I did the oil dip-stick test with the engine warm and idling, no smoke whatsoever from the down tube.

Curious to hear what you discover. Are you positive you ran out of gas? Another thought is perhaps you were very low and the pump (if it's a submerged type) overheated and now is toast. You appear to have good pressure but maybe the pump can't maintain it. Secondly, could air have gotten trapped in ...

Thanks, Blandeaux. I had a shop do the PCV-lite service with the understanding that it might only be a temporary fix and ultimately would need the $800 PCV service. This was about a year ago so you may have hit on something. Did you do the PCV maintenance yourself? Any tips, did you have a good writ...

What is one looking for when inspecting the upper engine mount? What are signs of it being worn or damaged other than rubber crumbling? At idle there is some pretty wicked vibration that translates through the seat, which I'd read can be a worn upper mount and then came across a few posts describing...

JRL- What can I add to be more helpful? Here is the bullet point list based on my observations and experience with this car so far: Fluid level and condition are good. Rebuilt 20,000 miles ago. No "flare' or RPM surges (it feels more like the clutch plates are grabbing versus slipping) Seems to...

Automatic tranny seems to shift at the proper time but with more force or a bit of a lurch. This is almost unnoticeable when driving uphill or when traveling on the highway (at higher speeds). Also under hard acceleration it seems to shift smoothly. 109,000 miles on the vehicle but the transmission ...

Thanks very much to you all, I really appreciate it. I ended up getting Genuine Volvo pads and rotors on sale. Maybe next pad change I'll try some Akebono's as I've heard good things. cwise: I'd appreciate torque specs if it wouldn't be too much to ask! oragex: Awesome breakdown. abscate: You sound ...

I don't think I've put a torque wrench on a lug nut/bolt in 20 years. Make sure wheel is flat against wheel hub, spin them down to contact, drop car, then estimate 100 FT lbs with 100 pounds on a 12 inch lever. Or I suppose I could set my impact wrench to a medium setting and torque them that way. ...

Perfect, thanks cwise I'll check it out.
What pads and rotors did you go with? Does the video list torque specs or did you have them from another source?

2004 XC70 2.5T 107k - Volvo filters, Mobile 1 5w 30, 7.5k miles

Thinking I should be using the Mahle filters, been using them in my E30 for years.