P3 buyers guide?

[BlueRubber]

Hi all,

Looking to sell my 2002 V70 2.4 na and move on up to a 2011+ V70.
Are there any good buyers guides that give examples of things to look out for on these cars?
eg on the p2 cars the auto boxes were often bad as Volvo said the oil was sealed for life, is it the same issue here?

[Kev0607]

Not what i'm aware of, but as a P3 owner, I can give you some things to check. Some are more or less what you should be checking on a car anyway, so they don't necessarily relate to issues with the P3 as such, but can be used for a range of cars.

Suspension - Listen for any knocks/bangs from the suspension. Any squeaks from the rear end could be the rear trailing arm bushes. They cost around £300 to replace if a garage is doing the work & you'll need an alignement afterwards. If you hear a clunk/knock & it sounds like its coming from near the base of the windscreen, its probably the top mounts. They do fail & will need replacing at some point in time.

Windscreen leaks - This is a common issue on the P3's. If water drips inside on the dash, you'll need to get the windscreen resealed.

Electrics - Check all the electrics work, windows, parking sensors, heated seats etc.

Timing belt - This is critical. Make sure that the timing belt has been replaced. On the D5 engine, it should be replaced every 10 years or 108,000 miles (whichever comes first). Whether its the same on the petrol models, I'm not 100% sure (double check that).

Auxiliary belts - Also very important that these are changed. They should be replaced every five years or 54,000 miles (whichever comes first). The P3's have two belts (one drives the power steering etc & the other is for the air con compressor).

Transmission fluid - It should be changed regularly. If you tow, then you'd probably want to change it every 30,000 miles. If you don't tow, then 50,000 miles between changes should be fine (This is what a Volvo Specialist told me). There's no set interval for changing the fluid if you're using the car for normal driving, as Volvo do state that the transmission is sealed & the fluid only needs to be changed if used for towing or as a taxi. Take no heed of that, change the fluid even if you don't do any towing! Also, make sure that you use the correct spec fluid for the transmission, which will be JWS3309 if the car has a TF80SC transmission (six speed).

When on your test drive, check that the car changes gear smoothly when the transmission is warm... It shouldn't clunk or bang into gear. When the car is cold, the transmission does hold onto gears for longer before eventually changing (this is a characteristic of the transmission, so don't be alarmed).

Transmission - You don't want to buy a model that has the Powershift transmission... stay clear of them. You want one that has the TF80SC six speed, as its a much more reliable.

Apart from those things, there isn't really much more to mention. Check that the vehicle you buy has good service records indicating regular oil changes etc.

The P3's are great cars.

[BlueRubber]

Thanks for all the info Kev, that is really appreciated!

How can I tell if the car has TF80SC ?

PS the car I am going to look at tomorrow is a 2014 v70 1.6 D2.
Oh no just noticed it says 'Powershift' in the advert how, bad are they?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...om=2007&page=1

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by BlueRubber

Thanks for all the info Kev, that is really appreciated!

How can I tell if the car has TF80SC ?

PS the car I am going to look at tomorrow is a 2014 v70 1.6 D2.
Oh no just noticed it says 'Powershift' in the advert how, bad are they?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...om=2007&page=1

That's the D2 version with the 1.6 litre engine. That particular engine is a Ford/PSA engine (not a Volvo lump as such). The D2's had the Powershift transmission... I'd stay clear personally.

I'd go for a D3, D4 or D5 variant with the Volvo 5 cylinder engine (click on performance & then you'll see the number of cylinders & bhp). These will have the TF80SC transmission, not the Powershift one.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by BlueRubber

Thanks for all the info Kev, that is really appreciated!

How can I tell if the car has TF80SC ?

PS the car I am going to look at tomorrow is a 2014 v70 1.6 D2.
Oh no just noticed it says 'Powershift' in the advert how, bad are they?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...om=2007&page=1

Terrible. Utter liability that will fail. The D2 is total garbage also so walk away and get a manual D3 or such like.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by BlueRubber

Thanks for all the info Kev, that is really appreciated!

