Possibly headed to look at 2006 XC70 - couple of questions

[oldandbroke]

Well, I'm sad to say that my 01 V70, which I love, has developed gear cluster bearing noise, and everyone I've talked to says I'm looking at $2500 to 3K for a repair bill. It's very much driveable, and as long as I don't coast in gears 2, 3, or 4 I can't hear the noise, but I know it's gonna get worse, possibly abruptly, at some point.

It's not that I would *never* put that kind of $$ into a car I like this much, but I think I'm going to try to sell it to someone who is happy to receive it and do the work themselves for a good price.

So I'd like to go with another volvo, still trying to keep the price a little low, and there's an 06 XC70 near me with about 130K miles on it that's right in my price range. I plan to go look at it today or tomorrow.

The two P2-specific things I know about are the timing tensioner and the glove test to check the PCV system. There's also the throttle body, but given the crap shoot that those seem to be I don't think I'm going to not-buy based on that as long as it's working fine when I drive the car.

Honestly I probably won't not buy the car based on the results of the glove test unless it's a more dramatic fail than I would expect.

For the timing tensioner, is there ANY way to tell how recently it's been replaced if I don't have a receipt saying it has?

And if the only downside turns out to be that I can't get a firm answer about the age of the tensioner, what do you suppose I'm looking at to take it to a shop and have it done? We do have a little place here that specializes in foreign car work, but they were ready to charge me over a grand to replace my throttle body when it turned out I just had a broken nipple on my MAP sensor, so I probably won't go to them, it's likely to end up being done at Pep Boys or etc.

Any other thoughts about this year and model? I bought my V70 while studiously avoiding automatic and turbo and AWD models. This one has all three, and I (possibly erroneously) consider all three of those to be nice to have but failure prone items on any used car. (And yet here I sit with my failed manual trans, though at 200K one can hardly blame it.)

My understanding is that P2 automatic trans issues were sorted out in the first 2 or 3 years, I think I've heard folks here comment on the angle gear as a likely issue with AWD, but I'm not sure how common it is or if it's enough of an issue to be scared of used AWD models in general.

I'd appreciate any other tips or suggestions that anyone might have.

[cn90]

- Too bad you don't DIY, otherwise it is expensive to go to mechanic.
- I understand you are "oldandbroke" but if you want to avoid trouble, then:

1. Get a P2 Volvo with < 100K miles, they are around, you just have to be patient.
2. The 5-cyl engine is bullet-proof, except for the timing belt issue as you mentioned.
Open the TB cover (? 10-mm bolt) and look. If Volvo or ? Conti, there should be a mfg date stamp on the belt.
3. AWD vs FWD, if you don't need AWD, then wait to find a FWD.
The AWD engineering of the P2 is not very good (angle gear sleeve issue, angle gear leaking etc.).
4. The automatic in P2 after >2003 (such as 2004-2007) is very good, easily goes to 200K miles.

I have a 2004 V70 FWD with 105K and love it...

[Georgeandkira]

I'd bet ANY P2 for sale with 130K has not had it's timing hardware replaced.

Why do you single out the tensioner? There's an idler pulley and the belt itself. The water pump is said to last 2 timing belts.
If you get this car do the t-belt/idler and tensioner and leave the water pump IF it exhibits no leakage or looseness.
Refresh the coolant with new Volvo coolant

As a personal favor to me please post the color of the coolant this car has. I ask because I bought a 2007 and the fluid was a pale green. I assume some old Volvo blue coolant was mixed with G-05 resulting in a pale green.

Absolutely do AT LEAST ONE transmission drain & fill using correct fluid. If the fluid you drain is clear red, you know it's likely OK.
If the drained fluid looks dirty or jet black or smells burned (smell the dipstick during your test drive) you can then decide whether to proceed with additional drain & fills or a cooling line pump out.

If you're the "boutique fluid type of guy", I suggest getting your fluid to near clear before switching over. No $en₵e in adding premium fluid to a sewer. Of course the subject of aftermarket fluids is a mine field of fact, fiction, tradition, emotion, economics and ego.

Also, there's servicing to be done on the bevel gear assembly. You'll find a filter kit for it on foreign car parts sites like eEuroparts, FCPeuroparts-the old FCPGroton-, IPDUSA and AutohausAZ. Here I believe Volvo is the only source for the fluid.

Are you married to Pep Boys for service? Is yours known to be good?

My 2007 just turned 100,000 miles yesterday.

[oragex]

For the tb tensioner, the INA ones actually have the manufacturing date stamped behind the small temperature needle. Of course, the tensioner needs to be removed from the car to see the date, but this is not that hard - if you can find a bud to keep the tension on the belt near the tensioner while you pull the tensioner out, you can remove it and place it back (and adjust it of course). I've actually did this alone and it worked fine (swapped the tensioner without removing the belt) - only really careful not to let the belt slack or it drops off the crank pulley teeth and then it has to be put back in place (lift the car, remove wheel, cover, etc)

As cn90 says, you can also take a peek at the belt by tossing the left upper cover - actually, just undo the front metal clip and push the cover to the left, with flash light you can see the belt

The AWD angle gear was reinforced somewhere starting with 2007 (or mid 2006). So 2006 may stiil be the weak one, and by 130K is surely no longer working

The XC70 is also known to eat a coil spring now and then. Not fun when it breaks and can be costly to replace. As mentioned, if you don't need an AWD, perhaps a V70 is a better choice - good winter tires are much better than an AWD with all season.

[abscate]

No throttle body issues on the P2 wagons, they just bolt in. ( they are also not prone to failure)

Likewise the T belts run150k, so buy your new car and take time to change it yourself and save the bucks

[E Showell]

I love my '04 XC 70. In fact, I'd probably trade my '06 V70R for an '06 or '07 XC70, which is probably heresy on MVS.

All of the techs at my local Volvo dealer run mid 2000s XC 70s.

Good cars, although the plastic clad aesthetic is an acquired taste I have not yet acquired, but I don't have to look at it while I am driving.

[abscate]

The beautiful curves of the FWD P2 s are Spared the garish cladding of polymer

[oldandbroke]

Thank you very much for all the replies and information! Sorry was offline for most of the day yesterday.

We've got some things that have come up so I'm a little worried this one will be gone by the time I can get out there to look at it, but nonetheless these cars are on my list of things I'm looking for, so I'll bear this info in mind.

It does sound like AWD is not the way to go unless I plan on some related work/expense, but that's OK.

Regarding the tensioner - I singled that out only because I'd had the impression it's the most commonly cited catastrophic failure point, I get that other things would be replaced with it.

[vtl]

06+ angle gears should not leak, Volvo had it redesigned. Haldex electric motor, DEM, propeller shaft and collar sleeve still fail routinely.

FWD N/A V70 we had was much simpler than XC70. Perhaps, around twice less parts that do break on XC70.

[E Showell]

I love the FWD V70s as well. I only got my XC because the price was right.