Long Summer Ride

[someferge]

I am seeking advice on how to prep my 2004 XC70 for a 400 mile drive in the next few weeks. This will be between NYC and Acadia National - over 70% of the drive is on a highway. Car recently got a fresh oil change and a new oil filter.

[ecbsykes]

If everything is working fine, then I wouldn't worry too much. Make sure cooling system is working well (hoses especially). Make sure tires are in good shape and are aligned.

400 miles isn't too bad!

[sjonnie]

I am seeking advice on how to prep my 2004 XC70 for a 400 mile drive in the next few weeks. This will be between NYC and Acadia National - over 70% of the drive is on a highway. Car recently got a fresh oil change and a new oil filter.
Took my '02 with 154K mi on it down to Smokies last weekend, 1400 mi round trip, kayaks, Yakima box, gf, dog, kitchen sink. Two other cars on the trip had transmission issues, both Plymouth Caravans. Volvo drove super smooth all the way, whether it was 75-80mph on the highway or 20-30mph on the dirt backroads in NC. Overall mileage for the trip, 22mpg on 93 gas (it'd be about 19 on 87, kayaks and stuff on roof kill mileage).

Only other thing I'd recommend you check is the air filter, dunno about the roads up in NYC but I get so much crap in my air filter. The bottom of the box is usually littered with leaves, sand, dead bugs etc., that I have to vacuum out the box and put in a new filter every 12K/6months.

Oh, and if you are going to have the car loaded with vacation stuff don't forget to inflate your tires to 35psi (cold).

[sjonnie]

400 miles isn't too bad!
He's from NYC, never drives more than 3 blocks to pick up pizza ;);) Couple of weekends back I had to drive up to Linclon,NE and back for work, 450mi each way, just jumped in the car and drove, didn't even think about it...

[JayPinNC]

I just put 2,000+ miles on after a trip from NC to FL (Southeast Gulf Coast) and back....with a mini-trip to Orlando and some other day-trips in the middle of it all.

The car ran and handled really well - even with the loaded roof rack and all of our crap in the back.

Mileage was around 24mpg and I used 87 gas the whole trip, minus one fill-up where for the first time ever I hit the wrong button and used 91.

[Adrian]

Seeing all the talk about 87 and 91-gas. Here in Norway we have 95, 98 and 99 [sly]

[JayPinNC]

Seeing all the talk about 87 and 91-gas. Here in Norway we have 95, 98 and 99 [sly]

Does it have anything to do with the elevation (atmospheric pressure) of Norway? The way I remember it, higher octane levels keep gas as a liquid at higher elevations, and stop vapor lock from occurring.

[sjonnie]

Seeing all the talk about 87 and 91-gas. Here in Norway we have 95, 98 and 99 [sly]

Yeah, according to wikipedia, EuroSuper or UK Regular is already AKI90-91. That, along with the specs I saw for a Euro S80 suggesting it use only AKI93 gasoline and the fact that I get a >10% increase in mileage for ~10% increase in cost with premium tells me that premium is the way to go.

[sjonnie]

Seeing all the talk about 87 and 91-gas. Here in Norway we have 95, 98 and 99 [sly]

Yeah, but Norway uses the AKI index and not the RON index used in the US. Still, AKI 95, 98, 99 translates to US RON 91, 93, 95 so you are definitely using higher grade than regular US 87.

[ecbsykes]

I thought it was the other way around. At higher elevations, air pressure and compression in the engine is reduced, so you can run a lower grade of fuel where you normally would have higher. Like in parts of Colorado here in the US, you'll see fuel that goes down to 85 octane.

Although having a turbocharger can significantly improve performance whereas a N/A car would see drops. So if you have a turbo, I'd still always just put in the highest.