What’s different from 1998 vs 1999? MVS Forums member (hey, it’s free, why not register?) j-dawg and the rest of the crew answer this important bit of Volvo trivia.
This is actually one of the more interesting bits of P80 lore, to me.
MoneyPitC70 »
Hello, i’m considering a 1998 Volvo V70 base model, non-turbo, leather and full power options. It’s a 2 owner with 150k miles. I’ve had several 99-00 S/V/C70’s but don’t have experience with the 98. Are there any issues or maintenance concerns that I need to be aware of? Any advice is appreciated.
j-dawg »
98- cars don’t have the electronic throttle, VVT, solid lifters, as do (most) 99+ cars. 99+ cars use cartridge-style oil filters, where as 98- cars use canisters. if you were looking at a turbo, 99+ cars have engine oil coolers on the oil pan instead of in the radiator. 99+ T5s switched to the 16T turbo instead of the 15G that i think the 98s got. 99+ cars have a revised radiator design that still cracks. 99+ cars use a mechanical timing belt tensioner, whereas 98- cars used a hydraulic tensioner. the 99+ tensioner is more finicky, from what i’ve heard.
E Showell »
My 98 and 99 V70s use identical, canister-style oil filters. But for the burned exhaust valve on the ’98, I think the ’98 is more reliable and has less to worry about going wrong (no ETM issues on the ’98). Both are no-turbo, fwd models. The ’98 is a stick, the ’99 an auto.
j-dawg »
oh, also pretty significant: the ETM is part of an entirely different engine control system on the 99+ cars. 98- cars will have a distributor cap and spark plug wires to worry about instead of coil packs. i don’t know which one sucks more. for what it’s worth i’ve never had ignition problems on a car with direct ignition like the 99+.
i don’t know if there are differences between the injectors.
the cartridge vs canister on the 99 may be a function of T5 vs NA, or it may be a serial thing. from what i remember, very early 99 cars don’t have VVT, and only later 99s got solid lifters. mine is a december 98 build with hydraulic lifters and VVT. maybe some other changes were part of this as well.
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Last Updated on July 12, 2024
