Call me skeptical.
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Need advice fast on Volvo's(XC70 mostly)
- Thread starter Chris B.
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I also own both a Volvo (2005 V70) and a Subaru (2001 Forester), and Saaber1's comparison of the two is right on target.
Another observation is that my 2001 Forester underbody is rusting badly at 115K, while I expect the galvanized Volvo underbody to be largely rust free at the same miles/age. The Volvo is a much more complex car, a factor I am sure contributes to the somewhat lower parts reliability of the Volvo.
I love both cars, but they are built with very different philosophies.
Another observation is that my 2001 Forester underbody is rusting badly at 115K, while I expect the galvanized Volvo underbody to be largely rust free at the same miles/age. The Volvo is a much more complex car, a factor I am sure contributes to the somewhat lower parts reliability of the Volvo.
I love both cars, but they are built with very different philosophies.
Originally Posted By: DaveL
I also own both a Volvo (2005 V70) and a Subaru (2001 Forester), and Saaber1's comparison of the two is right on target.
Another observation is that my 2001 Forester underbody is rusting badly at 115K, while I expect the galvanized Volvo underbody to be largely rust free at the same miles/age. The Volvo is a much more complex car, a factor I am sure contributes to the somewhat lower parts reliability of the Volvo.
I love both cars, but they are built with very different philosophies.
I agree with the different philosophies statement.
Rusting badly at 115K on a 2001 car? Jeeez...Sounds just like my in-law's Subaru. Helping with brake jobs on that car sucks.
Does it have the Subaru head gasket problem as well?
Coolant in the oil is what makes a Subaru a Subaru.
I also own both a Volvo (2005 V70) and a Subaru (2001 Forester), and Saaber1's comparison of the two is right on target.
Another observation is that my 2001 Forester underbody is rusting badly at 115K, while I expect the galvanized Volvo underbody to be largely rust free at the same miles/age. The Volvo is a much more complex car, a factor I am sure contributes to the somewhat lower parts reliability of the Volvo.
I love both cars, but they are built with very different philosophies.
I agree with the different philosophies statement.
Rusting badly at 115K on a 2001 car? Jeeez...Sounds just like my in-law's Subaru. Helping with brake jobs on that car sucks.
Does it have the Subaru head gasket problem as well?
Coolant in the oil is what makes a Subaru a Subaru.
FWIW I know someone who owned a 1998 Volvo AWD Cross Country wagon, and although it was a decent car, parts were hard to find and expensive. I don't think personally that it is any better (or worse) than a domestic but a lot more expensive.
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
I bought them!
Congrats! As volvohead said, these are some of the most comfortable highway cars you will ever find. Also last winter I went through like 6 inches of snow on the highway and everyone was pulling over and the Volvo felt more in control than any 4wd I have had. It felt almost like there was no snow there.
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
The trick to being a long-term owner of a Volvo is to identify where those areas are, and deal with them proactively. The community of owners is good about keeping itself informed, and there is a large subculture of DIY owners. That philosophy, and regular fluid changes, are the keys to getting the multi-hundred thousand mile lives out of them.
This is the most important point I think. Spend some money up front to make sure all maintenance is up to speed and top notch, new, fluids are in everything (differential, transfer case, coolant, brake fluid, etc.). Then if you do regular maintenance they will last a long time.
Originally Posted By: mormit
Do your own work and you're fine. Otherwise, dealerships and shops will assume you like to spend money and try to take you for a ride. Be self-sufficient or don't be a sucker.
+1! A great way also to learn about your car and they are not hard to maintain once you learn what to do. A cheap $6 hand pump from an auto parts store helps with differential, transfer case fluid changing. I use redline in the transfer case and diff. due to high heat.
My recommendations in addition to those above:
1) Ignore Volvo's specs for any fluid where there is a long change interval. Change it like you should for any car and use high quality fluids. F. e. fush the transmission fluid every 30k (my general rule for any automatic). Volvo's recommendation for my xc is they call the ATF a "lifetime" fluid and say "visually inspect" the fluid on the dipstick. Ignore that and flush the fluid like you should and it will shift like new for a very long time. IPD sells transmission flush kits or you can make your own, it is easy to flush.
2) Use good quality gas like chevron, texaco, shell, not arco.
3) Keep all 4 tires the same brand/tire and same air pressure as this will avoid wear on the 4wd system. Should probably rotate regularly also.
