Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Re: Evap core. Mine still leaks. Never fixed it. It's a very small leak and hasn't grown over the years. Too many hot/cold cycles I guess and poor construction. Off course, the whole dash would have to come out to fix the thing. . . what a PITA!
It's the sitting condensation after trips that kills them. They start corroding and develop a pinhole, and that's the end. Keep them dry when not in use, and they last. Knock wood, ours is still tight and solid after 9 years having done the job. Run the fan on high with ac off for the last 5-10 minutes.
The Volvo service kit is @$400, and includes the receiver drier and all the other parts needed. The job for a DIY is about a full day - full rolldown, which includes the console, steering column . . . and often the front seats. Lots of work, but worth it. A dealer wants north of $1500 for the job, and a good indy is closer to $800-900.
Doing an evap job is a good opportunity to deal with lots of other issues (new odo gears, lamps, heater cores and hoses, squeak fixes, adding additional instruments, etc.). It is not something you want to do too often, however, as some parts are only good for so many R/R cycles.
