Regular AWD Cars

[Clemens]

Interesting fun fact: They sold late 1996 Volvo 850s with AWD and the 193hp 2.5T over here. They were quite rare.

[June]

Thank you Neil! You said here exactly my experience dealing with the 98 AWD, Dealer Service, and Salesman at initial sale. The saving grace was Volvo stood behind their warranty.

Volvo had many issues with the early P80 AWD cars and up to the Haldex change over on the P2's.

Many of the issues were the dealers and their mechanics did not realise that all tires had to be worn within a very small tolerance or it loaded up the AWD and burnt it out. Customers were not advised if you break a tire you have to replace all 4 tires, so they didn't and then wrecked the systems.


100% true my case. After all my car was less than a year old when a pothole took one tire out which started the endless nightmare. Even the owners manual was not clear on this issue as I recall as I do always read the manual on each new car.



The system was weak at best, but when it works it works ok, and if maintained (many did not get TLC) they can last a long time. They do not like to be hammered on. Even the dealers did not know that the VC unit had to be stored vertically. If they weren't they failed immediately they were replaced as the fluid inside had drained away from the clutch.


Possible this is why it failed over and over again?


Then there was the auto trans were "sealed for life" stupidity from Volvo. After many complaints for failed transmissions, they now recommend a 80,000km transmission fluid flush. This issue was not only a problem with AWD cars, but murkies the water and driveline issues.

Transmission wasn't too sealed as it loved to overheat at speed causing the fluid to spew out of the vent on top... The "Forever Fluid" thing is just dumb!

Back this summer I overheated the transmission in my daughter's 07 C70 driving it up from S Florida. So clearly Volvo is lax cooling the Aisin transmission. Being a 07 in 19 it's old, but to happen on a new car is not acceptable.

I made that round trip down and back today in my S80 without issue with transmission temp. I did run it 90 to 100 mph a/c on. Clearly the cooler must be different between the Aisin and the Hydramatic.

Neil.

To put the experience into context, buying the Cross country in 98 is similar to switching from a gas powered car to all electric today. There are things the new owner needs to understand about the new platform. June