What did you do to your Volvo today? Topic is solved

[kallekula]

I started a transmission service job on my BMW.

[abscate]

I hate you SoCa guys and your shiny exhaust hardware...

We get this...

[amblerman]

I hate you SoCa guys and your shiny exhaust hardware...

We get this...

Every single one of your recent pictures had me thinking "Oh boy... that's not coming off without a fight... probably just going to break."
Even down here in PA, there is a remarkable difference between the underside of our cars compared to yours. Ours still rust but not like upstate NY.

The worst is our Honda (2006 Accord) ... very reliable but they definitely didn't ask Volvo about rust prevention.

[amblerman]

I started a transmission service job on my BMW.

So.... .Volvo vs BMW.. Any opinions there?

I know a 540i and an s70 aren't really fair comparisons but I'm interested in your opinions because I know you have worked on both.

A buddy of mine has a manual 540i. Loves it. Just had a blinking check engine light and feared the worst. He doesn't wrench and was relieved to find out it was just a bad coil.

-A

[abscate]

I hate you SoCa guys and your shiny exhaust hardware...

We get this...

Every single one of your recent pictures had me thinking "Oh boy... that's not coming off without a fight... probably just going to break."
Even down here in PA, there is a remarkable difference between the underside of our cars compared to yours. Ours still rust but not like upstate NY.

The worst is our Honda (2006 Accord) ... very reliable but they definitely didn't ask Volvo about rust prevention.

Working on the 1998 I’m cracking every easily accessible bolt , lubing, and replacing bad headshot

It’s already paid off once with the starter dying on me, it took me 10 minutes to swap. I even remembered how I clocked the hidden bolt!

I’m breaking a lot less stuff in old age. With a 18 inch breaker, I feel if I’m getting thread movement well before I reach the fastener failure point. I stop, heat cycle 3x , apply penetrant and time. There is always something else to do.

Even this guy came apart in its original form. It got dremeled clean to where I could hand tighten it on replacement.

[bmdubya1198]

I hate you SoCa guys and your shiny exhaust hardware...

We get this...

We get that shiny new exhaust hardware down here too... it's hard

I started a transmission service job on my BMW.

So.... .Volvo vs BMW.. Any opinions there?

I know a 540i and an s70 aren't really fair comparisons but I'm interested in your opinions because I know you have worked on both.

A buddy of mine has a manual 540i. Loves it. Just had a blinking check engine light and feared the worst. He doesn't wrench and was relieved to find out it was just a bad coil.

-A

I love both of them, but BMWs are just so simple to work on. I love them. Everything is just exactly where you would expect it, and everything just makes sense. I really love working on P80s, but the advantage with BMWs is when you expect things to crumble or break on a Volvo (both interior and engine bay) they hold up just fine on the BMW.
When my dad and I swapped the engine on his X3, I was genuinely surprised at how easy it was to work on. I just couldn't help but laugh, since people usually complain that they're complicated. They really aren't. Sure, some things can be a pain, but you'll get that with ANY car.

That said, I've never owned an M62 car, the V8s are a little more of a pain from what I've heard. But the E39s in general are still pretty DIY friendly cars compared to the newer models.

[Sveedy]

I remember the first time I went to change out the starter on my '72 BMW 2002. I naturally crawled under the car looking for it, but was pleasantly surprised to find it living up top on the bellhousing instead. Makes all the sense it the world !

[kallekula]

I started a transmission service job on my BMW.

So.... .Volvo vs BMW.. Any opinions there?

I know a 540i and an s70 aren't really fair comparisons but I'm interested in your opinions because I know you have worked on both.

A buddy of mine has a manual 540i. Loves it. Just had a blinking check engine light and feared the worst. He doesn't wrench and was relieved to find out it was just a bad coil.

-A

One is fun to drive but requires constant mechanical attention, the bmw.
The volvo on the other hand is boring to drive but all it requires are oil changes. Very reliable too.
EDIT: The bmw was lacking good service history. Might be why I have to do so much work on it all the time.

[bmdubya1198]

BMWs go through phases. Occasionally, they'll seem to need everything replaced at once, then they'll be trouble free for a long time. Mine has been great, 245k miles and runs like new for the most part!

[brunocerous]

The remote starter didn't work on the '98 T5 with a no-crank condition, so I started moving stuff and found what looked like a mouse nest above the starter.