Volvo C70

ece3446 · July 2003

Hi,
I am looking to buy a car and came upon a Volvo C70 for 13000 (70000 miles). Is this a relaible car and any gotchas or advice for a volvo newbie??

Thanx.

volvomax · August 2003

Should be fine.
As always, review the service records, make sure the car has been maintained.
Also, there were a few recalls, make sure they have been done.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2003

Seems like about retail private party price. No bargain, no rip-off.

schuhc · August 2003

One rumor that I had heard about the 98 is that they used the door hinges from the sedans. That tells me two things....
1. Make sure that the doors open and shut solidly and that the windows meet the top without issue.
2. You should be safe with this car if someone is complaining about door hinges.

I would have the turbo checked over to make sure everything is kosher there but I agree with Shifty as it seems like a fair price.

ece3446 · August 2003

I did'nt buy the car. The cost of the maintenance of the turbo scared me off.

Looking at the IS 300 now. Thanks again.

shark715 · August 2003

I have an '02 C70, and the owner's manual does not mention if the coolant level should be checked when the engine is cold or hot. When should the coolant level be checked? Also, there are warnings on both the coolant expansion tank and the owner's manual that only Volvo coolant should be used. Is there anything unusual about Volvo coolant, or is the warning merely Volvo trying to sell their own product? Thanks in advance for your help.

qbrozen · August 2003

i don't know on your car in particular, but usually there are 2 marked levels on the expansion tank, one for hot and one for cold.

i would say its most likely volvo just protecting its own interests as well as its customers (cause using cheap products is never good for the car). As long as you don't use cheap stuff, it'll be fine.

xchicagoan5 · August 2003

Am looking at used C70 Convertibles, specifically 2000 and 2001. Any words of wisdom besides checking service records, etc? I know Volvos have a high life expectancy. Should I consider a C70 with 70K in miles? Thanks

schuhc · September 2003

I have 59k on my 2000 coupe and it is cruising like a dream. The only thing that I can think of off the top of my head is to see if the turbo is leaking oil. That could be either a major or minor thing. Depending where the car is driven the rims may be bent on the inside of the wheel. All 4 of mine are bent but not bad enough that it is dangerous to be on them (Big thank you goes out to the Chicago streets for those).
Find out when the tires were replaced last. And definitely take it for a drive and take some good corners. That should let you find out where it is loose.

qbrozen · September 2003

70K? better ask if the timing belt was done.

schuhc · September 2003

Quick question and I know that it is a stupid one.

I've noticed that I get a lot more 'umph' out of my HT when I have 6 gallons or less in the tank. Is that because I'm running lighter or does it have to do with the gas being warmer? Or anything. Has anyone else noticed the same phenomenon?

tmart · September 2003

A WAG would be less weight. Would not think the temperature would be a factor. By the way, there's no stupid questions, only stupid answers. How's the new passenger doing??

schuhc · September 2003

She's ok. We went down to Indianapolis this past weekend and Lisa and Aine sat in the back pretty comfortably. Not a problem getting her infant seat in and out of the back (but that was a consideration when we bought it 3 years ago so we had tested it before). Lisa's first day back at the office was today and I had to shove a prybar between Lisa and her mother so we could get into work.

No horror stories yet, but given my wife's Italian-American heritage, I'm sure there will be some soon.

Have you checked out my last post on the c70 v clk board? ;-)

dick0823 · September 2003

Any discussions yet as to when Volvo intends to produce a new coupe??

volvomax · September 2003

Won't be for at least 2 yrs.
It will feature a folding hardtop and be based on the P1 chassis.

schuhc · September 2003

It is my understanding that the P1 Chasis is the new '50' chasis. Am I off on this?

volvomax · September 2003

Is the chassis for the 2005 S40 as well as the V50.

