XC90 T8 teething issues

[Fliegenpilz]

Been driving the T8 for a few weeks now and only got 1600 miles on it. Overall, a very nice Car, very quiet and comfortable interior, however have a few things to mention and wonder if anyone else has similar experiences:-
1) four times totally flat battery (4.2 volts) had to jump and run on AWD to ensure engine runs to charge. At no times ever did I get any battery error messages. Dealer also says error log shows no sign or flat battery....hm

2) when car is parked and locked it at random flashes the indicators once (as if trying to relock) but without any locking/clicking sound. I only saw it happen about 5-6 times by chance when I was near the car. I did not even have my Key fob nearby. It feels as if something makes it go alive.... maybe a reason ofr the flat battery? You never know could be Putin hacking my Volvo.

3) T8 does not have front Fog lights even though website car builder shows it so in picture and the internal stick switch has the front Fogs switch installed (could be standard fit). Manual also does not mention that T8 has no front fogs and they are not even an extra to get.... simply T8 does not have front fogs, so much for the Volvo safety argument.

4) Cannot override switch off tailgate opener.... what if car is in carwash and cloth spinner hits the touch sensitive switch?

5) Music system does not accept standard MP files nomenclature as other cars do. Albums, Artist, etc all mixed so you need to use track numbers in song name (use 01 not 1 for first track). Cannot change player to default to Album... always artist. When album has finished playing it does not go to the next album, but repeats it? cannot be changed.

6) fully charged EV range 21mls. After driving hybrid mode for 100 metre it will go down to 17mls and from there on slowly decrease proportionally to the driving. This also happens when any aircon/heating/fan is switched off so nothing to do with that.

7) range calculator is totally uselessl as it combined statistical EV range with petrol range and goes from 210 mls to 150 mls after driving 5 miles, then rises to 180 mls and then goes down to 120 mls after another 5 miles driving. In short don't even look at it. That good the engineer responsible for this part does not work for Boeing.

8) mudflaps.... oh my god the car needs mudflaps as the lower chassis has a round curved ending thereby exposing the tyre to throw mud against the chassis. Apart from looking dirty, over time this will cause abrasion as mud is like a sand blaster. I got my own mudflap installed (ebay has OEM parts). Volvo should have these as standard, seems stingy.

9) volvo on Call, careful with the locking function. the signals that you send can get delayed and if you try to lock again it may unlock. What if you sit on the phone touch something etc? it will unlock your car.... think twice before you think of this as useful or gimmick.

10) suggestion for T8 should be to have plug-in socket on both sides. Surely the socket does not cost/weight much or take much space and would allow charging from the offstreet side when charging on the street. surely a charging plug protruding out onto the street is dangerous... would be such a low hanging fruit to Volvo's safety arsenal.

11) I got active suspension which are GREAT. however i have not yet figured out how to make it lower the car right after I switch it off. What actually happens is that I switch off, get out of car and then witness the car lowering, i.e. with a delay. I assure you all I am not 007 so my exiting the car is on human average speed. Can this delay be reduced to 0?

12) Fuses.... why cant they just add a few spare fuses into the fuse box so that the driver has them when needed? I had none and bought a set, but who else would plan ahead? Fuses cost pennies, come on Volvo just put in some spares.

13) USB sockets... just two. Now maybe it is just me and having two daughters and a wired up wife, but surely a few more sockets would make sense? maybe one in the back seats so she can plug in her phone or even have SD card reader in glove compartment. My other cars have this and we use it.

14) when the aircon kicks in i hear a faint hissing/bubbling sound. Does anyone else have this? Does this mean low refrigerant?

15) the exterior mirrors seem very close to the driver i.e. further to the back, when compared with other cars. There is more room on the door (open/closed) 3-4 cm further front and would that way also give a better angle of reflection whilst feeling less bulky.


I do not want to come across as unhappy here.... The Car is GREAT and if I were to list all the great bits you would need a bigger broadband connection to download it.

Does any other T8 driver concur on any of these points?

[Jabbar40]

Originally Posted by Fliegenpilz

Been driving the T8 for a few weeks now and only got 1600 miles on it. Overall, a very nice Car, very quiet and comfortable interior, however have a few things to mention and wonder if anyone else has similar experiences:-
1) four times totally flat battery (4.2 volts) had to jump and run on AWD to ensure engine runs to charge. At no times ever did I get any battery error messages. Dealer also says error log shows no sign or flat battery....hm

2) when car is parked and locked it at random flashes the indicators once (as if trying to relock) but without any locking/clicking sound. I only saw it happen about 5-6 times by chance when I was near the car. I did not even have my Key fob nearby. It feels as if something makes it go alive.... maybe a reason ofr the flat battery? You never know could be Putin hacking my Volvo.

