Pedestrian Safety

Since most of my blogs so far have been about my Volvo, other Volvos and wagons, I want to look at another blog that brings me back to a very important part of Volvo, which is safety. The reason I chose a particular blog from Volvo's own blogs was because it talks about an actual instance where their newest safety feature was used to actually save a life. It was not even the driver of the vehicle that may have been injured but a pedestrian. The incident happened while a journalist was driving one of Volvo's press cars. Because of how the system detects people and there movement it will fully stop the car for you if a pedestrian walks out in front of the vehicle. Right now City Safety with Pedestrian Detection (with Full Auto Break) is only available on the S60 and XC60 at the moment. Volvo plans to incorporate this life saving technology into each vehicle as they either bring out a new generation or facelift. The next vehicles to supposedly get this option will be the S80, V70 and XC70. Not to brag about how good the system is (I have actually tested it) the only other cars that have options anything close to these are the Mercedes Benz E and S class, which pretty much start at where a fully loaded S80 would stop price wise. As the journalist said the Technology Package may cost $2100 but it is worth every penny. I also agree with him and saying that this feature should not be and option but a standard feature to help save as many lives as possible. Last time Volvo did something like this it changed a safety feature in every car on the road, this was the creation of the 3-point safety harness and this was over 50 years ago. 

http://www.volvoblog.us/2011/04/13/at-least-one-person-has-an-angel-on-his-shoulder/

Why I love my Wagon

For this post I want to explain why I am such a big fan of wagons over SUVs. Even though there are a handful of SUVs out there that actually look good like the Volvo XC90 and XC60, Mercedes G Wagon and because it finally grew up the new Ford Explorer. Yes these cars have great looks and have a good ability to do a bit of off road capability with the exception of the Mercedes since it was originally a military vehicle. The main reason we started buying SUVs was for the same reason we bought wagons, its so we could get everything in the car and the kids too. Nowadays we have to tend to carpool, you can certainly do that with a wagon, Mercedes still offers a rear facing third row. If we are not going to use all the features of the SUV why don't we start going back to buying wagons which are just as versatile and actually get better gas milage since they have better aerodynamics. Since I bought my Volvo almost four years ago people have always asked me why I drive it, the answer is simple its better than a SUV. I think if people actually went out and gave them a try they would be able to see why we love them so much. Especially when you are able to light up the tires when the light turns green and you leave some kinda in there ricer in the dust.

Videos of the Princess

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kZqrbkML45w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vrUCAcTZs8M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is the Princess when she is usually clean and running correctly.

Finding the Right Volvo for You

I want to discuss the importance of finding the perfect Volvo for you. They best way to find it espically if you are looking at pre-owned is to look on Autotrader, Cars.com and eBay. Why eBay because it is where I found my Princess. By using multiple websites to search for your Volvo you can find a wider selection and possibly a better price. If you are in the boat like me and looking for one of the extremely rare ones it can be a bit of a challenge. For the past year now I have been trying to find a Sonic Blue Volvo V70R AWD, it doesn't help that I am looking for one of the rarest colors that used for all of the “R”s but its even rarer for the wagons. Also by looking in different places you will be able to compare more models when you are about to purchase to make sure you are getting the one you really want.

Keyless Entry Help

I am going to tell you how to fix a small problem if it ever happens to your Volvo 850. Sometimes while working on my Princess I have to disconnect the battery if it is left unplugged for a long enough period of time it will un-program the keyless entry. The best thing about this is that there is no need to take your 850 into the Volvo dealer to have this fixed. The first step is to sit in the drivers seat. Make sure that all the doors are unlocked. Next put one of the master keys in the ignition, the valet keys will not work for this. You are then going to turn the key to the on position, make sure not to turn the car on. For the car to recognize that the sequence is being set you must turn the key to the on position and back to the off position five times within fifteen seconds. Immediatley after the sequence hold down one of the buttons on the keyless entry till you hear the doors click, personally I hold the lock button so I know that the keyless has been set again. If you have any problems with these simple steps you can always look in your owners manual, which is where I got my information to do this.

It was Time for new Tires

One of the most important part of owning any car is the tires you put on it. In the journey of tuning and bettering my Princess, I recently bought new wheels for the Princess. The part that came along with this was buying new tires for it. when deciding on what tires to put on the Princess I chose to go with Kuhmo because it is the brand my family has been trusting on all of our cars. I decided to go with the Kumho Escata ASX because of the ratings on the tires and compared to other tires out there. One of the better parts of the tires is that it has a 30k mile warranty, which I'm hoping to be able to get that kinda milage out of them. The best difference I have noticed in my car was that my handling improved a bit. With that I noticed a great difference in traction on the road, even when the ground is wet. And like most tires in this category that are Z rated. One thing I do like about the tires unlike most of the other tires they are not unidirectional, which in my opinion is a plus since it means you can rotate them more often. I have to recommend these tires to any body out there that is looking for tires in this class, most of the Escatas will fit most other Volvos. When you decided to get new tires, give any of the Kumhos a try.

