98 V70/T5: How These Cars Can Be So Expensive-II Topic is solved

[sleddriver]

Indeed. The sled is back to Stage 0 (mostly) and drives better than she has for a long time. The SFB'ngs are dried and cracked and figure they need replacing. But not now....ride is so much better with new struts, shocks, tires, alignment, and new hydro MM's.

My neighbors are quite surprised when told the sled is now 19yrs old. One marveled how clean my engine is. I take time to clean up during reassembly.

[sleddriver]

My previous thread updated with links added.

[Begather]

Following up on Tryingbe's theme, here's a list of sled-work performed over the past eight months. I did all of it myself, except for the alignment. It's occupied ALL of my free time + badly encroached on lots of other time I usually spend on other tasks like yard work, house maintainence, contract work, woodworking, excercise, social visits, etc.

1. Original ETC sensor went Tango Uniform, making the sled very difficult to start in 50°F weather. Female socket crumbled. Will rebuild later. Found Volvo part in BA box locally for $27.
98 V70 Cold Start Problem Solved
ECT Connector Failure - Fixed

2. ECC lost it's head, blowing 100% HOT air towards drivers side. Pulled ECC code indicated a faulty driver temp control damper motor. Pulled & tested; it was fine. Extensive schematic reading & voltage testing revealed the ECC was itself faulty and wasn't capable of testing itself: Above ckt had a faulty motor driver that wouldn't reverse polarity. $100 for local & on-line used part. Got lucky and found one in a PNP for $16 that actually worked. Also discovered fault in Autodiagnos' motor calibration program.
98 V70 ECC-211 Damper Motor Position Sensor Fault
98 V70 ECC Driver HOT Passenger COLD Issue

3. Discovered turbo WG severely out-of-spec. Unfortunately, it's been like that since 1998 when I bought the car used from a dealer. They must have detuned it when it served as a loaner....
98 V70 Wastegate Rod Adjustment Results

4. Leaking WP gasket discovered. Later fixed.....
98 V70 Hepu WP Gasket Leaking
Front Crank Seals & Water Pump Leaking

5. IPD skidplate bushings replaced.

6. T-stat gasket split, causing coolant leak on garage floor. During replacement, discovered upper original radiator hose was coming apart from the inside out.

7. Discovered TB was riding outside of the TB idler pulley upon inspection! Warned to not drive the car until it's fixed.
TB Idler Pulley Offset w/ Belt

8. Replaced WP gasket, TB, idler & ten pulleys with OEM parts. These pulleys were all worn after 7yrs/70 kmi. New TB rides in the middle...where it should.
TB & WP Gasket Service

9. All coolant hoses save for heater, replaced with OEM. Remaining turbo compressor vacuum hose also replaced.
Lower Turbo Vacuum Hose Stuck

10. Auto transmission fluid flushed.

11. Power steering boots torn; rack's been leaking for years. Installed new boots. Flushed PS fluid. Added AT-205 which actually stopped the leaks! Cleaned up the mess down below. Leaks stopped and pump no longer noisy.
Power Steering Service
Power Steering Service

12. Outer TR boots torn. Replaced with Meyle HD outer tie rods. Sled needs an alignment.

13. Coolant tank cap replaced last year has now split. Installed a better part.

14. Broken plastic clip on front air dam repaired so it latches once again.

15. Misfire codes pulled. Bougi wire set displays blue glow after many years. Needs replacement. Tracking found in dist. cap & rotor. Both cleaned up and plug wires replaced. New spark plugs installed.

16. Oil filter replaced.

17. ABS light illuminated after a long period of darkness. Investigation reveals previous fix finally failed. One bolt head stripped during removal. Ground off with Moto-tool. Motor terminals fixed again by widening contact with board. Reinstalled and ABS light now off. New bolts installed.
ABS Module Repair

18. Both front wheel guards reinstalled with new rivets.

19. Brake pads on all four corners replaced. Rotors OK. Brake fluid flushed with new.
Brake Pad Options

20. Cabin air blower speed very unstable on original OEM blower. Investigation revealed the commutator flat worn out. Replaced with new unit. Evap. core also cleaned and new cabin air filter installed.
Blower Motor Lubrication
Cabin Blower & Evap Core Service

