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[_HighVoltage_]

I know...I wish my car was Italian. Gauges for everything!

(my dash looks slightly better than this one because of the R cluster)

 

[LeVeL]

 

[_HighVoltage_]

This is the closest one to being decent, of course not installed at this location though:

 

[Spectre]

I know...I wish my car was Italian. Gauges for everything!

(my dash looks slightly better than this one because of the R cluster)

British, German, Italian, even AMERICAN vehicles have those gauges, at least when they're being serious (most of the time).

Congratulations, your 'sports Volvo' has fewer gauges than an American pickup truck.

Or a stripped out Ford cop car.

And let's not go into how it has less gauges than a British heavy cruiser.

Yeah, I can't see how that's better either. Except maybe for the "R" silkscreened on it or something.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

Here we go again...apart from contributing to the coolness factor, why the hell would I need voltmeter, oil temperature or oil pressure gauges on my daily driver which is mechanically stock? I do want them just for the hell of it, but I don't need them.

 

[Labcoatguy]

It's a 14-year old Swedish car. Is that not reason enough?

 

[Spectre]

Here we go again...apart from contributing to the coolness factor, why the hell would I need voltmeter, oil temperature or oil pressure gauges on my daily driver which is mechanically stock? I do want them just for the hell of it, but I don't need them.

Oil pressure is important, even on a stock vehicle. It can tell you if you have an impending lubrication failure or pressure leak (especially important on a turbo car) with sufficient time to shut it down to save the engine and/or turbo.

Voltmeters are important to tell you when your alternator has failed. If it's gone dead, you know you need to get somewhere before your battery dies. If the regulator has fried closed, it tells you that your system is overcharging and you need to stop driving before your battery explodes. Yes, I said explodes. As in shockwave, burning hydrogen gas, battery acid going everywhere, bent sheet metal, etc., etc.

But, hey, it's a Volvo. Keeping it alive and undamaged isn't a concern as it's a disposable blandbox, right?

It's a 14-year old Swedish car. Is that not reason enough?

Apparently he thinks that it's the most perfect car ever and that nothing could ever fail because Volvo engineering is perfect in every possible way, so he doesn't need such things.

 

[Der Stig]

Ummm...why wouldn't you want more gauges. 3 series have had only basic gauges since at least the E30.

I don't like not knowing what my oil pressure is, especially if my car has an oil starvation problem, like, say, all I5 Volvo turbos.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

Both oil pressure and alternator failures are very uncommon in Volvos of my vintage. Plus I have idiot lights for those and their sensors work fine. The 850/X70 has numerous other areas that are problematic, but the oil pump and alternator are not one of them.

I've never said that everything on this car is perfectly engineered, but at the same time you tend to swing all the way to the other end of the spectrum and make claims that everything on the 850/x70 is shit and fails all the time. Both sides are wrong. Can't we just meet somewhere in the middle?

I don't like not knowing what my oil pressure is, especially if my car has an oil starvation problem, like, say, all I5 Volvo turbos.

That's not a common problem. It usually happens if you are running low on oil or your PCV is clogged, both of which are easily noticed problems...granted, a soccermom wouldn't notice, but anyone who takes care of their Volvo know how to avoid these problems.

 

[Spectre]

Both oil pressure and alternator failures are very uncommon in Volvos of my vintage. Plus I have idiot lights for those and their sensors work fine. The 850/X70 has numerous other areas that are problematic, but the oil pump and alternator are not one of them.

I've never said that everything on this car is perfectly engineered, but at the same time you tend to swing all the way to the other end of the spectrum and make claims that everything on the 850/x70 is shit and fails all the time. Both sides are wrong. Can't we just meet somewhere in the middle?

You might want to read that link up in Der Stig's post. Oil starvation issues are well known on the I5 turbos. Oil pump isn't the whole of the system, problems can develop elsewhere. Alternators can and do fail on any and all vehicles. Even Toyota Hiluxes have the alternators fail - they have wear items inside, carbon brushes.

And if you're relying on the idiot lights, well... you're an idiot. Because generally by the time the idiot light comes on, damage is already being done. The idiot light for oil on most cars doesn't come on until oil pressure has dropped below 5psi, whereas safe minimum oil pressure is generally accepted (rule of thumb) to be ~5psi per 500rpm. With an oil pressure gauge you could see that the pressure has dropped and could back off the throttle or shut down completely before damage occurs.