4) Use leather conditioner on seats at least every 6 months or more often if possible. Keeps them from drying out and staying soft. Use natural oily or creamy products that don't leave a high shine, plasticy feel. I use zymol or mercedes benz leather conditioner but lots of good products out there.
Also IPD.com is a great source volvo parts/maint. stuff. +1 on the auto-rx recommendation. My car seems to really like german castrol but I haven't done a used oil analysis on it yet, i'll probably do one soon and post it.
I bought them!
Congrats! As volvohead said, these are some of the most comfortable highway cars you will ever find. Also last winter I went through like 6 inches of snow on the highway and everyone was pulling over and the Volvo felt more in control than any 4wd I have had. It felt almost like there was no snow there.
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
The trick to being a long-term owner of a Volvo is to identify where those areas are, and deal with them proactively. The community of owners is good about keeping itself informed, and there is a large subculture of DIY owners. That philosophy, and regular fluid changes, are the keys to getting the multi-hundred thousand mile lives out of them.
This is the most important point I think. Spend some money up front to make sure all maintenance is up to speed and top notch, new, fluids are in everything (differential, transfer case, coolant, brake fluid, etc.). Then if you do regular maintenance they will last a long time.
Originally Posted By: mormit
Do your own work and you're fine. Otherwise, dealerships and shops will assume you like to spend money and try to take you for a ride. Be self-sufficient or don't be a sucker.
+1! A great way also to learn about your car and they are not hard to maintain once you learn what to do. A cheap $6 hand pump from an auto parts store helps with differential, transfer case fluid changing. I use redline in the transfer case and diff. due to high heat.
My recommendations in addition to those above:
1) Ignore Volvo's specs for any fluid where there is a long change interval. Change it like you should for any car and use high quality fluids. F. e. fush the transmission fluid every 30k (my general rule for any automatic). Volvo's recommendation for my xc is they call the ATF a "lifetime" fluid and say "visually inspect" the fluid on the dipstick. Ignore that and flush the fluid like you should and it will shift like new for a very long time. IPD sells transmission flush kits or you can make your own, it is easy to flush.
2) Use good quality gas like chevron, texaco, shell, not arco.
3) Keep all 4 tires the same brand/tire and same air pressure as this will avoid wear on the 4wd system. Should probably rotate regularly also.
4) Use leather conditioner on seats at least every 6 months or more often if possible. Keeps them from drying out and staying soft. Use natural oily or creamy products that don't leave a high shine, plasticy feel. I use zymol or mercedes benz leather conditioner but lots of good products out there.
Also IPD.com is a great source volvo parts/maint. stuff. +1 on the auto-rx recommendation. My car seems to really like german castrol but I haven't done a used oil analysis on it yet, i'll probably do one soon and post it.
transmission flush:
http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/sku_files/7945_INST.PDF
for transfer case and rear diff. I just pump out the old and pump in the new using one of these type pumps http://www.partsamerica.com:80/productdetail.aspx?MfrCode=CSM&MfrPartNumber=36670&CategoryCode=3401 get the gallon size pump if you can as it is much faster. buy addtional hose at hardware store to save having to clean old hose if desired
For me I do coolant flush via draining, filing with water, running, then repeat several times until runs perfectly clear then refill with 50% distilled water/50% coolant (I like g-05 but whatever floats your boat) i replace thermostat at the same time. Then bleed all the air out by running above 2k rpm with the expansion tank cap off (may take several minutes). recap and turn of car to let it cool down a little if it wants to overflow the expansion tank. then repeat until zero air coming out on return into expansion tank (I don't know if newer XC still have this same system but I am assuming they do). lots of other ways too maybe volvohead has some slick methods.
Brake fluid via one man brake bleeder and pump out all the old by pumping brake pedal while filling with new until all new is coming out. In other words, bleed the brakes a lot until it is all new fluid. make sure maste cyl. never runs low and no air is in the system. (you probably already know all this but just for completeness).
xcforum for other help
http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/sku_files/7945_INST.PDF
for transfer case and rear diff. I just pump out the old and pump in the new using one of these type pumps http://www.partsamerica.com:80/productdetail.aspx?MfrCode=CSM&MfrPartNumber=36670&CategoryCode=3401 get the gallon size pump if you can as it is much faster. buy addtional hose at hardware store to save having to clean old hose if desired
For me I do coolant flush via draining, filing with water, running, then repeat several times until runs perfectly clear then refill with 50% distilled water/50% coolant (I like g-05 but whatever floats your boat) i replace thermostat at the same time. Then bleed all the air out by running above 2k rpm with the expansion tank cap off (may take several minutes). recap and turn of car to let it cool down a little if it wants to overflow the expansion tank. then repeat until zero air coming out on return into expansion tank (I don't know if newer XC still have this same system but I am assuming they do). lots of other ways too maybe volvohead has some slick methods.