21. Radiator fan began running with key out. Fault traced to faulty ETC female socket mentioned earlier. Extensive corrosion noted. Wiring & socket replaced using tinned copper, teflon-insulated wire.
ECT Connector Failure - Fixed

22. Discovered large, rigid, plastic PCV line from sep. box to intake was cracked just below distributer, rendering system inoperative. Fixed cracked section with a 4" section of silicone vac hose until I'm able to update hose per MVS recommendations. (Entire PCV system was replaced previously and this hose was cracked in-the-same-place! Fortunately no clogs were detected due to 100% synthetic oil use).
Hard Plastic PCV Pipe Broken

23. Rotted bumpers on both rear seat latches replaced with a pad of Sonneborn NP-1.
Rear Seat Latch Rattle Solved

24. Upon replacement of upper torque bushing, discovered Meyle replacement was too small! Previous OEM unit was reinstalled and remedy sought from Meyle.
Issue with Meyle HD Upper Torque Bushing

25. All electric door latch mechanisms began to slow/fail in Summer heat. Passenger door lever frozen; unable to open door from inside. Internal fault was worn out plastic, allowing metal cable holder to shift. Fixed with a brass screw. All four latch motors were cleaned, lubricated, as well as latch mechanisms. Multiple failures on adhesives used on HD polyethylene, allowing motor cover to seperate inside, disabling latch. Finally solved using UL-181BX acrylic adhesive duct tape.
Door Latch Motors Repaired
Bonding HD Polyethylene

26. Several internal door panel mounts failed during the above and needed to be reglued to ensure panel would remain tightly in place.

27. RR door latch mechanism later quits due to internal spring failure. Obtain PNP replacement and rebuild as above.
Door Latch Internal Spring Failure

28. Wicked P0-455 code returned: GROSS Evap Leak. Later traced to faulty 6 mo. old OEM gas cap seal. Replaced. Went away. Now it's back in Sept!
EVAP System Operation
P0-455: Gross EVAP Leak
Tracking Down EVAP Leaks with Smoke

29. Found (some) fog light parts @ PNP. Finally secured all save for shortened air dam inserts. (Still looking....).
Fog Light Schematic Q
Fog Light Installation Q

30. Went for alignment only to be told by one shop rack is too worn! Odd that....went to another. Thrust angle off to driver side. Front end over toed-in by 3X too much. Steering wheel recentered. Noticeable improvement in ride quality & lower vibration. Haven't added any fluid to PS rack for months now!
Steering Rack Too Worn for Alignment?

31. Oil and coolant spots on garage floor. WP gasket leaking due to not using new bolts. Didn't realize at time of replacement some bolts exit the rear! Leaked stopped with new bolts which come with RTV on threads.
Reseal Water Pump

32. Noticeable steering wheel vibration over speed bumps, rough roads and upon start traced to absence of lower, metal knee bolster which serves to tie wheel mount to both outer and inside console. Reinstallation eliminated all wheel vibrations. Pass. side bolster & cover also reinstalled along with glove box. (This was all previously removed while troubleshooting ECC fault noted above, cabin blower motor installation and fog light relay installation).
Steering Wheel Vibration Caused by Missing Knee Bolsters

33. Inspection revealed front, lower torque and both hydraulic motor mounts were Tango Uniform. Explained sharp, coarse, "crashing" of front end over rough roads & pot holes. Replacement of all was a major undertaking without a lift or engine hoist, but results were well worth it as lower torque & both hydrau. motor mounts were original (18yrs old). Engine sits much higher in bay and easily rocks by hand. Back end of motor no longer sits on sub-frame.
Reflections on Refitting Lower Hydraulic Motor Mounts

34. Oil discharge on pass side diagnosed to leaking 7yr. old front camshaft seals last replaced by indy. Removal was quite difficult as they were fossilized in place and came out in pieces. New seals installed. Mess cleaned up yet again and no more oil nor coolant leaks in garage!!
Cam Timing Q
Reflections on Front Cam Seal Replacement

35. Various front & rear vibration issues to sort out.
23 World’s Best and Most Expensive Cars You Should Know
Rear End Vibration
More Rear End Vibration

I'm finally finished...nine months later. Quite a marathon of work...one-thing-after-another-after-another. No wonder people ditch these cars. Not sure how much all of this would cost if someone else were to fix it. $4000? $5000? $6000? I spent about $550 in parts and fluids.