Idiot lights are for idiots.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

True for the oil light, the battery light comes on automatically if the alternator kicks the bucket. I already responded above (check the edit), but oil starvation is damn near impossible for anyone who is being careful. I should know, I drove an 850 with a blowing main seal for 2 years but I never let the oil drop below the minimum level on the dipstick. Knowing your car and its problems is key to making it last...

...kind of like marriage.

 

[Spectre]

True for the oil light, the battery light comes on automatically if the alternator kicks the bucket. I already responded above (check the edit), but oil starvation is damn near impossible for anyone who is being careful. I should know, I drove an 850 with a blowing main seal for 2 years but I never let the oil drop below the minimum level on the dipstick. Knowing your car and its problems is key to making it last...

...kind of like marriage.

On the 850 (and indeed, most cars) the idiot light only comes on if the alternator stops charging. It does NOT come on in an overcharge situation, which is what leads to battery explosions, blown computers, etc., etc.

At least fit something like this: http://www.scangauge.com/ This will give you boost pressure and voltage (among other things) in a simple, inexpensive, tasteful and easily installed package.

Knowing your car is all fine and good, but things can go wrong even so. Best to get advanced warning of a problem in time to shut down without damage instead of being this guy.
Or having to sell your dead car to him.

 

[argatoga]

Both oil pressure and alternator failures are very uncommon in Volvos of my vintage. Plus I have idiot lights for those and their sensors work fine. The 850/X70 has numerous other areas that are problematic, but the oil pump and alternator are not one of them.

Be carful kids, owning a Volvo will turn your mind into one of a soccer mom's.

- - - Updated - - -

I've never said that everything on this car is perfectly engineered, but at the same time you tend to swing all the way to the other end of the spectrum and make claims that everything on the 850/x70 is shit and fails all the time. Both sides are wrong. Can't we just meet somewhere in the middle?

The side which states they are not reliable is backed up by data from trusted sites like TrueDelta, the other by fanboyism.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

The side which states they are not reliable is backed up by data from trusted sites like TrueDelta, the other by fanboyism.

Trusted by whom? As far as I can tell, the TrueDelta reports are anonymous and often vague, my "fanboyism" is backed by hanging around people who service and own these cars for years, a lot of them professional Volvo techs.

 

[argatoga]

Trusted by whom? As far as I can tell, the TrueDelta reports are anonymous and often vague, my "fanboyism" is backed by hanging around people who service and own these cars for years, a lot of them professional Volvo techs.

The people you hang out with share the same view towards Volvos as your quote in my sig.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

It seems we have reached an impasse once again. Can we go back to the original topic, which was the horrible gauges on the Jag?

 

[argatoga]

It seems we have reached an impasse once again. Can we go back to the original topic, which was the horrible gauges on the Jag?

We've gone over TrueDelta before your arguments against it were proven wrong. Anyhow if you want to continue that debate create a thread and we can revisit it.

The gauges do look tacky, but I understand the reason. The reason making the car awesome regardless of the interior modifications.

 

[Aston Martin]

Best of gauge.

 

[Spectre]

Trusted by whom? As far as I can tell, the TrueDelta reports are anonymous and often vague, my "fanboyism" is backed by hanging around people who service and own these cars for years, a lot of them professional Volvo techs.

Says the people at warrantydirect, an aftermarket warranty/mechanical breakdown insurance company. They have to pay out for the repairs on any of their clients' vehicles so they would know.

Assuming a 1998 model year car with 75K on the clock and their 'PowerShield Enhanced' coverage for 2 years/25,000 miles, no deductible, this is what the cost for that term coverage is:

Volvo S70 (Turbo) - $2367.
BMW 540i - $2417.
Mercedes C230 - $2417
Toyota Camry - $2192
Honda Accord - $2192
Lexus LS400 - $2192
Infiniti Q45 - $2192

If they have to pay out more, policy holders must pay up more for coverage. Reliable cars pay $2192. Unreliable cars pay more. Your Volvo is only slightly better than some of the worst cars ever to come out of Germany and significantly worse than the CamCord cars as well as more expensive than the Lexus or Infiniti flagships while being far less complex.

 

[Hemily]

there is some serious Volvo hatred on this site, it's getting to the point of silly really.