VS Legend

A Volvospeed Public Service Announcement

To: All Volvospeed Members and Visitors
Subject: Do Not Try Handbrake Drifting in Your AWD Volvo

In an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Volvo, power is sent to the rear wheels whenever one of your wheels loses traction, detected by a difference in rotational speed among the four wheels. This is basically true for both viscous coupling and HALDEX-equipped vehicles. Because of this, trying to throw the handbrake (also known as a parking brake or emergency brake) can damage the powertrain if you have a Viscous Coupling system.* Don't let this happen to you. Don't try to drift by using your handbrake. In fact, you probably shouldn't do it even if you don't have AWD. Because I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Like... about 60% sure. And it may damage your handbrake even if you don't have AWD or aren't stepping on the accelerator.

This has been a public service announcement from VS Legend.

On Haldex** vehicles with a manual transmission, depressing the clutch while the handbrake is applied could eliminate the risk of powertrain damage.

But the handbrake on a Volvo is still not designed to be used in this way; damage to the braking system is still possible.

Volvospeed is not responsible for you being an ass and using the handbrake for any purpose other than parking, nor am I.

* Haldex systems are allegedly supposed to be disengaged when the handbrake is engaged.

** Per the discussion below, this probably will not help with viscous coupling-based systems.

My 2001 V70 XC is going to be 11 years old and is starting to behave like an 11 year old Volvo. Little things are going wrong and I'm wondering if they could all be related.

• The driver's door lock motor works intermittently. Sometimes it snaps right up/down, sometimes it doesn't. If I use the key, it works just fine, as does pushing/pulling the pin.
  
• When opening the driver's door while the stereo is playing, I sometimes notice that the music cuts in and out as the door moves, which makes me think something could be wrong with the wiring harness?
  
• On rare occasion, the rear brake lights stop working and I'll get messages in the message center that they have failed. It will fix itself after a few minutes of driving. Again, I suspect a loose harness / damaged wiring.

Is it just me, or could all of these be due to wiring problems? And how often do the lock motors fail on these cars?

So, how much pain am I looking at to fix this myself and (on these cars with their brilliant/stupid on-board computers) is it something I can actually fix or is it something a Volvo tech will easily be able to pull codes for and fix? Where does one find wiring diagrams for such things? (I guess I could buy one of those "book" things, but which book is best?)

Thanks in advance.