Greetings, all! New to the Volvo Forums here, as I just purchased a 2008 Volvo S40 as a gift to myself for having passed my PhD exams. Now all I've got to do is write a dissertation (i.e. - book) and I will be "Doctor" (no, not the medical doctor . . . the professor type).

So I bought the car a few days ago, and the day immediately after my purchase, I noticed that the rear passenger floors were SOAKED even into the floor mats themselves. Parts of the front driver / passenger floor were also wet. Took it straight back to the dealer, and they said they would pay for the "Leak Doctor" (ironic) to pull out the carpet, shop-vac it, dry it with fans, apply anti-mold substance, etc.

Right now the Leak Doctor is in the middle of doing his thing, and my car is in the shop, carpets drying under the fans. I've gone to check up on it every day. The back carpet foam now seems pretty dry, and the front part is currently underway. I suppose the next part will be the middle area, under the seats, for which he will have to pull the seats out themselves.

I've read this is a common issue in the S40 that I will be on constant vigilance for hereafter. Nothing better than the happiness of buying a car and then seeing wet floors . . .

That said, the car has 107,000 miles on it. So I've taken it to my mechanic, and thus far he's done the following:

- Replace serpentine and AC belts
- Radiator flush
- Replace coolant bottle and cap
- Alignment, tire balance, and a small light bulb that was out
- POSITIVE: breaks, shocks, and tires are in good condition; little rust on the vehicle for its age

I know I need to do the timing belt as well, and am definitely going to as soon as I get this carpet nightmare sorted out. From what I understand (which is nothing about mechanics), the timing belt is absolutely essential to the long-term well-being of the engine. I'm going to shell out the cash for it, since I want to keep this baby well into my post-PhD years.

My questions to you all are the following:

Is there anything else I should look out for mechanically? What about electrically? Keep in mind the car's age and mileage (2008, 107K).

Exterior and interior are in excellent shape, except the smelly carpet. In the worst case, I'll have the darn carpet replaced altogether. I'll post pictures as I take them!

Let me know guys!

Sincerely,

sublimeswell

 

Welcome to the forum! And congrats on the PhD.

The timing belt is due at 120k miles so you still have some breathing room. If you are going to keep it for the long haul then when it's time you replace the belt, idler, tensioner, and water pump all at once.

Other than that just keep an eye out for leaks where you park overnight. Water leaking is pretty normal when you run the A/C but if you see green or red coolant stop the engine and find the leak. An overheated engine will not play nice for long.

Small occasional oil drips are ok but a regular puddle needs attention. Clear oil is power steering fluid. Red is trans fluid. Black is motor oil. Always check fluids when you get gas. It's a PITA but will save you $$.

 

Actually the timing belt replacement isn't just required when the mileage is up but it is also need to be replaced every 8 years no matter what the odo shows.

 

I have a 2010 S40 that also had the sunroof leak. Mine was from the PO parking under trees and it something got into one of the drains. Here is a post that I made on the issue on a different forum. It was pretty easy to fix it.

On the timing belt, I have read in other places, that some people are recommending to NOT change the water pump on the first timing belt change. I have not done my belt yet (@ 106k), so I am still considering if I should change the water pump or not.

 

The water pump is not mandatory, rather recommended based on available cash. If you are a DIYer then it won't matter much. If you pay someone to do the work for you, replacing the water pump and timing belt separately can be very pricey.

 

Well, an update from my end: after getting a full interior detail (including upholstery), the carpet still smells due to the sunroof leak. The thing is I don't know how long the leak had persisted prior to me buying the car from the dealer. In any case, I am having the carpet replaced. I smelled it in comparison to my 2003 Camry, and it definitely stinks. $1,100 for the job, start to finish. Mostly because the carpets can't be custom made to fit; they must be ordered directly from Volvo because they are molded in with foam inserts.

I'm hoping that after this replacement, the musty smell in the car will go away. I shampooed the trunk liners, the rear liner near the back windshield, the door upholstery, and it all smells nice. Only the carpet has the smell due to the leak.

But at least the leak is fixed!

More soon,

sublimeswell