soledoc · September 2003

I have a 2001 C70 coupe 31,000 miles/nautic blue/tan interior/sunroof/dolby surround 3 CD player/5 speed manual that I just love. It's leased and the lease is expiring in May 2004. I don't really like much out there right now and I really love my car. The only problem I've had was that when I went throug the car wash water leaked through the passenger side door seal. The dealer fixed it no charge. That actually happened twice.
My question is what to do. I don't really like any of the cars out there right now. I kind of like the new Saab 9-3 sedan (especially the interior) and maybe the Volvo S60R but I'm thinking that mine is such a rare care with those exact specs...I've never seen one exactly like mine.....maybe I should buy it at the end of the lease. Any thoughts. I figure the residual at that time will be around $20,000. I hate to give up such a gorgeous car. I also have a 9 month old kid and I do have a car seat in the back and it's kind of a pain but I'm getting used to it. My wife of course can't drive it although we keep saying I'll teach her. 4 doors would be nice for the car seat convenience factor, but at what price? Thoughts on my predicament appreciated.

qbrozen · September 2003

Personally, I have a tough time finding cars that I love. So, if you're like me, then already having one that still meets your needs and wants is half the battle. I say keep it on 2 conditions. 1 is that you negotiate a fair buyout. When its getting closer to the end of the lease, visit the Real World Trade-in Values board and find out what it's worth. You should try to negotiate a buyout for as close to that as you can. 2nd thing is to get an extended warranty. And I mean a good one. Since you are still under factory warranty, you should be able to buy an extended warranty from Volvo at a reasonable price. good luck and enjoy.

schuhc · September 2003

I'm biased but I would say keep it. I wanted a 5-speed but we were a 1 car family and my wife couldn't drive a stick. The S60R is incredibly sweet and I thought about trading the C in for it but only for about 2 seconds then I laughed at myself. Lisa and I went ahead and bought the XC90 as we have a 3-month old. While the child seat is a pain, it is a realtively small pain given how much I love my C.
I've test driven the R and I would not fault you for going that route but it would be a shame to give up your C.

tkreytak · October 2003

Just settling into a new 2004 c70

Looking ahead to the new england winter

Looking for some advice on snow tires and rims.
I am assuming my best bet is steel rims with plastic caps, saving the alloy's for spring/summer driving.

I am aware of tire rack but 135/rim + 150 per tire will add up quickly.

any help appreciated.
on both what to by, what the specs are necessary to ensure that the rims will fit my car, and where a good place ot look is.

tim

jcarpi · October 2003

I have a 2000 C-70 coupe, 5-speed, 3 disc changer, venetian red/grey interior, and still love driving it. Before I bought it, I had looked for years to replace my beloved 1984 300 ZX, with a car that had style, performance, and safety. This car has it all! I love it still (although we all know the hassles of getting in and out of the back seat). I have 38K on it, and haven't had any major expenses besides new tires. I expect to keep this baby for years.

schuhc · October 2003

Buy them, they are worth the investment. And get 16inchers as well.
I made the mistake of keeping my pilots on my HT and that sucker slid all over the place. Those tires get so packed it's unbelievable (MIchigan snow).

16inch snow tires are definitely worth $150 a pop as you will use them for 3 years.

You can always check on tirerack.com as they have good deals as well

gramirezc70 · October 2003

Unfortunately, my 17" Canisto wheels met the mean streets of San Francisco last night. Scraped both RT side rims while yielding to a BIG paramedics truck. Has anyone had any experience with OEM wheels that have been remanufactured to look new?
Companies such as www.wheel-and-rims.com offer the rim for $181, vs. the $392 from the local Volvo dealer new. One of my main concerns is if the color will match the other rims, since I believed they are repainted. Thanks!

