AWD Assistance

PaulGantt · Post by **PaulGantt** » 27 Oct 2019, 14:16

Someone help please. My AWD does not work. I have taken it into shops and they all say it does. Not sure if they are just plugging it in to scan or what. Two different shops, same answer. I had seen on previous posts about cracking the rear case and another that stated that it could be the splines on the input shaft. Is there a quick check that I can do to figure out which way to go on this repair? Any and all advice is welcome. The car runs flawlessly except this. I would love to keep it around but I need the AWD where I live It's a 2004, 2.5.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 27 Oct 2019, 14:42

What convinced you the AWD is not working as it should.

Post by **cn90** » 27 Oct 2019, 15:19

My angle gear sleeve is stripped at 110K.

I drive as FWD car with dedicated winter tires.

The labor and potential issues of fixing (and there is no warranty it won't happen again) deters me from fixing it.

PS: To test:
1. You need snow and asks someone to watch if all 4 tires spin.
2. Or all 4 corners on jack stand or a lift (at the shop) and run engine to see if all 4 tires spin.

cn90
2005 XC90 2.5T 120K

PaulGantt · Post by **PaulGantt** » 27 Oct 2019, 17:01

RickHaleParker wrote: ↑27 Oct 2019, 14:42 What convinced you the AWD is not working as it should.

Several things. Front wheel spin in the snow (clad with snow tires) leaving me stranded on a gentle slope. Excessive wear on front tires. Wheel spin of front tires on floored starts. I have put one tire in the grass on an incline and gently throttled and only the tire in the grass spun and the rest of the car barely moved. Only when the electronics step in would it get any motion. My wife got it stuck in a field and only the front tires spun.

I have done many things to test out their diagnosis and in every one of those tests it seems as though zero power is going to the rear wheels in any condition. As a lifetime front wheel drive driver and an owner of a C30 and V70 it drives exactly like those two vehicles in the same situations. So I am left with thinking that their diagnosis is not correct else the XC90 has the worst AWD I have ever driven. As far as my mechanical chops, I do basically all of the work on these cars myself so feel free to get specific and technical.

Again any suggestions that I could use to diagnose the cause of this loss of AWD would be welcome.

Thank you in advance.

Post by **cn90** » 27 Oct 2019, 17:07

Then the differential diagnosis is between stripped sleeve vs Haldex issue.
Info in forum.
Chances are stripped sleeve.
The sleeve kit is about $140 at FCPEuro:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... t-30787988

Once the transfer case is out, you may have to reseal the halves (this is another job!).

I am doing fine with my AWD now being FWD + snow tires. I'd love to have AWD feature but the idea of spending $140 to have another stripped sleeve is not appealing to me. Plus resealing the 2 halves is not a fun job.
For now ---> FWD + snow tires.

Volvo AWD system is not very well engineered.
My 2006 BMW E53 X5 xDrive system is a much better design.

Post by **cn90** » 27 Oct 2019, 17:08

Easy trick...

Next time you are at a shop for oil change...before the oil change, once the car is on the lift, ask them to run the engine and shift to "D" to see if all 4 tires spin.

Then shut off engine and do the oil change.

PaulGantt · Post by **PaulGantt** » 27 Oct 2019, 17:45

cn90 wrote: ↑27 Oct 2019, 17:07 Then the differential diagnosis is between stripped sleeve vs Haldex issue.
Info in forum.
Chances are stripped sleeve.
The sleeve kit is about $140 at FCPEuro:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... t-30787988

Once the transfer case is out, you may have to reseal the halves (this is another job!).

I am doing fine with my AWD now being FWD + snow tires. I'd love to have AWD feature but the idea of spending $140 to have another stripped sleeve is not appealing to me. Plus resealing the 2 halves is not a fun job.
For now ---> FWD + snow tires.

Volvo AWD system is not very well engineered.
My 2006 BMW E53 X5 xDrive system is a much better design.

I have heard that a quick way to tell about the sleeve is to simply get under it and see if it spins while everything is still and off. Any merit to that? Because mine definitely spins with my twisting it manually will all wheels on the ground.

Post by **cn90** » 27 Oct 2019, 18:28

- Another way to check the sleeve is:

- Get a cheap camera, set it to video and place on a cardboard.
- Slide the cardboard under the car with the camera aiming at the rear driveshaft.
- Drive the car a few feet, then stop the car.
- Review the video in the camera: if the DS does not spin, then the sleeve is stripped.

PS: Another way: get a makeup mirror and place it under the car in full sunlight. Ask someone to drive the car a few feet while you watch the DS spinning.