3) T8 does not have front Fog lights even though website car builder shows it so in picture and the internal stick switch has the front Fogs switch installed (could be standard fit). Manual also does not mention that T8 has no front fogs and they are not even an extra to get.... simply T8 does not have front fogs, so much for the Volvo safety argument.

4) Cannot override switch off tailgate opener.... what if car is in carwash and cloth spinner hits the touch sensitive switch?

5) Music system does not accept standard MP files nomenclature as other cars do. Albums, Artist, etc all mixed so you need to use track numbers in song name (use 01 not 1 for first track). Cannot change player to default to Album... always artist. When album has finished playing it does not go to the next album, but repeats it? cannot be changed.

6) fully charged EV range 21mls. After driving hybrid mode for 100 metre it will go down to 17mls and from there on slowly decrease proportionally to the driving. This also happens when any aircon/heating/fan is switched off so nothing to do with that.

7) range calculator is totally uselessl as it combined statistical EV range with petrol range and goes from 210 mls to 150 mls after driving 5 miles, then rises to 180 mls and then goes down to 120 mls after another 5 miles driving. In short don't even look at it. That good the engineer responsible for this part does not work for Boeing.

8) mudflaps.... oh my god the car needs mudflaps as the lower chassis has a round curved ending thereby exposing the tyre to throw mud against the chassis. Apart from looking dirty, over time this will cause abrasion as mud is like a sand blaster. I got my own mudflap installed (ebay has OEM parts). Volvo should have these as standard, seems stingy.

9) volvo on Call, careful with the locking function. the signals that you send can get delayed and if you try to lock again it may unlock. What if you sit on the phone touch something etc? it will unlock your car.... think twice before you think of this as useful or gimmick.

10) suggestion for T8 should be to have plug-in socket on both sides. Surely the socket does not cost/weight much or take much space and would allow charging from the offstreet side when charging on the street. surely a charging plug protruding out onto the street is dangerous... would be such a low hanging fruit to Volvo's safety arsenal.

11) I got active suspension which are GREAT. however i have not yet figured out how to make it lower the car right after I switch it off. What actually happens is that I switch off, get out of car and then witness the car lowering, i.e. with a delay. I assure you all I am not 007 so my exiting the car is on human average speed. Can this delay be reduced to 0?

12) Fuses.... why cant they just add a few spare fuses into the fuse box so that the driver has them when needed? I had none and bought a set, but who else would plan ahead? Fuses cost pennies, come on Volvo just put in some spares.

13) USB sockets... just two. Now maybe it is just me and having two daughters and a wired up wife, but surely a few more sockets would make sense? maybe one in the back seats so she can plug in her phone or even have SD card reader in glove compartment. My other cars have this and we use it.

14) when the aircon kicks in i hear a faint hissing/bubbling sound. Does anyone else have this? Does this mean low refrigerant?

15) the exterior mirrors seem very close to the driver i.e. further to the back, when compared with other cars. There is more room on the door (open/closed) 3-4 cm further front and would that way also give a better angle of reflection whilst feeling less bulky.


I do not want to come across as unhappy here.... The Car is GREAT and if I were to list all the great bits you would need a bigger broadband connection to download it.

Does any other T8 driver concur on any of these points?

Thanks. I've had battery issues (see thread on 'Flat Battery'). It appears quite a number of us are having issues. Absolutely shocking for such a new car and supposed luxury brand.

[JPR1]

Hi, I also have a T8, and luckily no problems. I can only comment on point 11. You just have to be patient. Turn the car off and wait it will lower itself after a few seconds, then exit the car. I do not believe you can make it go any faster.

[aab203]

1) four times totally flat battery (4.2 volts) had to jump and run on AWD to ensure engine runs to charge. At no times ever did I get any battery error messages. Dealer also says error log shows no sign or flat battery....hm

I've had the low battery warning once, but not seen it since. As mentioned above others are having issues with this.

2) when car is parked and locked it at random flashes the indicators once (as if trying to relock) but without any locking/clicking sound. I only saw it happen about 5-6 times by chance when I was near the car. I did not even have my Key fob nearby. It feels as if something makes it go alive.... maybe a reason ofr the flat battery? You never know could be Putin hacking my Volvo.

I've never noticed this with our car

3) T8 does not have front Fog lights even though website car builder shows it so in picture and the internal stick switch has the front Fogs switch installed (could be standard fit). Manual also does not mention that T8 has no front fogs and they are not even an extra to get.... simply T8 does not have front fogs, so much for the Volvo safety argument.

The picture on the site is for illustrative purposes. I had read (although don't recall where) prior to ordering that for T8's there are no fog lights. Instead those areas are used as vents to help cool the batteries. I'm not sure if 'Thors Hammer' is considered good enough for foggy conditions?

