2004 V70 AWD and different tread depths

[iamhives]

I'm considering buying a 2004 V70 2.5t AWD with about 160k miles. The seller has been seemingly very open about its history and problems. He mentioned that the front and back tires are very different tread depths and that at a minimum a pair would need to be replaced. He mentioned he was worried about the difference front to back in the tread depth and that this difference would cause overheating of the AWD differential.

I did a bit of Googling to see if this is a valid worry and seemed to come up with different opinions. Some say that the newer Haldex AWD can deal with any tread differential as long as the tires are the same basic size. I'm not 100% sure how big the tread difference is front to back on this car since I haven't yet seen it but for him to mention it I suspect one pair is shot. If I were to buy it I would need to drive a couple of hundred miles home before I could change the tires. As luck would have it I have a pair of 205/55/r16s with about 50% tread left and while not optimal could probably use as replacements for the bad pair (at least temporarily)

So, questions: Does this model/year have a version of Haldex ( I think there are multiple generations?) that can deal with a good amount of tread differential so the diff overheating isn't a worry?

[June]

Forget it! Apparently my 1998 V70 Cross Country used viscous coupling and definitely were finicky. Mine had a flat when it was maybe at 9 months old with less than 10K and replacing one tire destroyed the system. Volvo then fixed it under warranty and repaired it over and over again until I traded it in on my 2002 S80. AWD was new to Volvo at that time. It seemed to never be right again. Also it put too much stress for the transmission to handle in Florida heat above 75 mph for much more than 10 minutes without overheating the transmission which causes the fluid to boil out the vent on top of the transmission. Several quarts everywhere under the hood would smoke out the interstate and the wind would spray oil all over the tailgate making a huge mess. So I would never buy that car. June

[cn90]

With 160K...I'd not pay more than $2K for it.

I'd buy 4 new tires (Kumho is $100/each) and sell the old tires on craigslist.

However, if you decide to keep the tires, then the 2 tires on the same axle must be the same brand and same wear.
Once the AWD is damaged, you can drive it as FWD lol...
Many of us drive around the AWD as FWD...

[raker10s]

Hey June,

I am a bit North of you in Fernandina. I have a 2013 XC90 coming this week and really need to have it checked-out mechanically. Other than the O'Steen Dealership who might you recommend in our greater area. I am willing to drive up to 100 miles each way for Volvo Expertise!

With my Thanks,

John
raker10s

[jonesg]

I'm considering buying a 2004 V70 2.5t AWD with about 160k miles. The seller has been seemingly very open about its history and problems. He mentioned that the front and back tires are very different tread depths and that at a minimum a pair would need to be replaced. He mentioned he was worried about the difference front to back in the tread depth and that this difference would cause overheating of the AWD differential.

I did a bit of Googling to see if this is a valid worry and seemed to come up with different opinions. Some say that the newer Haldex AWD can deal with any tread differential as long as the tires are the same basic size. I'm not 100% sure how big the tread difference is front to back on this car since I haven't yet seen it but for him to mention it I suspect one pair is shot. If I were to buy it I would need to drive a couple of hundred miles home before I could change the tires. As luck would have it I have a pair of 205/55/r16s with about 50% tread left and while not optimal could probably use as replacements for the bad pair (at least temporarily)

So, questions: Does this model/year have a version of Haldex ( I think there are multiple generations?) that can deal with a good amount of tread differential so the diff overheating isn't a worry?

The problem was with the early AWD, 2004 is ok.

[iamhives]

Thanks for the reply. That seems to be the consensus in the information I've found on the subject.