1998 V70R Takes FOREVER to warm up

[Bren]

Hey all,

First relatively cold day today here (hovering around freezing) and I drove the v70 to work this morning. I have about a 15km (10 Mile) commute. The temp gauge didn't reach the mid-point and she didn't really truly blow warm air until literally I was around the corner from work. Even then, it only happened after I did a couple spirited pulls from a light.

Thoughts on what could cause this? Is my tstat in need of replacement? Could this be a heater core issue somehow? I do get a slight maple syrup smell sometimes

[Ozark Lee]

The thermostat is stuck open for sure so that is where I would start. SOP is to change the ECT sensor at the same time since they are right there together. The heater core may or may not have a leak but even if it did it wouldn't cause the car to not warm up properly.

...Lee

[cn90]

Before you replace the tstat, search forum re tricks.

- Since your car is Canadian, expect rust on the Torx bolts. Soak the Torx bolts in WD-40, PBBlaster etc. for a good week before tackling it. You may need heat.
- Get Wahler tstat, which is OEM, don't forget to replace the O-ring (which is installed as a sandwich around the tstat flange).
- The ECT: use only Volvo or SWF brand...Info in forum.

[erikv11]

Agreed, it is the thermostat. A long torx driver is the key on those bolts, so the shaft points straight down into the recesses in the screw head, so you can seat it securely. I hold a long torx screwdriver in place with one hand and turn the handle with pliers in the other hand. Then just a typical routine works fine (spray penetrant, unscrew after 5 minutes). Don't waste even one second with WD-40 in this situation, it is near worthless as a penetrating oil. That's a typo from cn90, he probably means Liquid Wrench etc.

Maple syrup smell is a sign you should also check the heater core though I agree that it has nothing to do with the time it takes the car to heat up. Does the coolant level drop at all?

[rspi]