In Santa Fe, we took a side trip to Bandelier National Monument (Peublo Indian cave dwellings, petroglyphs) and camped for the night.

City-to-city distance: 1020 mi
Total distance driven: 1126 mi
Average speed: 53 mpg
Fuel economy: 28.9 MPG (very light foot)

View Larger Map

If low operating expense is as big an issue as you imply, be aware that Volvos are expensive to repair when they break. They are borderline luxury cars and just like Mercedes, BMW, etc. it is simply more expensive to have them worked on. For example, micro-sized lightbulbs for dash lights cost $9 at a Volvo dealer while the exact same bulb at a Honda dealer is $2.60. That’s a trivial example but you get the idea. Since you can’t do your own work you will always be paying premium prices for replacement parts.

I have owned many different cars and although I love my current Volvo I do not expect it to be the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. It may be heresy on this Volvo board, but for reliability and trouble-free use, you may want to look at a used Honda or Toyota. I had a Honda Accord that went 87,000 miles without one single thing going wrong with it - not one thing! I doubt many Volvo owners can say the same.

Also be aware that if you get a Volvo with a turbo you should probably use premium fuel - a significant added expense with regular fuel approaching $4/gallon.

Volvos are not for everyone; a round peg does not fit in a square hole. For poor students and those who must have an operating vehicle every morning, bar none, buy new (anything) or buy a Honda (or Toyota). But those who buy, say, a 1997 Accord over a 1997 850 must remember they’re giving up a degree of safety for the promise of improved reliability and somewhat lower operating costs (maintenance + repairs + fuel and other consumables).

It’s a value decision, just like the other ten thousand value decisions we’re faced with in life.

I’ve just come back from visiting my kid, who is studying in the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. While there I saw this ad for a well taken care of, low mileage, 1998 Volvo S70 standard model with a stick transmission, at a very reasonable price, so I bought it. I didn’t drive it down to Guatemala, because I’m getting a bit old to drive that much, especially in Mexico, of all places.

In the past I’ve driven through Mexico, to Guatemala, more than a dozen times, and though I travel with an American passport (I’ve double nationality, American/Guatemalan), in day to day corruption Mexico surpasses every other country I’ve been in, so I didn’t want to face that again.

Anyway, my kid will bring me the car to Guatemala at the end of May, when he has a week off from UC for some reason or other.
This will be my fifth Volvo. In order, I’ve had a 145, a 240 station wagon, a 240 two-door turbo sedan, a very small Volvo two-door made in Holland with a Renault engine (in the ex-Daaf factory). This last one was a lemon, so I hadn’t bought a Volvo in a long time, especially since all my local pals tell me “Ford has ruined the brand!”

I did try out the S70 rather extensively in and around the SF Bay Area during my stay there, and according to me, the Volvo-Ford is just fine.

6.144 gallons 164054 miles $3.509 /gal La Plata, MD 4:05pm

10.506 gallons 164298 miles $3.599 /gal Morgantown, WV 7:46pm 23.1 MPG (volvo tripcomp.)

7.030 gallons 164471 miles $3.460 /gal Nitro, WV 11:04pm

15.470 gallons 164808 miles $3.399 /gal Haubstadt, IN 3:17am 23.3 MPG (volvo tripcomp.)

11.293gallons 165092 miles $3.399 /gal Columbia, MO 8:18 am

8.085 gallons 165285 miles $3.339 /gal Topeka, KS 11:38am 23.8 MPG (volvo tripcomp.)

Manhattan, KS 165338 miles = 1305 trip miles (first fill up was 20.2 miles in] 12:20pm

total fuel: 58.558

personalized PCV system about $20.00

fuel cost: $201.68

cost of my 98 s70 T-5: $1500.00

Driving a T-5 half way across the country in approx. 21 hours without a ticket or incident….

Priceless

(couldn’t resist….)

Well - I changed the oil yesterday evening, clearing out the Seafoam and “flushing” the system with some dino-oil. ‘Flushing’ because it’s to be changed in 2 or so short weeks when I have the PCV system from FPC Groton.

