Some thoughts on the XC-90 2.5T.
Solid engine. Good transmission. Good paint. Good rust resistance. Durable, quality interior materials. Good brakes. Decent handling. Standard stability control. Third row seat, car seat anchors, rear AC and lots of cargo room. Best structural integrity and SRS systems make it one of the safest vehicles made. 210 HP makes it not the fastest, but not a big deal.
A very good choice for a young driver. Or a young family.
The P2 chassis has a couple of known weak points. Front control arm bushings wear out quickly, about 60-80,000 miles. Engine mounts last about the same. The front lower torque mount is usually first to go. At high miles, the evap system “J hose” can crack and cause a CEL. Not hard to get to on the FWD, but a real pain on the AWD.
The 2.5T engine is a timing belt and interference engine. 105,000 mile change interval. If you’re doing the second timing belt, you should do the water pump. Wire loom doesn’t last long - replacing it will help keep wiring in good shape. PCV system is a known weak point. Change out all, and I mean all, of the components about every 100,000 miles. Do not use Uro or Proparts Sweden parts on the engine. They are Chinese junk. OEM Volvo for PCV system, only. I’ve seen the Uro hoses fail in as little as 30,000 miles, causing leaks.
If the PCV system is ignored, crankcase pressure build, until it pushes the engine cam seals out, and you get massive oil leaks followed quickly by engine failure from oil starvation. So, do the PCV system. If you’re over 150,000 when you do the timing belt, do the front cam and crank seals while you’re in there, it’s not much more work. Rear cam seals are a bit of work, they’re hidden under the engine mount brackets and a few other parts. They are usually slower to wear out.
I’ve had mixed results with anything other than Volvo spark plugs. OEM plugs are about $60 on line. Easy change.
The 2.5 T should get an A3/B4 euro oil. It’s happy on any XW30 or Xw40. I’ve got UOA on both in this engine. Filters from Volvo are good, but you can get Mahle filters from IPD for about $6/each. I buy them in bulk. Learn to shop on FCP Euro and IPD usa.
The AW-55 transmission is good. Toyota T-IV or JWS-3309 fluid. I’ve used AMSOIL and HPL with good results. The XC-90 has a built in transmission cooler. I added a filter, much like I did on the other P2 cars I own. You can see the V70XC set-up, here, and the XC-90 is the same:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/baldwin-b2-hpg-used-as-a-transmission-filter.384622/
Drain and fill takes about 3.5 quarts. Refill through the dip stick, you will need a long funnel. The drain plug is magnetic. Do not, repeat, DO NOT, try to fill it through a bolt on the top of the transmission, that is the B4 band anchor, and you will kill 3rd gear if you loosen it.
If you have AWD, you have an “angle gear” or front differential. It takes 700ml of 75W90. Don’t fill it until it dribbles out of the fill plug. No drain plug, you have to use a vacuum extractor and a small diameter hose. If it is weeping, IPD sells a kit to reseal it. I outlined my experience in this post:
https://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?29700-Angle-Gear-sealing-and-modification - I added a magnetic drain plug on that one. Later, I installed a Time-sert thread insert so that steel threads would be taking the wear of drain and fills. So easy, and the drain plug picks up a bit.
If you have AWD, you have a “Haldex” system - a pump-powered fluid clutch to engage the rear wheels. That fluid requires changing every 100,000 or so, and a kit from IPD includes a filter. It’s a reliable system, though salt can kill the module over time.
If you need an axle, get a GKN or OEM. GKN are available from various suppliers. Any of the rebuilds, including those from IPD (my favorite Volvo source of parts) are complete junk. I went through 3 axles from IPD (lifetime warranty is great, but having to re-do the labor over and over makes it irrelevant) before I got one that was not horrible. It still wasn’t good, and vibrated under acceleration, and the boot lasted about two years before leaking.
The GKN is still on there 10 years later. I would rather re-boot an OEM than a rebuild. The factory boots will be as much as the aftermarket axle, but you will be happier, I promise.
Sunroof drains on the XC-90 run down through the A pillars, through some rubber elbows, to the ground. The rubber elbows wear out and can cause leaks. If you don’t know when they’ve been done, replace them. Easy job.
When the car gets old, the bulbs in the climate control and dashboard wear out. They’re easy to change and IPD sells a kit for the dash. Climate control bulbs are expensive, and if you remove the climate control for the bulb replacement, disconnect the battery first, or you will cause an SRS fault, which can only be cleared with Volvo software (VIDA). I’m not sure if Autel or other scanners can do it.
Parking brake adjustment is a bit odd. You have to remove the lower counter console trim panel by the drivers right ankle. The adjuster is in there, and it is a ratcheting connector that can be released with a pry tool, or tightened by pushing it together. It’ll make sense when you see it. Stories abound of aftermarket parking brake shoes being less effective. I go Volvo OEM only for those shoes after some bad experiences. You will want new hardware if you replace the shoes. This is a case where Proparts Sweden parts are fine. Springs are springs.
Brakes are ATE. I would flush them every other year. Rear brakes have an odd spring for the single piston caliper. It is not easy to get the caliper spring back in when done. Take a picture before you start and make certain that the spring is correctly placed when you finish up. It goes under the “ears”.
Rear wheel hubs on the FWD wear out quickly. The ABS tone ring is in the hub, so the speed sensor is reading off the hub. A groan or rumble while on the highway from the back is probably those hubs. Buy Volvo parts only in this case - because the hubs from Volvo include a redesigned component, a “splash guard” or plastic shield is now included and the hubs will last a lot longer. Don’t go aftermarket on those hubs.
Feel free to ask questions.
The XC-90 is going back up to Boston today. I have no problem hopping in that car and driving 600 miles in a day, even with 250,000 on the odometer.
It’s a great choice for a young driver.
