Okay, I had a "minor" accident. the front section of the car is smashed up good. I am unsure as to what to do next. I will buy a new car. I should have some time ago. It is a 2002 Volvo s40 and their always seems to be something wrong with it. It is time to replace this car.

However, I am not completely getting rid of the car. I have spent too much money on it to do that. I want to pout on the garage and work on it. i know many of the parts can be replaced.

The car's radiator and what holds it together or to the car's frame is smashed. The frame that holds the radiator and the headlights fixtures (I am unsure what to call them) is very bent up. I as told it would be the most difficult to replace.

The question is what is this radiator frame called and is it hard to replace?


Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

I believe it's called the radiator support. If you google it you can see various different ones. I've hammered and pulled a few of them back out over the years but never the 2000-2004 S40. If it's like the others it's a matter of disassembling all the stuff bolted to the support until it comes free then reverse your work until it's back together. This assumes the frame is straight and not bent from the accident.

 

Okay and how do i check to see if the frame is bent. I do not think it is, but I not want to go any further on repairs if it is bent. I will just scrap it.

The car is over tens years old and has 185,000 miles on it.

Some parts I do not mind too much replacing, they needed to be replaced anyway. But if the frame is bent then - game over.

Amazingly enough it does not need a lot of body work, just the hood. The hood was old and creaky anyway. However, if the frame is bent then the car is going to the scrap yard. Just how do I tell that?

Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

The car really doesn't have a frame like the old days. It's a unibody car with supports for the engine and trans. There are also cross braces and suspension mounts, etc. All this bracing is pretty stiff and you would have to crash it pretty hard to bend something.

Does it still drive straight? Ever seen a car "dog tracking"? This is where the back end and front end are aligned but off center. The tell is driving straight through a puddle of water onto dry pavement and looking for the front wheels and back wheels on the same line. Other ways are measuring bolt heads to equal points on the body to see if it's square. Also look for rippling in the skin.

 

I have not driven the car at all. It was towed back to my driveway, two blocks away, after the accident.

After the accident occurred, I saw fluid leaking on the road, goodbye radiator and fan. It was early morning, I could not keep the windshield clear while driving,even using the windshield washing fluid to clear it As I slowly backed out of my driveway the windshield keep fogging up. I would clear it and it fogged up again. No way to clear it permanently.

I then turned into the sun and the sun was directly in my eyes. Before I knew bang, the car hit another one head on (though at 5 mph). So I lost the radiator and fan, the two headlights, the front bumper cover and hood. Some of the should have been replaced long ago.

I am finding many 2002 Volvo s40 parts on the internet at a third of list. This is a parts replacing exercise, not body work - except for the hood. It is again very old and should been replaced a long time ago.

However, I do not wish to start a project that is doomed from the beginning. I think the key point is replacing the radiator and support frame.

If I can do that then the rest is downhill. So that is the critical issue.

It seems in a 2002 Volvo s40 the frame is modular, replace the damaged parts and you are fine.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

Sounds like you have it under control. Once painted it should be good as new. Now if it looked like this.....

 

No it does not look like that, it is much less. I still think the pivitol issue is the radiator support frame. If more is bent than that then game over. I have seen some on the internet for a 2002 Volvo s40. Some are after market ands some are used that you can buy from a junkyard.

I just want to replace that and see what I am up against.

Is the frame of this car modular. Cn you just unbolt the bent radiator support frame and install its replacement, onced you have removed the radiator.

I put the cost of the parts at $ 1,000 and the installation is merely replacing broken parts with new or reliably used ones. many par6ts are available on line t a much reduced price. Aftermarket parts are also there.

There is no body work as I can see.

This is not a good situation, but it is not a disaster either. Replacing parts is a lot cheaper (and easier) than body work.

Again what makes up thos car'ss frame?

Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

I had a certified mechnaic look at the car and he was very optimisic sbout it running again. However, he did say that "replaing the airbags will kill you". I hope that he is wrong, I know that airbags can be replaced, and the whole system reset. Is this possible? I checked the internet and many places advetise tha they can do it. I can replace the airbag, but is that all I must replace? Any sensor needs to be replaced?

Also, it was the passenger side airbag. It came out of the dash on the right side. I should do something about the hole that opened up on the dash to release the bag. What can I do abuout that? Replace the top of the dash, but is there any easier way?

Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

I'm just guessing but I think your mechanic was referring to the cost of the airbag. They are quite expensive.

 

Maybe. The cost may kill you (send the car to the junkyard actually) but if an air bag fires in your face as you're installing it that may literally kill you. I have limited experience with airbags but did buy a special VW tool to work on a VW Golf. It prevents a static discharge from firing the air bag.

This car needs a new dash (I think) as well as a passenger side airbag in order to pass an inspection. I don't think I'd try to repair it.

 

I think that I can handle this. I called a garage today and they said it is command for them to replace a single airbag. That is no problem.

So I will take it to that shop for the airbag replacement.

Now I want to just take apart the front that was damaged. That should be no problem, but the radiator frame is spot welded. So to remove that I must remove the spot welds. Is that difficult? It should not be.

Thanks in advance.

Newport_j

 

There is a drill bit for spot welds. Basically a very shallow but wide bit to cut as little metal as possible. I've seen them in car mags but not in person.

 

Where is the reprogrammable box for airbags on the 2002 Volvo s40? I believe that this is called the module.

Thanks in adavnce.

Newport_j

 

so I ****ed up my s60 in basically the same way howd it go for you im considering doing the work myself.