My low-coolant light came on, so I pulled over, let the engine cool and refilled it. About an hour later, I was driving again and it came back on. The tank is empty again.

I don't see any ACTIVE leaks under the vehicle. I DO see a few drips on my skid plate - which I thought MIGHT be because I spilled a little while refilling. I don't see a puddle under the vehicle either.

I DO see a very small tiny crack on the plastic of the radiator. Does this mean the whole thing needs replaced?

Where else can I check for leaks?

Also of note, at the same time the coolant was low, I checked my oil and that was bone dry too. I am just about due for a change, so I can easily take care of it, but I mention it in case these are related somehow.

Thanks!

 

Anytime you check your oil and you have NONE on the stick, you need to immediately add oil. I wouldn't drive further than the oil store with oil NOT on the dip stick.

As for your coolant problem, fill the res up with coolant, drive a few minutes to warm the car up and open the hood with the car running to try to find the leak. If there is any leakage from the radiator you need to replace the entire radiator.

If you need to replace the radiator, get one from a place that sells to a lot of Volvo parts. There has been a rash of bad radiators being sold lately that mixes the coolant with the tranny fluid. This destroys a transmission in about 2 days with NO warning.

Lets keep our hands pressed together in hopes that your motor isn't cracked from being run with little to no oil.

 

You need to check you're oil more often or you can lose the engine.

As for the coolant you can get a loan of a pressure system tester and the screw on adapter at Autozone or maybe Oreilly. You buy it to take it home and you get a refund when you bring it back.
With the use of it you should be able to bring the pressure up and see where it's leaking from. If not you might want to add a cooling system dye which will glow under black light for more difficult or slower leaks that take some time to show up.

 

have you actually gotten under the car to check for coolant leaks?? Possible coolant leaking points:

bottom of reservoir
hose from reservoir to water pipe on back of block
coolant feed hose to turbo
coolant return line from turbo
upper radiator hose
lower radiator hose
overflow hose from reservoir to thermostat housing
radiator

Check all of those spots. Also, fill up your car with oil for crying out loud, drive around, and then check your oil, could have blown your headgasket.

 

I miss the good old days when they would pre-authorize your card and give you 48hrs to return it, before placing the charge on your card.

 

Just use cash, you get it back immediately and the bank doesn't get two or three days to collect interest on YOUR money before crediting it back to your card.

 

The car is retaining oil. I added a few quarts drove a bit, checked it and it seems ok.

I used the radiator crack sealant goop, but this is a temporary fix. Any good resources for inexpensive radiators??

 

As I have already written, do not get a radiator from a place that sells cheap parts for the sake of passing off cheap crap. Check out www.FCPEuro.com to see what their prices are.

Here's the deal, it sounds like you don't have a lot of money to get a NEW car so you need to take care of this one. I once watched a college KID destroy a nice 960 by driving it with a cracked radiator. Kept adding water and adding water until one day he failed to add the water he needed and cracked the block. If you can't afford a new car, you have to take care of this one. These cars usually cost about $75 per month to take care of and keep on the road. If you don't have the money or can't budget for that, you may want to plan on bumbing rides or using public transportation because you won't be driving that car long. It's gonna break down on you.

When was the last time you changed the oil? That is the most basic thing that should be done every 3 months or 5,000 miles which ever comes first. Due to the fact that you let the oil get real low you need to have the oil changed, that's right, changed. Even though you just added two quarts (in an emergency). Consider those two quarts a sacrifice and change the oil and filter. That'll cost less than $20 if you do it yourself.

Then get a GOOD radiator and replace it within the next few days before that TEMP/EMERGENCY fix comes apart and you over heat the car and destroy the motor. A good radiator will likely set you back $180. If you don't have it, go to a junk yard and check all the Volvo's like yours, looking for a radiator that looks new and if you find one that looks new, pull it and install it in your car. It will likely cost about $50, then if you take back your old one they will give you $20 back.

If this sounds like to much for you, there is a good chance that you simply CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE. If you have friends that ride around with you ask them to help and chip in on the price of the parts.

You can learn how to do almost everything to maintain and repair your car here and other places on the internet like www.MathewsVolvoSite.com. People on this site and Matt's site don't mind you asking 1,000 questions (just don't ask the same questions over and over again). Heck, some of the people on the site will even help you if you are near them.

Hope you figure this out before you kill your car. Later

 

$165 at autozone lifetime warranty.

Radiator | AutoZone.com

$121 at rockauto.com warranty ??

RockAuto Parts Catalog

 

I would not purchase a rad at either of those places. If the rad has a design flaw and mixes your coolant with your tranny fluid will the warranty cover that? I don't think so. Just to risky with current issues going around.

