Volvo S70 & V70, 1998-2000

Complete Guide to Fixing 850 AC/Evap/Heater Controls

Climate Control, Evap., fixes w/ parts list Continue reading →

Reflecting on 1992-2000 Volvo 850/S70/V70/XC70 Family

I finally realized today that despite my constant worrying about the Volvo, the fact that things rattle and shake and get stuck and go out of whack and there always seems to be some part that cost as much as a used Honda Civic to repair going bad on it, and it seems to be such a hodgepodge of parts, part Italian part Japanese part Swedish, and God only knows how it all works together, and the fact that the aluminum engine is constantly subject to a bad tensioner bearing or something destroying the whole thing, and that it is in general every bit as finicky as a high end BMW and not nearly as pretty… that I love it and all that stuff has somehow become a source of pride. I feel like I must protect it from those who would not keep it running. My baby ain’t going to no junk yard. Continue reading →

Shock Talk! And Tires Too

Prior to the tire swap, using sorry looking 205/55R16 Toyo Versado LX’s at 40 psi with the Konis set at full soft, the handling was outstanding. There was slight oversteer near cornering limits, which to me is where handling is best. Continue reading →

DIY: 1998 S70 Hood Cable Replacement

If you keep any car long enough, chances are the hood cable will break at some point. Mine just broke the other day. New Volvo Cable for my 1998 S70 is Volvo PN 9444027, $36 at dealer.

Only after I did this job that I realized that this can be done for $3 using a bicycle cable with diameter approx. 1.0 mm (and much less time than because you remove nothing doing it this way)! Continue reading →

Ten Years Later, 850 Still Flexy

This reinforces, no pun intended, that the P80 is a flexy platform, and finding ways to brace it make it a more predictable handling car, if not quieter and smoother-riding. Continue reading →

DIY: 1998 Volvo S70 Timing Belt Overhaul

The TB (Timing Belt) with 85K on it is still OK, has hairline cracks, but time to replace.
The TB factory Idler and Tensioner Pulleys have slight play and were “free-wheeling”, so time to replace
The WP has no leak, but the bearing has a very very slight play. Technically speaking, you can keep the WP for another 30K. From reading Ozark Lee’s and few others experience with leaking WP at 150K or so, and since I have no time to redo this in 30K, I put in a new Aisin WP. Continue reading →

Volvo 850, S70, V70, XC70 Control Arm Replacement

I thought for sure that we had a writeup on control arms but we sure don’t. I would like to say that it is just 3 bolts and you are done but it is never that easy. The Haynes manual is pretty good there but I guess I need to do a writeup on the next one that I change. That doesn’t help you now.

With all of the fat boiled away it really is a matter of removing three bolts, removing the control arm, and then bolting the replacement back in but there are some “Gotchas” along the way. Continue reading →

DIY: iPod/iPhone Input for SC-815/816 Radios

MVS Volvo Forums Contributor b2fkb0 shows us how to transform the tape deck function of SC-815 and SC-816 Volvo radios into an input for not just iPods and iPhones, but really any source with a mini jack output: “Well, sorry it took me a year to get back with this, but I hope it helps! Just did a black faced SC-816 for the 855 R for my daughter as her Christmas present, here’s what I did…”
Continue reading →

The “Ultimate” PCV Fix DIY

MVS Forum member and beloved contributor CN90 hit another DIY out of the park with his better-than-OEM modification to the P80 Volvo’s PCV crankcase venting system. Continue reading →