No doubt I left out a few things, like a lot of time spent cleaning grease, oil, coolant, grime off the underside. Makes me tired just typing it all! However, it is ALL NOW DONE and behind me, and no longer leaks, and rides very nice. Shocks, struts, spring seats, upper strut bearings, lower control arms, CV joint boots, tires, extensive P0-455 dragon slaying, were all replaced last year & year before. (Even more work and $$$ to add to the list.....).

I bought the sled from a local dealer in 1998 with 12 kmi on the odometer. Current mileage is about 214,500. She came out of the factory in Aug. 1997, so she's officially 19 yrs old! Never owned any car this old, nor this long. Previous milestone was a 1985 SAAB 900T I bought new, drove for 14yrs and racked up 256,000mi on many journeys. Gas was MUCH cheaper then plus I had more time for car trips, camp outs, travels. Lots of great memories. The SAAB was MUCH easier to work on, much simplier systems too. More room with an in-line four cylinder.

I've driven Swedish Steel only since 1985 and only two cars. Hard to argue with that. There have been times though.......................

I have gained a GREAT RESPECT for all mechanics that do this work, day in and day out, in the heat & humidity and constant grime, dirt, oil, coolant, not to mention customers complaining about the bill. Cheers & beers to yall. Prosit!

Caveat Emptor to any & all who would pick up one of these old cars "cheap" without knowing or turning their own wrench. You'll either soon learn or go broke trying as both your patience & wallet will be sorely tested!

You did an amazing job by combining all the relevant thread in a single post which have now become a comprehensive post more than to any of the resources on the web.

[sleddriver]

Thank you for your kind comment!

There is an incredible amount of detail and information to be found there for those of us with older cars. I've learned from many who've posted years ago. Definitely saved me $$$$$ by keeping on top of things.

[clifford06]

Your statement of money and time spent is so true. Decided not to buy my daughter a s70 for college because of quirky issues and cost.

[sleddriver]

Update:

It's been very nice lately to enjoy driving the car vs. constantly working on it. Finally had the opportunity to 'get-out-of-town' for a few one hr. each way road trips to check fuel economy, road feel at 80mph, boost performance and other things that in-town driving doesn't permit.

With the A/C off, MPG ~ 26 as measured by the dash. Not sure how accurate it is. Not bad given the speed I was driving (75 MPH speed limits now). The sled is very quick to accelerate and just keeps pulling. I've found myself quickly hitting 90 mph when passing and at WOT before I even realized how fast I was going. Just pure, smooth, strong acceleration. Ambient air temps in the low 80's also make a big difference performance-wise compared to 105°F routinely during the Summer months. The colder it is, the better she runs!

She feels 'tight' but smooth. On smooth pavement, ride quality is great. Road noise varies. The BF Goodrich tires are not the roundest. I've kept the pressure below 35psi which greatly helps the ride quality. I'll use a different tire in the future however. The ride over not-so-ideal pavement is far better than it's been in a very long time. A very welcome change. No more rattling from either rear seat back latches.

Engine oil level hasn't changed at all. Neither has coolant. Neither has PS fluid. No garage drips to report. I still routinely check (out of habit now) and actually find it hard to believe, but there it is. It'll take awhile to "get used to good news (meaning NO news)." I think I can finally reinstall the IPD aluminum skid-plate that's been off for so long.....

The dreaded P0-455 has also remained dark with the new replacement OEM gas cap.

I've been running 89-grade gas the past few months and have noticed a positive difference in MPG. My route hasn't changed that much but I'm not seeing the same amount of "needle-drop" as before. (BTW, isn't 90 in the middle of 87 and 93? Seems that equal amounts of 87 + 93 would result in 90.) Might also explain other benefits noticed above. Not sure if 93 (at 40 cents more/ga.) would be even better or not. I'm using a top-tier fuel.

