Hello all,

I posted to thank you all in the intro forum here.I bought a 1998 V 70 with ~ 124,000 miles just a few hours ago. I got a great price (less then 1/2 asking, which was already 2/3 of what they started at last month. The car appears to have been well maintained, probably owned by the original owner until it was bought by the second owner last year... it would be charitable to say they were fans of 'differed maintenance'.

I am just going through and sorting out some of the issues, and would appreciate any help that anyone can offer. I have no specific maintenance history on this car, I have heard that some dealers can pull up a vin history. The dealer thought it was an AWD, I looked underneath and put that one to rest pretty quick. The vin is; YV1LW5679W2518676 if anyone has any way of 'decoding' it, or can help me with the service history I would appreciate any help anyone can give me. Just knowing (if, when) the timing belt had been changed would be a GREAT help to me.

The car is in pretty good shape overall, it runs well, the transmission shifts well, and it does not appear to have been in any accidents or have lived in any northern climates (no signs of rust).

1). Front end shake. It makes a loud clanking sound going over any bump and the front wheels seem to have a speed related vibration. The front tires are worn, but I think that the tie rod ends are partly to blame. The 'clunk' is more of a concern to me. I notice that when I grab the tops of struts I can move them from side to side. Any chance they just need to be re-torqued? What are the likely failure points in these front ends that cause these problems?

2). The carpets look terrible. Anyone replaced the carpet in theirs? Where did you get it, and how much was it?

3). The radio is not working. I checked the fuses, and they are good. I would just replace it, but the car has the Volvo cd changer so I would kind of like to get it going.... any ideas? Anyone got an old OEM head unit they replaced with something fancy that they might be willing to let go to a new home?

4). Drivers side front and rear windows don't roll down. Any easy check to tell if it is the switch, relay pack, or (Lord forbid) the regulator...?

5). Gas cap door is broken off. Found post on the hinge replacement using search (thanks guys).

6). Drivers seat does not slide fore and aft using the switch, but if I press the memory settings it slides. Is this switch replaceable by it's self?

7). The sun visor refuses to stay up. Is there a screw head hidden in the visor somewhere? Any tricks?

8). Cruise control does not appear to work (will re-search for that... seem to recall seeing a TS procedure)

9). Need to get a door / security system remote control. I read that the 2003 remotes have to be programmed by the dealer and they charge $200 (ouch) is there a procedure to program the remote that does not require a trip to Volvo?

10).... well, I have more but I think I have posted enough for one night... Thanks!


Door locks

Sun visor



[IMG]local://upfiles/19883/DA47C1F920264E1D94B30E0F8AE3E9AE.jpg[/IMG]

 

Going over the car today, did an oil change and tried to figure out the radio. The raidio seems dead (not even a display asking for a code). The CD Changer has power though, and will accept the changer cartridge so I am hopefull. Went ahead and ordered a radio off of ebay. It is from a 99 vc, and they said they will send it with the code.

The big news was the discovery it has a turbo. There is no turbo badge, and it was not advertised as a turbo... I was looking over the motor, and saw what looked like a waste gate control. Then I looked at the emission sticker and the engine code is B5254 T. I assume the 'T' confirms what I saw is indeed a turbo. I thought it had more power then a n/a 2.4 l would have moving such a heavy car.

 

Yes it is a turbo motor in there.

 

YV1LW5679W2518676
IIRC, only 18% of 1998 V70s were GLT.

# 1 sounds like spring seats. Recommend replacement only with OEM, preferrably with the ones for XC90 (heavier duty).

#9 does require a trip to the dealer for programming the remotes to the car with the Volvo handheld tool. You can program up to 3 remotes to the car, but they must all be done at once and You CAN use remotes that were previously used (ie eBay). I have both my V70 and S40 programmed to use the same remotes. Dealer may charge you for programming, but mine didn't.

oh yeah, mine runs like a bat out of hell when using 91+ octane premium unleaded, and an absolute dog on 87 octane. With gas at its current pricing, there's no excuse to go cheap on the petrol.

 

Whoa, sorry to hijack thread for a second. But you said you have an S40 remote that works on V70 remote entry system? I'd asked earlier and been told no way that worked. Kind of important because I have a S60 remote that I'd love to use on my v70. Thanks!

