I have a 2002 S80 with 115,000 miles on it. I have never done any front end work on it since purchasing it new. This weekend I plan on installing new struts, strut bearings and spring seats. Should I expect to find other worn items once I get in there (tie rod ends and the like)? What should I expect to need to be changed in the front end in an S80 with 115,000 miles? I want to have all the parts I need to get the job done right. Should I expect other problems?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

bump...

 

I replaced the front bushings on the control arms. I also replaced the front bearings and axles as well. They will fail and you might as well do the job once then you just have to do the front end alignment once!.

 

Thanks 537. I would never have thought that I might have to replace the axles. great info.

 

OK, I ended up doing the timing belt, struts, inner and outer tie rods, water pump, thermostat, transmission fluid change and a radiator flush. With the exception of my local volvo dealer giving me the wrong outer tie rod, all went really well. Well, with the exception of the profanity that came out of my mouth as I tried to replace the water pump. I think I spent about 12 hours total doing the work over a two day period. I was a little, check that, a lot scared to start the motor after doing the timing belt, but everything turned out great. Had it alligned today and it rides like a dream again.

I just wanted to thank all you guys for posting to this board. I would likely have never taken on the timing belt job without the information I took from this site. And I would have never diagnosed the clunking under the hood (broken spring mount) without some very informative threads on here.

You guys helped me save a boat load of cash this weekend, and for that I would like to say thank you. I hope that I am able to return the favor some time.

 

OK, not so fast on my previous post that all went really well, as now I have something that is draining my battery over night. I had the battery checked at Autozone and they told me it was fine.

While I was starting and stopping the car to pump out the trans fluid, the battery went dead and I had to charge it to get it started again. All was fine for the next day and a half. We drove it about 20 miles roundtrip over that time period to get it alligned, but this morning when I went to start it, it the battery was dead again. Does anyone have any idea what could have happened while changing the T-belt and related items that could have resulted in a draining battery? Could moving the ECM to the side have any thing to do with it? This is my wife's car, and the last thing I want is for her to be stuck somewhere with my five and seven year old kids with a dead battery.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

make sure non of ur interior lights are on. parasitic draw is a fun one. some times batterys will drain down when they get older. you can leave it disconnected with a full charge for a day or two and test it to see if it losses a charge.

 

OK, I charged the battery this morning and 10 hours later it is currently reading 12.4 volts. With the engine running it is reading 14.2 volts which leads me to think the alternator isn't the problem. Aren't both of those numbers within reasonable tollerance? Can parasitic draws be intermitant? I hope not. I would rather have a difinitive problem that costs $1,000 to fix than a $50 one that comes and goes that I can't figure out.

 

a fully charged battery should read 12.66v and after charging they usually have a surface charge and will read above 12.66v leave the lights on for a few min to take away the surface charge let the battery sit and it should read right around 12.66v. 14.2 is good for the alternator. you need an low amp clamp or a amp meter to check draw. most cars lock all the doors to set the alarm you can close the latch on the trunk with a screw driver to make it think it is shut and after like 15 min to an hour all the computers will go to sleep and ur draw should be less than 500ma most newer cars they say 300ma. im no expert on volvos this is just general stuff on cars. parasitic draw can be intermittent usally a computer staying awake for some reason or wires in door jams. i would make sure the battery will charge up fully and stay charged over night with it disconnected. good luck check the indoor lights and make sure they are all out. double check all ur work too. how old is ur battery?

 

Thanks Hickman. I went back out a few minutes ago and tested it again and it read 12.5 volts. It's odd that the voltage went up. I'm not really sure how old the battery is. I thought it was relatively new (1.5 to 2.5 years old), but my wife thought it was four or five years old. I can't seem to find the receipt, and the peal off stickers on the top of the battey that are supposed to show the purchase date were not pealed off when it was bought.

 

What the heck!!! I charged the battery fully last night (finished charging at 6:30 pm). The car started fine this morning at 7:30 (13 hours later) and all seemed fine, but after driving it for 5 minutes (3 mile drive) and sitting for 3 only hours the battery was too dead to start the car. What the heck, it can sit for 13 hours and all is fine, but have it sit for 3 hours and the battery is too dead to start the car.

The alternator is not the problem, it has been checked twice (once by me and one by NTB) and it checked out fine with 14.4 volts of output. The battery has also been checked by two different stores that would absolutely love to sell me a battery (NTB and Autozone) and both stated that it was not bad. How could it sit for 13 ours and be fine, but then sit for 3 hours and be so dead that it couldn't start the car? Anyone ever experienced anything like this?

 

if you keep the key in the ignition even with it off it will draw on the battery. see if it kills the battery with all the doors shut and lock it with the remote to set the alarm so it should go to sleep. just did a bmw today that had intermittent draw it was the blower motor resistor common problem but it would do it intermittently most time they short all the way and leave the blower on it took a week to find. alternators will draw intermittently through the diodes sometimes.

 

OK, here's the latest, tonight the throttle stopped working. The motor kept running just fine, but pressing the throttle did absolutely nothing. We coasted to a stop on the side of the highway. After turning off the car and restarting it, all worked fine. I imediately drove it to an independant volvo specialist that I had used before and left it with him to sort out. I want no part of a situation where the throttle may not do what I tell it to do. I fear what they might find, and what it might cost to fix it.

 

The car would not turn over. So AA came round, tested it and swore that both alternator and battery was fine and guessed something in the car was draining the battery. He gave me a jump and I was on my way. Since it was late in the day, I decided to visit the battery supplier the next day, but knowing that it would probably draw on the battery again overnight, I disconnected the battery (engine bay). The plan was to reconnect it just before I needed to get it started. The next day, the battery was dead again. A different AA came around and swore the same thing, battery is ok. Anyway I dropped the car off at the auto electrician who changed the battery and everything is now fine again. It was the battery after all.

 

OK Mr. smartie pants, I bet you think you are so smart.....

You were right, the problem was the battery.

The the independent Volvo specialist i took it to looked at it for 20 minutes and called me to tell me that the battery had a cell that was completely dry. They filled that cell back up and all is now fine. What I don't understand is how a bad battery could have made the throttle act up like it did.