Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: SMD on 06 March 2013, 20:20:05
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Are these permanent 4 wheel drive? Internet says no
What are they like to live with, any major issues with them? I'm guessing big bills when they go wrong?
Anyone mechs here able to DIY these?
Thanks
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Do not touch with a barge pole. I work for a Volvo dealer and everything needs a software update to work, sometimes even fuel filters. Tyre wear out stupid quick and can be up to £900 for a set of 4, interior is nasty compared to other models, they fall off the road in the wet or snow, angle drives (transfer boxes) break for the fun of it and everything is expensive on them.
... And that is just what I can think of whilst waiting for my steak, sitting in a Beefeater.
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Very local to me I have a garage called VolvoTech. As you can guess from the name they like volvos. The owners wife has a 90 she's often at our house so all the kids get together. From what I understand they are very good but when they go wrong it tends to be in a big way. I remember him buying two with blown engines which he swapped over and his wife now drives about in. One reoccuring problem seems to be with the DPF filter but I think some it might be down to them not wanting to spend any cash on the car. Apart from that they seem pretty good. Might be worth you googerling them and giving them a call. They always seem friendly enough and have helped me out a few times when I've been unable to fix something
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that would be a NO then ;D ;D
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There are AWD versions, which are always 4 wheel drive.
They tend to get very good reviews if you have a family, no real world experience of them though.
See plenty on the road, so can't be that bad :y
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To give a clue on prices, a xenon headlight is up to £900 each, and they have been modified due to cracking on the cases under normal usage. Labour rates from main dealers are around £100 per hour plus vat, the dpf regen fluid part number 1161752 is £55 plus vat but adds an hour to the time and is not meant to be available to independent garages. Remote controls break all the time in the cases, and the list can continue if necessary.
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I have a friend in the US that is a Volvo tech and he says they are one of the worst cars that Volvo have every made. ;)
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I believe a member on here (ianu) has one. Sure he'd be happy to give his opinion. :y
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Indeed, ianu has one, and I believe he's very happy with it. Until he can afford a proper offroader, ie the best 4 x 4 x far ;)
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If i had to have a 4x4 Land rover Type vehicle not a 4x4 car then i'd have this. (maybe not this exact spec but still a nice vehicle)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sRGU_JXOz6E/TSj-1apU4dI/AAAAAAAABHg/uzrmthVFZHU/s1600/audi-q5+wallpaper+back_3.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sRGU_JXOz6E/TSj-1apU4dI/AAAAAAAABHg/uzrmthVFZHU/s1600/audi-q5+wallpaper+back_3.jpg)
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I had a couple, I like them a lot :y. Good stereo's too :).
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I had a couple, I like them a lot :y. Good stereo's too :).
I've sold 2 replacements this month already due to defective units
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Thanks for the replies. Re unreliability. People who don't know Omegas say they are unreliable but we know that is not the case. XC90 owners seem to think they are mostly ok with earlier cars having some issues. However, think I'll look at something else :)
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Would it not be advantageous to go and drive a couple and make your mind up over a decent period of time?
Ian works for Volvo and has given his honest opinion, but dealers are only going to hear from those who have problems. You don't nip into your local Volvo dealership to say thanks for supplying a fault free motor, do you?
I have no experience of them, except Clarkson loves them, has owned several and recommends them. Yes, he is a cock, but he is a cock with a huge wallet.... if there was anything 'better' he would own it!
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Thanks for the replies. Re unreliability. People who don't know Omegas say they are unreliable but we know that is not the case. XC90 owners seem to think they are mostly ok with earlier cars having some issues. However, think I'll look at something else :)
my own personal thought is that they're not that reliable (omegas). my mates are always taking the mick for the stuff ive had to do to it compared with what they've not had to do ::).
Will you find a better forum though with so much info? Never!
love to all my fellow OOFers. ;)
xxx
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my own personal thought is that they're not that reliable (omegas). my mates are always taking the mick for the stuff ive had to do to it compared with what they've not had to do ::).
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I've slagged my car off over the years, but it's only really stranded me a handful of times, the most notable was within weeks of buying the thing but I still had my Senator to bail it out. The crank sensor once failed SWMBO in 4 lanes of traffic in the middle of town, & I've replaced it since when it left us stuck at the side of a snow filled road with the tin tent in tow! ??? But in 11 years it's not been too bad. ;) ;)
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I'd sooner have an XC90 than have the useless BMW X5, they sup fuel like its goin outa fashion and are less than useless off road, but daddy of em all has to be the Range Rover .
