to buy or not to buy -99 Volvo V70 XC AWD

neworleans · Post by **neworleans** » 19 Oct 2009, 17:58

hello guys,
i am looking to buy this car, it has got 69K miles and serviced at the dealer all the time.
what are the common problems if any you can think of? what should i look for and do you think 3grand is good for this car?
please share your thoughts.
i am student and need to be careful to buy it.

thanks in advance.

Post by **jtp** » 19 Oct 2009, 20:35

Common things that I know of are the rear oil seal leak and positive crank case pressure. For the first check for oil leaking from the rear of the car and for the second pull the dipstick when the engine is warm and see if there's any smoke. Any AWD car should have four identical tires that don't show any irregular wear. Also check the pollen filter to see if it's clean, if it looks like it hasn't been changed in ages your AC probably won't last too much longer. It's under the cowling on the passenger side.
Those miles are creepy low. Your talking under 7k a year average. Maybe someone more experienced could ID problems that can come from a car sitting for long periods of time. When I bought my s70 I took it to a dealership for an inspection (not the one that sold me the car of course). It cost me 80 or 90 bucks but their over-priced approval let me know I was making a good buy.
I bought this car as a student and now own it as a regular 9-5er, and then some

, and I am a much better owner now than I was when I first bought it b/c as great as these cars are, there is substantial upkeep (read $$$) which I couldn't afford as a student. Maybe that doesn't affect you but I wish someone would have told me that when I bought the car.

Post by **jblackburn** » 19 Oct 2009, 20:44

Those are REALLY low miles...that makes me kind of wary of what has happened to the car. The $3000 makes me kind of wary too; if they're in good condition they easily go for 4-5. I'd check the carfax...it's possible the car was wrecked & sat for some time. That's just me; it could have just not been driven much

99's and 2000's are prone to ETM-related issues, where the electronic throttle control module goes bad and causes the car to act crazy. An expensive fix if the car is no longer under warranty (you may want to check if it has been replaced). All are prone to ABS module failures, and leaky A/C evaporators...test the A/C and give the brakes a good stomping when you drive one.

Also, timing belts should be replaced at 140K for 1st gen V70's, so make sure that this has been done before you buy a car, or make sure that you take care of it RIGHT AWAY if it has not been. Check the color of the transmission fluid. Brown is bad. Pull the dipstick & check for smoky vapor from the oil tube...most cars of this age will need a PCV system overhaul if it has not already been done. Turn the wheel from full lock to lock; you should not hear any clicking or clunking from the front wheels.

Now, for the XC...the AWD system & bevel gear can become an issue on these cars and start making weird noises if the tires are not worn evenly or the car is picked up & towed by morons with a tow truck that don't realize it's AWD (this happened to my friend's Subaru). If this IS a problem with this car, many people have just pulled the rear driveshaft & are essentially left with a front-wheel drive V70 like everyone else has.

Post by **meine39** » 19 Oct 2009, 21:35

Spend an extra two grand and get a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord (or a Corolla or Civic for that matter) - Volvos are not cheap to own.

neworleans · Post by **neworleans** » 20 Oct 2009, 06:00

i know a mechanic works at the volvo service so I rely on him

he ran the carfax yesterday and didn't see any wrecks.
the car has been serviced at the dealer.
my cousin is going to take it to him after she drives it and likes it.
i will text him about the ETM.
I own a 2000 S80 and very happy with it.
Volvo's are expensive to fix but comfortable, safe and very powerful cars as long as you take care of it.
If i didn't know a volvo mechanic, i would think about buying another car.
thanks for the info...

iselloil · Post by **iselloil** » 20 Oct 2009, 07:03

Its a great deal, heater core,transmission issues,drive shaft,angle gear issues,not minor stuff.But with 69k it is a great deal. Flush the trans and use the mobil 1. The timing belt should be checked and or replaced.
Take note, for no reason can you drive this on mis matched tires or a flat. It must be put on a flatbed.If you run these cars on uneven tires,or a flat you will do a lot of damage.
I love mine,and love the interior looks and setup.These are not cheap when they break.

neworleans · Post by **neworleans** » 20 Oct 2009, 20:10

i went to see the car today and didn't see any problems myself but the engine light is on so i am going to take it to the volvo service to hook up to the vida to get the code.
i checked the etm, it has got the yellow sticker, so it should be new right?
this car has got a salvage title but the damage was in the passenger door and was replaced.
inside is in pretty good condition, ac doesn't blow super cold but is all right, it may need some freon.
i am going to ask my friend to check the timing belt at the service to see if needs to be changed.
on s80's it gets changed every 100K, is the interval at 160k on V70's?
thanks guys...

Post by **jblackburn** » 20 Oct 2009, 20:27

Salvage title would explain it, cars will never again see their blue book value with a salvage title on the record. I'm sure it's fine as long as all the damage was repaired. The timing belt interval is every 70K on a V70, so that probably HAS NOT been done and should be done immediately. Being 10 years old, you may want to go ahead and replace the tensioners, hoses, and serpentine belt as well. You may be lucky with the evaporator and it just has a small leak somewhere else in the system, or it may end up needing to be replaced in a few years as it gets worse. Mine held freon for a couple weeks to two months at a time this year, after holding a charge most of the summer last year, I just don't feel like tearing my whole car apart yet to fix it. Get that engine light checked out and find out what the problem is there; once you get everything back up to snuff, sounds like you've got a great car on your hands.

Post by **JRL** » 20 Oct 2009, 20:29

Timing bels are 70K on 98s (and earlier) and 105K OR SEVEN YEARS on a 99 and newer. The belt has to be done NOW.
If the AC is thin you probably need a new evaporator, $1500, they ALL go at some point.
A door will not total a 99 so the damage was much more severe.
If it has a salvage title it's worth SQUAT, ie: parts only

iselloil · Post by **iselloil** » 21 Oct 2009, 05:31

Salvage means it was WACKED!!!!!!!!!! and I mean Wacked.
We can fix anything in our shop,but a door does not total a Volvo.The rocker panel,door post, and more had to be rebuilt.
If a good shop did the work it should be no problem.Make sure all the doors have the same gap, no wind noise.The value is nill with a salvage title.