New 2012 XC90 Questions

[Niksan]

Dear all,

Please let me apologise in advance for the simplicity of these questions!

I am currently in Malaysia and will soon receive an XC90 which is being imported from Sweden. It is Asian spec but does come with active bending lights etc.

I have read the manual in detail but I'm still confused about a few things and have no access to my XC90 to check them out:

1) How do the different controls for the headlights work? Do the headlights come on automatically in poor lighting? Someone said to leave the light switch on the third (end) setting at all times (automatic dipped beam), even during the day. Is that right? When the DRLs are on and the light switch is on the end position, do the lights switch from DRLs to main lights depending on the lighting? I'm sure I'm making this more confusing than it is...

2) The manual suggests that two presses of the tailgate button on the remote unlocks and opens the tailgate but this isn't in the quick guide. Does this still work for the 2012 model?

3) The car comes with a load protection net (presumably for use when the third seats are up and without the load cover?). Is the grocery bag holder a useful accessory that would be worth purchasing separately?

Many thanks in advance.

Nik

[ChrisE]

I have a 2011 model but I think the answers will be the same.

1. This might well be country specific but my head lights are on all the time unless I turn on side lights which turns them off!

2. I have also been wondering about this. My tailgate does NOT open with a second push - although I wonder if it should.

3.The grocery bag holder is just a thin flap that folds up from the floor & makes a three sided box accross the back 30cm or so of the car. I actually find it very useful for constraining shopping from demolishing the car -particularily melons! Mine came as standard but I seem to remember thinking the option price was ridiculous for a 30cm x 1200cm (very approx) bit of carpet covered something (plywood?), a couple of clip hinges and two short lengths of elastic.

[Ian H]

1) On our 2012 model the lights work as follows:

position 1: (what would normally be the 'off' position) the DRL's are on - these are separate LED lights under the front bumper (look a bit like spotlights). No tail-lights.

position 2: side lights (a small separate section within the headlights), together with the tail-lights.

position 3: normal headlights and tail-lights. You can, if you wish, turn on the DRL's instead of the normal headlights and this uses less energy (and saves fuel) apparantly.

2) Tailgate - I've not tried this - I'll give it a go.

3) Grocery bad holder - as ChrisE says, a flap that folds up and effectively reduces the size of the boot and stops everything rolling around (the flap also has an elastic strap to retain grocery bags).
The load protection net is a separate item that you fix into the luggage area somehow - not tried it yet and to be honest, it looks a bit too much trouble.

Hope this helps,
Ian

[Blaven11]

2) Tailgate - I've not tried this - I'll give it a go.

Funny, as I had enquired about the tailgate lock myself on another thread as using the key fob once does unlock it but using the fob twice does NOT open it.

I am lead to believe in the UK market this feature does not work/ is not an option whereas in other markets (possibly yours), it does.

[Ian H]

Just tried ours and the remote definitely doesn't open the tailgate, however many times you press it.

[Niksan]

Many thanks for your replies. Ian, just to confirm that you leave it on the 'off' position during the day and obviously switch the lights to the 'end' position in the evenings? I could be mistaken but I thought there was a light sensor that would activate the headlights during the day if the light was poor?

Thanks also for confirming that the double press doesn't work. An error in the manual perhaps?

[Ian H]

Originally Posted by Niksan

Many thanks for your replies. Ian, just to confirm that you leave it on the 'off' position during the day and obviously switch the lights to the 'end' position in the evenings? I could be mistaken but I thought there was a light sensor that would activate the headlights during the day if the light was poor?

Thanks also for confirming that the double press doesn't work. An error in the manual perhaps?

Yes, leave in the 'off' position during the day and the DRL's are permanently on, no sensor required - it's a Volvo thing!

Yes, an error in the manual I suspect.