Brake fluid via one man brake bleeder and pump out all the old by pumping brake pedal while filling with new until all new is coming out. In other words, bleed the brakes a lot until it is all new fluid. make sure maste cyl. never runs low and no air is in the system. (you probably already know all this but just for completeness).
xcforum for other help
Last edited:
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/chat/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8767
I used a continuous fill method. Start with a quart or two of plain ATF, then add the good stuff. Alternately, do a full flush with cheap stuff, run a few 100 miles and re-do with synth.
I used a continuous fill method. Start with a quart or two of plain ATF, then add the good stuff. Alternately, do a full flush with cheap stuff, run a few 100 miles and re-do with synth.
The PSF was easy.
"Rust" on the under carriage of any New England vehicle is meaningless. It has no bearing on the life of vehicle.
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
My grandparents 1990 Subaru Legacy is all rusty on the undercarriage yet it passes NH's stringent inspection and has no issues related to the undercarriage. It has started to bubble at the end of the wheel wells but any car after 200k miles and 18+ years of rural unpaved roads(3 miles) to their home.
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
My grandparents 1990 Subaru Legacy is all rusty on the undercarriage yet it passes NH's stringent inspection and has no issues related to the undercarriage. It has started to bubble at the end of the wheel wells but any car after 200k miles and 18+ years of rural unpaved roads(3 miles) to their home.
Originally Posted By: rjundi
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
A Honda turns to "pure rust" in under ten years? Not sure how that fact compares favorably against a Volvo, or any other car for that matter.
BTW, where is that Honda now?
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
A Honda turns to "pure rust" in under ten years? Not sure how that fact compares favorably against a Volvo, or any other car for that matter.
BTW, where is that Honda now?
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: rjundi
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
A Honda turns to "pure rust" in under ten years? Not sure how that fact compares favorably against a Volvo, or any other car for that matter.
BTW, where is that Honda now?
I run across the owner once in a while. My old Civic has over 250k and still not a single internal engine or transmission repair. Still passes NH state inspection.
Originally Posted By: rjundi
My last 95 Honda Civic was pure rust underneath in 2004 and car was fine.
A Honda turns to "pure rust" in under ten years? Not sure how that fact compares favorably against a Volvo, or any other car for that matter.
BTW, where is that Honda now?
I run across the owner once in a while. My old Civic has over 250k and still not a single internal engine or transmission repair. Still passes NH state inspection.
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: saaber1
2001 is the first "FORD" v70xc.
BTW, that's not quite correct. The last gen S60/V70 was the last pre-Ford designed Volvo model. As the model production wore on, the parts content slowly started to acquire a couple FoMoCo bin parts (my '06 has a few Ford branded electrical connectors underhood). But that's it. The core design is pure Swede. Other than funding, Ford has thoughtfully stayed out of Volvo's operations until recently.
Nope. The engine was designed and is produced by Volkswagen in Germany, the transmission designed and built by Aisin-Warner in Japan, the electrics are a mixture of German and Japanese, the wheels are cast in Norway, etc, etc.
Originally Posted By: saaber1
2001 is the first "FORD" v70xc.
BTW, that's not quite correct. The last gen S60/V70 was the last pre-Ford designed Volvo model. As the model production wore on, the parts content slowly started to acquire a couple FoMoCo bin parts (my '06 has a few Ford branded electrical connectors underhood). But that's it. The core design is pure Swede. Other than funding, Ford has thoughtfully stayed out of Volvo's operations until recently.
Nope. The engine was designed and is produced by Volkswagen in Germany, the transmission designed and built by Aisin-Warner in Japan, the electrics are a mixture of German and Japanese, the wheels are cast in Norway, etc, etc.
I would get a pre-00 V70 for like $3000, look for the cleanest you can find. 1998 was the last year with standard ignition and dino fluids. Very robust and simple, skip the AWD, the Haldex needs service and there are driveshaft issues.
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