So we own an 01 V70 and I was curious and looking around for new info and saw this https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-v70-13/2001-v70-ball-joint-replacement-25805/ and was horrified.
And we think removing the ball joints in our 850's is difficult. I think I'll sell the V70 before I need to do this and buy another 850. In my humble opinion this is what a multi-national corporation with only profits and wealthy share holders in mind can do to a company that has very sound engineering principles.

So rebuild them before you have to throw them in the trash.

 

btw the best overall car we own is the 96 850 wagon. end of story.

 

I agree.

I drove a 99 V70 last week and the interior was very cheesy compared to my 850. Must have been after Ford bought Volvo because that is what the dash and controls looked like, a damn Taurus!

 

My Dad has a 99 S70 GLT and I don't mind it, it's an awesome car if you have to drive long distances, very smooth. However, that's besides the point.

I know most people are terrified when it comes to doing work on a car, especially an import. I almost feel bad when I show people the guide to changing the PCV system. I'll admit it that before doing that, I would have never dreamed of taking off the intake manifold, but once I did that, I just want to take more stuff apart. And I personally think doing work on these cars are so easy, everything is straightforward, these cars are pretty simple.

Not to mention it's always cheaper to keep a car on the road then to buy a new one.

 

Actually, the way ball joints go in on the '01 V70 is how they USED to be on many cars, and it's actually a lot easier than doing them on a Honda, for example. The ball joints on the 850 are some of the easiest around to replace. There's a lot of cars where they're actually riveted in place, and you have to drill out rivets to do it. As for the 01 having the ball joint design they have, it had nothing to do with "putting profits ahead of engineering." That suspension was probably designed before Ford brought Volvo. And there's a sound reason behind it- Volvo wanted to reduce unsprung weight by using aluminum spindles- makes for a better ride and better handling. In order to do this, they COULD have taken the route GM did with their aluminum spindles, and simply cast the old iron ones with aluminum- and have the same problems with the ball joint stud hole getting damaged over time. Instead, they chose a much stronger design- press the joint in, and bolt it down. (instead of a flimsy snap ring like most press- in joints use) Yes, it's a little harder to change, but there's sound engineering reasons behind it.

As for the myth that the S70s are "Fords in disguise," it's exactly that... a myth. The S70 was designed before Ford bought Volvo... and even after that, Ford basically kept their hands off of Volvo and let them do their own thing while learning from them. It's why Ford is now building some of the safest cars on the road.

And personally, I prefer the look of the S70's interior to that of the 850. Yes, it's a personal preference, but the S70's dash feels and looks nicer, and there's fewer cracks and crevices for dirt to get trapped in (whoever designed the 850's window switches needed to be shot) On the other hand, the 850s have nicer door armrests.

In short, I'm not saying that you shouldn't keep your old 850 running- In fact, I'm a big advocate of keeping the old stuff going. But don't run down the new technology just because it's different, until you learn why it was done. Volvo still builds some of the longest- lasting cars out there. They're by far the most reliable of the European brands- always were, with Mercedes a close second up until the early 90s- THERE is an example of a company putting profits ahead of quality and engineering!

 

@Gilber33

I couldnt agree more, I bought my 95 850 wagon last Dec and so far ive done most of my work as I belong to an Military Auto Club that has all the tools, bays, hoist and other needed accessories, but after I did my PCV system (took me 2 days to do)(and thank GOD for FCP's PCV kit) I now feel I need to redo everything. LOL. Last weekend I rebuilt my front and rear brakes. This week end its simple stuff like tranny and oil fluid change. I have to door catches to change and rear hatch struts to do.(tired of getting hit in the head on cold days) My wife is now use to me gone every Sat as I am now making things up to work on...LOL

Next big job is going to be changing the entire Vaccum Hose system with the nice red colors.....LOL

 

hey guys I don't know about the S70 which is what I initially wanted to buy but I ended up with an 850 Turbo SW. I'm really happy except for some small details. Quick Q: my heater is not running but in my country that's usually not a problem except for december and Jan. What can I expect the problem to be??

 

Start a new thread for that, or a search might come up with something.

Anyways, back on topic. Yeah, during the summer, I was home every weekend working on my car during the summer, it was a lot of fun, really got to know my car. But now with school it sucks not having the free time to play with it.

 

Ha! I see someone else uses my "off topic" sign! Continue on.......

 

It was necessary, I give you full credit for it.

 

Carrots, thanks the information. It is both informative and reassuring. I'm really not against the promotion of new technology, it's how I make my living.

Does this mean we are going backward or forward? Sorry couldn't resist.

Just my perspective but I happen to like the window lift switches and mirror controls on my 850. I know they are in a bad place below the drink holders but mine still work after all this time. So why do I like them? They are simple switches instead of CAN modules like the 98's on. If it came down to me needing to replace them I could source similar SPDT or DPDT momentary contact switches and drop them in. In fact I'm thinking of building a replacement switch panel with sealed switches and offer them for sale. The CAN module switches are most likely printed circuit board mounted and if you can get the module open it still might be tough to replace them. Of course you can always buy a new module.

More on CAN. CANbus is a very robust communication protocol but networks all have their issues.. As these cars get older and the wiring ages the network will most likely have issues and tracking these issues down will be challenging. You can already see it in some of the posts on the forum.

Over the past 3 weeks I've driven the 01 V70, about 1500 miles and my 96 850 about 1000 miles and from this I can say that I think the 850 is more of a drivers car and the V70 is more on the comfort side. This is why I like the 850 more, yes, a bit harsher ride but I can feel the road and the car better and it is still comfort and luxury. On my commute there is a pavement to concrete transition the is on a bend in the highway, at 77mph the 850 hits it, you hear it, the car stays level and is as steady as a rock. The V70 hits it, you hear it, the whole body lifts and does a little lateral heave, it floats like a Lincoln or caddy, which is great if that's what you want.