While under the car I noticed a problem I had missed in a hurried inspection back east…. the radiator was only mounted on one end, somehow the bolts washer that rests against the metal spacer in the mounting bracket was undersized and had passed thru. Man that would been catastrophic had the other mount broke loose. Also the big tube into/outta(?)(bottom of ic - drivers side) the intercooler had a nice divot in it and a resulting hairline split… pressurized systems love leaks… I can only guess as to the cause, there was no “crash” damage anywhere around. Needless to say both were fixed (the hose temporarily - gotta love duct tape and zipties!!) and no other issues were spotted as I examined the underside more carefully.

I painted the grill first thing too, took it apart, cleaned it and threw 7 - 8 coats of Kyrlon Fusion I had lying around on it.

Car is a hauler, performed flawlessly.

Update:

Yesterday I left So. MD (official time departing from filling station - 4:05pm EDT) I arrived today in Manhattan, KS some 1305 miles later @ 1:20pm). I was somewhat tremulous of the PCV set-up I had devised and knew that a major malfunction would be -just that… Nonetheless I made good time according to the S70’s trip computer -I averaged 70 mph overall and that includes one 30+ minute idle to keep warm for a pre-dawn nap.

It began with rush hour traffic from the south side of DC all the way around the beltway to 270 N. around Rockville. While this did stink I was next to my most desired car in the world while in bumper to bumper traffic - a super rare 993 turbo S on the beltway near Silver Spring MD. I have had this 911 at the top of my dream car list since it came out as Porsche’s last hurrah for the venerable air-cooled autobahn burner [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_993]. I would have so much rather encountered him on an ‘open’ road but I doubt I coulda goaded him into an exhibition of it’s monstrous power, but I sure woulda tried. Finally north of Rockville it opened up and so the needle climbed higher. With the Valentine 1 on the visor some reassurance was had. I cruised mostly solo throughout the evening and into the night, then near midnight lights approached me rapidly from the rear. The detector had been silent so I wasn’t terribly concerned on that front; as it past me on the left I realized it was a mid nineties Corolla with the driver giving it just about all it had so then I decided to let the Volvo show its ‘might’; with generous but far from full throttle I coaxed the turbo into doing it’s work and in short order the intakes pressurization was increased noticeably over the atmosphere and the T-5 eased ahead of him. We cruised at a relaxed 90-ish mph pace for 30 or so miles and he eventually exited so I was back to more subdued velocities. During the trip the car never saw WOT as I was determined to avoid what I felt would have been the most likely scenario for oil spewage. I checked the catch and breather every stop and never found fault or oil. As the night wore on there weren’t any other high speed travelers to join so I cruised solo mostly. Earlier I had dinked around with the lowbeams at the onset of night, attempting to by a replacement bulb at Wal-Mart in WV to no avail, though I did blow the fuse… the plastic housing for the wires crumbled and I tried hooking them up (by mistake) backwards. The lowbeams are woefully inadequate - I attribute this mainly to dull lenses; the highbeams however shone bright and pierced the darkness in a most illuminating manner. Because of the low beams impotence I attempted to engage the highs as often and for as long as I could without aggravating other drivers. Then early in the morning hours the expanse spread before me…
At 0-dark-thirty somewhere on a surprisingly well lit, wide, long, totally vacant and smooth expanse of 64 West in Kentucky the ‘S’ saw an indicated 130. As the night gave way to the breaking dawn I fought off my sleepiness but eventually had to stop for a third time to nap. After the short break I refueled, grabbed some coffee and McDonalds for breakfast in Indiana and continued on westward toward Kansas. It was predominately uneventful until the rain came and came and came some more. The Yokohamas preformed very well in the wet, I was a bit ahead of the rush hour in St. Louis so I got through there in good time. While the trek across Missouri was utterly damp and boring the speeds were still good and I only saw one accidents aftermath on the eastbound side. Besides the Kentucky venture and Corolla dance there were several (3/4 throttle) blasts from 80-110, this is where that engine just shines… with a chip & exhaust and WOT it would be invigorating, (it took all I had to keep from mashing it…) The brakes as is my experience with Volvo were up to overpowering any speed the engine and my right foot might muster, they are in a word - solid. Fortunately their full exploitation was not required. The Valentine registered one confirmed radar trap in the whole journey. The ABS light came on a couple times after some stops but put itself out and for the latter part of the journey remained dark; speaking of sensors, MIL/CEL’s the CEL came back on - I cleared it prior to departure and it displayed the same single fault at trips end.

I must sheepishly admit I didn’t change the oil. I didn’t ‘make’ time for it, additionally I want to see and examine it myself. I think it wasn’t a good idea to drive 1300 miles with Seafoamed carboned gunk… but I did, we will see.