The M1 10W-30HM oil I'm currently using is not rated as "energy-conserving". Not sure if it's possible to get an EC check-mark on an oil with the same characteristics. This oil is a thick 30 (3.5 centi-stokes) and A3/B3 & A3/B4 rated. Previous tests with M1 5w-30 resulted in noticeable "consumption" which could have also been undetected oil leaks. May have to repeat this experiment now that she's all buttoned up and not leaking.

Well, that's about it. I have some paint touch-ups to do from bow to stern. Still need to install the fog-lights. Front drivers seat leather is awful (even embarrassing). Interior tailgate trim/panel needs installation. White paint still looks great due to a full compound, polish, seal a few years ago. (Dura-Gloss won't stain black trim). For kicks, yesterday I polished the single exhaust tip from black back to a shiny metal and buffed up the lip!

Even had time to fix the 21yr old dishwasher with a lower spray arm that wouldn't spin!

[PeteB]

Talking about owning a car for a long time. I bought a 1958 Alfa Romeo when it was
20 years old in 1978, it needed an engine swap which I did with a 1968 engine that
bolted right in. Car came with the spare engine and lots of parts. I used it for a few
years in college, then put it into storage just using it in the Summer and kept it for
about 30 years so the car was about 50 years old when I sold it! LOL! It sure was
easy to work on. It was the Veloce (fast) model and it was almost intended to be
a race car so it had no choke. It originally had DCO3 Webers not the newer DCOE
with a choke. In the middle of winter in Massachusetts I'd press the gas about 5
times using the accelerator pump to prime the motor and it would fire instantly.
Then do it 2 or 3 more times and you could then drive away. Fun stuff.

[j-dawg]

Update:
With the A/C off, MPG ~ 26 as measured by the dash. Not sure how accurate it is.

I have measured this against miles/gallons at the pump. When I first bought the car it was pessimistic by a few MPG. Now it's an MPG or so optimistic. In that time I've replaced the fuel pump and injector filters, so it's possible that one or both of those are not OEM-spec and whatever's feeding the dash computer doesn't really know what volume of fuel is being injected. My commuting patterns and local climate have also changed, so it's hard to isolate the problem, but it's clear that the computer is sensitive to something unknown and is consequently never really very accurate.

TLDR: If you care about your actual rate of fuel consumption, it's probably best to calculate it using miles and gallons at each tank.

[sleddriver]

TLDR??
There were many items to notice, report and update given all the extensive work done. At least it's all in one post!!

Re: MPG. Again, I was driving between 75 & 80mph, which is rare for me these days. Naturally mileage will suffer. Now I'm curious what it'll be driving both in town and slower on the hwy.

I used to write it all down with each fill-up, then I got in the habit of not filling up when gas was near $4/ga. $ticker shock took over.....I also quit taking long drives. Those years were just absolutely nuts.......glad they're gone.

[jjss70]

Following up on Tryingbe's theme, here's a list of sled-work performed over the past eight months. I did all of it myself, except for the alignment. It's occupied ALL of my free time + badly encroached on lots of other time I usually spend on other tasks like yard work, house maintainence, contract work, woodworking, excercise, social visits, etc.

1. Original ETC sensor went Tango Uniform, making the sled very difficult to start in 50°F weather. Female socket crumbled. Will rebuild later. Found Volvo part in BA box locally for $27.
98 V70 Cold Start Problem Solved
ECT Connector Failure - Fixed

2. ECC lost it's head, blowing 100% HOT air towards drivers side. Pulled ECC code indicated a faulty driver temp control damper motor. Pulled & tested; it was fine. Extensive schematic reading & voltage testing revealed the ECC was itself faulty and wasn't capable of testing itself: Above ckt had a faulty motor driver that wouldn't reverse polarity. $100 for local & on-line used part. Got lucky and found one in a PNP for $16 that actually worked. Also discovered fault in Autodiagnos' motor calibration program.
98 V70 ECC-211 Damper Motor Position Sensor Fault
98 V70 ECC Driver HOT Passenger COLD Issue

3. Discovered turbo WG severely out-of-spec. Unfortunately, it's been like that since 1998 when I bought the car used from a dealer. They must have detuned it when it served as a loaner....
98 V70 Wastegate Rod Adjustment Results

4. Leaking WP gasket discovered. Later fixed.....
98 V70 Hepu WP Gasket Leaking
Front Crank Seals & Water Pump Leaking

5. IPD skidplate bushings replaced.

6. T-stat gasket split, causing coolant leak on garage floor. During replacement, discovered upper original radiator hose was coming apart from the inside out.

