[V.Narayan]

The brown Swede has covered a little over 20,000 kms this week and is due for its second servicing. I will put up a post on the second service and status of the car in the next few days with photos. If there is something any Volvo user or aspirant wants me to cover please do let me know.

[V.Narayan]

The brown Swede completed its second service at 20,000 kms today. The synopsis:-

Purchased: January 2015

Mileage: 20,000 odd kms

Running: NCR and out station runs of 200 to 700 kms (round trips) in North India.

Cost of 2nd service: Rs 27,250/=

Jobs completed in 2nd service:

- change of all fuel, oil and air filters
- wheel alignment/balancing
- engine oil
- general wash

Time taken: 10AM to 3PM

Total cost on maintenance thus far in 17 months: ~Rs 56,000. That works out to Rs 40,000 per annum or Rs 2.80 per kms. In addition I spoil the steed with sessions at 3M three to four times a year.

The car suffered its first serious scratch in March'16 when a Tempo Trax grazed my front left fender. Fortunately almost all the brunt was absorbed by the 3M film which was promptly replaced.


The two things I don’t like are the cluttered front office especially the middle panel with its numerous buttons. I find the need to take my eyes of the road for over 1/2 a second to actually figure out which button to press. Volvo could do with better driver ergonomics here.


The other is the pouch on the rear of the front seats - too small to fit anything useful.

Interestingly at the authorized service centre I saw a S.60 that had suffered an accident at allegedly 150 kmph. The cabin was largely intact and I'm told by the manager that the driver (a young man soon to be married) got out with only minimum injuries. I was not allowed to photograph the totaled car.

Touch wood the car is running smooth and trouble free. We both enjoy each others' company.

[V.Narayan]

The Volvo XC60 had its left side rear view mirror taken out by a brave motor cycle rider. On a main thoroughfare I was overtaking a tractor-trailer from the right hand side with about 4 feet of parallel space between us. Speed about 50-55 kmph. In the 2 seconds it took me to overtake the tractor-trailer a brave bike rider dashed in between the two vehicles and accelerated past us both breaking the ORVM in the process. Given how close the ORVM is to the outwardly curved side body I am fortunate to have escaped without a scratch.

Not sure why a young person would risk his life on a road with moderately heavy traffic to save maybe 2 seconds. I feel sorry for his parents.

Not sure if the ORVM will be repaired or replaced. The cost of replacement I believe is ~Rs 25,000. C'est la vie.

This not withstanding the car continues, touch wood, to function flawlessly. It recently completed a drive to Nainital district, another to Chandigarh and a third to Moradabad. Will update team BHP on the 3rd service at 30,000 kms.

[Tanveer_2558]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Not sure why a young person would risk his life on a road with moderately heavy traffic to save maybe 2 seconds. I feel sorry for his parents.

Such bikers can be found literally everywhere, No offence to fellow bikers, But i always feel biker's should be more concerned about their own life.

Anyways, Its sad to see the OVRM in that state, Only the glass is broken it seems
? Have you looked at any aftermarket solution for it? Would it have helped if the OVRM cover would have been a little more forward or the glass being a little more inside?

[reignofchaos]

Tough luck! There's very little we can do about these morons. Does the entire assembly need replacement or only the mirror?

[V.Narayan]

The left ORVM was replaced, the wiring and turning mechanism repaired all for Rs 9260/-. Volvo collected the car at 12 noon, repaired it and dropped it back by 4PM same day. The pick up and drop was gratis. The body of the ORVM was fully intact though the inner plastic pieces and wiring were damaged. Volvo decided to repair instead of replace and save me at least Rs 20,000/- in the process. I like the attitude, on part of Volvo, that this reflects. All in all good quick service for a reasonable price. Car smiling, driver happy.

My brown steed clocked 21,000 kms today. Next update at its 30,000 kms service probably some time in the last quarter this year.

[V.Narayan]

Just want to share an experience from last night where the Volvo's auto braking saved my skin and the car. Along with the incident I have shared my state of mind which is as critical to the situation.

I was coming into a 4 lane main road in the NCR region from a broad but little used side road. As the side road is not much used it has no traffic light at the junction with the main road. The main road junction at this point had no lighting. This was late at night around 11:30PM. I drove the Volvo into a left turn to slip onto the main road and did not see a Santro coming down from my right at about (I'd say) 60 kmph but without its headlights on. My mind was very pre-occupied and the body exhausted and irritated. In normal circumstances I would have spotted him. But last night I spotted him only after the auto-brake system jarred the car to a grinding halt as the Santro whizzed past with inches to spare. I was travelling at about 15 to 20 kmph doing the left turn. It was a nasty shock and left me a trifle shaken up.

Now for the state of mind. The last 10 months my business has been very tough on me. It has been the worst period, business wise, that I have faced since November 2006. My mind and soul have been pre-occupied with these challenges. And then lo behold as I get home at 9:30PM from a long tiring day my driver calls to say that the Skoda Superb has broken down at XYZ place with my wife in it. Told wifey to take an Uber and make her way home. As the other driver was not around and no other able bodied male was at home I had to get the flat bed organized, get to the spot myself and then make my way home all the while with the grey cells humming over business problems.

The lapse on my part is due to the pre-occupation of the mind. Folks like me who've been driving for decades can get a little blase' about our skill and experience. I thought I could think through worrisome business problems while driving. That is what happened with me. No point blaming the bozo in the Santro as he had the right of way. His lack of headlights - well in our country that is par for the course. Lesson learnt.

[sibot]

Thank you for updating this thread and sharing with us your journey with this wonderful vehicle.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by sibot

Thank you for updating this thread and sharing with us your journey with this wonderful vehicle.