 

djerkd,

Thank you for typing that up. I appreciate it. I am surprised to learn that the turbo's came on such a low percentage of the cars. I would assume just the opposite to be true. This car was neither advertised as a turbo, or priced as one... sure runs like one though

I just placed a ~$1200 parts order with http://www.fcpgroton.com/(one of the site sponsors). I was pleased with the prices, and look forward to getting the stuff in. Among the parts I ordered I got the 'suspension kit' which includes the strut mounts. If that is not the problem the kit includes nearly everything in the front end anyway so I hope it fixes the problem.

Thanks also for the tip on the premium gas. I know that Audi's like the couple extra octane points too. Makes a world of difference with them too. Thanks.

 

Why do I get a 404 error when I reply to this thread? (moderator please delete)

 

I will try breaking up my reply and see if that works.(Moderator please delete this post too)

 

So far; This car was obviously engineered by someone who had pulled wrenches at some point in the past. While somewhat more complicated then some designs, much more thought seems to have gone into things. Much like BMW, and MB.

1). Changed struts, mounts, seats, boots, and stops with kit from FCP Groton. Happy with the fit, happy with the service. Went with the Sachs struts, looking for OEM ride.

2). Changed the lower control arms & sway bar links. The ball joints were not too worn, but the boots were torn. Would have given problems in the future. I was surprised that all 4 of the bushings (both sides) were like new. Again, glad I went with the kit from FCP Groton.

3). Changed both CV half shafts. Boots were torn on the outter joints on the original axles. Prior experience with this is that it is more cost / time effective to change the axle then the boots. After the boots are torn, the joints wear at a high rate because of the contamination. I was surprised at the force needed to remove the OEM shafts from the spindle. I read that Volvo used lock tite in assembly. I will use anti-seize on reassembly.

4). Changing tie rod ends, and drivers inner tie rod end. No real play in outter ends, lots of play (3-5mm) in drivers side inner. Also changing steering rack boots.

5). Flushed and refilled coolant. Replaced coolant cap. See post.

6). Changed oil & filter. Went with Castroil since it has a higher detergent concentration then most others. I plan to switch to synthetic after the first oil change.

7.) Used the Door repair link.Problem was not bad (yet) but did not want it to get bad. Very impressed with Volvo's use of a cannon plug at the door. Makes this job MUCH easier then it would be on other cars.

8.) Changed radio out with new one bought on ebay. Very impressed with the OEM (IIRC 816) radio, doubt I could have done better with an aftermarket radio. Was glad to find the stock disc changer in the back works great too.

9.) Changed switch pack out in drivers door. All windows except the drivers door now work.

10.) Changing tires, looking for recommendations. Willdo front end alignment.... anythingspecial to watch for?

11.)Replacing battery.

12.) Replacing timing belt, tensioner, and guide.Just a note herefor anyone else.I somehow missed the ordering instructions on the FCP Groton webssite.Check your motor serial number before you order. I got the kit in, took the old belt off and realized that I had the wrong tensioner.... just mailed the kit back to FCP Groton... Water pump feels fine. Old timing belt was probably done in the recent past. Volvo brand belt, looks new. Not taking any chances though.

13.) Changing drive belt. minor wear, but not too bad. Will keep in the road side spares kit. FWIW, a note on changing the belt. You can relieve the tension on the belt without a special tool. Just push the belt to move the tensioner back, and insert a small allen wrench into the hole in the tensioner. Much easier then messing with the 3/8" square... no breaker bar I own would fit in there between the wheel well and the tensioner.

14.) Changing the upper motor mount (over the valve cover). Looks pretty simple, probably easier if the turbo pipe were no in the way.

15.) Changing plugs. Went with the Bosch copper tips. Has anyone ever had problems with the platinum plugs in these cars? I know impedance feedback ignitions do not like platinum plugs.... How about these cars?

16.) Need to find a remote control for the car. Can anyone with a 98 V70 post the FCC ID number off of your remote so I can make sure to get the right one>?

 

Tried responding before, but was having the 404 problems too.

I would've gone with Volvo XC spring seats and OEM control arms*. The FCP ones, and standard OEM V70 ones too, are reported to wear very quickly. Over on VolvoSpeed, many report needing to replace the crappy ScanTech ones after just 6 months or so.

I've got Volvo remotes #9166200 working both my '98 V70 and (old style) '01 S40. FCC ID HYQ1512J. YMMV.

* in fact, I'm getting ready to replace all the front suspension stuff too. Going with OEM parts (sourced through Darrell Waltrip Volvo (great Prices for Volvo brand parts- not much more than aftermarket)).