7. Discovered TB was riding outside of the TB idler pulley upon inspection! Warned to not drive the car until it's fixed.
TB Idler Pulley Offset w/ Belt

8. Replaced WP gasket, TB, idler & ten pulleys with OEM parts. These pulleys were all worn after 7yrs/70 kmi. New TB rides in the middle...where it should.
TB & WP Gasket Service

9. All coolant hoses save for heater, replaced with OEM. Remaining turbo compressor vacuum hose also replaced.
Lower Turbo Vacuum Hose Stuck

10. Auto transmission fluid flushed.

11. Power steering boots torn; rack's been leaking for years. Installed new boots. Flushed PS fluid. Added AT-205 which actually stopped the leaks! Cleaned up the mess down below. Leaks stopped and pump no longer noisy.
Power Steering Service
Power Steering Service

12. Outer TR boots torn. Replaced with Meyle HD outer tie rods. Sled needs an alignment.

13. Coolant tank cap replaced last year has now split. Installed a better part.

14. Broken plastic clip on front air dam repaired so it latches once again.

15. Misfire codes pulled. Bougi wire set displays blue glow after many years. Needs replacement. Tracking found in dist. cap & rotor. Both cleaned up and plug wires replaced. New spark plugs installed.

16. Oil filter replaced.

17. ABS light illuminated after a long period of darkness. Investigation reveals previous fix finally failed. One bolt head stripped during removal. Ground off with Moto-tool. Motor terminals fixed again by widening contact with board. Reinstalled and ABS light now off. New bolts installed.
ABS Module Repair

18. Both front wheel guards reinstalled with new rivets.

19. Brake pads on all four corners replaced. Rotors OK. Brake fluid flushed with new.
Brake Pad Options

20. Cabin air blower speed very unstable on original OEM blower. Investigation revealed the commutator flat worn out. Replaced with new unit. Evap. core also cleaned and new cabin air filter installed.
Blower Motor Lubrication
Cabin Blower & Evap Core Service

21. Radiator fan began running with key out. Fault traced to faulty ETC female socket mentioned earlier. Extensive corrosion noted. Wiring & socket replaced using tinned copper, teflon-insulated wire.
ECT Connector Failure - Fixed

22. Discovered large, rigid, plastic PCV line from sep. box to intake was cracked just below distributer, rendering system inoperative. Fixed cracked section with a 4" section of silicone vac hose until I'm able to update hose per MVS recommendations. (Entire PCV system was replaced previously and this hose was cracked in-the-same-place! Fortunately no clogs were detected due to 100% synthetic oil use).
Hard Plastic PCV Pipe Broken

23. Rotted bumpers on both rear seat latches replaced with a pad of Sonneborn NP-1.
Rear Seat Latch Rattle Solved

24. Upon replacement of upper torque bushing, discovered Meyle replacement was too small! Previous OEM unit was reinstalled and remedy sought from Meyle.
Issue with Meyle HD Upper Torque Bushing

25. All electric door latch mechanisms began to slow/fail in Summer heat. Passenger door lever frozen; unable to open door from inside. Internal fault was worn out plastic, allowing metal cable holder to shift. Fixed with a brass screw. All four latch motors were cleaned, lubricated, as well as latch mechanisms. Multiple failures on adhesives used on HD polyethylene, allowing motor cover to seperate inside, disabling latch. Finally solved using UL-181BX acrylic adhesive duct tape.
Door Latch Motors Repaired
Bonding HD Polyethylene

26. Several internal door panel mounts failed during the above and needed to be reglued to ensure panel would remain tightly in place.