I have never driven a car that I have felt more confidence with driving fast..ish in a torrential down pour (with the right tires). It tracks beautifully and gives immediate feedback when traction lightening.

The 98 V70, I do think has some Taurus like trim features.

 

I love driving my 850 and we now take it on all our long trips (drive 400 miles for Thanksgiving in a Jeep or an 850, you decide). The only problem is I hate driving in the pouring rain! Saving for new tires which will go on in the spring (the PO replaced one tire at a time with whatever was on sale at Walmart).

 

Bobec- I'm not saying that the switches themselves are a bad design... just that the placement was bad. They're actually pretty well made as far as window switches go... Modern GM window switches are the gold standard of suck, as far as those are concerned.

However, the S70 switches don't usually fail electrically, they fail because European automakers don't know about quality plastic- the switch caps break off of them. I used to date a girl who had an S70, and her uncle had reattached all of the switches with little pieces of wire... actually did a pretty good job, and I thought it was one of the better kludges I'd ever seen... and I've seen a lot of them.

Overall, Volvos always were- and continue to be- some of the best- engineered cars on the road. All the European carmakers are big on thoughtful ideas, but Volvo seems to be the only one that isn't totally putting cost ahead of quality, and they're certainly the only carmaker I know of that actually PRIDES itself on the fact that owners of their cars routinely take them to 200,000 miles or more. I only hope that if the proposed deal with Geely (the Chinese automaker that has a bid in to buy Volvo) goes through that this philosophy won't change. Ford actually was pretty good to Volvo- pumped in some advertising dollars, let Volvo keep doing what it did best, and sat back and learned how to improve their cars. Unlike what GM did to Saab, which was to destroy them and turn them into just another GM corporate marque, using the same poorly- designed parts and cutting costs to the point where quality suffered.

 

Personally, I love the placement of the window switches on the 850. I always drive with my left hand on the wheel and elbow resting on the center console so the switches are always within easy reach.

The cup holders being directly above is a non-issue for me since I never use them. Call me **** but I don't want a cup, with condensation, dripping on my center console or
anywhere else in my car.

The only thing that bugs me is the lack of control over intermittent wiper delay. I have read about the mod for this but it's a bit shoddy and hard to change the delay quickly. Too many steps. If there was a mod that would add a rheostat dial for the delay, i'd be most interested.

 

I started to look into this while taking a breather from my brake job this weekend. I'll see if I can come up with something. Haven't looked for the relay yet only the circuit diagram, anyone know where it is?

 

Schigara, It's funny you bring up the intermittent wiper control--I was just talking with my grandparents (the original owners of my 850) about the lack of this control on my vehicle! I used to use it all the time on my Acura Legend and would change it on any day with light rain or snow upon entering a highway from a residential area (or vice-versa). Three years later, I find I never use this control when I'm driving a car that has it. I've simply gotten used to flicking the switch to manually wipe once (a feature my Legend didn't have).

The window controls in the center have become so second-nature to me that I tried to push a cupholder on another car's center console last summer to roll down the window, only to realize that the controls were on the door. They did take some getting used to when I first got the car (I think we were all guilty of trying to press a nonexistent switch on the door during our first month of 850 ownership) but now I find I prefer them in this location. I'm not sure why they changed this on the S70, especially since it became a trademark of the model.

MHutchens, I would choose an 850 over any other vehicle for a 400 mile trip because of the ergonomics. My grandmother's doctor actually recommended the 850 as a good, comfortable car for people who get sore backs while driving. While my back is fine, I do appreciate the 850's ergonomics and feel the lumbar support is the best of any car I've driven or been inside (both older and newer than the 850). (I do feel Sweden is ahead of the curve in general when it comes to lumbar support--I have a desk chair from Ikea that is also better for back comfort than any American chair I've sat in).

Bobec, I've heard mixed reviews about the ride. Consumer Reports has always spoken negatively about the ride of Volvos, including the 850 (which was actually a very high-scoring model during its day and was always recommended as a used car). Part of me believes the person who tests the ride owns a Buick Roadmaster or Chevrolet Caprice. I like the stiff ride, personally, as it makes the car feel more secure and perhaps a bit sportier. I also have yet to drive a vehicle that feels safer in heavy rain or on bumpy roads (and believe me, there are tons of them in Pittsburgh).

I haven't had any problems with the switches cracking but have noticed chipping of the plastic around the edge of the interior door handle. The seats have held up very well (although this could be because I polish them quite often) and the interior has barely faded. I do have a little bit of fading on some of the black trim on the exterior (namely the door handles and the black piece that spans the length of the car on the roof line). I hear a Mr. Clean magic eraser will eliminate random white spots on this trim--is it true? The paint still looks good too; I only have one very small (about 1/3 the size of a dime) area that needs touched up near the wheel well (I think a leaf pulled off a slight bit of paint after it had stuck there for a while and do have the touch-up paint for this spot; I may have a friend who is really into auto body do this for me sometime but it's not really an urgent issue since the spot isn't even noticeable).

I've heard a lot of positions on body-colored door handles (S70) versus black door handles (850). Personally, I like the black handles because I feel they make the car look more distinct.

However, I'm happiest about Volvo's commitment to reliability and long life of cars. I recently rolled over to 77K and hope to keep the car going strong for many more years. Not only do I love the way this car handles, rides, and looks, I also would feel very bad if I ever had to get rid of the car since it belonged to my grandparents and I have many good memories of time spent with them in this vehicle. (They currently have a Honda Accord, by the way, but my grandmother keeps trying to convince my grandfather that they need to get an S60).