Volvo S70

wjl11 · August 2003

I brought the car in for a 70k service. I had no problems with the brakes. It seems everytime I bring this car in for a service its either the tires or the brakes that need replacing. Volvo's are awfully expensive to maintain.

qbrozen · August 2003

are they telling you the calipers are leaking or something? and why all calipers? it just doesn't sound right to me.

wjl11 · August 2003

He said the calipers are 'sticking'. Doesn't sound right to me either, but how can I take the chance with the family car?

qbrozen · August 2003

If they haven't done the work yet, then I would take the car back for at least a couple of days and tell them you'll be back because you don't have the money or time or whatever at the moment.

Sticking calipers will mean that you are driving with the brakes engaged sometimes. So, after driving around a while, you can get out and feel the rim. If it is hot, then that is a good indication that the brakes are dragging like they say.

If you have no immediate problems, then a couple of more days won't hurt anything.

lweiss · August 2003

I just had my 1998 Volvo S-70 in for the 60K overhaul and I never go to the dealer- I found a great independent place that does Volvos/SAABs only and they can do warranty work. I paid that kind of money at a dealership, then found out that
it was half that at this new place. Volvos and other European cars need more brakework than Japanese and American cars, but also have better performing brakes. And yes, Volvos need maintenance often and the parts are expensive- my headlight switch needed replacing and that was $174. A month ago, the electric radio antenna was replaced at a cost of $146. I figure $1,000-$1,500 per year on Volvo maintenance and repair which is cheaper than the $5,000 depreciation per year on a new car. Keep them maintained and they last long and they are nice cars- good features inside and out. But low maintenance- no.

blacks70 · September 2003

Just moved to DC area, and have a 1998 S70 GLT with 53K miles on it. If anybody has any suggestions for a good independent mechanic that does volvo work in the DC area, I would love to hear them.

Thanks,
Niclas

lweiss · September 2003

The independent that I use is AutoScandia, in the Reston/Herndon area of Virginia. They are located at the confluence of Sunset Hills Road and the Fairfax County Parkway. They specialize in Volvo and Saab only and they are certified by Volvo to do warranty work, recalls, etc. Reasonable rates, good work, easy to get an appointment. Depending where you live in the Washington area, it may be a drive, but also worth it.

jocelynl · September 2003

My 2000 S70 Turbo is at 39500 miles. Thinking about getting the extended warranty. I've gone over everything with the finance guy at the dealership and was quoted $1899 and am wondering if it is worth it or not. Any thoughts?

Jocelyn

qbrozen · September 2003

how long does that cover you for?

I'd also check what is covered. The VIP plan I received when I bought my certified Volvo was a bit disappointing. They denied coverage on things that I thought should absolutely be covered (water temp sender $230 and a vacuum leak inside the intake manifold $240) and the service tech even agreed with me, but said there was nothing they could do and that it is up to the warranty company.

fimo_s · September 2003

What is a good price to pay to buy 1999 Volvo S70 GLT Turbo W/leather in good condition ? Thank's

qbrozen · September 2003

HOw many miles? What color combo? Any other options? No sunroof? NO seat heaters?

I could only give you a very rough estimate. Best place is over on the real-world trade-in values board. Terry can give you a much more accurate assessment. But you need to restate what you said here, plus miles, location, color combination, and all options. good luck.

pat · September 2003

Link: Real-World Trade-In Values

qbrozen · September 2003

i should have that link in my wallet or something. I post it so many times I get tired of looking it up and copying and pasting it.

pat · September 2003

fimo_s · October 2003

Hi. Is anybody knows a good independent mechanic or dealer that specialize in Volvos in Chicago area ? Thank's.

beanson · October 2003

Hi everyone,
My parents just bought me a 2000 S70 GLT for $16500 out the door. They bought the car in San Jose and I am at UCLA so I can't go up to check the car out for a while. However, they said that there is no "GLT" badge on the rear of the car. The dealer spec sheet on the car labels it as a GLT and I checked the VIN on Carfax. Carfax says that it is a GLT/SE. The car has wood trim, sunroof, leather, alloys, etc. Does anyone happen to know if this is a GLT or not? The local Volvo dealer said that the GLT badge can be taken off easily so I am thinking maybe the previous owner took it off? This car was not bought at a Volvo dealer and is not certified. Any advice/input appreciated, thanks.

qbrozen · October 2003

yes, the badge is just glued on these cars. My "T5" fell off at a car wash. Luckily it was hanging on by a thread and I was able to save it. Bought a tube of emblem glue from the local parts store and reattached it.

if you want to be sure its a true GLT, just look for the turbo.

amazon · October 2003

If it's a 5-speed auto, than it's a base model. If it's a 4 speed, than it's either a GLT ot T5.

qbrozen · October 2003

the base came with a 5-speed auto? I had no idea. Interesting.

beanson · October 2003

Hey guys-
thanks for the info. I just looked at some pictures of the car that my sister sent to me. The engine has a chunky silver box at the back of the engine bay behind where is says VOLVO and theres a black tube that snakes over. (Kind of an L shape) I assume this is the turbocharger? I was looking on ebay at some non turbo S70's and there's no box, just empty space. There is also an STC button on the dash next to the sunroof button and I don't see that on the 2000 base S70. This is the low speed traction control right? Thanks for your responses.

amazon · October 2003

STC was available on all S70s that year. That black tube is indeed the tube between the turbo and the intake manifold.

