I've been looking around locally for a turbo Volvo for a while. I finally located a 98' V70 T5 and took a quick look at it this afternoon. It needs a good cleaning but otherwise seems nice. I'm going for a test drive and to take a better look at it tomorrow. So far I know that it's a 5 speed manual and it has 167k miles- that's about it. The thing that almost makes me shy away from it is the fact that it has a tow hitch but I'll at least give the car a chance. I guess I'm just trying to find out if there is anything special I should look out for, if there are any problem areas on these cars. I know nothing about the drive train thus far but I just want to make sure I have all of my bases covered if it runs and drives well.

 

That's a very desireable combo; if it's in good shape i would buy it. If you don't, someone else around here probably will.

Of course it all depends on how much they're asking too. It will need maintenance I'm sure; if you don't know cars get it ckd out by a good indy volvo tech (preferably before you buy); compression ck would be advisable, and likely due for timing belt, etc.. If you're willing to maintain it, that is a very nice/fun ride...

Ck out rspi's buyers guide too.

 

So far I have no idea on the price but it should be under $3k. Are these interference engines? I'm just curious as that was one of the good things about my old MR2. Since then I've just had V8 cars so I haven't had to worry about belts. I'm definitely a backyard mechanic and would rather work on it myself as I have in the past with my other vehicles. I usually change the oil, oil filter, plugs ,ect. when I buy a car for good measure. How hard is the timing belt change? Any special tools needed?

 

Yes, the 20 valve I5 in the 850/S/V70s is an interference engine, which I prefer myself; all things being equal, you'll get more performance from an interference engine.

If you're looking for tractor reliability suggest you opt for the 2 series RWD models; the car you're looking at will quite fun to drive.

Timing belt can be replaced w/o any special tools (though they recommend a cam locking tool). If you have ever done other dual overhead cam timing belts before, then this one's not too bad.

 

I want something that will be fun to drive but not that I have to work on every other day of the week. Not that I mind working on something, it's just that it needs to be fairly reliable as it will be my daily driver. I probably won't be able to do the timing belt right away but I'll definitely do it within the first 3 months; I don't have a whole lot of free time right now. There aren't too many Volvo mechanics in the area, mostly just small shops that work on pretty much anything and they probably wouldn't be able to tell much more than I can.

If the check engine light is on, is there a way to check the codes without a scanner?

How much is there by the way of performance modifications for these cars? I will be interested in upgrading a few things later on.

 

I'm thinking there may be something up with this car. I'm too tied up today to head over there but I called and they told me they only want around $2k for it . I'll be over that way tomorrow so I'll find out more then.

 

Once they are properly maintained these cars are very reliable IMO. But if you get one that has been neglected for 150K mls, then sure, it's going to be one thing after another. We've had some folks on this forum who say volvos are POS's since they've had a bad experience; most people here have the opposite impression. Again, these cars (like most others) are going to need regular maintenance; timing belt every 70K or so, TB tensioner and pulleys every other TB change, suspension work every 120-150K, etc.

This is MY 98 so it is OBD2 meaning you need an OBD2 scanner to read codes. Ck out IPD and others for mods; i like their sway bars and HD spring seats. I like the 98 MY because that's last yr before they went to ETM and lots of other changes that made the car less reliable (again, IMO).

Be sure to run a CarFax or AutoCk too; make sure it's not hot!

 

Man, don't be scared away by that low price. It's probably neglected and needs a few weeks of care, after that you'll be home free.

Tow hitches usually scare me as well, even though a lot of people have used them only once or twice. The main thing is to check the tranny to make sure the fluid is red and it's not slipping. Since this one has a 5M that is less of an issue. If it shifts smoothly and the clutch is in good shape you should have no worries there.

Here is a link to the buyer's guide: Buyer's guide - Volvo Forums - Volvo Enthusiasts Forum If you are handy you can likely do the inspection yourself but I would also recommend a compression test if you want to be on the safe side: Compression Test - Volvo S70 GLT, 1998
A lot of these cars are blowing head gaskets, the ones that have been neglected. I think they are 500k cars, when strictly maintained.

Most people bail on these cars when no one is driving them much and they need maintenance at the tune of $2,000+. That could be a dealer timing belt job along with the PCV system replacement. If the belt is not much over due maybe you can go a few months without changing it. I wouldn't advise it because if they did a cheap belt replacement last time it likely needs rollers as well. A ticking time bomb.

