One of the features of the Volvo XC70 Sport, is the steering force needed to turn the steering wheel can be adjusted by the driver.
The force has 3 levels. This is selected from the master menu on the dashboard.
I found out a strange thing the other day. The manual says that the steering force level can only be changed when the car is stationary. What happens is that as soon as you are moving, you can't select steering force in the menu - it sort of blanks it out.
I don't know why, but I just decided to play with this feature and found out something different to what the manual says.
If you select steering force in the menu when the car is stationary, but then leave that part of the menu open as you drive, you can actually change the steering force level as you drive. So I don't understand this, if you can do this - why blank the menu at a higher level to prevent you changing the force level? The software obviously has a bug or they can't write it in a way to prevent you doing this?
Anyway, my observation of steering force, is that the lowest setting is just too low, the highest setting reminds me of a BMW level of force.. the middle level closer to an Audi. I tend to leave it on the middle setting for now.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Sunday 27 January 2008
Would you leave your Laptop in your XC70
After having a laptop stolen from the boot(trunk) of my previous car, an Audi A4 Avant, I am particularly nervous about leaving electronic devices in the car.
The audi didn't really have a secure location to put things, I had hidden the laptop in the boot and had pulled the parcel shelf cover across it. However it seems thieves can tell if there is something in the car, via bluetooth or whatever system. They then broke a rear quarter light and just pulled out the laptop from it's hidden location.
With the Volvo XC70, it does actually have a sort of secret location underneath the load area floor. This is large enough to store a lap top and a few valuables. This hatch can only be opened if you have the back door fully opened. The door sits over the hatch. It means that just breaking a window doesn't get the thief any further.
However despite this security feature, I still find it very hard to leave a laptop in a car.
What do you do? Leave the laptop in the security place, or just never leave anything valuable in the car?
The audi didn't really have a secure location to put things, I had hidden the laptop in the boot and had pulled the parcel shelf cover across it. However it seems thieves can tell if there is something in the car, via bluetooth or whatever system. They then broke a rear quarter light and just pulled out the laptop from it's hidden location.
With the Volvo XC70, it does actually have a sort of secret location underneath the load area floor. This is large enough to store a lap top and a few valuables. This hatch can only be opened if you have the back door fully opened. The door sits over the hatch. It means that just breaking a window doesn't get the thief any further.
However despite this security feature, I still find it very hard to leave a laptop in a car.
What do you do? Leave the laptop in the security place, or just never leave anything valuable in the car?
Rear load area cover - Volvo XC70
The load area can be concealed using a horizontal blind.. that rolls up on a ratchet system.
The piece is supported into two slots on either side of the car.
To remove it, there are two switches to disengage and lift it up. The cover isn't very heavy and is removed in a few seconds. It reminds me very much of the system used in a Ford Mondeo estate that I recently was using. It is also much lighter and easier to use than the cover you might find on the Audi Avants. On the A4, the piece is incredibly heavy and slides out from the side doors.. it almost requires 2 people to do it. It is isn't any more solid and certainly does not protect the car anymore.
The piece is supported into two slots on either side of the car.
To remove it, there are two switches to disengage and lift it up. The cover isn't very heavy and is removed in a few seconds. It reminds me very much of the system used in a Ford Mondeo estate that I recently was using. It is also much lighter and easier to use than the cover you might find on the Audi Avants. On the A4, the piece is incredibly heavy and slides out from the side doors.. it almost requires 2 people to do it. It is isn't any more solid and certainly does not protect the car anymore.
Volvo XC70 Rear Seats
One thing I had never really checked was the rear centre seat configuration.
The seats are designed so that they split into 3 sections.. the 2 side sections being of equal size and then the centre section is a bit smaller.
When you fold them down, normally the passenger side section folds down on its own.. and then the other side brings the centre piece down with it.
However the centre part can be brought down individually.
The centre part has a headrest, but in normal conditions it is tucked neatly into the seat and gives then a good visibility rearward for the driver.
What thing that seems to be missing then is there is no centre armrest for the rear seat passengers. It looks like it should have..but there isn't. All you can do is fold the centre part of the seat down..giving a sort of flat table effect with a huge hole access to the boot.