The 5-speed auto was only available in the base '00s.

tom20682 · November 2003

Help! I picked up used 2000 S70 GLT on Thursday. It seems to be a wonderful car. Ir was previously leased, has 82,000 , and was sold at auction. I paid $10,900, which I think is a terrific price.

Today the power driver seat stopped moving forward! If I press memory button 1 it will move forward as long as you keep it pressed. My hunch is prior owner never set memory. Any ideas of things to check?

The first night I had it home, I made the mistake of using a key that didn't match the sensor I used to unlock the doors. That one took me about 30 minutes to figure out, and I finally found the paragraph in teh owners manual about the "Starter Inhibitor". What a relief!

qbrozen · November 2003

well if the seat moves forward when using the memory button but doesn't move forward when using the forward switch, then i have to assume its a problem with the switch. maybe just a bad connection. since it moves with memory button, then its not the motor, so that's the good news.

tom20682 · November 2003

QBrozen,
That is my suspicion too. If memory seats are set, can they be "erased" by disconnecting the battery? If the mem button 1 is th eonly button that moves the seat forward, then I am concerned that my wife or kids set mem button 1 to a specific seat posiiton. Replacing a switch liek that sounds like it will involve an expensive switch and labor to go with it.

qbrozen · November 2003

ya know, I never thought about it, but now that you mention it, I have had my battery out a couple of times since I bought the car and don't remember ever having to reset my seat memory. Maybe I'm just not remembering correctly, though.

well, if you are adventurous and somewhat mechanically/electrically inclined, I'd try taking it apart and cleaning the contacts. Might not even need to go that far. maybe a connection is loose.

wannavolvo · November 2003

I am wanting to purchase a used Volvo S60 2.4t or S70. I am a first time Saab buyer and I'm studying the models. I am wanting to know from Saab owners how much maintenance is involved. I own a ford, so I am aware of normal wear. I figure that I will purchase a Volvo that is 2 or 3 yrs old.
thanks for the help.

germanguy · December 2003

Hey everyone. I just got a '98 S70 GLT. It replace my wife's '97 Plymouth Breeze, so of course I'm loving the Volvo. Question is, should I continue doing oil/filter changes, spark plugs, air filters and stuff like that on my own like I did with the Breeze, or should I take this infinitely-more-valuable Volvo to a certified Volvo mechanic ALL the time? I hate to mess up a good thing.

FYI: I've gotten very fast responses on autotrader.com selling the Breeze. So if anyone out there is trying to sell a car of their own, I do recommend. Oddly, many of my prospective buyers are located in the UK.

wjcnt · December 2003

I just bought a used 2000 s70 but do not have a listing as to all the features and wether it is a base model or SE etc. I have no owners manual and the car title was reconstructed and indicates only a 2000 Volvo. No model. I also have no owners manual and would like to obtain one.
Can I use the VIN numberf to somehow get the info I need?

germanguy · December 2003

Have you tried entering the VIN (should be located on the driver's door) at carfax.com?

amazon · December 2003

Oil changes are very easy to do on this car. THe filter is very accessible, and there's no reason to not do this yourself. I never did replace the spark plugs, though. I'd imagine that the air filter shouldn't be too bad either.

fimo_s · December 2003

When and what model replaced Volvo S70 GLT ?.Thank's

amazon · December 2003

That'd be S60 2.4T ot 2.5T.

fimo_s · December 2003

Thank you very much.

lweiss · December 2003

I have a 1998 Volvo S-70 with about 66K miles. I replaced a power window motor for one of the back windows last year, now the one of the front windows looks like it is going too- is this a common Volvo problem?

