1998 Volvo S70 - Need tips for first DIY Service

[Dualhammers]

So I've had my Large Swedish Son for a little over a year now and it's been a great first car. Unfortunately, it is also a somewhat expensive car, requiring a few different trips to the mechanic. Par for the course on an old car, but I'm routinely poor enough to get food stamps so I can't be choosing between paying rent and making the car run so I want to do a bunch of work myself. Now that I have more time and a bit more confidence with the car I want to try and start doing the regular maintenance myself. I work with and fix computers all day but I've fixed anything on a car before. How hard can it be?

Three projects for the car right now:

1. I need to change the oil and I want to move over to synthetic if people still think that's a good idea.

2. Last time I checked it the oil light hadn't come on but it was more than 3 quarts low. I hadn't checked it for a couple months because I've been dealing with depression and sometimes shit just doesn't happen. That being said I don't know how quickly that oil is burning so I will want to do at least a good spot check of possible leak spots.

3. The 140k service light came on. I have been trying to find what it entails but the manual doesn't show past 100k. If someone could direct me to that I'd be grateful.

[tryingbe]

1. No, don't use synthetic until the oil consumption is down.

2. The oil light is for oil pressure, NOT oil level. When it is on, you will have probably less than 1 qt of oil left. DO NOT depend on the light to save your engine. If you take the time to fill the gas tank, you have time to pop the hood and check the oil level, make it into a habit. Oil consumption will only get worst until the cause(s) is fixed. Your PCV system probably is clogged, that is the most common cause of oil consumption.

3. 140k means your timing belt, and other timing belts parts will needs to be changed immediately. If the timing belt breaks, that would be a $500-$3000 bill.

[charleskennedy23]

Welcome to the forum and Volvo ownership! If you put some sweat into your car and do some maintenance you could find yourself with a great car that will last for a long time. So if you plan on keeping the car you need to bring the car to what is called "stage 0." What this means is that you replace a key set of parts that wear out that will make the car like new. I have been working towards this on my 98 v70 for the past two years. If you type in stage 0 into the mvs search engine you can get a list of maintenance items that need to be done for your car.

There is a guy named Robert DIY who posts YouTube videos on how to do maintenance and repairs on cars like ours. Do a YouTube search and watch his "post purchase" things to do video. It will help you prioritize the stage 0 process. Big things are Timing belt every 70 k (failed timing belt = engine rebuild on our cars), PCV maintenance every 70k or as needed (clogged PCV = blown oil seals or blown rear main seal which to fix requires separating the engine from the transmission), and protecting the cooling system (overheated engine = blown head gasket which means taking the head off the engine).

Changing the oil is easy... General thoughts on this are (1) go synthetic if you have a turbo, (2) Dino oil is o.k. if non turbo but you will change more frequently and may clog your PCV sooner. I have a turbo car and have been running Valvoline Maxlife 10w-30 synthetic blend and changing every 3,000 miles using a Mann oil filter with no ill effects... the "high" mileage oils contain seal conditioners that help extend the life of your engine seals which is why I use them.

Also... Use premium gas... People around here suspect that long term use of regular unleaded fuel will lead to a burnt valve which means taking the engine apart to fix.

There ya go... More advice than you probably wanted... But here's the good news... I find it very rewarding to work on my car and I feel great after completing a repair job. That will help with the depression. Also, this forum is great and full of supportive friends. If you go this journey towards refurbishing you car, you will find a supportive community here which will also help with the depression.

Good luck! Welcome to the Volvo club!

[Dualhammers]

Thanks for the replies! I actually did already check the PCV when I noticed the leak. It turns out I wrote down the date of service wrong so I went 3 months longer than 6 months so the leak is a lot lower than I thought. closer to a quarter of a quart per 500 miles. The PCV was cleaned before I bought the car and still seems fine - no smoke from the dipstick, hose seems soft. Anything else I should check?

My honest guess is that if the PCV was clogged when they bought the car - it was a single-owner car from hawaii for most of its life so far then about 6 mos with another person in WA before me - it's possible the seals are already a little messed up. I'll watch the oil levels and see. My hope is to do most of the other Stage 0 stuff myself so I can afford to pay for a seals job if it needs one.

I also did already do the timing belt, water pump, tensioner. They said they did the timing belt before I got it but couldn't furnish me with the service information since they did it themselves so I got it done again. That's part of why the car's been pricey so far - it cost me $800 at the dealer :/

@Charles Your advice was and is fantastic actually. I've never been a gearhead in my life but I'm also finding working on the car feels pretty great. It's definitely good therapy to find a straight forward problem and fix it.

Oh and I decided on a name for it I think - "MAGNUS" - after the Swedish world's strongest man.

[sleddriver]

Last time I checked it the oil light hadn't come on but it was more than 3 quarts low. I hadn't checked it for a couple months because I've been dealing with depression and sometimes shit just doesn't happen. That being said I don't know how quickly that oil is burning so I will want to do at least a good spot check of possible leak spots.

That's a lot of oil to be low on....a lot.

Possible leak spots for a non-turbo motor are:
1. Loose oil filter.
2. Front crankshaft seal behind the pulley and RMS (rear main seal).
3. Front & rear camshaft seals.
4. Lower o-ring on dipstick tube.
5. Remove the plastic plate covering the ignition wires & spark plugs. See any oil on top of the motor? Down inside the spark plug wells? Check the gasket under the oil filler cap. If it's hard, you need a new one.

Put a latex glove over the oil filler hole, start the engine and see if the glove inflates. If so, the PCV ports are likely clogged. Slide the dip-stick out an inch to relieve the pressure. The glove should suck in towards the engine. Rev it a bit and it should suck in even more.

Solving car issues will definitely lift your spirits. Start with the simple stuff first to build confidence, then work your way up from there.

Good luck with it!