The car shimmies and creaks on rough roads belying it’s 10 years and 160+k miles but on a smooth road it’s like a vault and effortlessly consumes the asphalt in a reassuring manner. Hey we all know this -it’s a Volvo…

Overall I was really impressed with the nonchalant capabilities the T 5 displayed, it went beyond my expectations and bolstered the stregnths that attract such a following as it has. I am quite pleased. Now to get that t-belt credit from FCP Groton put toward the PCV system (the Volvo system that is) and get that taken care of… and changing the oil post haste.

(I am having trouble copying and pasting the travel data but hopefully can get it added in later) (in a nutshell avg. Speed = 70, avg MPG = 23.8 from the Volvo trip comp.)

(to view the picture click it once, then click the new image again for full size)

BTW -the dipstick head was ejected, the stick part was still in place and retrieved when I put the new stick in - which (as you forewarned MIJ) doesn’t fit, it’s head is incorrect but the dipstick tube is now serving as a vent (I have rigged two vent tubes) with hosing and a catch can …so the non-fit of the replacement dipstick is neither here nor there at this point .

My next post will hope fully be a synopsis of the road trip

See ya on the flip side!

I had a little mishap already though, the ride from the airport was like 70 miles, couldn’t help myself had to goose it a little (I’ve been driving NA diesels for the past 11 years), do a little “Italian job”. Well that was dumb. I think the car decided it didn’t need two dipsticks in it so it ejaculated it’s metallic one and let me keep driving. I thought I smelled a little oil but figured it was me overreacting to an odor from another car in the rush hour traffic. So when I got to a restaurant on the way ‘home’ I popped the hood (picture should be below). I’ll get under the car tomorrow to view the RMS, but I am holding out hope the dipstick was a relief. So gotta get a new dipstick tomorrow to make sure the oil level is OK. I don’t have time for a PCV replacement (I know that is what I NEED to do…) so I have a plan I will reveal in detail in my next post. First thing though I am gonna put Seafoam in the oil trap a la:

waynej

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/chat/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13100

I know its not the “best” thing, heck it isn’t even a fix but I have a brothers wedding and a rehearsal dinner and blah, blah, …maybe snagging a volvo when I was back east for a wedding wasn’t the brightest idea, but it’s gonna be an adventure….

On a good note: commo with the seller lead to the revelation/forgotten fact that actually the t-belt was replaced (receipt and all) only 7k miles ago, so no worries there! I had planned on gettin’ that done Fri. morning. Well those parts are heading back to FCP tomorrow instead. So why don’t I get the PCV ’system’ tomorrow and do it… I suppose I could but I wouldn’t be able to get it from a dealer (nearest is 50 miles away) and do the repair and get to the familial commitments too…but like I said I got a plan… and it’s more than just Seafoam, but input and ideas are encouraged, I am listening…

So tomorrow (I hope)… the plan.

Oh I just remembered I brought a print out of the codes that were from this site… don’t see a 410 anywhere (it was gotten with an OBD2 scan tool…) ideas anyone?

I’ll check again tomorrow. It’s late now and my day began early and will again tomorrow….

Actually my Volvo story begins in 1995 with an ‘84 240; not a long history in comparison to some others for sure….but that’s another story.

This chapter in my Volvo saga begins with motorcycles. Yeah motorcycles. I road-race out here in the midwest in the TrackAddix Great Plains Series and we had our awards banquet at a hotel in KC this past Jan. I was terribly sick with a nasty flu and it made for a lousy time - but there in the hotel parking lot I saw it, a red S60R. It wasn’t even clean but it was uber-cool.

Damn I thought: “That’s a Volvo?” I hadn’t been paying too much attention to cars in recent years, suffering more from a two-wheel syndrome of late. Plus I was now living in Manhattan, KS and it isn’t a place crowded with foreign cars; the myriad European cars I had grown so accustomed to on the east coast were utterly lacking and thus my surprise to see this kick ass “Whall-woe”

The last Volvo I had had was sold two years prior and that 240 Diesel was well used; has any one else gotten excited for a snowy day and headed to the parking lots to do doughnuts and drift about (in a diesel with 81 hp motivating some 2900 pounds no less) until they were dizzy– I miss rear wheel drive… Anyway - I had to learn about this “S60” - I’d been outta the Volvo loop for a while - really hadn’t paid to close attention in those years to the Volvo’s as they were (and still are) outta my range when new. Though I have always fondly recalled the ad campaign when the 850 R’s first came out, it showed an Italian exotic (Lamborghini I think) with a trailer attached and words to the effect: “You get the idea” or something like that. (Just searched 30 some pages of Google images to no avail… somebody out there got it?) I knew about IPD and I had a parts list I dreamed of filling… but again that’s another story.