So, the seat flexibility is good in some respects, bad in another way.
The seats are designed so that they split into 3 sections.. the 2 side sections being of equal size and then the centre section is a bit smaller.
When you fold them down, normally the passenger side section folds down on its own.. and then the other side brings the centre piece down with it.
However the centre part can be brought down individually.
The centre part has a headrest, but in normal conditions it is tucked neatly into the seat and gives then a good visibility rearward for the driver.
What thing that seems to be missing then is there is no centre armrest for the rear seat passengers. It looks like it should have..but there isn't. All you can do is fold the centre part of the seat down..giving a sort of flat table effect with a huge hole access to the boot.
So, the seat flexibility is good in some respects, bad in another way.
Monday 14 January 2008
Volvo XC70 Gearbox Click
Solved the problem on the gearbox click.
apparently it is the solenoid disengaging to allow reverse gear to be selected at slow speed. It locks off the gate as soon as forward speed is above a dangerous level.
Glad that was explained to me.
apparently it is the solenoid disengaging to allow reverse gear to be selected at slow speed. It locks off the gate as soon as forward speed is above a dangerous level.
Glad that was explained to me.
Volvo XC70 Sound System is back..
So having had the car for around 6hours - the dealer calls saying the car is ready.
Arriving at the dealership I see my car on the forecourt, nicely cleaned.. which is a good start.
They then say it is fixed and they have recovered the system information.
Starting the car, it seems they have managed to get the phone settings - however all of the navigation data is gone.. which is unfortunate.
Oh hum.. I wonder how to save that for next time.
So now we are back to square one..
So to fix the CD player has actually taken 3 trips to the dealer, and more than 7 hours of time.
Today they also completed the 3000mile quality check, no comments on this.
Arriving at the dealership I see my car on the forecourt, nicely cleaned.. which is a good start.
They then say it is fixed and they have recovered the system information.
Starting the car, it seems they have managed to get the phone settings - however all of the navigation data is gone.. which is unfortunate.
Oh hum.. I wonder how to save that for next time.
So now we are back to square one..
So to fix the CD player has actually taken 3 trips to the dealer, and more than 7 hours of time.
Today they also completed the 3000mile quality check, no comments on this.
Saturday 12 January 2008
VOLVO Door Mirrors (Part 2)
OK - I didn't read the manual for the door mirrors, and now I have.
Apparently the heated rear window button activates the door mirror heaters, they don't come on automatically themselves. However you can have the heater rear window coming on automatically at low temperatures - however because the Volvo dealer had reset and cancelled all the settings in the car - this feature had been switched off.
I now realise that all of the settings and features I had made in the menu had been cancelled, steering adjustment and graphic equaliser settings. This is a pain. So does this mean that each time the car goes into the dealer - we might lose all of the car information?
Apparently the heated rear window button activates the door mirror heaters, they don't come on automatically themselves. However you can have the heater rear window coming on automatically at low temperatures - however because the Volvo dealer had reset and cancelled all the settings in the car - this feature had been switched off.
I now realise that all of the settings and features I had made in the menu had been cancelled, steering adjustment and graphic equaliser settings. This is a pain. So does this mean that each time the car goes into the dealer - we might lose all of the car information?
Friday 11 January 2008
Volvo XC70 Heated Door Mirrors
Another thing I have noticed is that the door mirrors don't demist.
My understanding was that the door mirrors were heated and therefore would demist automatically in cold damp weather.
So far I have not seen this happening, or it has happened so slowly I have not noticed.
This will be another thing on the list to check when the car is returned for the sound system to be checked out again.
My understanding was that the door mirrors were heated and therefore would demist automatically in cold damp weather.
So far I have not seen this happening, or it has happened so slowly I have not noticed.
This will be another thing on the list to check when the car is returned for the sound system to be checked out again.
Security in Bad Weather Volvo XC70
I guess it is days such as this - that I really appreciate this Volvo XC70.
It was pouring with rain, turing to sleet and snow.. strong winds, standing water.
At no time during the journey did the car miss a beat.. it didn't feel at all in danger of losing it's balance or grip..
The bulk of the car and the 4WD system is certainly a stable platform for bad weather driving.
