Hi all,

Just bought my first Volvo, a 2001 V70 XC with 135,000 miles on it.

It runs well from what I can tell so far and the body and underframe are solid. Looks pretty good underneath considering it is 13 years old and is from NE Ohio.

I've read posts about the A/C problems with the worn compressor clutch and I wonder if this one may have the same problem. It starts out nice and cool but after a while it starts blowing warm. Doesn't matter if it is on auto or manual temp control. The only thing different from the posts I've read is the problem doesn't occur every time and there have been occasions where it still blows cold air even when the motor is hot after long running. When I was at the car lot, the salesman said "the A/C doesn't work", but when I started it up it was blowing cold air. I had it up on the highway yesterday and it was blowing nice and cold for about 10 miles but as soon as I got off the highway it started blowing warm. Went into the store for 15 minutes and came back out and it was blowing cold again.

The Service Engine light also comes on intermittently. Sometimes it comes on when I start up the car but then it goes out after a few minutes. Sometimes it doesn't come on at all, sometimes it comes on and stays on.

I took it in to my mechanic to give it a general look over, I'll see what the verdict is on everything soon.

Cheers

Jeff

 

To update my original post, I took the car to my mechanic who I trust but I also think he doesn't have a whole lot of experience with Volvos. He recommended a new compressor to fix the A/C problem. Roughly $600 - $800 for a reconditioned compressor not including the labor, over $1000 for a new one.

I then performed the zip tie fix myself, and it seems to have solved the problem in the two weeks since I installed the zip ties. I've been running the A/C on both manual and auto and haven't had it cut out once yet. I'll see how long the zip ties hold, but I'll probably end up doing floral wire instead of zip ties at some point because I'm skeptical on how long the zip ties will last.

I'm happy that I found such a simple fix on this website! Thanks to all who contribute.

 

Indeed, I used some thin plastic shims and those melted on the clutch plate. Best is a very thin metal shim that is really properly secured - so it doesn't jump on the accessories belt.