2000 V70XC Rear Wheels not Engaging on jack stands?

[kahl]

As an option, the Volvo dealers in my area offer a no charge inspection of a car. I would call your local dealer and inquire. If they do offer this service you will find out what the issue is of your AWD system at little or no cost. Once you have these facts you can chart out what you want to do.

[scot850]

There is a 'dangerous' (in my opinion) process for checking the VC unit for these cars with the 4 wheels off the ground. I can't put my hands on the exact process, but it involves putting a torque wrench on the rear wheel bolts and checking a torque value. Someone can correct me here, but the rear wheels only turn when the front wheels slip. Dangerous again, but have you tried to grab a rear wheel when the car is in gear on the jack stands and see if there is any resistance? If there is none than the VC unit has possibly failed, or the angle gear had stripped it's teeth into the collar.

Neither issue kills the AWD system IF you can get cheap parts. The angle gear is a pain to replace due to having to remove the RH axle, but it is not particularly difficult, just time consuming. As there are a lot of these cars around, there are reasonably cheap angle gears kicking around. Similarly the VC units (I have 3 spares just in case!!).

I have pulled a few spare VC units over time and have convinced my local PnP's they are 'torque convertors' and typically get them for $30 CDN or even $15 on 50% off sales.

There is a problem with VC units in that the silicon clutch fluid in them can settle if the car is not used for some time and then cause the VC unit to burn out the clutch when used. I have heard of brand new ones failing at the dealer because the were not stored up-right.

Again, I persuaded my local PnP's that the angle gear + VC unit is a transfer unit, and they cost again somewhere like $130 CDN for the 2 when I pulled them. Again, worth doing when 50% sale is on. Unfortunately, the last angle gear I pulled the teeth were stripped on the angle gear so it was toast. I thing it is either ARD or vivaperformance that sells replacement collars for the angle gear to transmission connection.

Neil.

[ducksaysquack]

As an option, the Volvo dealers in my area offer a no charge inspection of a car. I would call your local dealer and inquire. If they do offer this service you will find out what the issue is of your AWD system at little or no cost. Once you have these facts you can chart out what you want to do.

hmmm I may give the closest Volvo dealer a call and see if they offer free inspection. Unfortunately, the closest official dealer from is an hour away and business aren't great for my schedule since I work 6 days a week...ugh

[ducksaysquack]

There is a 'dangerous' (in my opinion) process for checking the VC unit for these cars with the 4 wheels off the ground. I can't put my hands on the exact process, but it involves putting a torque wrench on the rear wheel bolts and checking a torque value. Someone can correct me here, but the rear wheels only turn when the front wheels slip. Dangerous again, but have you tried to grab a rear wheel when the car is in gear on the jack stands and see if there is any resistance? If there is none than the VC unit has possibly failed, or the angle gear had stripped it's teeth into the collar.

Neither issue kills the AWD system IF you can get cheap parts. The angle gear is a pain to replace due to having to remove the RH axle, but it is not particularly difficult, just time consuming. As there are a lot of these cars around, there are reasonably cheap angle gears kicking around. Similarly the VC units (I have 3 spares just in case!!).

I have pulled a few spare VC units over time and have convinced my local PnP's they are 'torque convertors' and typically get them for $30 CDN or even $15 on 50% off sales.

There is a problem with VC units in that the silicon clutch fluid in them can settle if the car is not used for some time and then cause the VC unit to burn out the clutch when used. I have heard of brand new ones failing at the dealer because the were not stored up-right.

Again, I persuaded my local PnP's that the angle gear + VC unit is a transfer unit, and they cost again somewhere like $130 CDN for the 2 when I pulled them. Again, worth doing when 50% sale is on. Unfortunately, the last angle gear I pulled the teeth were stripped on the angle gear so it was toast. I thing it is either ARD or vivaperformance that sells replacement collars for the angle gear to transmission connection.

Neil.

hmm I will jack it up again this weekend and give it a go. Last time I had it jacked up, the rear wheels moved while in PARK but with quite a bit of resistance. I did not try to rotate them by hand while it was in DRIVE though, the idea of catching my sleeve on a moving tire and also that ABS-like clicking/grinding sound was loud.

When car is off and suspended, I was able to rotate rear wheels and see drive shaft rotate along with it, I'm assuming that could be a good sign?? but then again if the VC plates are fused together somehow it would move regardless huh? idk...

The gentleman I purchased from used it as a daily driver, all highway and was driving it up to the day I went and bought it. Hopefully the VC didn't seize since it did not sit around but who knows.

[cn90]

Your best bet is to remove the driveshaft, converting the car to FWD.
Save the money for a set of rims and winter tires and you are all set for winter.

[Ou2mame]

My dad bought a 98 v70 and didn't know it didn't have a prop shaft do now he's debating whether or not to get a shaft... But who knows why it was removed. We could throw it on and it still doesn't work. I already did the pcv and timing belt, and dropped the pan to clean it and replace the gaskets... So it's kind of a waste to sell it and find another just to have to do probably the same stuff again because most Volvo owners don't know what the pcv even is and the timing belts are usually on their way out in the 100k range.

[jimmy57]

It is simple: if you have rear wheels off the ground and you turn those wheels and you see the driveshaft to the front turn while the front wheels are not moving then it is an angle gear or angle gear to trans coupler issue. The coupler is known to cause no RWD and would be the likely culprit. If this same type check gives you rear wheel rotation with NO driveshaft to the front turning then you have issues with something else. I have never had a first or second generation viscous system fail in this way. On the contrary, viscous systems overwhelmingly fail in way that locks the viscous unit and stops the heavily damped motion between rear and front.

The AWD system check with three wheels on ground, trans in PARK, is to check viscous unit. You can't do this check if the angle gear coupler is not good.

[ducksaysquack]

Your best bet is to remove the driveshaft, converting the car to FWD.
Save the money for a set of rims and winter tires and you are all set for winter.

$$ wise that might be my best option...

I really was excited to have an AWD vehicle for this winter but pulling the shaft and throwing winter tires on is probably the better investment.

Is it as simple as unbolting the shaft and removing? It's ok to drive the car like that?

[ducksaysquack]

It is simple: if you have rear wheels off the ground and you turn those wheels and you see the driveshaft to the front turn while the front wheels are not moving then it is an angle gear or angle gear to trans coupler issue. The coupler is known to cause no RWD and would be the likely culprit. If this same type check gives you rear wheel rotation with NO driveshaft to the front turning then you have issues with something else. I have never had a first or second generation viscous system fail in this way. On the contrary, viscous systems overwhelmingly fail in way that locks the viscous unit and stops the heavily damped motion between rear and front.

The AWD system check with three wheels on ground, trans in PARK, is to check viscous unit. You can't do this check if the angle gear coupler is not good.

hmm, whether it's angle gear or trans coupler, I'd have to pull it all apart to find out huh? Since my drive shaft is rotating with the rear wheels moving by hand, looks like that narrows it down.