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my own personal thought is that they're not that reliable (omegas). my mates are always taking the mick for the stuff ive had to do to it compared with what they've not had to do ::).
I don't think they're worse than any other similar car. There aren't really any major mechanical faults, just high maintenance niggles due to overcomplicated design which typical of a lot of German engineering. Oil leaks and the front suspension are top of the list. Otherwise you're looking at electrical faults, and all recent cars have those due to the massively complex and fully integrated electrical systems in them. As a mate says of his '02 Audi S6 - If it says Bosch on it, it WILL go wrong. Anyone who thinks the Omega front suspension is expensive to overhaul should check out the costs and work involved for an A6.
Large, complex cars are always expensive to own; that doesn't change when their actual value drops through the floor. After all, you could buy a respectable Bentley turbo for the price of a Corsa, but the running costs won't be the same!
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My neighbour is a senior exec for Volvo and he absolutely swears by them as he gets a new one every six months,but then I guess he would :y
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My MV6 once famously left me stranded just outside Dijon ;D
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maybe 10% of the XC90s are 4x4 - just beware when you go look at them.
the 2wd variant seems popular
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maybe 10% of the XC90s are 4x4 - just beware when you go look at them.
the 2wd variant seems cheaper
Fixed that :y I wonder how many people have bought one thinking they're four wheel drive, only realising that they're not when it's too late :-\
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One of my bosses a few years ago had some sort of Audi quattro.He had owned it for at least a couple of years when I mentioned it was four wheel drive.He argued until he was blue in the face that it wasnt.I eventually talked him into looking under the front and rear and pointed out the diffs/driveshafts. ::) ;D
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One of my bosses a few years ago had some sort of Audi quattro.He had owned it for at least a couple of years when I mentioned it was four wheel drive.He argued until he was blue in the face that it wasnt.I eventually talked him into looking under the front and rear and pointed out the diffs/driveshafts. ::) ;D
;D ;D
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xc90 good or bad not in the same league as omega.. and I found it pointless to drive those monsters in crowded city traffic.. if I was a farmer may be..
as for volvo.. they are above avg, quality cars without doubt.. but their impression not that attractive for me..
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Indeed, ianu has one, and I believe he's very happy with it. Until he can afford a proper offroader, ie the best 4 x 4 x far ;)
Indeed I have everyone, and I couldn't disagree more with iansoutham :P. If you go to the volvoforums.org.uk website I'm a regular on there too :y.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=128046
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=116739
A bit like this forum - you tend only to hear the horror stories about them. I've posted on there regularly it is the best car I've ever had :y :y (but I love my Omega to bits too - although the 'mig' has probably been the most pita expensive car to run I've ever had I still love it :-*)
My Volvo has done 182k since new. Yes it's had issues - mostly covered by it's original warranty - otherwise everything else has been maintenance items in line with its mileage. Look me up on the forum and you'll see photos of my car up to its ears in mud and water, gleaming like new afterwards and still giving me 35 - 40 mpg.
Later ones are seem a bit more sensetive to electronic issues and gremlins - but most of the major mechanical weeknesses were ironed out.
I have mine serviced at a local indy (that does my Omega too) - but most of the straightforward routine maintenance can be done easily yourself and there is plenty of advice on the forum about how to (although it's not as well organised as this one in that respect :y )
Yeah - I'd love a Range Rover - but I suspect the reality of what I could afford would shatter the dream (a bit like early 2nd hand Omega ownership does ::) )
Service history is vital - or save a bit to one side for some bills. Tyres on 17" rims allow £500 if you shop around (no different to the 'mig')
I love it - I'd recommend one any day :y :y :y :y :y :y
Off road - your bottle will probably go before the car gives up in my experience :o
Cheers
ian
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maybe 10% of the XC90s are 4x4 - just beware when you go look at them.
the 2wd variant seems cheaper
Fixed that :y I wonder how many people have bought one thinking they're four wheel drive, only realising that they're not when it's too late :-\
Don't think they do a 2wd XC90 (only if the AWD has packed up ::)) - they should all be AWD i.e normally 95/5% split to the front wheels unless under load or losing traction to one of the wheels in which case it transfers drive to the other wheels as well (ish)....