2007 S60 Pre-Purchase Inspection - What to look for?

jdb1981 · Post by **jdb1981** » 31 Jul 2014, 17:13

Hi,

I've been looking at 06-10 S40's and S60's for weeks now trying to find the right one - right now I have a 2007 S60 in the driveway on loan from the dealer overnight, pending a full inspection by a 25+ year Volvo mechanic tomorrow morning.

Question is - what can I look for now, at home, and what should I be looking for in terms of potential trouble? The car is pretty clean, 68k miles, and is the FWD 2.5L Turbo. This is the car:

http://www.autonation.com/miami/used/20 ... 2672615163

It's got leather, a sunroof (want to check the drains, for sure) and not too many other options. They want $10,700 out the door for it, which I think is a bit high, but I've looked at 25+ similar cars and they don't last long. Mostly clean history and good maintenance records from the same dealership consistently. Called the mechanic there and he walked me through its repair and maintenance history, said it was a solid car.

So what should I look for? I have a decent working knowledge of cars, all the hand tools I'll likely need, and a set of ramps to elevate either end so I can get under it and poke around.

Any particular trouble spots on this model year? I assume the mechanic I'm taking it to will know, but if anyone has any ideas about things I can check for myself or things I should be sure to ask him to look at/test/do, please let me know. I hope to get a good Volvo and be a frequent participant here in the future, so thanks in advance for any advice!

jdb1981 · Post by **jdb1981** » 31 Jul 2014, 21:44

So, nothing? Well, I checked the transmission fluid for appearance and burnt smell, seems OK. Took off the undercarriage guard and looked for oil/fluid leaks, didn't find anything.

If I buy this car I'll probably replace the ATF anyway using the following guide: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =9&t=26863

Although, I read elsewhere that if you replace the ATF there's a programming thing that needs to be done so the transmission adjusts shift timings to account for the change in viscosity? Anyone care to weigh in on that? Guide says nothing about it.

What weight and type of oil do you run in this car? I'm in very HOT SoFL, so I'm usually on a 5w30 Full Synth, like Mobil1. Is a 0w30 better in this engine in 95+ degree heat for much of the year?

Seems like the OEM filters are all Mann Filter brand, found them relatively cheap on Amazon. Any other recommendations/improvements in performance or reliability from other brands? I don't mind spending more.

I'm also going to install an aftermarket stereo of some sort - any tips on installation/definite Amazon links to the correct wiring harness/antenna mount/steering wheel control adapter for this model? Amazon search is a bit unclear.

Anything else I should consider?

Post by **S60T5SE** » 31 Jul 2014, 22:29

Go to the top of the S60 forum page and search for "adaptive" and "fluid counter". This will give you several posts describing and discussing one, the other, or both. E.g., https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =9&t=56002.

jdb1981 · Post by **jdb1981** » 31 Jul 2014, 22:49

Thanks, so if I'm going to own this car or one very much like it, is a Vida Dice unit & Software a worthwhile investment?

jdb1981 · Post by **jdb1981** » 01 Aug 2014, 12:42

So my mechanic inspected it and found everything to be good engine and frame-wise, no major issues with the drive train or fundamental structural stuff.

However, the lady that owned it apparently ran into a lot of stuff. Both bumpers are off slightly and attached poorly underneath, and have had kind of poor hacky repair jobs and paint corrections. Also the rear passenger door is not original. He estimated to get new OEM bumpers and fix it correctly would run me $400-500 per bumper.

So, that being said, any opinions on this situation or good places online to look for replacement parts? Would like to go in armed with pricing info to negotiate if this car seems worth buying and fixing.

Post by **abscate** » 01 Aug 2014, 21:20

You will have trouble negotiating a dealer down on body work. They can get the parts cheaper than you, so they won't pay you what you have to pay, in the form of a discount,

The only cheap option is to find Junkyard parts that are the right colour code

jdb1981 · Post by **jdb1981** » 01 Aug 2014, 22:32

Yeah, I got him down $400 by asking for $1200 off, and would have taken it right in the middle at around a $700 overall discount, but he balked and I walked. Shame, it was a nice car, but who knows, if he really wants to sell it he's got my number. Still looking for a late '00s S60, at any rate, so I'm glad I asked a couple questions and learned a couple things. Thanks!