tmart · October 2003

For the past couple of weeks I've had intermittent hesitation when lowering the top. Not a big deal, just release and press the switch again. Then it didn't want to raise. Thoughts of raising it with the provided little wrenches didn't sound like a good option. Finally got it to go up. Visited the dealer the next day. Eight codes pointed to one of several potentiomers relating to top positions. Of course it had to be ordered. Did you know there were error codes for the top operations? Dropped the car off Thursday, got a nice S60 as a loaner, and picked up the car Saturday. Top lowered fine at the dealership and raised fine at home. But Sunday I noticed that both rear windows hadn't sealed with the top, leaving a quarter inch gap at the bottom corner. Went back today and was told the only way to fix the gap/sealing is to REPLACE the top!! My service advisor said the Volvo rep happened to be there last week and he'd seen several with the same gap problem and the only fix is a top replacement. Anyone have or had problems with their top?

dfwk2500 · October 2003

Sorry to hear about the problems with your top. Since the early recall we have had no problems with the operation of the top (in service 2/99), although the rear glass has had to be reglued to the velcro seal. Can't imagine why a new top would be needed to close a gap at the rear windows. If the replacement parts were the same as the original the tolerances should not be off that much. Still in warranty, or extended warranty? Keep us posted. It would be a shame to be without the car when the weather has finally become perfect for top down operation around here.

schuhc · October 2003

You have to be kidding me. I would.... diplomatically speaking... "communicate up a garbage storm"!

I'm assuming the top sealed correctly before you took it in there. I would think that they should fix the top problem (which it seems they did) without introducing another bug. Tommy...Lemme know if you want me to come down there and.... diplomatically speaking.... "give them insight to the physicallity of a Chicago temper directed to the portion of the body that they sit with".

BTW...Did it drop below 70 degrees down there and you felt like you needed to have the heater on? Why would you ever put the top up?

schuhc · October 2003

Throttle body this weekend. 63,000 miles and it finally decided to die on me.

$781.00 parts and labor.

Should've gotten that extended warranty. Definitely will for the XC90.

qbrozen · October 2003

Well, this is a couple of months old, but I just spotted it now.
http://www.swedespeed.com/news/09_03/09_22_03/index.shtml

Can't wait to see what they come up with!

rtarabou · October 2003

Does anyone have issues with consistent and high quality FM radio reception?

Some stations are clear, some are unlistenable.

I have a 2003 C-70.

Help!!

RichT.

tmart · October 2003

Rich, the quality depends on your location relative to the transmitter. Volvo's diversity antennas switch back and forth from the mast to the one in the bumper trying to find the best signal. It's really noticeable on mine when in ProLogic mode.

schuhc · October 2003

I've been reading the XC90 posts and some have been saying that if you switch the mode FROM ProLogic to something else, the reception gets better.

schuhc · November 2003

Hi guys:

I've got 64k on my 2000. I've now experienced a significant spot on the side of my steering wheel where the leather has been rubbed raw. Just wanted to see if anyone else has had a similar issue. Think I'll be dropping some money on a new wooden one since this is the case.

schuhc · November 2003

Hi all:

I'm off to pick up our XC90. Tomrrow at 10:15pm CST I fly out and will be picking it up on Monday. I really think that I'm going to love this car for one simple reason....

LISA WILL LEAVE MY COUPE ALONE NOW AND IT WILL BE ALL MINE!!!!!

I've already told her that once the car is delivered to Chicago, I'm going to change all the memory buttons on the driver seat to my setting. Then if she ever asks why she doesn't have her settings in the coupe anymore, I'll simply say "Sweetheart, you do! The settings are in the passenger side."

Talk to you when I get back

tmart · November 2003

Have a great flight and trip. In Lisa's defense, you're got 3 memory settings, so I feel she should have one of them. On my drivers side, I'm #1, and the wife is #2. On the passenger side, She's #1 and I'm #2. How long will you be staying in Sweden, and how long will it take for the shipping back to the US?
Sorry about your steering wheel. The wife's Lexus has wood on the steering wheel and it looks real good, but it just doesn't match the feel of the C70's wheel. Believe the C70's is a little larger in diameter and it just feels better to me. Have you considered just replacing it with another leather one? Bon Voyage!!

dick0823 · November 2003

I also have a 2000 with a similar problem. I thought a mechanic might have accidently put something on the wheel when it was in for service. If you try to clear it, even with mild soap, it presents that worn look. Next time in, I was going to point it out. Don't know what you could do to fix it. Must be the treatment in the leather.

tmart · November 2003

job of cleaning my steering wheel. At times, mine gets really dirty. The Z takes it right off with no problems.

schuhc · November 2003

Tommy:

Not sure about another leather wheel. May just go for the wood one. Got the wood one for the SUV because of my current one.

