Should I purchase 1998 S70 GLT?

[VCA]

I will make this easy:
DON'T BUY IT.
It's a typical S70 that has not been properly serviced and needs a TON of work

I'm with JRL. Since the seller's mechanic thinks the dipstick smoke is "normal" he hasn't been taking it to a tech that knows his way around a Volvo...which means you can expect to have other issues related to the car not being taken care of properly. The transmission mode switch not changing means someone spilled a sugary drink in the center console (that or the TCM is shot, but I like to think positive)...big mess and a big pain (the CEL could even be on because of a short in the OBD II wiring under there).

At $1,500? Maybe a decent fixer (if you aren't afraid to get dirty and invest some time and get some tools). $3,500? Way too much.

[jblackburn]

Even a meticulously maintained S70 starts to break as the parts get old. Even if owned specifically by a Volvo mechanic like mine was, maintenance does not solve everything (e.g. my alternator, air pump, evaporator, etc.). However, it's nice to have an idea up front of what was wrong with it and have someone be honest with you instead of trying to hide things like some used car dealers will try to do.

Keep your options open though. Don't just settle on this ONE car. Shop around a little bit more before you jump at anything. You can find a better-maintained one for $3500, that asking price is too high for this car unless it is in ridiculously good shape. You will be stuck with this car for the next couple years, are you sure it's the one you want?

[atefitty]

First off Welcome!

Hi all,

First time poster here.

I am looking to buy 1998 S70 GLT from an individual.
I am currently driving 1999 Hyundai Tiburon so this will be an "upgrade" for me and possibly the first luxury car I ever owned.

It has 120,000+ miles and it seems to be in a good condition with the following exceptions:

- Steering wheel turns slightly to left when I take my hands off. Maybe I need an alignment done?

Its a Strong Possibility.



- Brake makes a very loud squealing sound. Owner told me he resurfaced rotors and back brake pads were replaced but the front ones didn't need replacing yet. Brake feels fine but I am not sure if the sound will go away after a while..

It could be that one of the calipers is sticking in the front. that could also be why the he had the front rotors resurfaced, due to it holding and causing it to heat up and warp and wear.

.
- According to the owner engine runs rough when it's cold out but it returns normal after it heats up. It seems very smooth when I was test driving it but it was after engine has been warmed up.

Could be one of two things i can think of. pesky Temperature Sensor or the Secondary Air injection pump which assist in helping the 3 way cat system heat up quicker.

- Check engine light is on and owner says he replaced oxygen sensor but it hasn't gone away.

If the Code that the CEL is for and it was replaced it could be that it just needs to be erased properly

- Passenger side headlight wiper is not functioning.
Ehh who needes it!

- Driver side door won't open unless the key is turned counter clock wise and the door handle is pulled simultaneously.

Wont open? or unlock?

- Timing belt is not replaced under current owner and I am not sure if previous owner replaced it at 75,000 miles or 105,000 miles.

To be Honest if it is still Running then I would assume it was Replaced. due to the miles and age I would have assumed it would have broke by now if it was indeed the original. I would look on the timing cover to see if there is a date or millage written anywhere showing if the belt has been replaced, if you are really unsure Find a import/volvo shop and ask them to take a visual look at the belt and see what they say.


If it was replaced, I think I should be good until 150,000 miles at least? How do I know if it needs replacing visually without taking an engine apart?


Take the Timing belt cover off and look for excessive wear. Cracking, missing teeth on the belt.


- SEW button below gear lever seems to be stuck in E mode.

now when you say stuck. does that mean when you push lets say the S button it doesn't move. or it does press down but the E is still lit.

Other than above (known) defects, car is very smooth and seems to be well taken care of.

another thing i would do is when the car is warm. pull the oil dipstick out and look for any steam/smoke like coming back out it. also the oil fill cap to see if it looks like oil is coming back out. its one of the ways to check the condition of the over thought of PCV System. also pull the Transmission dipstick. which is on the left hand bottom side of the air filter box under the upper inter-cooler hose, look at the fluid. it should be a pinkish red color and smell it. it shouldn't have a burn smell too it also should not be Black or dark dark brown.


