Differences in 98 S70 vs. 99 and 2000+

[wheelsup]

Hey guys what is the difference between a 98 S70 and a 99-2000? I read that the 99 and 2000 have an ETM that can fail but is there anything else? How about 2001 and up?

From what I've read the 98 S70 is basically the "best" Volvo produced in terms of reliability and so forth. Does that carry over into the 1999-2000 model years except that they have an ETM which costs around $600 (aftermarket) to fix? Would there be any advatage over purchasing a 98 over a 99 or 2000 model year?

I'm looking for another Volvo for my wife, looking to spend around $6k max, and get as low miles as possible to convert to synthetic and do all the fluids properly from the get-go. My aunt has a 95 850 w/ 82k on it BUT SHE WON'T LET GO OF IT!! Driving me crazy . That said I do like the ergonomics of the newer Volvos.

-matt

[MadeInJapan]

Pretty much the '99-'00 has the ETM but they also have a different ECU. '98 was the last year for the Bosch Motronic. Also somewhere in '99 the transmission on the auto's went from a 4 speed auto to 5 speed auto and require the JWS-3309 transmission fluid- otherwise, the cars are virtually identical. No real advantage anymore of getting a '98 over the '99-'00 S70 if you're willing to shell out $600 for the ETM when it goes.
In '01 the S70 disappeared but you can get into the newly designed V70's or S60- however I would avoid that first year- there were problems with at least the V70 transmission in '01. Also avoid AWD until at least '03. The system was upgraded then to HALDEX...before that, they were problematic with some expensive repairs if things weren't taken care of.

[JRL]

The 5 speed automatic started in MY 2000 only anf it came on NON turbos and R's. GLT's and XC's still run the same carryonver 4 speed.
My thoughts (ETM or not and I have sold more of this generation of Volvo than most people have) is the later the better.
So it would be a 2000, followed by a 99 then a 98.
There are several reasons for my statement, too many to type here.

[MadeInJapan]

Thanks for your post, Jim!
Good information.
I would add one more thing- the bubbling door panels seem to be specific (or at least more prone to happen) on the '98 models. By the 2000 year models this has virtually become a non-issue. I also like the map pocket under the glove box that wasn't available on the '98 model- Take it from here!

[wheelsup]

How about transmission issues on 1999 and 2000 MY's? Was a manual 5-speed available? I would assume that would mitigate the risk of the auto tranny.

[RSM-GA]

are the door panels interchangeable on the 98-00's?
I have a 2000 wagon and the panels are perfect. The 98 S70 T5 I just bought are bubbling on all doors. Wondering what I could do to correct that sort of buying new ones?
Sorry, not trying to Hijack your thread Wheelsup.

Rob

[MadeInJapan]

The door panels are interchangeable within the 3 years '98-'00 among the x70's...nothing much you can do to keep this from happening. They used cheaper ("environmentally friendly") glue on the earlier ones. The best repair is to take them off and have a decent upholstery shop sew some new fabric onto them. In regards to the transmissions of the auto 5-speeds- they are solid as long as you don't follow the dealer recommendation to not flush them- like the older 850's, these NEED FLUSHING on a schedule of 30-40K miles at least. To answer your question regarding the manual transmissions- very very few (only a handful) of those were imported into the U.S.- good luck finding one! If you live in Canada, you'll have better luck.

[kelvin6]

Safety of the S70 had improved from the 98 models.

The side airbag is no longer mechanically triggered on the 99-00 models. The side airbag sensor is located on the B-Pillar panel and would trigger earlier, giving more time for the bag to inflate and stay inflated (for a short time).

In 2000, the driver seat gained the WHIPS feature of whiplash protection that was featured on the S80. Since the S70 couldn't have a head airbag, the 2000 model had improved the side airbag to include a 'extension' to protect the head by making the bag larger and having it extend upward toward the head.

Unfortuantately none of these features can be retrofitted to the 98 S70.

The other thing I can note of, is the inclusion of the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Its not clear if this was part of the 98 models, but it is for certain on the 99-00. I would like to think that it was included on the 98 models, because that would explain why there is a second sensor on the bottom of the brake fluid resevior (the top sensor is fluid level sensing)... something the 850 never had.

[wheelsup]

Hmm my wife's Canadian and has family up there, I wonder how you go about importing a Canadian car? That would be kinda neat. My sister has a Mazda that was Canadian we think because it has KM/h as the primary speed band, which is reverse from the US counterpart.

Also good to know about those doors, obviously something to look at and keep in mind.

The problem with flushing the tranny is I doubt many people have flushed them these days and even the low mileage cars are close to if not above 100k. So they might already be at a disadvantage.

[VCA]

Pretty much the '99-'00 has the ETM but they also have a different ECU. '98 was the last year for the Bosch Motronic. Also somewhere in '99 the transmission on the auto's went from a 4 speed auto to 5 speed auto and require the JWS-3309 transmission fluid- otherwise, the cars are virtually identical. No real advantage anymore of getting a '98 over the '99-'00 S70 if you're willing to shell out $600 for the ETM when it goes.

Not to be pedantic, but ...the '99s and up had Motronic ME7, the '98s and prior had Motronic 4.3. There are no distributor or plug wires to worry about on the later cars. Fundamentally, the mechanicals are solid on all of them, except for the ETM; however, I'd argue for the ETM-equipped car as its integrated it to the antiskid system and makes for a much better traction control experience (i.e. the computer can limit engine power more smoothly and with less of a 'surprise' factor). The N/As for '99 had a 5-speed, while the turbo and AWD cars had 4-speeds.