Volvo S40

1807 messages,  Last post on Jul 01, 2011 at 7:51 AM

You are in the Volvo S40 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo S40, Sedan



#1661 of 1807 New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 by mfrench

Nov 06, 2007 (10:09 pm)

Well, I pulled the trigger and purchased the 2006 Volvo S40 T5 FWD. I was a little nervous about the squealing noise when going around corners, but it looked like it was due to low tire pressure. So now that I'm a proud owner of an S40, I have a few questions.
 
1. What gas should I use? The manual says 91 so I'm wondering if I really need to use that level or if 89 would be ok. I think I read some posts awhile back discussing it, but there are a lot of pages to look through now.
 
2. There is a plastic clip on the driver side window. In reading through the manual, it mentions this being a ticket holder or something like that. Can this be removed? This was a European delivery car so it may be something that is more standard on the European cars (I didn't notice it on the 2007 Volvo S40s).
 
3. Any other tips and tricks on owning an S40 or configuring it?
 
Thanks!

#1662 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [mfrench] by qbrozen

Nov 07, 2007 (6:55 am)

Replying to: mfrench (Nov 06, 2007 10:09 pm)
congrats! enjoy it!
 
As for the plastic clip, I had one on my S70. It is, as it states, just for holding something there. Like maybe a parking stub. I never had the desire to remove it, but I think it may be more trouble than its worth. I don't know if the a-pillar trim is holding it on? or it could even be the windshield seal. I would say, if it really bothers you, pull the a pillar trim and see what you can see. You could always cut it off, I suppose.
 
As for gas, any non-high-performance vehicle can run regular gas, but at the cost of horsepower and possibly mileage, but it won't damage the vehicle. So you may want to experiment. Try a few tanks of premium, then a few tanks of regular, while recording your mileage. Of course, you are also in the break-in period, so the mileage will naturally increase as the miles pile on, so keep that in mind.

#1663 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [mfrench] by blumstein

Nov 07, 2007 (10:41 am)

Replying to: mfrench (Nov 06, 2007 10:09 pm)
> There is a plastic clip on the driver side window. In reading through the manual, it mentions this being a ticket holder or something like that. Can this be removed? This was a European delivery car so it may be something that is more standard on the European cars (I didn't notice it on the 2007 Volvo S40s).
  
We have a 2007. The manual says that we have one but we don't. It must have been dropped sometime after the manual went to bed.
 
Yes, it is to hold parking garage receipts while parked. Some garages require that the receipt be visible on the dash.
 
Paul

#1664 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [blumstein] by mfrench

Nov 07, 2007 (12:00 pm)

Replying to: blumstein (Nov 07, 2007 10:41 am)
One other question, what service should I have done at the dealer versus just at a regular mechanic? For example, I'd like to get the tires rotated and I'm wondering if I can just take it to a local shop (there's a Walmart next to my work) or if I should get these things done at the dealer (which is a lot farther away).

#1665 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [blumstein] by subearu

Nov 07, 2007 (2:27 pm)

Replying to: blumstein (Nov 07, 2007 10:41 am)
My '07 T5 FWD has that clip and it is in use right now with a parking garage ticket.
 
-Brian

#1666 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [mfrench] by 2004s40hm

Nov 19, 2007 (12:18 pm)

Replying to: mfrench (Nov 06, 2007 10:09 pm)
In the owner's manual it should say that you can use as low as 87 octane without damaging the motor. Beware that when you use lower than 91 octane, keep the RPM down, the turbo runs better with higher octane. If you want to race around town the turbo needs higher octane otherwise keep the accelleration down and you can use the lower octane. If you use regular unleaded and race around town then expect to have turbo problems. I've bought a 2004 S40 about six months ago and I run 89 octane but I keep the RPM down especially when taking off from a dead stop.

#1667 of 1807 2001 s40 Volvo by nowisee

Nov 23, 2007 (7:22 am)

According to my car's computer, I need to replace the cam position sensor. Where is it? Better yet, can I find usable pictures of the device's location on my car. I've seen lots of pictures of the sensor detached from the car. Where is it on the engine. Any other advice regarding this problem?

#1668 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [mfrench] by snead_c

Nov 23, 2007 (6:46 pm)

Replying to: mfrench (Nov 06, 2007 10:09 pm)
Most local gas stations carry 87, 89, and 93 octane. 91 is recommended. Save by mixing 89 and 93 to give you 91. I do it and get great milage and performance. Highway as much as 31 mpg and town...17...stay on the highway !
Have your dealer replace the cabin air filter...it's a monster and well worth dealer labor. The oil filter requires a couple of special tools that are really necessary. You get at the filter from the top after removing part of the air intake.
I've grown to love my S40. Enjoy,
Charlie

#1669 of 1807 Re: New owner of a 2006 S40 T5 [snead_c] by mfrench

Nov 26, 2007 (4:53 pm)

Replying to: snead_c (Nov 23, 2007 6:46 pm)
Thanks for the responses. I'm currently running 91 octane for a couple of tanks to see what I average for gas mileage. I'll then bump it down to 89 and test that out. I do mostly highway driving, but still have a little bit of city driving. My first tank got 28.5 mpg, but I imagine it's a bit lower because I was showing off my new sporty car to a few friends and was accelerating a little more than I usually do.

#1670 of 1807 Here's my gas mileage for my 2000 S40 by lunanegra

Nov 26, 2007 (5:13 pm)

I have almost exclusively used 93 octane since buying the car slightly used back in 2001. I also keep a small notebook in the glove box that I religiously track my mileage every time I fill up. I have a small chart that I jot down the date, miles, gallons input, and then total MPG. It's just a habit now.
 
I live in a large city but use the highways pretty extensively. I got this practice from my father who told me that your mileage can give you a quick indicator of any problems with your engine (clogged filters, etc).
 
I tend to get 20-22mpg on city and when I take long trips, it averages out to around 27mpg. I've had it go as low as 16mpg and that usually is a red flag. It's fairly close to what was advertised for my model, maybe slightly less. It seems like I remember 22/city and 28/highway or something like that.
 
Hope this helps!
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