So as I made my way across the garage the red S60R with Alabama plates had my attention. When I returned back to Manhattan I looked it up on the internet and in short time was perusing the forums. The S60R was mostly outta reach, I am not looking for a big car payment right now, motorcycle racing consumes it’s own budget quite well thank you… but I knew it was time to get back into a Volvo; I tracked the 900 series and 850’s on ebay (I’d even made a spreadsheet to gauge: price, miles, years, location, etc.) Now the 850 and 900 are two dramatically different cars, I know, but they both have there unique appeal. I cruised the forums in search of a deal… Volvospeed, Turbobricks, this site, Swedespeed, V70R. I lurked for weeks and slowly learned a cast of characters, some with renowned acerbity, yet combined with a real no-nonsense knowledge -if you got past the pithiness and questioning. Others more outgoing and just as knowledgeable, some with inane comments that seemed merely there to be counted…. yet we all love the Volvo and want to share in that joy. I was learning a lot and lusting after some nice rides.

Then I stumbled upon it in the classifieds of Swedespeed, a short almost half-hearted sales pitch for an S70…. it didn’t seem like the buyer was enthusiastic, but it was listed:

“Auto, spoiler,black with tan interior, 160k miles,have all maintenance and repair slips, tires good, sunroof works but needs following work:

timing belt
abs sensor
has hairline scratches
windshield has small hole
one of the window buttons doesn’t work
remote keys don’t work
maintained on Mobil 1 every 3500 to 4000 miles.engine runs fine.recently replaced alternator, radiator

needs work but nothing a knowledgeable Swedespeeder couldn’t handle (I am not one of those)
$1500…I am buying another vehiclle and won’t get much trade-in.”

No pictures. But $1500 for a T-5 and with the work it needed that seemed like a good deal (none of it seemed beyond my capabilities) but it was 1200 miles away. Turns out though that 1200 mile seperation put it right near where I grew up and where my parents still live. I motivated my dad into scoping it out - if I arranged the meeting. He was game. The buyer wasn’t in a hurry to sell, but I wasn’t in a hurry either – I would happen to be in DC for a family event but not for another month, it all worked out great. After some near 30 e-mails back and forth and all around, my dad got to check it out, I received pictures and a first hand description on the mobile. I said: “Get it.” A couple e-mails later and a deal was made. I joined the forums, a lurker no more.

Then the research and queries began in earnest, I have learned a lot, a whole lot. I now know why you need to have a good PCV ‘system’ - to keep the RMS in check (and that FCP’s diagram is backwards) and look out for the CEL, the ABS module, a modified tranny flush anyone, Stage 1 upgrade, not before you zero it out, and the t-belt - is it tensioned hydraulically (OK) or mechanically (better) but it depends on when it was built, has the maintenance schedule been followed, especially on that timing belt or you’ll learn the liabilities of an “interference head” the wrong way, AC compressor replaced (inevitable failure I read), does the rack leak, PNP switch, SAS failure… And this is a car I am excited to buy? With the model having these known issues?? Yeah it is; you betcha. I’ve got lots more to go, no doubt and I am ready for it ( I think so!). Fortunately plenty have been there, done it, photographed it and explained it well. And are willing and eager to share it with you.

A moment to acknowledge and thank them.

Well I begin my journey in a couple hours - I hope to have an update after I have picked it up, some 1200 miles from here, later today…

Hi Matt,
I recently modified my 1998 V70 so that the drivers side window switch would last a long time. My switch had failed due to an arcing contact. I repaired to contact and then added an extra circuit to reduce the switch current from 16 amps to .001 amps.

I though you may like to include a link on your web site.

http://www.users.on.net/~richard.norrish/V70Volv_web/

Cheers Richard

Thanks for letting the Volvo community know about this, Richard. How very industrious of you!

The repair is of course on a V70, but the concept will transfer to other models.