2001 V70 2.4T Road Trip Begins!

[prwood]

And we're off! Or at least, my wife and kids are off. They headed out on the first leg of our road trip this morning in our '01 V70 2.4T which we've nicknamed The TARDIS. I'll be flying out to meet them in Minneapolis next week, then traveling with them for four weeks, and then flying back from Houston while they drive the rest of the way home. (I was able to get four weeks off of work; six was too much. So I'm joining them for the parts of the country I haven't seen as much of.)

Here's the general route we're taking (I'll be with them on the green and yellow legs, which will last four weeks):

Screen Shot 2017-08-24 at 10.03.26 AM.png (706.5 KiB) Viewed 9704 times

The total mileage of that line is 7,292 miles, but the actual distance driven will be longer.

Starting Odometer: 216,610

Work I've done this summer, with links to applicable stores:

* Replaced timing belt, water pump, idler, tensioner pulley. Kit by Gates from 1A Auto
* Replaced PCV breather system. Kit by iPd from iPd
* Replaced alternator. Alternator by CarQuest from Advance
* Replaced power steering pump. Pump by Volvo (used) from Naumkeag Used Auto Parts
* Replaced accessory belt tensioner (belt replaced last summer, still in good shape). Tensioner by Duralast from AutoZone
* Replaced thermostat and engine coolant temperature sensor ECT Sensor by Intermotor from Advance Thermostat by Stant from Advance
* Changed oil and replaced oil filter. Oil by Mobil 1 from Walmart, Filter by Mahle from FCP
* Replaced air filter. Filter by Mahle from FCP
* Replaced fuel filter. Filter by Mahle from FCP
* Replaced front brake hoses and bled system. Hoses by Duralast from AutoZone. Also inspected pads and rotors (in good shape) and cleaned brake parts.
* Replaced light bulb behind odometer (also proactively replaced three other bulbs on instrument panel that use the same bulb type). Bulb by Sylvania from AutoZone -- side note, found two dimes wedged under the panel when I removed the instrument cluster surround! Bonus cash back!
* Replaced oil filler cap. Cap by Duralast from AutoZone
* Replaced fuel filler cap. Cap by Duralast from AutoZone
* Replaced turbo oil line gasket and o-ring. Gasket by Elwis from FCP, O-ring by Elwis from FCP.
* Replaced transmission torque rod. Rod by Hutchinson from FCP
* Replaced spark plugs. Spark Plugs by Volvo from FCP
* Replaced ignition coil #3 which had cracked upper casing. Coil by Volvo/Bosch from swedenauto on eBay
* Re-torqued sunroof rail bolts to eliminate rattle.
* Removed all wheels, inspected and cleaned wheel mating surfaces, reinstalled and re-torqued.


Work I've had others do:

* Replace front control arms and ball joints, replace rear coil springs, replace front tires, perform alignment. Work done by T Tires of Salem, MA. The owner is a very good guy. He even offered the use of his tools if I wanted to pull the car up to his shop any time.

Thanks to everyone here at MVS for helping us get the car prepped! I'll post occasional updates here as the trip progresses.

[June]

How did the name TARDIS come about? My 1998 V70 was named JESABEL for her uncanny nack of puking transmission fluid on the interstate at the most inconvenient time, or my 2002 S80 T6 who got the name MEDUSA for being a fire breathing dragon.

The trip sounds like fun! I shall look for reports of all the fun your family is having Volvoing across America. June

[abscate]

How did the name TARDIS come about?

I think it was his Doctor who recommended that name...

[June]

How did the name TARDIS come about?

I think it was his Doctor who recommended that name...

LOL!

[prwood]

My wife named her The TARDIS because:

- she's big, blue, and a bit boxy
- she travels through space (mostly on Earth) and time (generally forward)
- she sometimes has a mind of her own
- she doesn't always take us where we want to go, but she takes us where we need to go

She named our previous car Penelope because after being hit by a bus on a past road trip, we left her behind in Ithaca, NY to be repaired at a body shop, and used a rental car for the rest of our trip. Eventually we "sailed" back to Ithaca to rescue her. Penelope had a hard life - before the bus she had also been hit by a semi. Eventually she succumbed to complications from an earlier head gasket failure that was common to that model year Subaru.