Itenerary:
11/8 - Copenhagen Hilton
11/9 &11/10 Goteborg
11/10 - Prague Hilton
11/11 - Vienna Hilton
11/12 - Budapest Hilton
11/13 - Cologne Hilton
11/14 -> 11/19 Dublin with friends and golfing 3 times (Killarney, Lahinch, Royal Dublin)

Hiltons are free because of all my Hilton points. Lisa ate the other ticket that I had...sorry.

dfwk2500 · November 2003

My wife loves her '99 convertible so much she has become worried that with the C70 convertible being discontinued, she won't know what to get if anything happens to her car. She solved the problem and today traded her '99 on an '04. She figures she bought 5 more years of life and also made sure her car wouold be too "new" to be passed down to the kids when they start driving in a few years.

Since the '99 was being traded in, I decided to see if it had any trouble with an automatic (touchless) car wash. Other than the noise, interesting deformation of the top when it got to the air blowers and a little water dripping in in between the top and rear windows, there were no problems. I would not recommend it for every wash, but at least now I know when I am away for extended periods of time and cannot hand wash the car, my wife can run it through if necessary.

tmart · November 2003

Congrats on the new C70. What color did she get? The 04 Sky Blue is sweet. My Goldie has been in the shop for a week now getting a new top. It had to come from Sweden. Got a V70 as a loaner. A very nice ride.

dfwk2500 · November 2003

She got the Titanium Gray with the light gray interior and black top. Quite a difference from her Nautic Blue with beige interior and beige top. She leaves on an overnight trip today and I convinced her she did not want to park it at the airport, so I get it for 48 hours. At least the rain has gone away for a while so I can enjoy it.

tmart · November 2003

The Titanium Gray is the color of my V70 loaner. I really like it. Have fun going topless the next two days. After Monday's pouring, yesterday and today were beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. The moonroof in the V70 is nice, but.....

cybrc70thug · November 2003

I just bought a '99 c70. I love it, but CD-R's wont play in the 3 disc changer. I did music, like the theme to the Saint. One of the many reasons why I bought the car. But I cant play the theme, please help me. I burn my cd on Adaptec Cd creator 4 at 12X using Fuji CD-r's. Also, has anybody replaced the bakes on there C-70 and how much did it run? Thank for any help that anybody can give.

tmart · November 2003

Will regular store bought CD's play? My CD-R's play, but I don't burn at that high of speed. Do you put a label on your CD's? I've heard that the labels can cause problems on some players. Also, I believe the session has to be closed not open. Can't help you on the brake job.

cybrc70thug · November 2003

No labels and store CD's work. I am going in to check what setting I use to burn the CD, I think I dont close the sessions. I am going to try burning at a slower rate too. I played something that my wife burn a while ago and it worked. But I changed the setting since then. Hopefully, these changes work. Once again, thank for your help.

qbrozen · November 2003

yup. check those settings then let us know.

as far as the brakes, i believe these use the same as the s70s, but I could be wrong. in any case, Midas wanted over $600 to replace the pads and rotors at all 4 corners on my T5. I wound up doing it myself and spent $250 on cross-drilled rotors and Mintex pads. Brakes feel great and I spent way less money.

schuhc · November 2003

Hi:

I have had no problem with CD-R's in my 70. I have found that the best CD-R's for the car are TDK. On my old cpu I burned them at the slowest speed possible. It is also important that they are burned in a format that is compatible with cd players. In other words, you can not have these in mp3 format as cd players are not mp3 players. There should be an option on your software for this.

