Hi. I just looked at a 1999 S70 with the 2.4L turbo with 150,000 miles. Original owner, folder about 2 inches thick with receipts for work done on car over the years. Timing belt, heater core, struts, some engine seals (don't know which), new tires, radiator hoses and other things replaced. Everything works, even the antenna. Car drives well, no rattles over potholes, and no rust. That's the good. The bad: rear bumper has paint scratched off in several spots, but no damage, wheels worn where it has been parked tight against curbs, seam came apart in bottom of drivers seat, ticking sound from engine when hood is open (don't notice it with hood closed), and a smell inside the car like radiator coolant, but more musty. So, is the engine ticking a serious problem? But more importantly (for my wife), will the smell go away in time, or is there another problem? Thanks.

 

I believe a light ticking is fairly normal. Our 1998 S70 has done it forever and seems to do it more with synthetic oil than regular oil. you only hear it with the hood open and not closed. As for the coolant/musty smell. It is most likely a leaking heater core. A bad core will definitely cause that type of smell. It needs to be addresses as it will only get worse. The repair is fairly inexpensive and easy to do. As for the smell, once the core is replaced, the smell will go away with time. Sounds like a decent car!

 

The S70 interior smell has been described as "crayons" and that never goes away. If you can really smell coolant, you may need a heater core replacement, which is mercifully easy to do. leaky heater core is a common problem on this particular car.

 

Forgot to mention, check in the stack of repair receipts and see if the heater core was ever replaced. They usually last about 10-15 years.

 

Thanks! The seller said the heater core was replaced, but I did not see the receipt. It may have actually been the radiator that was replaced, as I noticed some of the small hoses going into the radiator on the drivers said have been replaced. One other thing. After I took the car for a test drive, I opened the hood, pulled the engine oil dipstick out a bit, and puffs of smoke came out of it. Also, the break peddle was hard to push. The car stopped good, but you really had to push the pedal. The car is located 500 miles from me, so would I be better off trailering it back and getting it checked out, or would 500 more miles not bother anything? What do you think is a fair price for this car. It is AWD. Thanks.

 

IMHO, 500 is a fair price. You've desribed some of the common maintenance areas - PCV system sounds like it needs to be refreshed, a firm brake pedal can be an issue with the booster or the hydraulics (master cylinder/calipers etc). You may need to check that the heater core hoses/o-rings are sealing properly but not a complex/expensive repair. If that checks out, you may need to remove the carpeting etc to see what's going on. Also replace the cabin air filter and consider having the air vent tubing cleaned to remove any mold/mildew. As to driving 500 more miles - you can always leave the dipstick slightly ajar to allow for a clogged PCV and a minor leak in the heater core won't bother anything other than your nose provided you keep an eye on the coolant level. If the car stops well even with the firm pedal then you should be ok.