All windows and sunroof works well too. Inside is clean but front leather seats are cracking.

the seats cracking are a very very common issue with Volvo




I love smooth ride as well as comfortable seats.

Coming from 4-cylinder coupe, car definitely felt heavy and not as toss-able. It seems to have a slower response when accelerator is pressed as well but I was quite surprised that I was doing 100mph when I wasn't looking so it might be deceptively fast than my 140hp coupe.

I am looking for a comfortable and quiet commuter car to spend my commute on. Hyundai Tiburon is fun to drive and easy to live with but it is quite noisy and feels cheap.

So my question is (sorry for a long write up!), should I purchase this car? Will it break down on me and cost a fortune to fix up? Does any of symptoms above indicate serious problem with the car?

Any advise is welcome.

What is the Asking Price. and yes it would be a very big up grade from a old hyundai

If you really take time and look you can find one with lower miles and alot less issues..they are out there.

[s70typej]

I decided against it not only because I was scared of repair bills that you guys warned about but also the owner "blackmailed" me by saying he gets several offers for the car and someone even offered more than what he was asking and he wanted me to put down a couple hundred dollar "deposit" for the car if I still want it.

Was I suppose to say, "I give in, please take all my money"? Just because I told him I want to buy his car since I thought it was pretty well maintained (which you guys say is not), it doesn't give him all the power to change the term anyway he wants! I was going to yell at him but I just sent him a polite email saying good luck~

I definitely agree his mechanic is incompetent since they don't recognize the most common symptoms that you guys can answer just like that.

Well, I guess I won't be a Volvo family for now but I will still be on the look out for the good ones. Now that I know what to look for on S70, I feel even more confident that I can find one in a better condition.

Thank you for everything and this is one of the best and informative car forums I have ever read. I will stop by from time to time...

[boosted5cyl]

Well thats hilarious "I have better offers, so leave a deposit so I can take your lower offer".
Reminds me of a dousch (sp?) on Craigslist I called up about a car that had been posted for more than three weeks "theres a couple of people looking at it tonight, it such a great deal so it will be gone today". Um, yea whatever dude. Do people really still fall for this sleazy BS?

Theres better ones out there (both seller and car). Keep up the search, finding a good example can be frustrating but they are really nice cars.

[Glencoeteen]

Good Choice! He was Defendant hiding something! and just so you know this info is good for S70/V70 up to 2000

[anmartin44]

no one in their right mind would offer more than the asking price! that guy is a real piece of work! stay away from those kind.
you shouldn't pay more than $3k for an s70 thats over ten years old.

[Glencoeteen]

Now i have to disagree with you on that. a good S/V 70 with low miles and in pretty good condition is worth more than 3k I plan on selling mine here for 5500. its a 98 with 122k at least here in the west coast Volvo's are high in value. I just sold a 90 240 with 150k for 2600.

no one in their right mind would offer more than the asking price! that guy is a real piece of work! stay away from those kind.
you shouldn't pay more than $3k for an s70 thats over ten years old.

[jblackburn]

It really depends on the model how much it's worth. A well-taken care of T5 or XC will go for more than the others, but nowhere near the original $8K MSRP gap between the models. I paid $5000 for mine 2 1/2 years ago from a Volvo mechanic. He wanted $5500 for it, but I pointed out that the A/C didn't work that well (I did my research first this time!).

The old RWD cars (later-model 240s and 940s) if well taken care of still hold a great value for their age - up there with older Hondas and Toyotas. I bought my old Accord for $900 and sold it for $1300 3 years and 50,000 miles later. Not often you own a car that goes UP in value! The gas crunch had something to do with the value of it going up.

[DaveG]

I always look them up on KBB and Edmunds for 'private party' prices.

Most often they are not "excellent" so the price drops quickly. If major repairs are needed, even more so.

Unless someone has a rare car and there are several local buyers interested (both big IFs), the buyer has the most bargaining power. Of course, the seller can always say no, but if they don't get the price they want, you may get a call back.

Most often the asking prices on Craigslist for cars, computers, etc. are way more than they are really worth. Perhaps because sellers expect to be lowballed. I know I've been lowballed on every single CL ad I posted to date.