4) Cannot override switch off tailgate opener.... what if car is in carwash and cloth spinner hits the touch sensitive switch?

I've had it come down on me once when I removed a shopping back from the floor to load into the boot. I guess in theory it would be good to turn this feature off if its considered unnecessary.

5) Music system does not accept standard MP files nomenclature as other cars do. Albums, Artist, etc all mixed so you need to use track numbers in song name (use 01 not 1 for first track). Cannot change player to default to Album... always artist. When album has finished playing it does not go to the next album, but repeats it? cannot be changed.

I keep meaning to get my music into the car but have read it is not the most intuitive system

6) fully charged EV range 21mls. After driving hybrid mode for 100 metre it will go down to 17mls and from there on slowly decrease proportionally to the driving. This also happens when any aircon/heating/fan is switched off so nothing to do with that.

I find that my range quickly depletes even though I haven't gone very far. As I don't really know how the system works I can't tell if there are just lots of variables at play that justify the quick drop, or whether the batteries aren't in great shape

7) range calculator is totally uselessl as it combined statistical EV range with petrol range and goes from 210 mls to 150 mls after driving 5 miles, then rises to 180 mls and then goes down to 120 mls after another 5 miles driving. In short don't even look at it. That good the engineer responsible for this part does not work for Boeing.

I agree, it annoys me that there is so much jumping around. I never had this with my previous car so I always used the range to estimate if/when I'd need to top up. I understand the XC90 is nothing like my other car and as others pointed out, I now just use the fuel gauge

8) mudflaps.... oh my god the car needs mudflaps as the lower chassis has a round curved ending thereby exposing the tyre to throw mud against the chassis. Apart from looking dirty, over time this will cause abrasion as mud is like a sand blaster. I got my own mudflap installed (ebay has OEM parts). Volvo should have these as standard, seems stingy.

I don't do much driving but have noticed that there is a fair amount of dirt, so I'm going to get mud flaps and install them myself

9) volvo on Call, careful with the locking function. the signals that you send can get delayed and if you try to lock again it may unlock. What if you sit on the phone touch something etc? it will unlock your car.... think twice before you think of this as useful or gimmick.

For iOS at least I think it would be pretty hard to accidentally unlock the car. I have rarely used this feature (and if I did it was in a controlled environment to play with the feature)

10) suggestion for T8 should be to have plug-in socket on both sides. Surely the socket does not cost/weight much or take much space and would allow charging from the offstreet side when charging on the street. surely a charging plug protruding out onto the street is dangerous... would be such a low hanging fruit to Volvo's safety arsenal.

No idea about the engineering side of things but I think it would look rather ugly to have the cap on both sides. When I charge at home I'll just turn the car around if my wife has left it facing the 'wrong' direction as I too would not want the charging cable facing the road.

11) I got active suspension which are GREAT. however i have not yet figured out how to make it lower the car right after I switch it off. What actually happens is that I switch off, get out of car and then witness the car lowering, i.e. with a delay. I assure you all I am not 007 so my exiting the car is on human average speed. Can this delay be reduced to 0?

Cannot comment as I do not have this option

12) Fuses.... why cant they just add a few spare fuses into the fuse box so that the driver has them when needed? I had none and bought a set, but who else would plan ahead? Fuses cost pennies, come on Volvo just put in some spares.

Haven't had a need but assume it would affect me if I try to hardwire dash cams?

13) USB sockets... just two. Now maybe it is just me and having two daughters and a wired up wife, but surely a few more sockets would make sense? maybe one in the back seats so she can plug in her phone or even have SD card reader in glove compartment. My other cars have this and we use it.

Although maybe not great, but given the likely move away from the 'legacy' USB Type A form factor then in a few years time this might just look outdated.

As recommended here, I went and got a nice flush dual USB charger (this one). Then in a few years time if USB type-c is the standard then I can replace the charger for a new one.

A basic self powered hub will also work and can allow you to expand the number of devices that need to charge (I guess up to the maximum draw that the port can take)

14) when the aircon kicks in i hear a faint hissing/bubbling sound. Does anyone else have this? Does this mean low refrigerant?

I have not heard this noise

15) the exterior mirrors seem very close to the driver i.e. further to the back, when compared with other cars. There is more room on the door (open/closed) 3-4 cm further front and would that way also give a better angle of reflection whilst feeling less bulky.

I've not personally had any issues with the placement of the mirror.


Hope that helps.

[XC60Owner]

3) yes - weird that it has the working button on the stick but no lights!

11) I *think* mine lowers before I get out - a setting in there somewhere - can't remember off the top of my head but to be honest I only really pick up on it raising when I turn on - haven't noticed it lowering when I am out - will double check.

