just bought a 98 c70(2.4L 5 cycl, 130,000 miles) car runs really smooth and everything is great on it except for 2 things and both have to do with the seat.

Driver side will not tilt forward to allow anybody to go in the back seat. i am concerned for saftey reason, is there any way for me to fix this myself? anything for me to try?


passenger seat functions will not work. when ever we use the buttons we hear it click but it doesnt move. can this be fixed myself and what parts would i need?

extremely happy for the help as we bought the car for my daughter and want her to be safe.

 

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Try to Google those issues and see what you come up with. Some of the Volvo's have a STOP button at the seat controls that locks the seat out.

 

I have C70 98 coupe. There is a micro switch located at the outside hinge that has a spring also. This fails! I had the stealer replace the passenger side one for a $1,000 charge, lasted 13 months! I replaced it myself again and it has lasted 2 yrs! Replace both of yours, all problems should resolved! Seat removal required.

 

You should feel a metal piece in the slot between the backrest and bottom cushion. Push that piece all the way to the front - all functions will work as far as you push it ahead. There is a spring in there to hold that metal piece in tension to provide contact. Its $8 or so at the dealer.

If you havent vacuumed the floors, look for it. This is a common problem and the cheapest. I would start there

 

thanks for the info,

(passenger side) i did notice when looking at the seats yesterday that there was 2 connectors not connected. it was not the ones that you access from the front of the seat. It was the ones that you access by going underneath from the back of the seat. anyone know what those ones are for? is it for the seat controls or for the heated seat function?

i connected them back but now the seat controls do not make a clicking sound.

 

Thats your seat controls. The heated seats is controlled by the switch and a thermostat that is underneath your seat "cover". Did you try putting your hand into the slot and see if you could get that metal piece to move?

If that piece is rigid, then the spring is in place and you potentially are looking at replacing the switch

 

no i did not get a chance due to the fact that we took it to a mechanic and he looked it over. saw that it was giving 3 misfires. we took it back to dealer and they are looking the car over and will let us know today what is going on with the car. i also mentioned the seat issues to them since they were going to have it overnight.

as a first time volvo buyer i was curious on how expensive repairs are on these cars? are they up there with bmw's and Mercedes?

 

Yes & no. The old RWDs (240, 740, 940) are very cheap to maintain if you DIY and their powertrain in general are bullet-proof. I have a '91 240 with 276k odd miles and I put a 900 miles round trip just before winter without a single problem.

That being said, the C70 and the S70 & V70 are pretty nice FWD cars. The C70 is more expensive than the S70 & V70 generally speaking. The window motors, door seals and power seat motors are very expensive (I have a seeping window seal and I am NOT going to fix it for $450 - just in parts). The catalytic converter is also expensive. Other stuff are not as bad as Merc or BMW but are more expensive than an average Toyota or Chevy.

If you can do some DIY, you could save a lot of money and yet drive a pretty darn nice car. My C70 is a 2.3L HPT and has 298k odd miles on it and counting. Drove it from Boston to Orlando, FL in one long trip. I bought it with a blown engine and replaced one from the junkyard with 85k miles on it.

At about 110K miles you need to do the PCV system maintenance. Also, remember to change oil every 3000 miles and take care of the turbo. A blown turbo is PITA - not only is a decent rebuilt turbo expensive, replacing it is a royal SOB. My turbo has a growl on cold starts - but I let the car warm up (let the temp gauge go up by about 3 ticks) and then let it idle for about 3 minutes by the clock after driving - a little longer if I drive 600 miles in one go. The turbo spins as VERY high speeds and proper warm up and cool down can help it last close to 200k miles.

Suspension work can also be expensive - but if you use OEM components they usually dont fail quickly.

You dont mention what mileage or whether yours is a 2.3L (HPT) or 2.4L (LPT). That will help everyone here a lot in giving you advice.

Bottomline: Volvos are good. I really like them and I am sure a lot of guys out here do too. Yes they can be finnicky but they are safe, solid and if you the 2.3L C70 its quick

 

Also forgot to mention, check ebay, tascaparts (online volvo dealer with parts at discount), FCP Euro and IPD before you go buying parts from a local parts store (advance auto/autozone). Sometimes the dealer will give you parts at a cheaper price too - so dont forget to check with them either.

Congratulations on buying a Volvo. Welcome to the club!

 

thanks for all the info, i really appreciate it. i believe this is the info on the c70 - i believe it is the 2.4L 5 cycl, 130,000 miles.


the dealership called last night and told us that the check engine codes were because the guys who detailed the car powerwashed the engine and got the spark plugs wet which in turned caused them to spark. they replaced all that order parts to fix the seats and will let us know today when it is ready.

my concern is, if they knew that(the detail guys) why didn't they say that and tell us that they need to fix that before we even took the car? kind of an unsettling feeling i have now.

 

Detail guys will NOT ever tell you anything. All they car is to spiffy up the car. I personally never power wash engine bays. When I take something apart and anything in the way - I clean them up and then put them back. Power washing introduces the unnecessary risk of plug wetting as well as shorts. Btw, your 2.4L Turbos are fairly cheap and less prone to wear compared to the 2.3L ones.

Post back here with what was replaced. It will help others in the future who read this thread