Thanks.

qbrozen · December 2003

what makes you think its going out? I'm just curious because my front windows have been moving rather slowly for about 6 months now. I, too, thought they might be dying, but so far they are still going. Just not as fast as I'd like. But now I can't remember if they were ever faster. Could be my imagination. So what are yours doing?

lweiss · December 2003

I was away for a week (car not used), then when I tried the left front window, it rolled about a third of the way down, then stopped. Rolled it up again and then tried it and then it hesitated but then rolled all the way down. The next day the same thing. Today it rained and it seemed to be working better. Maybe the mechanism is dirty and needs lubrication, but then taking the door apart to get to it is about 50% of the cost of replacing the power window motor anyway.

qbrozen · December 2003

so yours stopped. That's definitely different than my problem.

it does sound like, as you said, a lubrication problem.

kizhe · December 2003

We have 1999 Volvo GLT with about 30K miles.
In general car was o'k and trouble free (my wife drives it and loves it)except common Volvo S70 problems: lights bulbs and driver's door electric disabling.
We have two problems now:
1. 30K service was done in Aug 03.
  I assume they checked the coolant level @ last service (maybe not?).
  But now level is low. There are no puddles or other evidence of external leak.
  How could it possibly drop so quickly?
2. ETS warning light came on periodically. After resetting the ignition it usually come down, but once in a while came back on with no apparent reason.
Did anybody have/had similar experience?
I suspect that some damage might have been done during last service.
My suspicions is NOT groundless - We had bad luck (and not once!)
with upscale dealership's quality of work ( Mercedes and Volvo).

kizhe · January 2004

Hey, total silence here???!!!
What's happening?
Everybody traded or sold their Volvo already? Nobody to answer?
We bought new Volvo because of it's phenomenal reliability records.
My Volvo S-70 GLT was trouble free for 4 years and about 33K.
All services were done at dealerships. Very light use: 14miles to work
and back - mild climate, no abuse, no teenage drivers, etc.,
And then all hell broke loose: coolant dropped, ETS software replaced, ETS box failed and
replaced, burned smell in the cabin, got my wife in a state of panic.
And people in the dealership with the straight face are telling us that this a very good car??
My good old Dodges were running for 200k miles each, practically no problems and very cheap repairs. What's the deal here?
Are we paying extra bucks for upscale car to have all these problems?
Is our vanity cost that high? Give me a RELIABLE car and I am willing pay more for it.
They are giving us this expensive foreign junk instead.
I'll sell my S-70 and I'll NEVER have any business with Volvo again.
Volvo are you listening??

qbrozen · January 2004

i'm here and a volvo owner. saw your original post, but really can't help. I have had no such problems. Maybe others haven't either, and that's what the silence is all about.

Is only your ETS light coming on? Not the ABS light? If it was both, I could help ya (bad ABS module, which is very common), but with only the one light, I have no idea. Is it fixed now? (you mentioned new software and box)

as far as coolant, have you topped it off? has it dropped again? if it keeps dropping, then I would think you have a leak. Have you checked the oil dipstick? Any foaming or discoloration? If so, probably an indication that coolant is getting in the oil.

So, overall, you've got the ETS issue, bad smell, and low coolant. If the ETS is now fixed and the low coolant was a one-time thing and is not dropping anymore, then you are down to a bad smell. Maybe I'm too lenient, but that's a small list for 4 years.

lweiss · January 2004

My 1998 Volvo S-70 base sedan now has 66K miles and though we had more major problems two years ago, it has calmed down- an occasional check engine light, the fan running after the motor is turned off, power windows slowing down- hate to say it, but owning a Volvo (or Mercedes, or BMW, or the other European cars) will give you more maintenance and higher cost maintenance than the Japanese/Korean or even (maybe) American cars- it just comes with the territory. I have found a good independent place in Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and he admits that the Volvos have high maintenance, but good safety and longevity if you keep them maintained. My timing belt needs replacement at about 70K. So I allocate about $1,000 to $1,500 per year in Volvo maintenance and replacements- cheaper than buying a new car, I guess. Plus the features are good and the seats are top notch.

london01 · January 2004

We own a 1998 S70 which we bought new and now has 21,000 miles on the clock. Always dealership serviced. Last week my wife was T boned at the driver's side front by a car that blew a red light. The impact spun her car around and she hit another car head on. She slammed her head and left side against the inside of the drivers door. Suffered a concussion and separated neck/shoulder muscles. I am very concerned that the neither the front or side airbags deployed. The impact destroyed the front end of the car. The Volvo dealership lamely stated the sensors were not tripped. That much is obvious. I think the car should be looked at by Volvo engineers. We buy these cars largely based on there safety features.

volvomax · January 2004

Only go off if the frame is deformed.
Sounds like she bent alot of sheet metal, but not enough frame.
Hope she's allright.

lngtonge18 · January 2004

It doesn't take much speed to trip the side airbags. If she was injured that badly by the door panel and was spun around, the side airbag should have inflated. The speed of the front impact may have been too low to deploy the front airbags.

volvomax · January 2004

Speed has nothing to with it.
Frame deformation is the sole decider in a Volvo.
If the car was hit in the door the surrounding fram probably didn't deform enough to trip the bag.

