P1 Product Plates

What are product plates?  Product plates are plates (or stickers) which contain pertinent information about your car: where it was build, how much it weighs, what colors it came equipped with, etc.

Where are product plates? On P1 Volvos, the main product plate is locate on the right B-pillar, visible when you open the door.  There is a second product plate mounted on the left B-pillar which may have additional and/or duplicate information recorded on it.

How are these of any use post-manufacturing? While the codes can give re-sellers clues as to what options the car came equipped with, the chassis code is a valuable tool for any mechanic or enthusiast.  These codes tell you exactly which springs, shocks, struts, sway bares, and other key suspension components were originally equipped on the car.

Many people assume that their car has the exact same suspension parts as other similar make/model cars.  This could not be further from the truth.

Of course, there are springs and shocks for comfort, sport, and dynamic packages, but product details are not limited to just those three categories.  In fact, there are over 10 different front springs available for P1 Volvos.  Ride height may not appear any different to the untrained eye.  Ride quality may not feel any different to the untrained butt.  However, there is a subtle difference.
Pair those different springs with the numerous other options for shocks, struts, and bushings, and brand new cars can easily be as unique and diverse as snow flakes.

That is not to say that parts from specific trim packages are not interchangeable; you can easily swap from comfort to sport or vise versa .  Product fitment is entirely based upon makes and models.

For more information on these product plates and how to decipher the codes, please visit FPC Euro to read my latest article: Locating the Product Plate on a P1 Volvo (C30, S40, V50, C70)

Lower Control Arms - The Alignment Killer

After experiencing an excessive wobble during heavy acceleration, my first thought was that my alignment was out.  Having the alignment checked, the wobble continued...

My next belief was that my wheels were unbalanced.  A few weeks later, I had new tires mounted and confirmed that the wheels were well balanced and bend free.  However, the wobble once again continued...

I finally discovered that my problem was worn control arm bushings.  By the time I had tracked down the culprit, the bushings were so damaged that they allowed a few millimeters of play; definitely enough to make a noticeable difference through the steering wheel.

While there are aftermarket bushing options to upgrade handling, the price of those bushings, plus the need of a shop press, dissuaded me from pursuing that route.  The easiest solution was to simply replace the entire control arm assembly.

Please visit FCP Euro to read my latest article on lower control arm replacement: How to Replace Front Lower Controls Arms on a P1 Volvo

You can also watch my recent slideshow video on lower control arm removal:

P1 Volvo Front Seat Removal and Racing Bucket Installation

A few months back, I undertook the task of removing my front seats to install Sparco racing buckets.

Please visit FCP Euro to read my latest article: How to remove/replace front seats in a P1 Volvo (C30/C70/S40/V50)

For those who are further interested, here are videos on both front seat removal and seat skin replacement.

Reusing the base of the stock seat rails, I was able to build my own track for the Sparco racing seat.  The power/memory function still works with forward/backward adjustment; because it's a fixed back seat, there is no tilt adjustment.

DIY bracket on stock seat rails

DIY bracket on stock seat rails

Sparco seat installed

Volvo controls for seat adjustment

The Sparco seat sits at the same angle and level that I previously had my stock seat adjusted to.  From a commuter's sitting perspective, it feels no different.  But from a driver's perspective, the thick sides of the seat have made a drastic improvement by keeping me planted when the car is going sideways through a turn.  The massive weight reduction has also been a plus.  

At the end of the day, I do not have any intent of swapping the passenger seat.  While the additional weight reduction and symmetry would be nice, racing bucks are not ideal for all passengers.  I have to keep the car somewhat civilized.

Intermittent Door Controls

It drives me nuts when something is not functioning properly on one of my cars.  When something goes wrong, it is often the only thing I can think about.  I will lay in bed for hours trying to figure where the problem originated and how I will fix it.

My latest issue was the door control switch began intermittently working.  This was a bit of a hassle since I could not roll the windows up or down.

After some poking around, I discovered that the problem was simply a loose connection in the door harness.  A quick cleaning and greasing fixed all of my issues.

Please visit FCP Euro to see my full write up on accessing the door harness: How To Fix Intermittent Door Controls on a P1 Volvo (S40/V50/C30)