How can I tell if the car has TF80SC ?

PS the car I am going to look at tomorrow is a 2014 v70 1.6 D2.
Oh no just noticed it says 'Powershift' in the advert how, bad are they?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...om=2007&page=1

Very bad. Steer clear is my advice & don't waste your time looking at that car.

Find a D3, D4 or D5 with a proper Volvo engine & the TF80SC transmission... Far more reliable than that Powershift junk.

Not to sound negative, but you'd be much better spending time searching & buying a V70 with the right engine (5 cylinder D3, D4 or D5) & transmission (TF80, not Powershift)!

[jamesr819]

Hello,
I am currently looking at a 2012 volvo s60 t5 with only 26000 original miles. Im not completely knowledgeable on volvo i just know there are a good amount of known problems. I looked up the vin number on volvo for recalls and there are none for that specific vin. Was wondering if I should go through with this or should I not bother with it. What are the known problems with 2012 t5 s60s

[Familyman 90]

Avoid 1.6 and Powershift - if you want a Ford, buy a Ford and pocket the change. Then5 cyclinder motors make the P3, and theyre sevetal levels up for reliability...if cared for as they should be.

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

Avoid 1.6 and Powershift - if you want a Ford, buy a Ford and pocket the change. Then5 cyclinder motors make the P3, and theyre sevetal levels up for reliability...if cared for as they should be.

Not sure the T5 has a 1.6 litre engine......

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Not what i'm aware of, but as a P3 owner, I can give you some things to check. Some are more or less what you should be checking on a car anyway, so they don't necessarily relate to issues with the P3 as such, but can be used for a range of cars.

Suspension - Listen for any knocks/bangs from the suspension. Any squeaks from the rear end could be the rear trailing arm bushes. They cost around £300 to replace if a garage is doing the work & you'll need an alignement afterwards. If you hear a clunk/knock & it sounds like its coming from near the base of the windscreen, its probably the top mounts. They do fail & will need replacing at some point in time.

Windscreen leaks - This is a common issue on the P3's. If water drips inside on the dash, you'll need to get the windscreen resealed.

Electrics - Check all the electrics work, windows, parking sensors, heated seats etc.

Timing belt - This is critical. Make sure that the timing belt has been replaced. On the D5 engine, it should be replaced every 10 years or 108,000 miles (whichever comes first). Whether its the same on the petrol models, I'm not 100% sure (double check that).

Auxiliary belts - Also very important that these are changed. They should be replaced every five years or 54,000 miles (whichever comes first). The P3's have two belts (one drives the power steering etc & the other is for the air con compressor).

Transmission fluid - It should be changed regularly. If you tow, then you'd probably want to change it every 30,000 miles. If you don't tow, then 50,000 miles between changes should be fine (This is what a Volvo Specialist told me). There's no set interval for changing the fluid if you're using the car for normal driving, as Volvo do state that the transmission is sealed & the fluid only needs to be changed if used for towing or as a taxi. Take no heed of that, change the fluid even if you don't do any towing! Also, make sure that you use the correct spec fluid for the transmission, which will be JWS3309 if the car has a TF80SC transmission (six speed).

When on your test drive, check that the car changes gear smoothly when the transmission is warm... It shouldn't clunk or bang into gear. When the car is cold, the transmission does hold onto gears for longer before eventually changing (this is a characteristic of the transmission, so don't be alarmed).

Transmission - You don't want to buy a model that has the Powershift transmission... stay clear of them. You want one that has the TF80SC six speed, as its a much more reliable.

Apart from those things, there isn't really much more to mention. Check that the vehicle you buy has good service records indicating regular oil changes etc.

The P3's are great cars.

That’s all good advice!

I understand that JWS3309 is not compatible with the 2011 onwards mode which went to AW1.

Interestingly, whilst AW1 was designed to be backwards compatible JWS3309 is not suitable on the 2011 onwards.

Unless you know something I don’t (such as Volvo delayed the update on that mode etc?).