27. RR door latch mechanism later quits due to internal spring failure. Obtain PNP replacement and rebuild as above.
Door Latch Internal Spring Failure

28. Wicked P0-455 code returned: GROSS Evap Leak. Later traced to faulty 6 mo. old OEM gas cap seal. Replaced. Went away. Now it's back in Sept!
EVAP System Operation
P0-455: Gross EVAP Leak
Tracking Down EVAP Leaks with Smoke

29. Found (some) fog light parts @ PNP. Finally secured all save for shortened air dam inserts. (Still looking....).
Fog Light Schematic Q
Fog Light Installation Q

30. Went for alignment only to be told by one shop rack is too worn! Odd that....went to another. Thrust angle off to driver side. Front end over toed-in by 3X too much. Steering wheel recentered. Noticeable improvement in ride quality & lower vibration. Haven't added any fluid to PS rack for months now!
Steering Rack Too Worn for Alignment?

31. Oil and coolant spots on garage floor. WP gasket leaking due to not using new bolts. Didn't realize at time of replacement some bolts exit the rear! Leaked stopped with new bolts which come with RTV on threads.
Reseal Water Pump

32. Noticeable steering wheel vibration over speed bumps, rough roads and upon start traced to absence of lower, metal knee bolster which serves to tie wheel mount to both outer and inside console. Reinstallation eliminated all wheel vibrations. Pass. side bolster & cover also reinstalled along with glove box. (This was all previously removed while troubleshooting ECC fault noted above, cabin blower motor installation and fog light relay installation).
Steering Wheel Vibration Caused by Missing Knee Bolsters

33. Inspection revealed front, lower torque and both hydraulic motor mounts were Tango Uniform. Explained sharp, coarse, "crashing" of front end over rough roads & pot holes. Replacement of all was a major undertaking without a lift or engine hoist, but results were well worth it as lower torque & both hydrau. motor mounts were original (18yrs old). Engine sits much higher in bay and easily rocks by hand. Back end of motor no longer sits on sub-frame.
Reflections on Refitting Lower Hydraulic Motor Mounts

34. Oil discharge on pass side diagnosed to leaking 7yr. old front camshaft seals last replaced by indy. Removal was quite difficult as they were fossilized in place and came out in pieces. New seals installed. Mess cleaned up yet again and no more oil nor coolant leaks in garage!!
Cam Timing Q
Reflections on Front Cam Seal Replacement

35. Various front & rear vibration issues to sort out.
Rear End Vibration
More Rear End Vibration

I'm finally finished...nine months later. Quite a marathon of work...one-thing-after-another-after-another. No wonder people ditch these cars. Not sure how much all of this would cost if someone else were to fix it. $4000? $5000? $6000? I spent about $550 in parts and fluids.

No doubt I left out a few things, like a lot of time spent cleaning grease, oil, coolant, grime off the underside. Makes me tired just typing it all! However, it is ALL NOW DONE and behind me, and no longer leaks, and rides very nice. Shocks, struts, spring seats, upper strut bearings, lower control arms, CV joint boots, tires, extensive P0-455 dragon slaying, were all replaced last year & year before. (Even more work and $$$ to add to the list.....).

I bought the sled from a local dealer in 1998 with 12 kmi on the odometer. Current mileage is about 214,500. She came out of the factory in Aug. 1997, so she's officially 19 yrs old! Never owned any car this old, nor this long. Previous milestone was a 1985 SAAB 900T I bought new, drove for 14yrs and racked up 256,000mi on many journeys. Gas was MUCH cheaper then plus I had more time for car trips, camp outs, travels. Lots of great memories. The SAAB was MUCH easier to work on, much simplier systems too. More room with an in-line four cylinder.

I've driven Swedish Steel only since 1985 and only two cars. Hard to argue with that. There have been times though.......................

I have gained a GREAT RESPECT for all mechanics that do this work, day in and day out, in the heat & humidity and constant grime, dirt, oil, coolant, not to mention customers complaining about the bill. Cheers & beers to yall. Prosit!

Caveat Emptor to any & all who would pick up one of these old cars "cheap" without knowing or turning their own wrench. You'll either soon learn or go broke trying as both your patience & wallet will be sorely tested!