I have a 99 S80 non-turbo, and I have a leaking heater core. I'm wondering how much it would cost to replace it? I found a core for $50, but not sure of the labor cost. Can anyone help me out? Thanks in advance.

 

Check out Youtube for vids to get an idea. On other models like the 850/V70s, the heater core is accessed by removing the side panels to the center console without the need to disassemble the whole dash (AC Evaps on the other hand are an 8-10 hour job) - so my guess is that it would be somewhere in the 2 hour range. If somebody doesn't post up who has a shop manual with the hours quote, you can call a dealer and ask for a cost estimate. For the core itself, go new not used. Not sure about a $50 part - I'd trust brands like Nissens and Behr, mostly because they are known to fit (should be about $80-90). If you have a shop do the work, have them pay attention to the O rings and hoses too.

 

Thank you so much for the response....I ended up ordering the heater core online from carparts.com, as well as the hoses,and the o rings. I found a Volvo certified mechanic that's charging me $300 for the labor. Altogether, this will be a $450 job. Not as bad as I projected. But thank you again, I will be replacing the 02 sensors next, as she rides a tad rough on takeoff.

 

300 sounds like 2.5 hours... about right. Also, check for vacuum leaks before doing the O2 sensors. Never did them on an S80 but if you have the dual exhaust set up, you may be looking at dropping the cat to get easy access to the O2 sensors...any check engine codes?

 

Thank you, and yes the check engine light is on, and I'm thinking its maybe because of the sensors.....Would vacuum leaks cause a sluggish takeoff?

 

sure, if your air intake is leaking the mixture will be off and the ECU will try to compensate, and if the O2 sensor goes "out of range" trying to compensate it will show up as a code. So best to start by pulling the codes then go from there (typically the O2 sensor gets the blame, but its just the messenger when you have an intake leak). Not uncommon to get a set of codes too... I'd start by getting the codes, looking for vacuum leaks then intake air leaks then check for any dirt/gunk in the intake around the MAF and idle air valve and throttle body.

 

Sweet, thank you so much... Now how do I go about retrieving the codes?

 

Check out youtube for videos... not a hard fix on these cars its just messy if you dont do it right so be carefull

 

to pull codes you need an ODB2 code reader. they come in various price ranges if you want to own the reader you can search the board for other threads where posters have noted their model and comments. The budget way to go is to see if a local shop or auto parts store will read the codes for you...