No there is no way to check codes without a scanner. My advise is to purchase one of you plan to purchase this car because it will pop a cel ever time a vacuum hose is loose, the car hichups, etc. Most of the time the car will run smoothly with a cel but you at least want to know what's going on before ignoring it.

Again, that price likely reflects that the cosmetic condition is poor and maintenance is due. If you don't mind putting in some elbow grease you will likely have a great car. Heck, I wish I could get it for that price. Lots of tune upgrades out there for a T-5.

 

As far as appearance goes the car looks nice. The paint looks decent, despite being dirty and a few scratches on the rear bumper, and would look great with a good buffing. The interior is alright but you can tell the car was used in the front and rear. The seats have a few tears at the seams, the writing on the controls on the doors are worn off in places, and some of the plastic has scratches. An afternoon of cleaning and the car would look great as far as I can tell. I got a good look at everything because the car was left unlocked but I didn't pop the hood because I didn't want to be too forward with someone else's car.

It's looking more like I'll do the timing belt right away if I do get it. I saw a kit online that includes everything for under $200. Question is, are the aftermarket kits as good as OEM Volvo? I know I'm asking an awful lot of questions for a car I may go look at tomorrow and find to be the biggest POS ever, I just want to learn what I can about the car I might soon own. If I don't buy this one, I'm still in the market for one so the information won't be wasted.

Any used car's reliability depends alot upon how well the previous owner cared for the car. I guess we'll find out how well they took care of it tomorrow .

 

I think most of the reliability issues will depend on how long it sat if it sat at all. The longer one lets one of these cars sit around (or any old car for that matter) the more problems it will develope.

I don't think you can find any after market parts that are better than OEM parts. The key is to find after market parts from manufacturers that make the parts for Volvo. Example, Volvo filters are Mann filters. As for replacing the timing belt, if you don't know the history replace all the rollers and the tensioner. I don't see how that kit could cost less than $250, the tensioner is $90 alone.

I just closed a seam on my 850 drivers seat. Took a while and boy did my hands hurt last night but I'm glad I did it. As long as the leater is not torn it should be doable.

 

Alright I need some ideas. I talked to the guy and he said the car ran great, it's a small car lot, and claimed they drove it to the lot from over 100 miles away. The car started right up first try and I let it idle for about 5 minutes and everything seemed great- no smoke, no noises. The one thing that caught my eye was the check engine light was on but I figured I'd drive the car and decide then. So I hop in and back it out and pull up to the stop sign. So far everything seems great, that is until I pull out into traffic. I didn't give it hell right out of the gate but when I did I was greeted with what sounded like someone hitting the limiter of a 2-step. I don't know exactly what RPM it starts but it spits and skips like no other. When it does this the check engine light flashes. After I got back the guy tells me once again that the car was driven there without issue and he'd have his mechanic check it out but it would probably be next week.
I've been looking for one of these for ages for a decent price, or at a lot that will finance me, and this is the first one I've found that has what I want (5 speed, turbo). I'm going to call the guy tomorrow and make sure he knows that I am seriously interested in the car and see if he can't get someone to at least check the codes and tell me why the check engine light is on. Even with the damn thing running like crap I still love the car, I can't explain it. Damn Volvo...

Any idea what would cause this? Or could this be any number of issues?

EDIT: Another thing to note is that it only seems to do it under load. I revved it a few times while it was in neutral and it didn't skip a beat.

 

Sounds like the timing is getting off when under load. I've seen a few threads about these turbo's bogging under load. Check out the 850 section and see what you come up with.

It would be a good idea to take the car to a mechanic or have a car inspector check it out before you buy it. That $65 to $125 will be money will spent. They will check the codes for you and let you know what the real deal is on the codes. I got a super deal on a Maxima because I had a code reader and read a code or two that didn't even have a cel on. That kinda scared the seller (dealer / broker) and made them willing to give me the good deal.

It is possible that they never put their foot in it when they drove it back to the lot. The whole fun of having a turbo is being able to put your foot in it when you need to or want to. You don't need it bogging down. I blew by a couple of crack heads in a Honda Accord that was giving me crap because I wasn't in as much of a hurry as they were. Road rage sucks and I usually just slow way down and let them go on but these jerks were hitting their brakes and all kind of stuff.