Login Register

Oil leaking on 2004 volvo c70 LPT

Help, Advice and DIY Tutorials on Volvo's P80 platform cars -- Volvo's 1990s "bread and butter" cars -- powered by the ubiquitous and durable Volvo inline 5-cylinder engine.

1992 - 1997 850, including 850 R, 850 T-5R, 850 T-5, 850 GLT
1997 - 2000 S70, S70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70, V70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70-XC
1997 - 2004 C70

Post Reply
TJsPOV
Posts: 19
Joined: 8 November 2025
Year and Model: 2004 c70 2.4T
Location: Nebraska, USA
Been thanked: 4 times

Oil leaking on 2004 volvo c70 LPT

Post by TJsPOV »

HI all - so this morning after I left for work I noticed there was a pretty large oil puddle under my car. In the parking garage at work I noticed some more but just a small amount.

whats the best way to go about finding this leak? I checked oil levels and it looks okay - I put it up on some ramps but now wondering if that will skew the leak a bit since now its tilted. I'll take any and all advice if anyone has any :D

I also checked around the plugs and coil packs and not seeing any oil up there pooling.

scot850
Posts: 14864
Joined: 5 April 2010
Year and Model: 2000 V70 R
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Has thanked: 1834 times
Been thanked: 1709 times

Post by scot850 »

Clean all the wet fluid off the bottom of the engine and then run it and see where it comes from. It is definitely engine oil?

Other possibilities are:

1) Power steering (pump, lines, header tank, rack itself)
2) Is the fluid black? Does it have a tinge of other color? Red - possibly auto trans fluid, Green/blue - coolant/power steering fluid.

Good luck!

Neil.
2006 V70 2.5T AWD Polestar tune
2000 V70 R - still being an endless PITA
2006 XC70 - Our son now has this and still parked in our garage
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 Limited
2015 Kia Sportage EX-L - Sold
1993 850 GLT -Sold
1998 V70 XC - Sold
1997 Volvo 850 SE NA - Went to niece in California - Sold
2000 V70 SE NA - Sold

TJsPOV
Posts: 19
Joined: 8 November 2025
Year and Model: 2004 c70 2.4T
Location: Nebraska, USA
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by TJsPOV »

Thank you for the response! ill check it here shortly and return with some images or a video. I think its oil but I cant really tell just yet.

User avatar
abscate
MVS Moderator
Posts: 35267
Joined: 17 February 2013
Year and Model: 99: V70s S70s,05 V70
Location: Port Jefferson Long Island NY
Has thanked: 1497 times
Been thanked: 3809 times

Post by abscate »

Blot it onto a paper towel to see the colour.

It will be oil from one of the cam seals

:)
Empty Nester
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread

TJsPOV
Posts: 19
Joined: 8 November 2025
Year and Model: 2004 c70 2.4T
Location: Nebraska, USA
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by TJsPOV »

good news - I dont think its my cam seals leaking. Looking at them they dont appear to be while the car is running it does seem like oil is coming up through the oil cap though. going to pick up a new one adn monitor if it still leaks or not.

any other suggestions on what I can check? I did the glove PCV test as well and it is sucking in the glove as expected.

TJsPOV
Posts: 19
Joined: 8 November 2025
Year and Model: 2004 c70 2.4T
Location: Nebraska, USA
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by TJsPOV »

one more update. looking at the carfax it had camseals replaced 6k miles ago by one of the previous owners.

going to go buy a new oil cap and then watch it for some time.

User avatar
abscate
MVS Moderator
Posts: 35267
Joined: 17 February 2013
Year and Model: 99: V70s S70s,05 V70
Location: Port Jefferson Long Island NY
Has thanked: 1497 times
Been thanked: 3809 times

Post by abscate »

You won’t get a puddle from the oil cap. It’s a cam seal or a crankshaft seal if the leak is on the RHS
Empty Nester
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread

TJsPOV
Posts: 19
Joined: 8 November 2025
Year and Model: 2004 c70 2.4T
Location: Nebraska, USA
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by TJsPOV »

think its still possible for the cam seals to leak if they were replaced within a year and less than like 6k miles?

ill check the crankshaft seal now

User avatar
CIK7
Posts: 1551
Joined: 14 January 2019
Year and Model: 95 854T & V70trailer
Location: Antlers, Oklahoma
Has thanked: 318 times
Been thanked: 86 times

Post by CIK7 »

TJsPOV wrote: 24 Nov 2025, 10:46 I also checked around the plugs and coil packs and not seeing any oil up there pooling.
If the oil cap seal was bad, then there would be oil around plugs and coal packs on top of the cam cover.
95 854 Turbo 258K, auto, current
09 Rav4 Ltd3.5Fwd, red, 208K, current
98 V GLE/SE red, 379k (277k), 5sp, trailer in progress...
05 CRV EX AWD, Navy, 170K/184k, sold
03 Accord 2dr V6 silver, 196K/214K, 6sp, t-boned, sold
98 S GT white, 175K, 5sp, sold
96 964 silver, 146K, diff&trans/engine self-destr, crushed 😭
98 XC black, 151K, flooded&bent rod, crushed
01 V Base white, 168k, traded for XC
09 Impala LT1 gray, 196K, sold for 01

Vova585
Posts: 558
Joined: 18 March 2023
Year and Model: 01v70xc,2016xc70...
Location: Rochester,NY
Has thanked: 155 times
Been thanked: 141 times

Post by Vova585 »

1. Put on ramps. (Safety, emergency brake, wheels chocks, stands, PPE- your responsibility).
2. Remove splash shield(if still there)
3. Look for a traces of oil from below.
Right front-cam, crank, oil pump seals.
Front mid secrion- pvc system hoses
Back left- turbo oil return line, turbo itself
Front left- camshaft seals(opposite end to timing).
Front bottom - rear main seal.

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post