 

Update;

Got the car back on the road. Drives great with the new front end. Plan to mount the new tires tomorrow, going with Toyos. Reviews hold them as comparable to Michelins but half the price. I will post my impressions after I drive them a bit.

The car had a CEL when I bought it, the code was a P0116, so I bought a sensor. I pulled the Whaller thermostat out and it was BROKEN. It was an OEM Volvo (original) with no corrosion but the top had broken on one side. I have pulled wrenches for a while, andhave never seen one break like this. Replaced it and changed the sensor and the CEL has been off since.

Plan to take apart the rear hatch latch to figure out why the open hatch light is staying on.

My 'service' light has a weird habit of coming on for about 3 minutes when the car is started, and then it goes off. I wonder if someone has had it reprogramed so that it does not stay on? Anyone ever heard of that?

 

The door and trunk switches are integrated into the locking mechanism. Cross your fingers and check there for a loose connection. If you have to replace it, they run around $150 new.

It is normal for the service light (aka: change oil light) to turn off after a few minutes. While the cluster can be programmed to change the time (6, 12, 18 or 24 months) and mileage (2.5K, 5K, 7.5K, 10K, 12.5K miles) service intervals, there is no setting to change the duration the light remains on after starting the car.

 

Thanks again. I was hopeing someone had hacked it so it was not going to come on and stay on at the next service interval.[:'(]

Does the service light have any purpose other then to annoy folks who don't keep track of their cars maintenance? I know I can buy a $165 reset tool to turn it out when it stays on... but what happens if it were simply disconnected?

Thanks,

 

Many people just remove the bulb, but it's a PITA to get to.

If it really bothers you, the next time the car is at the dealer (if it ever goes there) you might ask to have the service interval set to 12.5K miles, 24 months, and 1,000 engine hours (the maximums).

FWIW, the Draper reset tool (does airbag light and service light) can be had for around $50. It's hard to find here in the states, but if you go to ebay.co.uk and search "Draper volvo" you'll come up with some vendors. Pick the one that has a "Best Offer" , offer £29, and I'd bet they accept it. I believe it came out to around $54 USD with shipping.

 

Try this for your service indicator. Worked for me.

Resetting the Service Reminder Indicator (SRI), model years -2001
-Ignition position I
-Press and hold in the reset button for the trip odometer
-Ignition position II
-The SRI starts flashing when the reset button for the trip odometer has been pressed for 10 seconds.
-Release the reset button for the odometer within 5 seconds. The instrument gives an audible signal when resetting has succeeded.
Note! If the trip odometer reset button is not released within 5 seconds the indicator is not reset. However the indicator will stop flashing

Resetting the SRI model years 2002-
-Ignition position I
-Press and hold in the reset button for the trip odometer
-Ignition position II
Note! Turn the key to position II within 2 seconds
-Hold the reset button for the trip meter pressed in until the original value has been reset
Note! For all vehicles 2003 model year a general yellow lamp will light when the reset button must be released.
-Release the reset button for the trip odometer within 4 seconds. The instrument gives an audible signal when restting has succeeded.
-If the trip meter is already reset the reset button should be held in for a minimum of 10 seconds and a maximum of 14 seconds.
Note! If the reset button for the trip odometer is not released within 4 seconds, the SRI is not reset.

 

Unfortunately, that procedure doesn't work on the '98. Only options are sweet-talking the dealer's service rep and buying the Draper tool.

 

Update;

1.) The Napa premium thermostat is made by Stant. I generally don't like Stant.... but it is working fine and the P0116 code is gone.

2.) Replaced the 'cabin filter'. I had thought it would not matter that much... apparently the prior owner thought to too. It had more stuff in it then I thought possible. Ahhh.. the smell of clean air.

3.) The Renai floor mats sold by FCP are nice. I wish they were a bit thicker, but I really like the way they fit the car.

4.) Decided on Toyo Touring tires. 65k warantee, handle well, ride well and 30% cheaper then the Michelans I was planning on.

5.) The car is now throwing a P0410 code. I see this is the air pump, and a new one costs $365! I know what the system does, and wish I could just remove it from the car since it does nothing for the performance / longevity of anything. I do not hear the 'hairdryer' sound upon cold start up, so I assume that this is indeed the problem. Anyone ever sucessfuly fixed the pump it's self?

Thanks to all for the help to date.