lngtonge18 · January 2004

Bull! Show me where Volvo is any different from every other car manufacturer. The sensors that trip the airbags are based on the deceleration rate of the vehicle and have NOTHING to do with how much the frame is deformed. A sensor is unable to determine how much the frame is damaged; they aren't optical. Someone has given you some major misinformation. Don't you remember Volvo had to recalibrate the front sensors on the S80 because the airbags went off in a 5 mph bumper collision? There definitely wasn't any frame deformation at that speed. Look in the manual of any car that has side airbags and it will tell you the avg speed at which you can expect the airbag to inflate. I believe most cars are set to go off at about 15 mph and up. So either this ladies Volvo was hit at a speed below that limit, the side impact wasn't a direct t-bone, or the airbag failed.

volvomax · January 2004

First, the S80 bags went off because the front belts weren't fastened. The front bags can do that.
The side bags operate on a totally different system. They have a nuch higher threshold for deployment. Basically you have to have enough force to compromse the frame. The door gave way enough that the sensor percieved a lower impact speed than what was necessary to trigger the bag.
Also, point impacts sometimes won't trigger the bags. The impact must be transmitted over a larger surface.
BTW the owners manual says basically what I have said, the bags don't go off in all situations AND there is no mention of a minimum impact speed for deployment.

lngtonge18 · January 2004

IIHS always straps their dummies in. That wasn't why the airbags went off. It was because Volva had made the airbag sensors to sensitive. It happens.

As far as the side airbags go, you would be incorrect to assume the side airbags require a higher threshold. There is MUCH less metal protecting you on the side of the car and thus much less crush space. This is why the side airbags are designed to inflate quicker then the front airbags. Again, I will tell you the airbag sensors have no way of determining the amount of frame damage before deciding to ignite the bags. It's all based on the amount of force generated by the level of deceleration of the car.

Per "how stuff works" website, the sensors ignite the bags based on info provided from an accelerometer, NOT a sensor that takes into account frame damage. It also stated side airbags are triggered by impacts of about 12 mph. Here's the link:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/airbag5.htm

And here is a very simple explanation of how the sensors work:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=airbag.htm&url=http

/www.lemurzone.com/airbag/crash.htm

I think an "I told you so" dance is in order...

volvomax · February 2004

The passenger airbag went off in the S80, no dummy no belt.

Also, I said Volvo's airbags require a higher threshold for deployment. The accelerometer needs a higher value which is the equivalent of the frame being disrupted. In the S70 the accellerometer was in the base of the B pillar. If the hit went to the front door than the acclerometer would not have registered the brunt of the hit. By the time the door dissapated the impact the value would have been below the level necessary to trigger the seat bag.

lngtonge18 · February 2004

Sorry, you need to do better research and stop pretending you know everything. Look at the picture noted prominently on the IIHS website.

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/00007_2001.htm#

It clearly shows BOTH airbags inflated due to a too sensitive sensor in the bumper test. I even remember seeing the action noted on dateline. It also clearly stated Volvo made changes to the sensors to reduce the likelihood of airbag deployment in low speed fender benders. There was no statement saying, "the passenger airbag went off because the seatbelt wasn't on." Fact remains, Volvo made a booboo in their sensors and had to recalibrate them because whether the seatbelt is on or not, the airbag should not deploy at speeds of 5mph!

My main beef with your statements was you made it sound like the airbags only know to go off when the frame is damaged. I corrected you in explaining its a matter of deceleration rate, combined with the point of impact and speed of impact. You stated I was wrong in saying this. Once I proved you wrong with websites stating exactly what I said, you of course change your words around to cover yourself. You could have easily just said, "you right. I MEANT to say blah blah. And hmm..thats the first time I have seen a speed mentioned for airbag deployment but ok, thats news to me." Instead you continue to claim I'm wrong even though I proved you wrong twice now with links to back myself up. Be a man and admit you don't know everything.

Last comment, if Volvo honestly calibrates their sensors to not go off till the speed is high enough to damage the frame, thats a shame. The airbag is there to help protect the occupant from injury. Frame damage doesn't need to occur in order to inflict severe injuries (as seen by the poor lady mentioned above). What if the door hinge and latch failed and the door just gave way and crushed inward with no contact made to the b pillar? The person could be severely injured or killed because the airbag didn't go off. Any other car's airbag would go off in this situation, but you are telling me that Volvo is different here. Hmm....so much for Volvo safety if this is indeed what occurs. However, I think Volvo is smart enough and doesn't actually design its sensors to only take into account what you are saying. As I said before, its a combo of deceleration rate, speed of impact, and point of impact. As for Volvo being different, unless you know the inside stats of every car's airbag system, you can't state Volvo has higher limits.

Volvo S70

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