iPd Garage Sale

One of the largest events for Volvo enthusiast within the United States is the iPd Annual Garage Sale. This year it is May 21^st in the hometown of iPd in Portland Oregon. One of the biggest parts of the Garage Sale is the Car Show, this is where enthusiast from around the country bring their Volvos and show them off to other enthusiast. This is one of my goals with the Princess in the next few years is to bring her with me the first time I am able to attend. 

http://www.ipdusa.com/28th-Annual-ipd-Garage-Sale-2011/blog-147

Next Modification Project

One of my next large modifications that I am going to do to the Princess is to reverse the intercooler. Volvo actually figured out how to do this modification on there own and started applying it to their newer models in the past few years. On the other hand for my car it wasn't there, but iPd actually figured out how to do it on there own and created an entire kit to do this to older models such as mine. Yes, there are other kits out there but the only aftermarket brand I trust the most is iPd since they have been in business the longest and actually test each product that they offer. By installing the kit I will be able to provide to the Princess an extra three pounds of boost. It also will give her increased throttle response and less turbo lag, which can sometimes be a little embarrassing on the road when you go to over take someone. 

http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-850/Performance/Reverse-Intercooler-Piping-Kit/p-72-143-1849/

PCV System

For this blog I want to talk about a common problems with the 850 S/V/C/XC/70 is the PCV System but is more commonly know as the Flame Trap System. The reason I want to mention this problem because it is can lead to catastrophic engine failure. Before we replaced the system I was not to the point where it would damage my engine, but it was starting to effect my turbo. One of the better things about PCV is that there are tell tale signs of when it is starting to get clogged and starting to fail. The main symptoms that I noticed was back pressure on the dipstick and a bit of darker smoke coming out of the exhaust. When I had to replace the PCV I chose iPd to get the parts since they offer the entire kit (http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-850/Engine/PCV-System/PCV-Turbo-Flame-Trap/p-72-153-849-3936/). Actually replacing the system is a little challenging but in the end your Volvo will run much better.

This will probably be my only rant.

I don't want to sound negative but I am going to go off and a rant today. This has to do with my car, where it involves parking and parking lots. My first question is, why is it so hard to park between the lines. Is it really that difficult? I can only let the excuse of faded lines to the only reason too. It doesn't matter which car I am driving I can managed to do this, and usually within a week I managed to drive four different cars. These cars include a Toyota Highlander, a Nissan Xterra, Jaguar XK8 Convertible and of course my Volvo 850. My biggest pet peeve for parking is parking angled in a space. I am going to say it again, its not that difficult. Is it because people are just lazy or just don't care how they parked and aren't concerned that they might actually be taking more than one spot. Most of the dints and dings in my car are from parking lots. Its not that hard to look around you and try not the hit the car next to you. I think the worst thing someone could do is a “Hit and Run”. The last one that happened to my car was Labor Day weekend at my job. They even went to the extent to get out of there car and look and see if they actually hit me. I could tell because they wiped the dirt off my back bumper. Through my previous experience in parking lots, I think that we need to all try and be a bit more courteous and park between the lines and perpendicular to the lines.

Where did the Wagons go?

What I am writing about today is some what of a tragedy. The other day while I was at the Dallas Auto Show with my father and uncle, we noticed a shockingly low number of wagons that are available on the US market. I was able to count the number on my hands it is that small of a number. The largest shock is that the one company that is known around the world for making wagons, now only offers one version of one model. Since the Volvo V50 was launched back in 2004.5, it has had a good response because it was a small sport wagon that could compete with the VW Jetta wagon. Last year was the last year Volvo offered their larger estate wagon in the states. The V70 was a well built car and had great styling as well, the only reason the third generation sold so few numbers was the lack of options when it came to engine and drivetrain, it was only available in the 3.2L inline 6 cylinder and front wheel drive while in the rest of the world you could get the turbo 6 cylinder and a choice of FWD or AWD.

When Volvo launched the V60 back in October 2010, there was a lot of shock of what volvo created. Enthusiast in the US were really hoping that this new wagon would come to the states since the V70 isn't coming anymore. Due to speculations Volvo said that it would be coming sometime in 2012. While I was at the Auto Show, Volvo informed me that it will not be coming to the US. I think that people in the Volvo enthusiast community need to show Volvo that there is a need for the V60. I think that if there is enough people who want to purchase the V60, we might be able to change the mind of Volvo.

