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Volvo S80
2415 messages, Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 4:05 PM
You are in the Volvo S80 Forum.What is this discussion about? Volvo S80, Sedan
#492 of 2415 "Finishing Touch" protectant: Bogus or no? by danharkless
Dec 18, 2000 (6:56 pm)
Howdy. I got my 2001 S80 2.9 this weekend (on Volvo's 3-year lease special), and when I was signing the paperwork, the finance guy wanted to know if I wanted to purchase any "value-added" items, like LoJack or "Finishing Touch" sealant. Now, I'm pretty up-to-speed on LoJack, and I'm definitely considering getting it. The only snag there is that LoJack's web site says the MSRP on their "System 1" is $595, and my dealer charges $695 (or $650 on sale during December). The dealer claims their cost is $595, but I wonder...In any case, my real question is about the "Finishing Touch" protectant, which next to the LoJack I know almost nothing about. The dealer's flyer has this to say on it:
Finishing Touch- Fuse Polymers and Teflon
right into your new vehicles [sic.] paint. No more worries about
Oxidation, Bird Droppings, Tree Sap, or Waxing.
Forget about the Coffee or Soft Drink Stains in your brand
new interior. 100% Refund if you trade in your
car to Volvo of Orange County..........................$395.00
The coating is on sale for $325 during December. Now, on the surface, this stuff certainly smacks of the stereotypical "undercoating" (as seen in "Fargo") whose only real purpose is to increase the dealer's profits. The fact that they refund your money if you trade the car in, though (which I'm told includes bringing a lease vehicle back and getting a new one) kind of makes it sound like the dealer really wants the stuff on your car. Also, my sales advisor said he had it on his two Volvos, for whatever that's worth.
Anyway, does anyone know anything about this stuff? Does it really work? I sometimes get so busy that I don't get a chance to get bird droppings off the paint right away, so if this stuff really protects the paint from being damaged in that situation, it'd be valuable to me (though I dunno if it's worth $325). The stuff is either a product of or is distributed by Southwest Dealer Services, Inc., but there's no additional info on their website.
The only information I was able to find on the web or on Usenet was a thread entitled "Question: Finishing Touch Coating" on alt.autos.corvette. The four respondents all recommended against it, but it was clear that most or all of them didn't know anything about this particular product and were just making a knee-jerk reaction. Also, they said that instead, you should apply a wax-based product yourself every couple of months or so. I have neither time nor desire to wash and wax my car myself, so their advice may not be of any use from my perspective.
Anyway, anyone have any suggestions?
#493 of 2415 Danharkless: BOGUS! Don't go there. by dfwt6
Dec 19, 2000 (11:13 pm)
Three-hundred twenty-five red flags against that finishing touch. Did they ask you about underbody coating too? Did they offer PMI? God, you should hate any finance guy still in business doing that garbage.Don't fall for it. Dealer is looking for high-profit add-on's and they're usually worth about 1/10th of what was paid, if there's any value at all. Lojack is an exception and you'll have to make a judgement call on that yourself for value vs. expense, but if you're not sure about pricing games, get a 2nd price! I'm in Dallas and it's available, but I don't know a lot of people with it here and car theft, at least in my little corner of DFW, isn't a huge problem.
Anyway, it's been widely recounted here to DO NOT APPLY ANY WAX OR SEALANTS FOR FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP for unspecific reasons having to do with curing of paint. Personal recommendation is to (a) find a hand-wash near you that does $99 detailing or a mobile detailer and do that once every 3 months for a wax or every 6 months with a poly seal, or (b) find an hour or two every six months to do it yourself. I do the poly seal myself, recommend Meguiar's, order on the web, I have purchased from Autopia.
Try to get the bird poop off ASAP always. There are spray misters out there that you can keep in the trunk that will do the trick if you can't get to a garden hose fast enough. If you're driving a dark color, you probably can't get it off fast enough anyway.
Best of luck to you!
