Hello;
My name is Peter, I'm in Massachusetts. I recently bought from a neighbor a 1998 V70 XC wagon with 153,000 miles on it. B5254T engine. I got it for a good price. here are a few observations:

After nearly four decades of VW Bugs, Slant Six Plymouths, K-Cars, Chevy Luminas, and Ford Tauruses, this Volvo could best be described as "different". Granted my father did have a pair of 145s, a '73 stick and a '74 Volvomatic, and one friend with a '67 122. I am not completely unfamiliar with them. I'm a hands-on guy that can do most of his own work.

Do have some service questions I hope some of you can assist me with.

This car needs a few jobs to be done, they are:

The gas gauge is inoperative: It does go up to 0 when the key is on. I do have the the Chilton manual. They show two access cut-outs. One is supposedly for the gas gauge send in unit, I opened the rearward one. It's only for the fuel filter. The forward one is under the luggage panel, I'll have to figure out how to remove it before I access it. They some a special fuel pump tool, where can I get one cheap? If anyone has any ideas, please come forward.

I see condensation on the oil dipstick. I know the oil is fresh and the coolant level isn't going down. Is this normal?

Could someone advise me on changing the PCV flame trap, more Chilton misinformation.

The 5 cylinder sounds like an old Chevy six at idle. Normal?
During acceleration, I get a noticeable tap that sounds like it's in the top end. As I recall, Volvos weren't the quietest engines. Any ideas?

I should change the distributor cap and rotor. Should I use genuine Bosch? What aftermarket brands are good? Ditto spark plugs. Bosch? NGK? Autolite?
I haven't had a car with a distributor cap in some time, my last was a '93 Plymouth.

Emergency brake cables are frozen. Can they be revived with a liberal dose of PB Blaster. How bad are they to change?

The hood latch only pops the passenger's side. To raise the hood you need someone to hold the inside release as someone else lifts the hood. Any know fixes?

The driver's side upper strut bearing is separated. You get a good squeaky-squawk over bumps. The struts are set up just like an old K-Car. How many pieces is the mount? I'll replace the broken sway bar link(s) while I'm at it. Again, what aftermarket brands are good for Volvos?

Are there any other service bugaboos I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance;
Pete

 

Hi Peter, welcome to VolvoForums. From the list of your old garage, you're gonna love this Volvo once you get the bugs worked out.

Let me start out by saying that the NEW MEMBER section of this forum is often neglected due to it being a place for introductions and not a place to fish for support.

Besides that, you can find most of your answers in the sticky threads of the 850 sub-forum.

Condensation on the dip stick is very common with under driven Volvos.

I'd also like to say that these fwd Volvos "aint yo daddy's Volvo ". They have the soul of the old Volvos but a much different heart. They are very fun to drive when repaired/serviced.

Do enjoy!

 

Hi Guy;
I'm starting to have fun. The ABS decided to report for duty on the way home at 11:30. I'm new to the whole forum scene. I apreciate the support. Hopefully I'll get a few answers. Thanks.

 

dont get after market spark plugs only use volvo plugs. they will cause multiple issues other than that wires, cap, rotors u are okay with other brands. the suspension noise up front might just need strut tops they are the rubber mounts.if im not mistaken the smaller cut out is the one for the sending unit. by volvo plugs i mean like original volvo plugs with logo on them. they are not that expensive at the dealer.the abs light is most likely your abs module most common issue.

 

RE: fuel pump and fuel tank sender access; the FWD has access panels; didn't think the AWD models did; you'll tell me if I'm wrong. From what I've heard you have to drop the tank on this one; at least partway.

RE: engine noise: are you referring to valve lash noise? No, that's not normal; should sound like a sewing machine at idle.

RE: suspension; probably upper strut mounts; may as well do struts/shocks while you're at it, unless you don't want to put any money into it...

RE: replacement parts; in general OEM is best with few exceptions; Bosch is OEM for ignition and electrical parts.

 

Engine sound... in this video @ 7:15 you can hear what our S70 sounds like.

 

Is it possible to use a B5254T in place of a B5254T2 ??

 

Hood problem answer: at the U-PULL-IT yard I obtained a spiffy VOLVO word which I adhered, by making small holes in the plastic cover, directly under the hood's mini-bumper. NOW THE HOOD POPS AS IT SHOULD and it looks a bit extra spiffy..... just need to change the darn fuel pump ON THIS XC no true fun and some worry... at least I can work on aproject fo rweeks without cussing. You see, Karen Armstrong explained tyo me that not only am I a shade tree mechanic, I also am a shade tree Buddhist.