Headlight Review

For this blog I am going to review one of the latest modifications that I have done to my Princess. The mod is the Angel Eye Headlight Conversion Kit (http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-850/Lighting-&-Lenses/850-Angel-Eye-Headlamp-Conversion-kits/p-72-106-4799/). Since they have been installed in my Volvo, I have noticed several things. The first thing I want to mention about these lights is that it completely changed the look of my car. The only down side to the looks is the yellow turn signal bulbs, but that is an easy fix. For $30 you can get different bulbs that are clear turn signal bulbs which give the front end of the car a cleaner and more aggressive look. One of the best features that I noticed at night was the range the lights gave compared to the original ones from Volvo. The Volvo ones weren't terrible but not the greatest, one thing I do like about the originals over the news ones is the lenses were glass versus being plexi.

Installing the lights was a little bit harder than I thought. They did install just like original headlights, but wiring the halos was the challenge. We decided to wire them into the daytime running lights and the parking lights. Since I bought my headlights off eBay rather than iPd is that they kit did not include enough wire for to do the lighting the way I did. I have to say for getting both headlights for a little under $300 they were a really good deal and I have gotten several compliments for the way my car looks with them.

The Latest "Issues" with my Princess

Today I am going to discuss the last few problems that my car has been experiencing for the past month. The most major issue that I found and the culprit of most of my problems was that my Crankshaft Impulse Sensor was faulty.

My other major problem is the Boost Control Solenoid (BCS) or more commonly known as the Turbo Control Valve (TCV). One of the best sources I found for information on this problem was on iPd's website. It is also the site where I will be purchasing my new TCV because it is also designed for Volvo 850s that are being tuned like mine. IPD has a video for the TCV to show you how it works and how to install the part (http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-850/Performance/Ipd-HD-TCV/p-72-143-6497/).

I also want to mention the next modification that I am planning on doing to my vehicle will be doing an ECU swap. The company I am planning on using will be Rica Engineering. The reason I chose to go with the Rica ECU was because of the statistics. The best information I found about the ECU was through EuroSportTuning. Also they have the best price I was able to find (http://www.eurosporttuning.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EST02&Product_Code=RICA-TUNE&Category_Code=VL-850-en).

History of Volvo Wagons

For this post I am going to discuss how Volvo created there own version of the wagon and how they kept transforming them since the 1960s. The first noticeable wagon came around in 1962 with the Amazon wagon, and was one of the first that featured a bi-parting tailgate. The next milestone came shortly with the 145 which was introduced in 1967 and was the first model to be quoted for boxy styling. The next major step Volvo took was with the 240, which was introduced in 1974 and stayed in production until 1992. During these few years the 240 became one of the largest icons and status symbols in the arena of station wagons. The next wagon that Volvo created was the 740. The 740 featured new styling that had more rounded corners and helped give it its iconic image. In 1993 Volvo started restyling the image of the company but keeping the image of the box in their wagons. Volvo took there designs to the next level buy giving the Italians a chance with their designs. When the 850 was launched it was a huge success, in 1993 it was named the car of the year was the 850. The next step was to make it sportier, like other Volvo wagons in the past they added a turbo into the mix. In 1995 the first performance model was launched called the 850-T5R. It was designed to compete with the BMW M3 and Mercedes AMGs of the time. The next model that came around was the V70 which was almost identical to the 850 but had new styling features such as painted bumper pieces and more rounded body style. It was introduced in 1998 and is still in production but has gone through several body style changes. In 2001 the V70 went into its second body style, it was more designed to look like the other Volvos of its time. In 2004 Volvo brought back the “R” version that would help give BMW a run for their money once again. In 2008 the latest model of the V70 came onto the market. This year Volvo has launched the V60 which has been designed to be a sport wagon and nothing but sporty. There has not been that much information released in the V60 so far, but as soon as more information comes around I will try my best and keep you informed.

Why am I here

My Volvo Wagon is my first blog where I will be discussing anything and everything that involves Volvo wagons. First, you should get to know me a bit so you can understand why I am so obsessed with my wagon. To start, I am a 21 year old college student studying graphic design and wanting to work in automotive design. With my degree, I want to help re-image what a wagon is, because face it, everyone and their mothers drive an SUV nowadays. My goal for the blog is to show people in the Volvo community what I am doing with my 850. Through this goal I think I will be able to help others who might be having some of the same troubles as myself. One of my larger goals is to help show the world that there is a group of driving enthusiast who still want to drive around town in their “box on wheels.” From what I have seen in the past fews years, there aren't that many left, mainly because everyone in the late 90s and early 2000s started buying their “sporty” SUVs. By that goal I want to show the manufacturers that there is still a market out there for wagons. So the ultimate goal would be for the Volvo wagons to make a comeback in the U.S. I wish for my followers to leave questions and comments and as a student I will try to get back to them as soon as possible. For some entries and answers to questions, I will be referring to posts on the site “swedespeed.com.” I am going to try my best to post of a picture of my car every week so ya'll can see each small thing I do to it.