvo S60R Rain Squeal - YouTube


The best threads specific to the P2R's is in the R Forums on swedespeed.
Swedespeed Forums - R Forum (2004-2007)

Thanks.

I checked out my bracket... still there and flawless... but I see how easy it is to remove.

I might wait for the squeal to show up, but thanks for the heads up. Looks like I can have that done for less than $100. Nice.

As for oil... my cap has a castrol logo on it... should I use that? What are you guys using?

Fuel... of course it says 87 octane in the book (so did my 850)... but I live in Colorado and we have 85... think you'd use 85?

Coolant, brake fluid, transmission, etc... with my 850, I know there were advantages to using Volvo-brand fluids... what do you think?

I haven't had a manual in about 7 years... and then, I didn't take great care of my 4Runner... so.... do I need to change the fluid at any point?

Thanks.

That little piece of metal has ruined quite a few cars over on Swedespeed. One of our members (JRL) even went as far to have Volvo Cars confirm that the bracket was used only for moving the car down the assembly line. It has no real world application. Better safe then sorry IMHO.

I had a local Midas do the resonator delete ($60) the day after I bought it. I never experanced the rain squeal first hand but when we had the car up on the lift, you could see the score mark on the driveshaft. Assuming it happened to the previous owner. It's well worth it here in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

It really doesn't matter if you use Castrol or not. I'd just recommend you use a full synthetic that you like.

87 is the minimum. Most of us use the highest premium that is available at the pumps. We have 92 Octane here in WA and that's what I fill up with every time.

I'm a very firm believer in one of the first things to do with any used car is to change all the fluids in the car. You just don't know how the previous owner took care of the car. Again better safe then sorry. I don't use any Volvo brand fluids in either of my cars but the indie shop that my friend owns will always use fluids that are rated the same or better.

Also, find a good indie shop in your area that is knowledgeable in Volvo's. You'll save a ton of money using them over the dealer.

Thanks a lot man. Sounds like it's a similar situation to my 850.

Yea, i have a couple volvo-shops i trust... but I like to do most of the work myself (well, on the 850 at least... not sure about this one yet, gotta step up to the first challenge and see how it goes.)

I've got 28,000 miles now. The wife always takes it if it's home... or if she's got a ways to drive, she'll take it for the MPG over her Jeep Grand Cherokee (we've already talked about replacing it with an XC60 in the coming years.)

12,000 on it, in about 7 months.... yes, I love this car.

So, i'm coming up to 30,000 miles.... other than the normal maintenace stuff (oil, air filter, coolant) ... what advice do you have on other fluids I should change? Transmission? Haldex AWD system? Power steering?

I'll do some more searching too.

Thanks a lot.