It was pouring with rain, turing to sleet and snow.. strong winds, standing water.
At no time during the journey did the car miss a beat.. it didn't feel at all in danger of losing it's balance or grip..
The bulk of the car and the 4WD system is certainly a stable platform for bad weather driving.
Wednesday 9 January 2008
Dealer Frustration with Volvo XC70
Well prehaps my first really negative post about this car.
My impressions of the local dealership hadn't been that great.. nice enough people, but I wondered about the attitude and capability. Today they demonstrated what I was sensing.
The car was supposed to be there for 1hour for the CD player changing, as it was faulty.
This was done.
However - the software of the sound system would not reload. Resulting in almost total loss of the sound system in the car and associated devices.
So when the car arrived.
Sound system worked apart from the CD player.
Now the CD player still does not work, the Radio does not work, the phone does not work, the parking sensors also don't work. (But the iPod does.. if you can understand that !!).
The dealer apologised of course.. but the excuse was a lame one. It is a new model car and we don't have the experience with it. They then said they had to download software from Sweden but they couldn't manage this either.. somebody in Sweden was asleep, I don't know.
However net result, I had to drive away and make an appointment for another visit.
What was dangerous was that they had wiped the seat and mirror position memory.. and didn't tell me the parking sensors were out. So when reversing I was close to hitting something.
Also they wiped the entire contents of the navigation system, so all of the stored locations has gone.
Not a great start to Volvo ownership.
My impressions of the local dealership hadn't been that great.. nice enough people, but I wondered about the attitude and capability. Today they demonstrated what I was sensing.
The car was supposed to be there for 1hour for the CD player changing, as it was faulty.
This was done.
However - the software of the sound system would not reload. Resulting in almost total loss of the sound system in the car and associated devices.
So when the car arrived.
Sound system worked apart from the CD player.
Now the CD player still does not work, the Radio does not work, the phone does not work, the parking sensors also don't work. (But the iPod does.. if you can understand that !!).
The dealer apologised of course.. but the excuse was a lame one. It is a new model car and we don't have the experience with it. They then said they had to download software from Sweden but they couldn't manage this either.. somebody in Sweden was asleep, I don't know.
However net result, I had to drive away and make an appointment for another visit.
What was dangerous was that they had wiped the seat and mirror position memory.. and didn't tell me the parking sensors were out. So when reversing I was close to hitting something.
Also they wiped the entire contents of the navigation system, so all of the stored locations has gone.
Not a great start to Volvo ownership.
Monday 7 January 2008
VOLVO XC70 CD Player
No news from volvo on my CD player. The faulty player was reported on Dec 27th, as of today, nobody at Volvo has contacted me about the part being in stock.
Not a brilliant service.. since the CD player was not working when the car was supplied.
Volvo XC70 Manual - Pedal Position
One thing I can't change on my volvo is the pedal position.. can you see how close the clutch pedal is to the bulk head and also the steering system. If you have size 11 shoes - it touches the end of the system
iPod on the Volvo XC70
From the picture you can see where the iPod is stored and how it connects to the car. This is the central storage location under the centre arm rest. I keep the remote control for navigation in here. Not wires don't let you store the iPod very neatly, but at least you can keep the protective cover on it - I use a silicone cover. On my last Audi, you needed to put the Audi into a docking station and had to remove the cover.There is another spare wire, I assume this is for generic mp3 players.
For some reason the iPod is not remembering the last track played and is reloading to the start when switching on. Not sure why it does this now.
have a look at my XC70 dedicated website www.carfun.org
Saturday 5 January 2008
Volvo XC70 - 2000 Miles
Well 2000 miles are now completed.
Overall the XC70 has lived up to expectations.
The positives are:
Performance
space and functionality of the interior
seat comfort
navigation system
The niggles are:
CD Player does not work
Pedal position - no place for the left foot
Lumbar adjustment is difficult
High fuel consumption
Overall the XC70 has lived up to expectations.
The positives are:
Performance
space and functionality of the interior
seat comfort
navigation system
The niggles are:
CD Player does not work
Pedal position - no place for the left foot
Lumbar adjustment is difficult
High fuel consumption
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