Maybe one day auto braking will be a standard safety feature on all cars and not a special feature on just a few. Seat belts were once a novelty first introduced as standard equipment on the Saab GT750 in 1958. Prior to that it had been introduced by Ford and Nash but only as a special accessory. From 1958 it took 12 years to 1970 for enactment of the first law making wearing a seatbelt compulsory while driving - this was the State of Victoria, Australia. So who knows, tomorrow, auto braking could become what seat belts and airbags are today.

Saab GT750 - first car to have seat belts as a standard feature, 1958

[ajmat]

I was under the impression that Volvo invented the seat belt first

[jfxavier]

Originally Posted by ajmat

I was under the impression that Volvo invented the seat belt first

Volvo patented the 3 -point seat belt. Before that the 2 -point seat belts were used.
The Volvo patent was given for free for all manufacturers to use without paying royalties.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by ajmat

I was under the impression that Volvo invented the seat belt first

jfxavier, thank you for the useful input in the previous post.

Ajmat, to add to what jfxavier has said - the Saab seat belt was a two point one with the belt running diagonally across the passenger's torso. In fact in the photo above of the Saab one can just about see it hanging on the inside left B pillar. It was a simple seat belt without the restraining system we know today. Volvo's engineer-inventor Nils Bohlin created the three pointer we are familiar with today and went on to perfect it. While it has been improved since 1959 even today it is basically the product Nils created. He conducted thousands of live and simulated tests to prove the efficacy of the 3-point seat belt.


Photo showing Nils Bohlin, inventor of the 3-point safety seat belt demonstrating his product. This photo was used by Volvo in an advertisement to emphasize its USP of safety.


The Volvo 122S also known as the Volvo Amazon which introduced the 3-point seat belt as standard.

[Doc_nikhil]

Narayan sir,
I've been a silent but an avid reader and follower of your Volvo XC60 thread since you started it. Just read about the near miss you had. I firmly believe our vehicles do the maximum to protect us in whatever situation the outside road and life may throw at us, and only after all it's defense systems are exhausted does it look up to us for further intervention. Be it a simple seatbelt (one that is properly buckled up) or a radar based city safety system like your car. In fact, in some situations, it saves our skin and maybe even our lives with whatever it has, even if the driver is proactively foolish (imagine a hot- blooded teenager trying to drift a car with ESP or traction control). Anyway, your experience does prove my belief to some extent. And that the car itself has a connection with us. We take care of her and she will return the love in multi-folds. You, despite all the professional troubles have taken care of her and pampered her. I guess this is her way of saying thank you.

I've keenly been watching the new volvos being launched and initially set my eyes on a Volvo S60 cross but nothing is as versatile as the XC60 in the Volvo, and in Volvo we trust. The XC90 is a tad too expensive and large for me right now, and the V40, while its a pulse-quickening looker, doesn't actually help the case in pothole ridden roads of ours. I think when the time comes for my wheels upgrade, it's going to be the XC60. I hope God is kind enough to let that happen.

Glad to see that, though you are shaken, you are unscathed after the close call. And do not worry too much about the troubles sir, I guess it's safe to say, everyone has their own set of troubles, professional and personal, but at the end of the day, it's what we have that makes us content and happy. The troubles are nothing but leaves floating down the river, one moment they are there and the other moment, they just go away.

Cheers to many more happy and safe miles ahead.

[amitc7]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Attachment 1534957
The Volvo 122S also known as the Volvo Amazon which introduced the 3-point seat belt as standard.

We had this car in Chennai in the late 80's, Dad brought it over from Malaysia while moving to India. Not only seat belts, the car actually had real crumple zones, a solid chassis and a brilliant smooth engine 1.8L with twin solex carbs.

I learnt driving in it and to date remember the joy of driving that simple car with a creamy smooth engine and crisp rifle bolt gear shift.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Doc_nikhil

Narayan sir,
Just read about the near miss you had. I firmly believe our vehicles do the maximum to protect us in whatever situation the outside road and life may throw at us.... Anyway, your experience does prove my belief to some extent. And that the car itself has a connection with us. We take care of her and she will return the love in multi-folds.

I think when the time comes for my wheels upgrade, it's going to be the XC60. I hope God is kind enough to let that happen.

The troubles are nothing but leaves floating down the river, one moment they are there and the other moment, they just go away.

Dear Doc, spoken from the heart like a true cardiologist . I hope your dream of buying a XC60 comes true soon. I will be updating this thread on key events in the life of this delightful car. The 30,000 kms update should come by December. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ownership and driving experience. Because of the safety features we now use only the Volvo for outstation trips which in my joint family could be as many as 4 in a month. The NCR area is notorious for flooding in the monsoons and the Volvo due to its ground clearance of 230mm and safe position of the air inlet cheerfully wades through water that would stall the German 3. Fully agree with you that machines respond to positive think and positive vibes. I talk to my cars, pat them, stroke them and in turn they serve me well. My wife talks to her plants. Once in a while we talk to each other too Some of my business challenges got solved yesterday and as I explained to wifey I am now out of the fire and into the frying pan!! Thank you for your good wishes.

Originally Posted by amitc7

We had this car in Chennai in the late 80's... Not only seat belts, the car actually had real crumple zones, a solid chassis and a brilliant smooth engine 1.8L with twin solex carbs...I learnt driving in it and to date remember the joy of driving that simple car with a creamy smooth engine and crisp rifle bolt gear shift.

Good for you. Where is the Volvo Amazon now? In the 1960s and 1970s this car design genre represented Volvo. Handsome stately looking family car.