How is this car in the snow, and can you use regular grade gasoline with the Turbo engine?
22 Answers
your car will be fine in the snow, especially if volvo still puts all season tires on their cars. as for regular gas with the turbo engine... i suggest HIGHLY against it unless you're using water/meth injection to help prevent knocking in ur engine which im pretty sure you're not using cuz that'd be a semi expensive job on ur volvo... stick to 91 and 93 octanes, i know it's more expensive but adjusting your driving style a lil bit will seriously help with gas milage, you're engine's not big at all and if you want some more power while upgradiing your fuel eco a bit, look at evolvecars.com... those guys specialize in volvos and make great stuff for them. if you have any questions throw them right back at me :)
i would check your owners manual for recommended gas. I have a VW Beetle turbo, and can use 87 octane with decreased performance (according to the manual.) Most newer cars with turbos are made to run on any grade gasoline. Computer automaticaly adjusts back timing to compensate when using lower grades. 91/93 octane is optimal though for performance and gas mileage.
I drove in Germany with my S60 for seven years, it handled great in the winters there. It also has allot to do with your driving practices. If you drive to aggresive in inclimate weather, your car won't last to long.
I've got a front wheel drive s60 and it does great in the snow, so I'm guessing your awd version will destroy the roads :)
All Volvos can use regular gas! They are all also great on all terrains, exept for c70s aand s40s...
I live in Canada and we have snow , I have a front wheel drive with 4 winter tire and the car handle grate in the snow the traction controls work like a charm The only thing is the car is low and it is missing some ground clearence to be 100% efficient so if you have than 12 inches of snow you could be stuck. As far as driving in the snow it is and exelent car , the weight is well distribute and you feel safe all the time
For the fuel the engin work fine with regular fuel ( I did 40000 KM with mind ) but when the car was cold the transmission was shiffting slow in second gear , the Dealer uptgrade de transmission software ( of course they charge me ) and it help but i could notice slow shift at some rare ocasion so I put 91 octane in the car and the problems never came back. ( I also run the car with syntetic oil and It help ) My recommandation would be to stick to 91 octane and better
I hate this car in the snow! I have this, premium package, car looks great, but no go in snow. Previously owned a 97 CRV, all wheel drive, fantastic in snow! Before that had a mini van, front wheel drive, bmw, rear wheel drive and a ford escort, front wheel drive. I live in a somewhat snowy area, and also lived in Germany, in the snow area, for 4 years. I can drive in snow. This Volvo is the worst car I have ever driven in snow. Right now it is parked in my driveway, cause there is 5 inches of snow and the car could not make it up a little rise. Perhaps I should have purchased the AWD, but it was not available when I purchased this. This is the second winter, last year I put down to me not having driving a front wheel drive in 10 years, this year, I think it is the car. Taking it to my mechanic to see if I need different tires. Again, my car is the S60 2.5T with premium upgrade, no all wheel drive
What kind of tire you have ? On mind I had Yokohama tire And the car was all right in the snow.
I really don't know, they are the original tires, or at least that was what I was told. I am going to see my mechanic after work and talk tires. Other than the winter snow, I love the car. Limited steering radius, but great all around little car.
Other thing you should know , if you are stuck in the snow you need to remove the traction control . When I got the car the tire were continental , I replace those By Michelin and it changed the car. Steering was better , specially a low speed. I just sold it last week , It had 197000 Km , still look and drive like a new .
I had Nexen 3000 on the car, wrong tires. Went with 4 Kumbas, think it will be fine. Costly, but good warrenty
the car is amazing in the snow. even the front wheel drive. the 2005 model has a winter mode on it. and as for the turbo engine, thats what i have and regular gas works fine
The AWD S60 handles very well in snow and rain. The computer-controlled system is programmed to respond quickly, and it does an admirable job of divvying the torque out to the wheels with the most grip. As for fuel, I wouldn't recommend using anything lower than 91 octane. Technically, the engine can run on 87, but it wasn't designed to do this primarily, and if you overuse 87 fuel you could damage your turbo - a very costly repair. Only use regular gas if its an EMERGENCY. I wondered the same thing when I got my S60, and I found a number of helpful online forums and resources that answered my questions. For one, if you see a gas pump with 87, 89, and 93, for example, you can mix 89 and 93 to create 91. You'll save a little bit of money this way, although it is more time consuming. Just make sure you always add the higher octane fuel first. Additionally, you'll find that the higher octane fuel you use, the better your resulting fuel economy will be. My car is rated at 18/25 MPG and I always use 93 octane fuel. I get closer to 24-25 MPG city, and a whopping 36-38 MPG highway. And no, I don't drive like a grandmother either.
I own a 2009 Volvo S60 2.5 and it is absolutely HORRIBLE in the snow. The vehicles anti lock brakes cause the engine speed to reduce when the front wheels spin. It takes power away and you eventually come to a stop on slick roads with a slight upgrade. It's ridiculous and you would think a company like Volvo would know about and have figured this out. I WON'T be buying another Volvo. Very dissapointed
It doesn't sound like your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive. Also, I believe the system you are referring to is the traction control, not the ABS. Older S60s didn't have this, but I believe your '09 does. If you want your wheels to spin freely without the computer cutting power, simply disable the traction control. Good luck.
How do you disable the traction control? I have a 2001 S60 with new, all season tires. Live in Oregon but I am an experienced snow driver from Colorado. This car is terrible in the snow. Had about 3 inches on the road and I was slipping all over the place. It's not AWD but you'd think a car from Sweden could handle a little bit of snow!
I am having the same problem driving my Volvo wagon V-70 during winter time. Even if the snow is not high, there is no power to even climb a slightly inclined road or driveway. I have VW, Toyota , etc and never had this problem. When I am driving, the anti skid light comes on intermittently. Terrible car especially when you want to make a turn, it slows you down and cannot make it.
Shift into lower gears and make sure you have descent tires on the car. 01s60 2.4t with michelin all season tires in Ontario Canada works great.
Awd is great. You can go to YouTube.com and see these cars in snow. The Volvo is recommended and tuned for 91 octane check your manual. The minimum is 87. Use top tier gas like Mobil or shell. You can go to TopTierGas.com and fine more. You won't develop carbon deposits in the engine with top tier gas
how do you disengage traction control in a S60?
