'98-'02 xc70 Problem clues, buying soon from craigslist

tophat · Post by **tophat** » 15 Feb 2014, 02:04

First of all, thanks for checking out my post. Hi all! Newbie here.

I'd like to tap the vast volvo knowledge from the gurus here to help me with my first volvo purchase. My wife and I need a new to us car and are looking at AWD V70 models from 98-02(seems to be our price range). With three kids, a family spread out across the US, and having to deal with real winters, the features of these vehicles seems to be up our alley. I am more than willing to get dirty taking care of said vehicle and already perform regular maintenance and some moderately advanced on our '99Suburban.

What I am humbly asking for are the little clues one more experienced with volvos might catch on inspection of a used car or are there specific problems associated with certain models of these vehicles that need to be watched out for or avoided entirely.

Thank you very much for any advice and hope to be back soon with an update on vehicle purchased and delve into keeping her running well.

Post by **precopster** » 15 Feb 2014, 02:59

Higher mileage vehicles can sometimes be a blessing if you're stretching to the P2 series cars. There seems to be a certain mileage range, usually about 100-130k miles where problems abound and once ironed out, can provide you with a vehicle that can provide good service. Items like PCV, valve body, brake master cylinder, angle gear, MAF, ETM (if an '01 model) and oxygen sensors.

Look for replacement of the above in the previous history and if you can stretch to an '02 you get a Bosch throttle which is good. Look out for tires which aren't size and wear matched (this places stress on the angle gear)

If you can manage an '03 you get Haldex AWD and more forgiving tire tolerance as well as a slightly better valve body (though all of them suffer from needing regular fluid changes)

If the 99 to 00 model is chosen you get ETM so look for replacement history of this and MAF as well as regular fluid changes, PCV service, oxygen sensors and regular oil changes. These years have plug on coil which is generally more robust and diagnosable by DTCs.

Any years under these ('98) look for new leads, cap, plugs & rotor (or DIY this if not already done) as well as new oxygen sensors,

Happy hunting

Post by **abscate** » 15 Feb 2014, 04:18

Check carefully for fuel leaks on the AWD cars. The saddle tank on these needs to be dropped which involves removing the rear axle ..a big labor job which then lets you replace 3 USd of fuel line or a clamp.

Consider a FWD only model with both 5 speed MT and a 500 set of rims/snows for a more reliable car drivetrain wise, and a better winter driver IMHO ...just don't OGGle mine....

Post by **JRL** » 15 Feb 2014, 05:13

Someone please tell this person NEVER buy a 2001 (I guess I will)
Personally...unless the/she can find an extremely well kept 2002 I would stick to P80s (98-2000)

Post by **abscate** » 15 Feb 2014, 05:18

JRL..it's the auto trans on the 2001 that was an orphan model , is that right??

instarx · Post by **instarx** » 15 Feb 2014, 06:49

It isn't often said this way, but one of the great advantages of the 199x to 2000 models is that even though the AWD isn't as robust as the newest models, it is easy to disable if a problem does crop up. Just remove the prop shaft (a diy job) and you convert it to a FWD car. You can then repair at your convenience. That also makes it important to look under every car you plan to buy to make sure the prop shaft is there.

Common problems are:
ETM - look for an uneven idle or a tach that does not drop quickly to idle after acceleration. A yellow label on the unit means it has probably been replaced but yellow label ETMs can also fail (don't ask how I know this). This can be an expensive fix - $500 for the replacement unit but its a DIY install. Cleaning it can also help.
ABS - mine has been trouble free, but the control unit fails. Inexpensive $50 DIY fix.
AWD - a high failure item. look for mismatched tires or uneven wear between front and rear tires as an indicator of possible trouble. even not rotating the tires regularly can cause problems. See above.
Fuel Leaks - I've never gotten the impression its a big problem with these cars. Wouldn't hurt to check I guess (sniff, sniff).
Heater core: common, but an easy $100 fix
Radiator - was a common problem but most defective ones have been replaced by now
MAF and O2 sensors: need service on any car, nothing special about these
PCV - Lots of posts about this, but mine has been trouble free. Look for smoke or positive pressure coming out of the oil dipstick.
Model years: JRL is right - stay away from 2001, because of the disaster of a transmission
Motor mounts: common, but easy DIY and inexpensive.

Final advice - drive several so you get a good idea of what they are supposed to drive like. I looked at a beautiful 2000 that looked great but its front-end was totally shot and the turbo did not work. If I had not had mine to compare it to I might not have realized.

Post by **JRL** » 15 Feb 2014, 09:25

2002 is the exact same transmission as an 01 but it did not come with the disastrous stop neutral software that came in all 2001s (and some non turbo 2002s).

Nevertheless, the 2001-2002 valvebody is not nearly as good as 2003 and newer and fail. I've owned and seen many 02s with blown transmissions.

Post by **JRL** » 15 Feb 2014, 09:26

If you're in the Northeast (or close) I will find and sell you a good Volvo

MSLV70 · Post by **MSLV70** » 15 Feb 2014, 11:21

My advice based on a recent 98 v70 awd purchase... Buy an obd2 scanner and verify the car is in a "ready" stage when you test drive it. If not, it tells you the codes have been recently reset and will, most likely, pop up a week after you buy the car.

tophat · Post by **tophat** » 15 Feb 2014, 12:01

Hey thanks everyone for responding to a newbie with so much good info and advice. So far all the vehicles listed on CL are at least an hour away and I've only talked to one owner who turned out to be a Mom'n'Pop dealer that bought a car at auction and "replaced a fender and headlight" has a salvaged title and knows nothing of the cars history(yuck). Various test drives will be a problem with the distance to drive to them, but it's just gas right

Northern Ohio isn't teeming with 98-00xc70's, or 850's, orv70's it seems.
Special thanks to those with detailed responses to my plea, you've given me more to think about(responsibility of ownership), and the right things to look for.
E-mail on the way to JRL
MSLV70 that's about the best advice for anybody buying used! TY!

Will follow with updates.