Car Relationships, or the wife and her new Volvo

This is not getting off to the best start. I'm not sure if these two entities are going to get along.

Shopped around and found a very nice 02 V70X/C. Drove it several times before deciding to buy it. Drove like a dream for me. Drove it home, drove it around, everything was fine.

She takes it out. Panel on the center console promptly falls off. Then the climate controls flake out. And the gas tank leak introduces itself. OK...

Back to me, and everything is fine (gas tank still leaks). I'm driving it for a few more days, getting new tires and such. No real problems.

She takes it out for the second time, to go shopping last night. I get a call, "it won't start". We talk, I have her hold the phone out so I can hear the car while she cranks it, it starts, with me on the phone.

This is not looking good! I don't want to live with this brick, but it seems to far prefer me to her, so far.

Looks like you will driving a Volvo and she will be driving yours.

some cars are like that. I had a fiat that would only run for me.. so I agree with JohnRW... you got yourself a Volvo Crosscountry

I'm a little surprised you bought one of the XCs. After the recent bashing of the transfer cases, I gave up any thoughts of ever getting one.

My Triumph has HATED every female interest I've ever had. Would run fine, right up until they came over, then it'd take a dump and refuse to start. She's warmed up slightly to my wife, but doesn't like her particularly, and my wife can tell.

She loves her Volvo's. My purpose in life is to fulfil her wants.

No transfer case in this era XC. Not sure they ever actually had anything that normal. Bevel gears up front, and a Haldex in the rear.

I'm hoping to resolve their dislike of each other, I want my Miata back. But if you all keep a secret, I kinda do enjoy romping around with the XC.

Had a similar problem with an alfa. Ran great for me, wife got stranded every time she took it out. Sold it, not worth the grief. The car, not the wife!

I don't like driving any of my g/f's cars for this reason - everytime I drive one of them, something breaks. I flatly refuse to ever turn a wrench on her 850 ever again. I look at that car and something breaks.

Only problem I have with my GF's car (small SUV, actually...) is that a) she's SHORT and I have to spend several minutes adjusting everything so I fit and can see out the mirrors- and that she yells at me for setting the parking brake when I park it since she NEVER touches the thing (wheres as I'm used to driving a stick, and set it out of necessary habit).

I've had similar issues with cars and computers in the past- makes it a real pain when you're trying to get something fixed if the problem will never manifest when you're actually there.

I've heard tell that there's a wire below the cam sensor that tends to corrode through and cause intermittent no-starts in these. I've been chasing it in my 850 for the last year and just need to free up the garage to really figure it out but you might look at it. There's a loom that runs across the top of the transmission, and one of those wires can corrode and cause these symptoms. No start - then finally start and everything is happy. Then randomly - no start.

You sure it's a Volvo, and not a Plymouth?

dculberson wrote: I've heard tell that there's a wire below the cam sensor that tends to corrode through and cause intermittent no-starts in these. I've been chasing it in my 850 for the last year and just need to free up the garage to really figure it out but you might look at it. There's a loom that runs across the top of the transmission, and one of those wires can corrode and cause these symptoms. No start - then finally start and everything is happy. Then randomly - no start.

Yep, and I rather think it's a problem that has existed for forever. Had it in my old 89 740. Took me the longest time to finally identify it as the reason for the random dying. In that case, the damage was to the wire under the cap, so it never failed when I wiggled. Only when I happened to take it out did the damage become aparent.

If it's not raining when I get home, I plan to check this piece closely, and maybe just replace the sensor itself regardless. It's only $50-70.

Christine, that might be a most appropriate name for this car....

I almost scored a really nice 67 Sunbeam Alpine once upon a time, because every time the owner's wife would drive it to the store, it would refuse to start when she was ready to leave. I suspect he knew nothing about vapor lock and I wasn't going to explain it. He wouldn't really give me a price and apparently I totally offended him with my inital offer of $1,400. I had anticpated settling around $1700-1800, but nope, he cut the conversation off.

foxtrapper wrote:

dculberson wrote: I've heard tell that there's a wire below the cam sensor that tends to corrode through and cause intermittent no-starts in these. I've been chasing it in my 850 for the last year and just need to free up the garage to really figure it out but you might look at it. There's a loom that runs across the top of the transmission, and one of those wires can corrode and cause these symptoms. No start - then finally start and everything is happy. Then randomly - no start.

Yep, and I rather think it's a problem that has existed for forever. Had it in my old 89 740. Took me the longest time to finally identify it as the reason for the random dying. In that case, the damage was to the wire under the cap, so it never failed when I wiggled. Only when I happened to take it out did the damage become aparent. If it's not raining when I get home, I plan to check this piece closely, and maybe just replace the sensor itself regardless. It's only $50-70. Christine, that might be a most appropriate name for this car....

Keep in mind it's not necessarily the cam sensor wire itself, but another wire in the same bundle. So while tugging on the cam sensor wire can help, it's a bit of a red herring. You have to go inside the wire loom below it to find the failing wire. I think. This is going off of hearsay but the symptoms line up with my car.

No luck with a quick easy fix. The cables there look fine, and wiggling didn't cause a single hiccup.

And what, have you guys been talking to my wife? I laughingly told her about this thread and she didn't crack a smile. She agreed, and told me that if I can't make the car play nice with her, I can replace it, again. And she's holding my Miata hostage. Sigh, she was wearing her biker boots again, and it showed.

Just buy her a nice Avalon and you can forget about it for another 10 years and 200,000 miles.

Tell me about it, My car refuses to be driven by any one else. Or she just refuses to be used to teach driving stick.

Ashyukun wrote: and that she yells at me for setting the parking brake when I park it since she NEVER touches the thing (wheres as I'm used to driving a stick, and set it out of necessary habit).

and in the long run it's even more important to use the parking brake with an automatic than it is with a manual

wbjones wrote:

Ashyukun wrote: and that she yells at me for setting the parking brake when I park it since she NEVER touches the thing (wheres as I'm used to driving a stick, and set it out of necessary habit).

and in the long run it's even more important to use the parking brake with an automatic than it is with a manual

Eh, I've tried explaining that, but apparently when I start getting remotely technical on car stuff it starts sounding like the adults on Charlie Brown to her. It's her vehicle though, and maintaining it isn't my problem- I'd be fighting a lot harder if I had to worry about maintaining/paying for repairs on it.