Greetings all!
I recently joined the Volvo fraternity with the purchase of a 2007 S60 T5 M6. I am thoroughly enjoying it, but also still getting used to it. So I thought I would hit up the community here for some advice on tweaking a few things. This is my first post.
My previous ride was a 2003 Mazda Protege5, which I drove for nine years and got pretty familiar with. The S60 is a vastly different car, mostly for the better. One area in which the Mazda had it beat, however, was in the linearity of its brake pedal response. In the Mazda, depressing the brake pedal produced an immediate response that increased in direct proportion to the amount by which you depressed it. This made it very easy to modulate the amount of brake force used, and made the car very controllable. My car was absolutely stock, but had no ABS and no EBD to interfere with the mechanical connection.
The Volvo, as many of you may know from experience, is less predictable. Sometimes, the pedal grabs right away, but other times it seems to have some mush before it starts working. Overall, there is not a very linear relationship between the amount the pedal is depressed and the amount of stopping force obtained. The car is stock and in proper condition, having just received a 60K service from the dealer where I bought it that included new pads. I have no reason to think the system needs to be bled. Also, I have not driven the car hard since purchase, so I don't think excessive heat could account for the behavior.
I am looking for some advice on improving the linearity of the pedal response. I have read a variety of claims about the causes of this behavior. Some claim that the sliding caliper design of the stock brakes is the problem; others suggest changing pads or installing SS brake lines. I have also heard it suggested that the way the computerized portions of the braking system are programmed have something to do with it (they respond to how fast you press the pedal, rather than just how hard). I'm sure all of these have some role.
I would prefer to hear from people who have recognized this problem on their own vehicles and been able to improve it in some way. Speculative comments are not very helpful.
Thanks for reading this!
I recently joined the Volvo fraternity with the purchase of a 2007 S60 T5 M6. I am thoroughly enjoying it, but also still getting used to it. So I thought I would hit up the community here for some advice on tweaking a few things. This is my first post.
My previous ride was a 2003 Mazda Protege5, which I drove for nine years and got pretty familiar with. The S60 is a vastly different car, mostly for the better. One area in which the Mazda had it beat, however, was in the linearity of its brake pedal response. In the Mazda, depressing the brake pedal produced an immediate response that increased in direct proportion to the amount by which you depressed it. This made it very easy to modulate the amount of brake force used, and made the car very controllable. My car was absolutely stock, but had no ABS and no EBD to interfere with the mechanical connection.
The Volvo, as many of you may know from experience, is less predictable. Sometimes, the pedal grabs right away, but other times it seems to have some mush before it starts working. Overall, there is not a very linear relationship between the amount the pedal is depressed and the amount of stopping force obtained. The car is stock and in proper condition, having just received a 60K service from the dealer where I bought it that included new pads. I have no reason to think the system needs to be bled. Also, I have not driven the car hard since purchase, so I don't think excessive heat could account for the behavior.
I am looking for some advice on improving the linearity of the pedal response. I have read a variety of claims about the causes of this behavior. Some claim that the sliding caliper design of the stock brakes is the problem; others suggest changing pads or installing SS brake lines. I have also heard it suggested that the way the computerized portions of the braking system are programmed have something to do with it (they respond to how fast you press the pedal, rather than just how hard). I'm sure all of these have some role.
I would prefer to hear from people who have recognized this problem on their own vehicles and been able to improve it in some way. Speculative comments are not very helpful.
Thanks for reading this!
