Hello everyone,

You all seem to be quite a knowlegable group. Hooray. Glad I found you. My parents bought me a 1998 S70 fully loaded, heated seats climate control the works with 80,000 miles on it in December. It's my first car so naturally I love it to death. Just a few questions. I've been having a small problem (which I've seen alot about on here) with my sterring wheel making that groan creek sound when i turn it. Happens when cold usually. after diagnosing, Dealer said i have a small leak of my power steering fluid due to small crack and wants to replace the entire steering rack i think costing the folks $950. Does it really need to be replaced or should i ask them to try some other things first? The other thing they said they discovered were that the engine mounts had lost all of their fluid or something like that....any advice in that department because that repair would cost $750. Also being a young and irresponisble driver i drove quite fast over a couple dips in the road the other day, the car bottomed out, anything i should check? obviously going to take better care of my baby, will learn from my mistakes. my final issue is a rattling in the dashboard. whenever i go over a bump the dashboard creaks like a floor board, sounds like its polyvinal/pleather surface is rubbing on something. sometimes its there, sometimes its not. when i push on it u can hear it as well. its driving me nuts, what could it be?

thanks

-JAZ

 

1. Look really closely at where the steering shaft goes through the floor. Start the car and get as close as you can to it and turn the wheel. See if the noise is coming from where it goes through the floor. If it does then spray something like silicon/WD-40 there and see if it goes away.
If it was from the fluid being low then it would groan loud all the time not just cold.

2.If you want to check the mounts yourself look under the car. In the front middle there is a funny looking cylinder looking thing that is black. That is the engine mount look around it and see if you see like rusty stain marks around the area. If so it is blown out. The rear one is like just to the back of the engine from that one. It goes between the engine and the steering rack. Check it for the same thing.
The one on the front of the engine right side of the car is a rubber one. You can usually look and see if it is bad. The rubber will crack and the metal will sink into the rubber. Maybe see if there is a Volvo specialist Indipendant shop near you that will do it cheaper.

3.Bottoming out usually isn't that bad on these cars most is pretty well protected. You can do a general check over of the entire bottom of the car.

4. Sounds like the Dash mounting tabs broke. Carefully with the door open slide your finger on the vent on the end of the dash. Carefully pull and push and see if the dash moves pretty freely. Do that on both sides. I will bet it is broke. That is a common problem on the 850's and S70's

Will cost about $400.00 to $500.00 or so to get it fixed.
Unless you find someone cheaper.

 

Tech,

Thanks alot for the info.

Checked noise, it is comming from close to floor. Sprayed WD40 and it got quieter, but diddnt go away completley. Could it be that little white ring thingy at the bottom of the stering column that ive read about in other posts? I can have my mechanic replace that, but could u tel me what it's called and where to find it?

I also callled my mechanic who gave the car a full diagnostic and check in December when we bought it, and he said that they diddn't find any problems with the power steering fluid OR the motor mounts (COUGH money hungry dealer service department COUGH) We are going to have him look at it again, cause he will do it for free and see if there really are any problems.

Dash mounting tabs....I will have him check those as well, do you know where they are in the vehicles so i can ask him to look?

thanks for your help!

 

nice reply Tech, to a keen Volvo first timer...
He will always give it a go from now on...
good on you Tech

V70 2.4t

 

The plastic ring is I believe called a bushing. But a pain to replace.
Try spraying again and turning at the same time. Get really close.

The dash mounting tabs are on the back of the dash. To fully check he would have to remove the dash and inspect them closely. He can check the dash screws under the cowl cover. They go from outside to inside the car to the dash.