#494 of 2415 Pulsing of Engine by caintuckee
Dec 21, 2000 (4:41 pm)
DFWT6,I have had my S80 T6 for over a year now. The sensation I feel is new. I am certain it is not the turbo causing the pulsing. My point about the turbo not being engaged was to indicate that it was occuring during a mild acceleration.#495 of 2415 S80 HEADLIGHTS GETTING WATER INSIDE by snarman
Dec 26, 2000 (9:46 am)
JUST PURCHASED A DEMO 2000T6 WITH 6000 MILES LAST WEEK. THE CAR IS IN THE DEALER NOW BECAUSE THE DSTC SERVICE REQUIRED LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO NOTICED THAT WATER WAS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A VOLVO DESIGN FLAW AND IS ORDERING SOME TYPE OF "SHIELD"HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?THE DEALER HAS BEEN SUPER TODAY AND GAVE ME A LOANER IMMEDIATELY.#496 of 2415 What should I... by jq3
Dec 28, 2000 (7:29 pm)
expect to pay over invoice on a '01 S80? I've never had or dealt with Volvo before so I'm not familiar with their service.Also, what about lease deals?
Thanks!!!
#497 of 2415 2000 S80 T-6 by flowerpots
Dec 29, 2000 (12:40 pm)
Haven't logged on for quite some time so please forgive me if this query is repetitive.I have now owned my S80 T6 for over a year; the car has 6,500 gently driven miles on it. I still adore it but it has experienced many of the relatively minor problems mentioned by other owners when I began reading the posts over a year ago.
Before I bring my car in for service, can someone please tell me what the problem might be since I know some of you have experienced the same thing: Usually when turning, I feel a "clunk" coming from the driver's side front wheel area.
(I think my service department tends to smirk when a woman describes a problem this way, and they claim never to have heard of the static problem experienced on my stereo system's Dolby setting either. I was apoplectic when the owner of the dealership patiently explained to me in the most condescending way possible that Dolby systems are supposed to lessen noise, not increase it. DUH! He also claimed not to hear anything!) Please help before I give up and switch to another dealership for service.
#498 of 2415 flowerpots by rollie
Dec 29, 2000 (2:20 pm)
Regarding post #495:flowerpots, are you kidding? I would switch dealerships in a heartbeat if I were in your position!
The clunk noise you referred to is well documented and is related to some front-end suspension issue(s). I'm not 100% sure if it is a need for a bushing fix (there's a Tech Service Bulletin for it - actually several successive ones) or the ball joint replacement which is an actual recall item. The ball joint recall occurred after Volvo went through a couple of iterations on improved bushings to eliminate the noise but I don't know if both are required to eliminate the noise or just the ball joint replacement. Either way, ANY competent dealership will well aware of this issue.
Regarding the Dolby static that occurs only when you play a CD with the Dolby Prologic engaged - it is hard to catch. It tends to happen very sporadically but it is usually consistent about where it happens with a particular CD track. It seems that those who have encountered this issue have been issued factory refreshed head units that have eliminated the issue. I had this problem about a year ago but couldn't duplicate it consistently for a dealer. As it happens, I (or someone) broke a button on my radio earlier this year and ever since the head unit was replaced the static problem disappeared as well.
Back, to my first thought: you experience with your dealer will make or break your satisfaction with your car. Given what you have experienced already I would run, not walk, to another dealer if it is an option. Call them ahead of time and tell them of the customer disservice you were given at the other dealer and they should welcome you with open arms since service is how dealers make most of their money.
Good luck.
-rdo
rdollie
home.com
#499 of 2415 2000 S80 T-6 Clunk by flowerpots
Dec 29, 2000 (5:12 pm)
Rollie, thanks for your advice. Believe it or not, the clunking began right after I had the ball joint replacement per the Tech Service Bulletin! Could they have screwed it up or is it more likely to be the bushing? Interestingly, the manager of the Service Dept. phoned me two days after the replacement to ask if the car was running o.k., which in retrospect leads me to believe there may have been other complaints. At the time of his call I hadn't yet detected the clunking.As for the maddening CD-Dolby static experience, I agree that it happens only sporadically and usually during the same CD tracks, which nearly had me convinced that it was a CD defect and not my stereo system. But it was happening loud and clear when I was playing my CD for the owner of my dealership, and he claimed he couldn't hear it! And to add insult to injury, both he and the Service Manager promised to investigate other reports of this problem with "Headquarters", but neither of them called me back. Definitely time to switch!
#501 of 2415 RE: #497 - 2000 S80 T-6 Clunk by neil2212
Jan 02, 2001 (9:23 am)
flowerpots,I did not experience the clunk until after the ball joint replacement was performed either. Apparently the area that they work on for the ball joint involves the same mechanical items as the clunking issue. The service technician indicated that the ball joint service (a couple of months ago) likely brought on the clunk. I've since had the clunk fix incorporated, and not heard the clunk since. Neil
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