I am thinking of buying a 1998 volvo s70 t5 with 147000km on the clock, 2nd hand. I saw the car today and I have a few questions.

I noticed a little pool of water under the car which was dripping very slowly, the owner said it was the aircon.

There was a very mild fast ticking noise in the engine.

The car did not feel that fast! I've driven a vw passat before and that blew me away. This didn't feel so fast for a 2.3 liter turbo. I didn't really notice the turbo either. I drove it round a short road didn't floor it but pressed fairly firmly on the gas. Hit 80km/h pretty easily just the acceleration wasn't as brutal as I had expected from such an engine. Also pretty quiet and civilized.

The guy is selling it pretty cheap. Like just under $2500.

Fuel consumption computer said that he was averaging 16 litres per 100km which is pretty hefty!!

I want to take it for a full check up at a car test place where I will see all the problems but I'd like some idea if repairing a car like this is pricey? I'm young and single and I don't particularly have a ton of money to throw on repairs. I know that he serviced it regularly at volvo, and his last service was about 6 months ago, and cost about $150 -not bad at all. I just don't want to buy and get stuck with a huge repair in 6 months...

Also how can I confirm that it's a t5? He had seats that were fabric cushions with leather trim. How reliable is this car? I've never owned a car before

 

Hi and welcome to VolvoForums.com.

The S70 is a newer version of the 850. The 850 is one of the best FWD cars ever built. As with any car "2nd hand (I assume that means used which all 15 year old cars would be. LOL)", they do need maintenance, service, and repairs. Plain and simple, things made by man will break. The nice thing about these Volvo's is that they look and ride so good when properly maintained. Now to your questions.

These 5 cylinder motors do have a ticking sound, usually faint but are very smooth when reved a little, actually one of the smoothest auto motors ever made. When reved up to 1,500 rpm's you should feel NO vibration or shaking. Nor should you hear ticking at that rpm speed.

If the AC is turned on you should see a little water dripping under the car. The simplist test is to move the car and touch/smell the liquid. Car fluids feel oily and have odors. I'm sure you know what water looks and smells like.

The car should feel fast, especially after the turbo "spools up". That will take a second or two with the gas pedal pressed firmly. It's important to make sure the "S" button is pressed near the shifter. That is the sports setting and allows the car to drive more agressive. Don't be afraid to put your foot in it, especially during a pre-purchase drive.

Fuel ecomony should be around 19/28 mpg which is 12.3 / 8 I think. At any rate, if the car is being driven around the block and left idleing for test drives, the per litre will be low. You can reset it, take it for a good test drive, and see what it says after your test drive.

Last question... My estimate is that you will have to invest about $75 per month to keep the car in good shape. If someone only put $150 into it in the past 6 months it needs more work pretty soon. You can check the value on www.NADAGuides.com.

Here are the things you need to know:
1. When was the last timing belt job done?
2. When was the PCV system last replaced?
3. Does the AC work?

Those are things that need to be cared for immediately if not already done. If the owner doesn't know, assume it's never been done and you'll have to do it immediately. Also, read the info on the link below and take a few notes. If you're handy, you can do a lot of the care yourself with help from this site.

Hope things work out for you.

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-guide-13678/