Hi everybody, I just got a 2001 v70XC in really good condition with 81000km on it. I was driving in the middle of nowhere and the low coolant message appeared. The coolant level was below min. my friend said it would be ok to put tap water in for the timebeing. Now that I've got coolant the coolant tank is full of water which is really bad by the sounds of it. Should i drain the water out? Can I do that myself? The nearest garage (and not a volvo dealer) is about a 2 hour drive from here. If anyone has any suggestion I would greatly appreciate it. I don't want to ruin my lovely car for something so stupid! By the way I'm in a hot climate - 30 celcius. Thanks

 

How much water did you put in? If is not freezing outside it is not big problem. Little of water wont hurt.
And yes, you could drain and refill. Disconnect lower hose to the radiator.
Bigger issue for me is where or how did coolant disappear on first place

 

A little water is OK. You can drain and refill the cooling system if you want to be sure. There is a drain, called a petcock, on the underside of the radiator through a circular hole but I can't recall which side it is on.

 

Drained some of the water out and added more coolant. The car seems to be running well now. I will keep an eye on the level to make sure that it's not a leak. Thanks very much for your comments, much appreciated!