Examined a 2006 S40 w/ 113K near me today

[Georgeandkira]

Hello from Georgeandkira over on the V70 forum.

Today I looked at a 2006 S40 in Saddle Brook, NJ. The owner was asking $3,200.
He freely admitted to flipping cars so I gotta give him points up front.

New tires and the trunk smelled OK.
The pop-up headlight sprayers' covers were missing and i didn't get around to seeing if they operated.
The engine started; the ACC controls, windows, seat control, radio and sunroof worked well.
The coolant reservoir immediately hissed and sprayed at me the instant I cracked it open.
It had been greatly tightened.
The churn of incoming pressure was the most I've ever seen.
After getting the cap off I stuck my nose in the hole and the smell of raw exhaust was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I explained to the seller that the head gasket was damaged and that the problem could have been caused by an overheating episode or design flaw.

He said, "It doesn't have to be fixed immediately, does it?"

"The sooner the better for head gaskets", was my response.
I gave the dog, an overweight, 14 year old, long haired Chihuahua, a final scratch and left.