 

The car, other than driving around the block to test if the coolant was leaking after using the crack filler product, has been parked. I haven't been scooting all over town recklessly thinking my car is fine and ignoring the fact that it needs help right now.
I changed the oil, yes changed, yesterday. I knew this needed done after adding the two emergency quarts, hence leaving the car parked other than to test for fluid retention.
I apologize if I seem ignorant. I am pretty vigilant about this car. I really love it. I just don't know much about cars.
I asked for a GOOD source for inexpensive radiators because I DON'T want cheap crap in my car, but I don't want to get taken for the proverbial ride because I seem ignorant or uneducated about car parts. I'm sorry if that offends you.
Please don't make assumptions about what I can and can not afford to do. Until I can get this part or get it to a shop, the car will stay where it is. I was able to change the oil. I was 500 miles SHY of my 5,000 mile oil change deadline. I do not disregard oil changes and I fully recognize the importance of regular committed maintenance. I did not want to burden my shop with, "Gee golly me thinks the green juicy stuff is like, missing or like something?". I wanted to get an idea of what to look for so that I could determine whether it was absolutely necessary to take it there or if it was something I could easily replace and not bother them. Or if it was something they needed to fix, I could tell them, "Hey I checked all these places and the coolant is leaking from X" My shop is about 30 miles from my home - since I want to leave my car where it is, I definitely did not want to drive it all the way there and risk more damage on the way.
I'm not some cheapass who wants to drive some hoopty jalopy around until it explodes. Sheesh I thought this forum was a little kinder....

 

Other than $50, what's the difference between these two?

Volvo Radiator (850 S70 V70) Non Turbo - Behr 8601354B | FCP Euro

Volvo Radiator (850 S70 V70) Non Turbo - Nissens 8601354 | FCP Euro

 

I dont think there is any difference, apart from the price, different manufacturers, different rrp's. Both have the same warranty, so I would say it comes down to personal choice.

 

Hey man, people come here EVERY DAY trying to figure out a way to avoid doing the RIGHT THING for their car and looking for patches and quick fixes for serious issues. Please don't think it's a personal attack against you. There was no indication in your post that you intended to or had the means to take care of the car. I appologize for being forward and a little agressive with our responses. Likely our attempt to express the seriousness in keeping oil in the car and taking care of needed repairs.

Other than that, I'm not so stuck on service dates or miles as some may be. Most change oil on turbo cars every 3k, I do it every 5k. If I catch it 1,000 early or 1,000 later, no big deal to me. If you're handy with tools you can change your own rad.

Hope you get it sorted out and taken care of.

 

Oh, Behr & Nissens are both companies I trust. Either would be good.

 

I posted here BECAUSE I want to do the right thing! Because I DON'T want to drive my car around being held together with duct tape and bubble gum.
I mentioned the oil because I thought it might be an indicator of a much larger problem in tandem with the coolant issue. When I pulled over the first time, I bought coolant and two quarts of oil and limped it home thinking I would park it until I came up with a plan of action.
If I go to a You-Pull-It, is it possible I could pick a radiator that LOOKS like it isn't cracked, but indeed IS? The crack on MINE is so slight I worry about buying ANOTHER cracked part. Is that irrational? I realize my best bet is a brand new rad, but I didn't even think twice about buying one from Pep Boys or Autozone. Is FCP Euro the only trustworthy resource for this?
Are engine flushes superfluous? Is there a symptom I should look for that would indicate I would need to get the sludge out of my engine? Are there any extra things I can do to "treat" the car to something nice (so to speak)?
If oil is not leaking (e.g. I check my car for puddles and see none) should I be vigilant about checking how much oil is in the vehicle before every outing? Like I said, this is a car I take to the grocery store - not a commuter car. I also volunteer for a homeless veterans organization fetching things since they don't have a staff vehicle...so I am not scooting around too far or too often.

 

If I were you, I would check oil every 200 miles or so, untill I determined how much is being burned or excaping otherwise. I would not assume anything bad has happened unless you let it overheat. If you have been doing oil changes every 5k or every 6 months, wouldn't think there is any sludge.

If you go to a recycle/salvage yard for a rad, only pull one that looks newish. Then "I" have the issue with the thought of that rad being the cause of the car ending up in the yard for fluid transfer. So the car would have to have been wrecked or have some sign of useage on the rad (how can you tell if a rad is 2 - 4 years old?).

 

I put a new Nissins Radiator in my daughters 850 GLT....It lasted about 14 months and I had to replace it...leaking around the end tanks...it was junk...spend the extra money...

 

Never mind ......