[prwood]

Special shout out to my 8yo daughter who is a real trooper and stayed with me for two and a half hours last night being a helper, gofer and flashlight-holder while I finished bleeding the brakes and reinstalling the wheels. I estimate she saved me at least an hour and a half in labor time, particularly when she reminded me, twice, that I needed to break the wheel lugs before I lifted the car, and, once, that I should actually bleed the brake before putting the wheel back on. Oh yeah, and once when I put a rear wheel back on with the bleeder bottle still attached. She also had an impeccable memory of where I had put all the tools and parts I needed.

[SuperHerman]

Looking at your route - I suggest you hit the Minnesota State Fair while in Minneapolis/St Paul (it starts today and runs through Labor Day). Any food you can imagine is served on a stick. Check out the animal barns as kids love these, forget the rides if you can.

I would also hit Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming if it not on your list. It is a cool park - a good hike - and so out of the way that most people miss it. It is in your path so I would do it as the chance may never happen again.

Make sure your crew is outfitted with good hiking shoes, water bottles, sun screen and bug spray if you plan on hiking.

One other note, much of South Dakota is 80mph, so be prepared.

Have fun. The trip looks great.

[prwood]

Looking at your route - I suggest you hit the Minnesota State Fair while in Minneapolis/St Paul (it starts today and runs through Labor Day). Any food you can imagine is served on a stick. Check out the animal barns as kids love these, forget the rides if you can.

I would also hit Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming if it not on your list. It is a cool park - a good hike - and so out of the way that most people miss it. It is in your path so I would do it as the chance may never happen again.

Make sure your crew is outfitted with good hiking shoes, water bottles, sun screen and bug spray if you plan on hiking.

One other note, much of South Dakota is 80mph, so be prepared.

Have fun. The trip looks great.

I do believe we're going to try to hit Devil's Tower. We are frequent hikers so we have all of those things in our car at all times, regardless of whether we're on a trip.

Even four years ago, I would have been pretty psyched about 80mph, but nowadays I'm just seeing the dollar signs slip away as fuel economy decreases...

[June]

Looking at your route - I suggest you hit the Minnesota State Fair while in Minneapolis/St Paul (it starts today and runs through Labor Day). Any food you can imagine is served on a stick. Check out the animal barns as kids love these, forget the rides if you can.

I would also hit Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming if it not on your list. It is a cool park - a good hike - and so out of the way that most people miss it. It is in your path so I would do it as the chance may never happen again.

Make sure your crew is outfitted with good hiking shoes, water bottles, sun screen and bug spray if you plan on hiking.

One other note, much of South Dakota is 80mph, so be prepared.

Have fun. The trip looks great.

Yes on Devils tower, I drove there back in 2009 and it was a day of fun. Especially loved the field full of cute little animals clicking at each other on the way in and out. Also don't forget Mt Rushmore, Craters of the moon National Park , Mesa Verde National Park , Glacier National Park, and Mt Olympic. Those are my favorite places I visited on that 09 trip from Florida to DC to Seattle to San Francisco back to Florida. Have fun! June

[abscate]

My wife named her The TARDIS because:

- she's big, blue, and a bit boxy
- she travels through space (mostly on Earth) and time (generally forward)
- she sometimes has a mind of her own
- she doesn't always take us where we want to go, but she takes us where we need to go

She named our previous car Penelope because after being hit by a bus on a past road trip, we left her behind in Ithaca, NY to be repaired at a body shop, and used a rental car for the rest of our trip. Eventually we "sailed" back to Ithaca to rescue her. Penelope had a hard life - before the bus she had also been hit by a semi. Eventually she succumbed to complications from an earlier head gasket failure that was common to that model year Subaru.

No doubt driven mad by the salt on the roads of Ithaca - and just north is the town of Ulysses..