I just bought a 99 S70 AWD and the coolant light and check engine light come on and stayed on as soon as I got it. I'm thinking I've made a huge mistake. I have always loved this body style, but wasn't aware of the 99's having problems before I bought it. I bought it in central Kansas at a ford dealer where the extent of thier service involves farm trucks and ford tauruses. I said it needed alignment and they said there was absolutely no toe/camber/caster adjustments on passenger cars so they could just swich the front wheels to make it drive straight. (no, not all Kansans are like this!) I loved the car so I bought it anyways. I asked them to fix the knock in the left front suspension, and they tried to tell me it was the bumper knocking against the body and put a piece of rubber in the slot between them.(WTF?) Has anyone had this knocking problem, I'm thinking the sway bar or the strut itself. Anyways, I have always driven Acura's and Honda's and driven them hard with no problems whatsoever, well except for totaling two of them. Can I do that with this car, or do I need to have two grand in the bank at all times in case something breaks? I'm thinking this isn't a car for a college student. Thanks for your help!!

 

Hi Danny72,

Sorry about the problem.

I believe S70 is somewhat similar to 850, so I may be able to give you some suggestions, though they won't be as accurate as suggestions from S70 drivers/owners.

As regard to CEL & low coolant, did you check the coolant level? If not, check & top up as necessary with 50:50 mix of a name-brand's coolant. As to resetting CEL, visit a local auto parts shop such as AutoZone and have them read the code & erase it except they are legally not supposed to erase emissions-system related codes (they provide free diagnostic service, and I usually buy a quart of oil, etc as a courtesy).

>and they said there was absolutely no toe/camber/caster adjustments on passenger cars so they could just switch the front wheels to make it drive straight.

To this day, I do not know of any modern car that didn't have toe adjustment (there are cars, however, that do not have camber & caster adjustments)

The knock is most likely from the front suspension upper spring seats, as they are noted for failure after years & miles (in the case of 850, not sure if this applies to S70). If the spring seats are bad, I would replace all suspension hardware (bump stop, special washer, lock nuts, etc...) but that's just me.

Check for recalls against S70, though there doesn't seem much:
http://www.autobuyguide.com/1999/12-...lls/index.html

A Volvo may not have meant for a college student, but your parents would beglad in case of an accident; Volvos are noted as the safest cars on the planet, only next to VIP & military vehicles. Yes, replacement parts & repair can be expensive, depending on what the car needs and how you keep up with scheduled maintenance. Many people work on their Volvos, as working on Volvos isn't a rocket science (except for electronic controls systems for the last few years' models), as labour at shops is skyrocketing lately.

>Anyways, I have always driven Acura's and Honda's and driven them hard with no problems whatsoever, well except for totaling two of them.

.....

I wish you luck, and wait for others' replies.


JPN

 

Danny,

JPN is right on track. The S70 and 850 are VERY similar. The knock noise COULD actually be where they said it was but VERY VERY unlikely. My 850 does have a tiny rattle from that area because the inner fenderwell liner is missing along with the mud flap. But more likely it is related to Strut bearing/spring seat or swaybar end links.

A little more info please,
Mileage?
how much you paid?
What mechanical skills/tools do you have?
What makes you think it needs an aligment? The noise and that are probably related.

Does the car still have any indication of what dealership it was purchased from? You can get service records there using the VIN. This will give you an idea of what maintainence it will need in the near future.
Look in the owners manual
if the FORD (Fix Or Repair Daily) Dealer didn't use it to pick his TOOTH (note singular)
for stamps from the service department as to when things were done and where.

You probably did not make a mistake since it is only an 8 year old car. Repairs at a dealership or shop are expensive for Volvos, but they are also expensive for everything else. If you have some mechanical ability, access to a jack, jack stands & tools you can get help on this forum and other websites.

Fill us in on the questions above and there are many people on the forum who can help.

 

I have a 1999 s70 awd. I had it for two years in college and still have it today.

1. It is a good car.

2. It does have its problems though.

3. I haven't had this knockong problem your having though.

4. Do you know if it has had the ETM (Electronic Throttle Module) replaced and or had the new software installed? If not they should be covered under the warranty that Volvo started. However it will have to be taken to a Volvo dealership to be done. You will know if your ETM is going bad by the ETS light that blinks on and stays on in the dash.

 

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. Yeah, Billy Bob and Cletus didn't know what to do with the S70 other than what you said. (Their 2 teeth combined) They had it for almost 6 months cause it's hard to find a person to buy a Euro around there. Has 105k and I paid 7,800 and they gave me 5,400 for my 99 Acura CL. The Volvo is a hell of alot more car, so not a bad deal I thought. I fixed the lights by doing what was suggested. The indy Volvo dealer wanted 45 dollars just to check the light and AutoZone in Kansas doesn't know what to do with a Volvo, but I found a guy to do it for free and he said the catylitic converter was bad, and not to worry about it too much. Then he reset the light. Dk blue paint looks new, as well as most of the interior, except for the door panel problem. Rattles more than I thought it would inside but I can fix most of it. I have a lot of experience with working on Hondas and GM cars but I have never touched any suspension parts myself or taken whole engines apart. Just things like fans, water pumps, starters,etc. Interior work/stereo is my forte. Think I might tackle putting in new struts/springs sometime though, and fixing the spring seat. Would you do this without a lift, just jackstands? I will get a manual first. I just got the only other owner's phone number (mature lady driven) so that will help with the scheduled maintanence questions. This looks like a pretty good forum! Glad to be here!

 

S70 driver...Is that you 99 AWD in the pics? Looks really good! You have different wheels. Those look like the 16's. What do you think about doing struts/springs under jackstands. Doesn't look too hard but I could be getting into trouble. Where do I find the tech section. I was looking for the one on how to fix the play in the drivers seat. Thanks.

 

Springs & struts are relatively easy and yes you can do it with jackstands. I recommend that you wait to do it just about the time you are due for tires. Most tire places give you a free front end alignment when you buy tires. This way if you check over and replace all the suspension parts that look worn you can get everything put back in the right alignment for free!

The repairs that you mention doing show you have the knowledge needed to complete the strut replacement. I am not sure since I have not looked for the parts myself yet, but for my VW there are a few places that sell the front struts, new springs, spring seats and bearings already assembled. This way it is a nut & bolt remove & replace operation. No spring compressor needed!

A word of caution. Since I have not done the Volvo struts yet I would get info from others on the forum who would know what kind of tension the spring is under. I might recommend taking off the struts assembled and bring them to the guy who helped you out with the CEL. If he has a spring compressor throw him like $40 to take off the springs and mount them on the new struts. Someone willing to help you out for nothing deserves your business!

 

Yes that is my 1999 s70 awd in the pictures in my signature and the "MODS" link in my signature will take you to more pictures of my car. The wheels are 15" Arienes stock OEM.

You can do them with jackstands yes.

There is no TECH section persay. The whole forum is your TECH section. Check in the Suspension section and also in the S70 section to asnwer your questions about suspension and or the drivers seat.

Yes you need a spring compressor and get a good one not a crappy cheap one.