On my new CPU I have had difficulty burning a cd that is compatible. Going to do it again tonight at 1X the speed to see if that works.

DO NOT use CD-RW's. I understand those won't play at all. Will let you know tomorrow what the result of my 1X effort tonight results in.

tmart · November 2003

What's the ETA for Chicago?

schuhc · November 2003

Ok....For some reason I cannot burn at 1x the speed on my new cpu. However...I can tell you that the cds that I burned with the new application, while staticy in the coupe, work perfectly in the XC90...so go figure.

Tommy:

They dropped it on a boat in Bremmerhaven on Monday the 24th. They communicated that the latest it would get to Baltimore is by December 8 (14 days). They indicate that after that it takes 15 working days to make it to the dealership in Chicago (so I figure the 29th or 30th).

Trip was cool. Picked it up on the 10th and took off. The border checkpoint after Dresden was SCARY. It was basically plywood and rippled aluminum nailed together. I have no idea how those guys stayed warm seeing as how we were on top of a mountain and it was 25 degrees with flurries. Got past the border checkpoint and up to the top of the mountain where there was a roundabout with a sign to Prague. Made my way down the mountain (slowly) and noticed a 'shack' that was about 10 yards deep by 25 yards long. 1/2 of it was a 'bar' with a window where you would go up and order a drink. The second 1/2 was a picture window and a room with a sofa in it. As the signs were 'odd' I was not sure if I was going in the right direction so I got out, went up to the bar window and pointed down the mountain and said "PRAHA?" He nodded so I turned around to get back in the car and between me and the car (at 2:00am and 25 degrees mind you) was a blonde in a white bikini. She said something to me in Czech and I told her that I didn't speak czech so she asked me in English if I wanted a girl. I very nicely said that she was beautiful but was late and needed to get going (I would have given her a 7.5). I got back in the car and made my way down the mountain. There were at least 15 more of these "shack-brothels" on the way down with girls waving at me to come in. Yeah...right.... 2:00am-Russian mafia-American-brand new XC90....I'm not stoppin ladies...sorry.
Made it into 'town' (Teplice) and breathed a sigh of relief until I realized that the Shacks had given way to 3 or 4 story buildings that had the same neon lights and picture windows and girls waving to come in. Needless to say, I zipped through town. Realized I missed my turnoff to Prague so stopped at a shell. Two cops were there so I asked how to get back on the road to Prague. They said that for 500 Crowns ($20) they would show me. Yeah right...Telipce=brothel border town, corrupt cops, now 2:45am, American, new XC90...I'm getting back in the car and finding it myself.
Found Prague at 4:00am....woke up at 10:00am and decided to head off for Vienna.

Vienna:
So...I get across the Czech/Austrian border. After gassing up (about 10 miles into Austria) there are two cops checking cars randomly at the side of the street. They wave me over and look at my passport for about 10 seconds. Then they have me open up the back. Take out the luggage. Fold up the third row of seats. They check out the whole thing and during that time one of the cops is talking to the other and then that one is asking me questions in English such as...how many people does it carry, how much horse power. They pop the hood check it out...
They kept me for about 10-15 minutes just asking about the car. They loved the fact that the speedometer was mph and kph. So in essence they just wanted to check out the car.
Vienna was cool.
Budapest was cool.
Caught a rock on the Autobahn doing 120mph and put a 15 inch crack in the windshield but that will be replaced.
Dropped it off in Brussels on the 14th. Flew to Dublin.
Golfed on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Flew home on Wednesday after a steady diet of chips (fries) and Guiness with my friends.

101.4 degree temperature on Thursday...must not have drank enough Guiness.

tmart · November 2003

Sorry about the rock. Glad it will be fixed before you get it back. Question though. Do the new engines no longer require the "easy driving" for 500 miles? Would think 120 MPH wouldn't be considered as easy. Just couldn't develop a taste for Guiness while in England this summer, but love Worthington and Caferty(sp).

Volvo C70

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