For those of us in the northeast looking back on just about 6 months of hard winter weather, the sunshine of Summer is all too welcome. As our cars have finally defrosted it's time for a quick poke and prod around the vehicle for anything that could catch us off guard this summer. These are some tips I recommend for Volvo owners and anything else with four wheels.
Electrical Check
Hot and cold weather extremes take a toll on car batteries. Take the time to perform a basic voltage check yourself or get it done free of charge at a variety of auto parts stores. 12.4v is average for vehicle off and nothing on. 13.45-13.7V is a good target for engine running and rpms above 1000. My best aftermarket car battery has made it just over three years. Low batteries in these cars have also been known to cause irregular faults in other electrical systems. (I'm looking at you P2 crowd)
Bulbs are a great thing to go over now as well. I always try and keep at least one spare headlight (H7) bulb in my glove box. Most if not all (don't quote me here) of the Volvos I have seen have some sort of bulb failure warning light.
There are a few caps that work, however i like the one with the little picture on it.
Cooling
The coolant should be the color it came out of the bottle. Green is a very common color of 50/50 coolant. The OEM Volvo coolant is blue and rather pricey, but has the ingredients to justify it. Any dark color in the expansion tank could be a sign of coolant and oil mixing somewhere in the engine. This can be the early warning sign of a impending head gasket failure. Check out both my previous intercooler change write up and this detailed explanation of coolant differences. You'll see how to pretty easily flush the coolant in the system as well as get information on what coolant to choose when the old stuff is all out.
Next give all the coolant hoses a good squish and pull. The front hose from the thermostat to the radiator should have little to know build up of material at each junction. This sort of yellow stalactite build up is a little bit of coolant leaking out and then drying against the car. The same goes for the hoses in the back of the engine. These tiny coolant hoses are a quick replacement item and will keep you off the side of the road.
Lastly, if your coolant cap or expansion tank are looking a bit sick, a timely replacement is a great preventative step.
Oil
An oil change and or level check before a long trip is a must. Beyond a simple oil check, if your oil level has been wavering recently a quick check around the engine and underneath the car for leaks can go a long way.
A/C
As great as these cars are, they have a notoriously fragile air conditioning system. Perhaps just a symptom of owning rust belt cars, each of my P80 Volvo vehicles has required at least one A/C related service.
A great way to estimate R134a refrigerant level is by measuring the time between compressor engagement. If the A/C compressor is always on, never on, or clicks almost constantly you've got a problem. While I cannot recommend an exact increment, if your compressor is touching the inner clutch when engaged and your air is warm, your refrigerant might be low. Other reasons for no engagement are a failing or failed pressure switch.
The evaporator can fail causing a total halt of Ac operation.
The only A/C part I've replaced myself. Not that hard but you'll need the right tools.
Tire Pressure
Such a quick and simple precaution. Proper air pressure creates even tire wear, better fuel economy, and is a matter of safety. Take a moment as well to inspect for any foreign objects in the tires. Another danger can be dry rot. This comes in the form of cracks in the treads and valleys on the tire. A particularly bad case of this took hold of my tires this past summer/winter. When this happens the tire is drying out and looses a lot of its grip, it is also really unsafe.
Wipers
Ineffective wipers are a big pet-peeve of mine and for any one traveling a distance through unknown weather, a good pair of wipers is a must.
The Essentials
A short list of things to bring and hopefully never need are.
Oil, Water, Coolant, some tools (10mm wrench or socket, t25/27 torx), tire pump, spare lug nut, adhesive tape, extra phone charger, driving buddy.
Stay safe this summer and be prepared for the road ahead.
About the Author: Anthony Peacock
Anthony Peacock is a small business owner and Volvo DIY enthusiast. He is an experienced videographer and editor with a long running reputation for owning and promoting Volvo cars and their many excellent qualities.