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by XC60Owner

3) yes - weird that it has the working button on the stick but no lights!

11) I *think* mine lowers before I get out - a setting in there somewhere - can't remember off the top of my head but to be honest I only really pick up on it raising when I turn on - haven't noticed it lowering when I am out - will double check.

11) I think the setting is under My Car -> Suspension. However, the trouble is it doesn't start lowering immediately after the engine is switched off AND it will not lower when a door is open. So unless you're prepared to sit there and wait a while until it lowers before opening a door, its not that useful.

[FooMan]

My thoughts based on owning from new in late April 2016 and 7000 miles. I think my car is one of the last MY16s. I have never visited a dealer (not even to collect it as it is business lease and was delivered to the office on a trailer) and therefore never had any software updates.

1) four times totally flat battery (4.2 volts) had to jump and run on AWD to ensure engine runs to charge. At no times ever did I get any battery error messages. Dealer also says error log shows no sign or flat battery....hm

Never had this.

2) when car is parked and locked it at random flashes the indicators once (as if trying to relock) but without any locking/clicking sound. I only saw it happen about 5-6 times by chance when I was near the car. I did not even have my Key fob nearby. It feels as if something makes it go alive.... maybe a reason ofr the flat battery? You never know could be Putin hacking my Volvo.

Never seen this, but if you are seeing it, it could be a reason for the flat battery.

4) Cannot override switch off tailgate opener.... what if car is in carwash and cloth spinner hits the touch sensitive switch?

Doesn't a key need to be close by for the opener to be operational?

8) mudflaps.... oh my god the car needs mudflaps as the lower chassis has a round curved ending thereby exposing the tyre to throw mud against the chassis. Apart from looking dirty, over time this will cause abrasion as mud is like a sand blaster. I got my own mudflap installed (ebay has OEM parts). Volvo should have these as standard, seems stingy.

The answer is probably the same as not supplying floor mats, it gives the customer a choice (aka big profits on accessories?).

9) volvo on Call, careful with the locking function. the signals that you send can get delayed and if you try to lock again it may unlock. What if you sit on the phone touch something etc? it will unlock your car.... think twice before you think of this as useful or gimmick.

I think you would get a message saying your Volvo is unlocked.

10) suggestion for T8 should be to have plug-in socket on both sides. Surely the socket does not cost/weight much or take much space and would allow charging from the offstreet side when charging on the street. surely a charging plug protruding out onto the street is dangerous... would be such a low hanging fruit to Volvo's safety arsenal.

Possibly, but doesn't on street parking mean a charging cable running across the pavement?

12) Fuses.... why cant they just add a few spare fuses into the fuse box so that the driver has them when needed? I had none and bought a set, but who else would plan ahead? Fuses cost pennies, come on Volvo just put in some spares.

I have never had to change a fuse in my 25+ years of driving.

13) USB sockets... just two. Now maybe it is just me and having two daughters and a wired up wife, but surely a few more sockets would make sense? maybe one in the back seats so she can plug in her phone or even have SD card reader in glove compartment. My other cars have this and we use it.

Agreed, but with an MY16 I only have one, although Volvo Business Leasing did provide a dual USB port adaptor and torch that plugs in to a 12V socket.

[Philip Fisher]

Point 3.

No space for fog lights with all the additional radiators and gubbins for cooling the battery. It is very much a T8 problem.

Never really found front fogs do anything anyway....

[Fliegenpilz]

Thank you all for the effort to respond, great community spirit.

Car came back from a check and was told that there is a recall with some T8 models and they need a software update. I never received a recall notice, but they updated the SW anyways.

The aircon hissing was due to lowish refrigerant so that is fixed.

T8 missing Fog lights you are all correct they have no room due to the hybrid components. Funny thing is when I called Volvo Customer services, they originally assumed all XC90s have fog lights as standard, so it seems to be a bit hush hush, but I dont think it is a big deal. The Thor headlights are the best headlights I have EVER had and I drove some pretty high end cars. The strengths and shadowline accuracy is amazing, so fog loghts here probably not needed (agree with Philip).

Flat battery, the technician thinks the SW update will sort it... we shall see.

Mudflaps the technician laughed when I mentioned it, he totally agrees, that it should be a zero cost option to exclude them for those that don't like the asthetics.

Familymangreg is correct, the lowering is interrupted when the door opens. So I now tell my wife to wait a second (she is the short one) before opening the door.

I drive/charge both in the country and London and in a city environment you do not have the choice which way the car points, so symmetrical or central charging access makes sense.

Overall, I have to say the car is great and so quiet even with the engine on. We have gorilla glass all around which is also a sound reducer, that way the Music is crystal clear and save the extra cost of the B&W.