Electirc hobgoblin 1999 V70 wagon. buying a S40?

[kevoinidaho]

I've got a problem with my electric controls and can not figure it out. Please be kind, I have never been on a message board before and don't know the rules.

To the point: I have a 1999 V70 and the controls that run the windows, locks etc aren't working well. The drivers side window works 99% of the time, the front passenger window works 1% of the time, and the two rear passenger windows work most of the time now but did not work until recently. The main control is a year or two old, the front passenger control is new and I have disassembled the front passenger control to clean some dried cola? off of the contacts. I have sprayed contact cleaner on eveerything including the relay in the fuse box as per instruction on this website. Now, the doorlock button on the main control does not work but the door lock button on the front passenger control does. Sunroof works fine and all the window motors work fine when they work.

Second question: I am looking at buying a 2001 S40 from a local salvage yard with 165k on it (automatic) that needs cosmetic work here and ther ($1900), is there anything I should know about this model and is it generally reliable. I had to have a new head gasket etc. put in my V70 at 165k miles and was wondering if maybe this S40 will need the same thing done? Any advice will be appreciated and I will try your suggestions as soon as I can (pretty busy). I have never had a Volvo before but for decades I wanted a 245 diesel wagon! I have a thing for wagons since I spent my entire youth riding across country in one (military brat) and Volvo was the only one out there making a real wagon sized wagon! Thank you in advance, please let me know about the S40, I have to make an offer on it and the key is stuck in the ignition! (the steering column and ignition is a little loose?!)

[jblackburn]

The V70 sounds like it has a problem with the main switch panel - everything routes through that. Where did you replace it with a new part from? Switch Doctors sells rebuilt window switches for these models, and they get very good reviews from people on the site here.

Don't know much about the S40, but they're generally considered to be pretty reliable. The 4-cylinder is a cousin to the 5-cylinder motor. Neither will ever need a head gasket if you take care of the cooling system and DO NOT overheat the car. That means change the coolant hoses!

[kevoinidaho]

Thanks for the info. Both window switches are OEM Volvo...I bought them before I knew of this website and the advice and links here. Someone had posted pictures of the main fuses and they resembled mine but were not the same so I did not find the relay they were mentioning. I have a rare 5-speed manual V70 but it has all the options on it as well, ie: leather, sunroof, that infoboard thing on the instrument cluster, electric seats, heated seats and on and on. I thought there might be a relay I could replace or something like that?