Hello!

I just bought my son a 2005 S60 AWD for his first car. It's a real nice ride.

92 K on the clock.

Needs Tires........

I got an "antifreeze low" message the other day, but the level is fine.

Brake pedal pushes WAY too far before the brakes engage even though they are smooth grab well. Need bleeding?

Does a replacement key REALLY have to cost $300??

What else should I be checking on the car?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

 

Nice first car.

Was the antifreeze message intermittent (did it go away)? If the message stays it is most likely the coolant level sensor located in the coolant overflow tank. Answer is to replace the sensor. If it randomly shows up and disappears the float inside the tank may have a problem. Answer is to replace the overflow tank. Both are inexpensive.

Bleeding the brakes might help with a soft pedal and it's not a bad idea to bleed them. Volvo recommends replacing the brake fluid with new every two years. DOT4 or DOT4+. The other thing to check is the pads and rotors. If the pads are thin then it will take more pedal travel to engage the brakes. If you are doing the pads I would warn you that the OEM pads give off a lot of brake dust. I would recommend one of the higher end aftermarket ceramic pads like Akebono.

Sadly, the dealer is the only place I know that can both cut and program the key. Not all dealers charge the same price so it pays to shop around. I have seen places online that can sell you a cut key but it still requires the dealer to program it to the car.

On top of that I would check the transmission fluid. There is an entire thread on the subject so I won't go into it here. But it is worth a read.

As for regular maintenance items:
ALL 2005 VOLVO MODELS

Hope that answers some of your questions.

 

Thanks. We looked at a BUNCH of cars in "great" condition (my idea of great condition is a lot different than others) before deciding on the Volvo.

Seems to be a really nice ride and THIS one IS in GREAT condition!

Yep, the light went off when i pulled over to check the level. I stopped the engine, opened the hood, confirmed the fluid level. When I started her back up, no light.

I'm going to try bleeding the brakes. I'll replace all of the fluid at the same time. Pads and rotors look new. Maybe they were replaced, and never bled.

I'll tell my son to be REAL careful with the only key we have..........

Thanks for the help.

 

Check the coolant level when the car is cool and add if it's below the MIN mark before you start the car. Had this same thing happen to me when I first started the car once because it was just under the MIN mark at start up. Once the car warms up a little bit the fluid goes up in the tank to turn off the light.

 

Yup I just bought a new key, cut and program cost almost $400!!!