Volvo V70 Interior & Passenger Comfort Questions

PF_Flyer

Think you need more seating adjustments? Or maybe you've run into a unique cleaning problem after a long trip with the kids? This is the dicussion for anything and everything related to the upkeep and maintenance of the interior of your V70.

oberg

This weekend, after driving in a heavy rain, the carpet on the front passenger's side was soaked in our 2002 Volvo V70. Funny thing is it was only soaked on the right-front side of the carpet (nearest the door), but was only soaked on the lower, flat part of the floor. I pulled up the carpet but did not find any drainage hoses or anything else that could cause the water build up. Any ideas?

pilotpat

Disclaimer - don't own a Volvo... yet. But here's my best bet. Hopefully it's the door seal (easiest/cheapest to fix)

1st - Look for the very obvious - with the door closed, inspect it to make sure everything looks like it's closed flush - no big gaps, etc.

2nd - open the door and inspect the rubber weatherstripping that runs around the edge. Look for tears/rips/holes first (there will be some tiny, smooth-edged, holes in the edges that let air out when you close the door and compress the weatherstripping, ignore them).

3rd - Inspect the doorjam to see if there is something stuck to it (clump of mud, whatever) which keeps the weatherstripping from making a good seal.

If that's not it - think about whether you had something accidentally closed in the door - seatbelt, etc - that either kept it from closing completely or acted as a wick to suck water into the car.

If it's not that, you likely have a leak somewhere else - a likely suspect to check is the windshield edge. If the leak is there or somewhere else on top, one way to find it is in a carwash.

Hope this helps.
Pat

xchauler

I had the same problem in my 2001 XC during a very intense thunderstorm, I ended up with 2.5" of water on the passenger side floor. I traced the problem back to the door grommet at the jamb where the wiring harness is threaded thru. The top of the grommet had come partially undone. I refitted the grommet and no problems after that. I was surprised that the water did not damage my amplifier which is located on the floor under the seat. You should also check the drain lines from the sunroof they can also get clogged from debris and need to be blown out with compressed air. I hope this helps

PF_Flyer

Leaks can trace back to some seemingly very illogical places at times. One method that has been suggested to me (rather than a carwash since it gives you more control) is to have a friend put water on different areas of the car that might be the source of the leak while you watch the spot where you know the water is winding up.

swiftriver

Alright...I know this is going to sound trivial but I have this huge problem in trying to figure out how the cup holders in my 2000 V70 XC work. They pull out of the arm rest. They will not safely hold a cup. It is a half circle with no bottom. I thought that it was broken and looked at a Volvo parts catalog on line. The picture looks exactly like the one in my car. Can anyone tell me what exactly I am missing here? I'm starting to think that that this cup holder needs a special cup from Volvo which is available only from the dealer for $59.95.

cskipp

my air conditioner runs great for a while then just blows hot air. you can shut it off for 10-15 minutes then it works fine again. just had the in-cabin air filters changed and it might have helped a little.
also have noticed that since the ac has been cutting up the ambient temperature gauge registers very high--20 to 30 degrees higher than likely.
any ideas? anyone have a similar problem?
sweating in miami

96850glt

Regarding leak sorces, I found that the Thule removable roof racks leak in the rain because the door seal against the body is displaced by the attachment clip that pins into the corrsponding hole in the body door frame, thereby leaving a small gap for water to leak in through. Another source is any strapping you might have secured inside the car (i.e. the excess 1" wide Yakima nylon straps that I use to hold my surfboards on with). It can be a pain, but I now remove my racks in the rain, or I put a towel under the door seal where it leaks. This happened in my '98 V-70 and in my '96 850GLT.

abeadon

Hi,
I have the dealer installed v70 thule racks and they have caused some (not trivial) leaks. I live in Vancouver (so you can see why this would be a problem ) Lots of rain and I was wondering if anyone had a solution other than the $330 a door that the dealership is suggesting that I pay to replay the door seals.

Thanks in advance.
Andy

revjeanne

Hi there,

I am having the same problem with my a/c. Did you find a solution?

Thanks,

Jeanne

sven6

Same problem with the ac working OK for 10 minutes, then only hot air blowing. The dealer says the compressor is likely on the way out. With heavy use (95 degrees), it overheats and shuts itself down automatically. That is, the compressor does not come on and create cool freon. After 30 minutes of non-use, it cools down and then just restarts itself. He says $1000 bucks to fix it. Ouch. Mine has 107K miles. I'd expect more life from a compressor, but you have to remember it was designed for Northern Europe, not Texas.

cskipp

Greetings,

Mine turned out to be a problem with the clutch. The repair was much less than half the price of the compressor and it's been working okay ever since. Every few months it may have a moment where it feels like it's not cranking but then I'm in hot Florida! Best of luck.

jc1357

Your cupholders are broken, which is very common due to their really poor design. What you're missing is that there should be pieces that pop out when you pull the cupholder out to make a complete circle to hold the cup, along with the little piece that drop down underneath for the cup to sit on. You'll need to replace your cupholder - an easy replacement. You can order them through a Volvo dealer, but they're very expensive. You can find used ones much cheaper on ebay. Just make sure they are complete - I've seen a couple of people trying to sell them that have the same problem yours does. Make sure that both cup spaces have the dropdown pieces underneath, the complete rings, and the little spongy flaps on the insides of the circles that help hold the cup tight. Good luck.

wendi292

What year did Volvo stop putting a 3rd row in the wagons? Thank you

camydog

I have an "01 V70 with a rear facing third row seat. They were offered as an option for my body style, '01-07. You can buy a car with it or a car without one can have it added. It was an $1100 option.

I don't know if the '08-'09 have them. Someone else will have to field that.

bunnyman

bunnyman

My passenger rear seat lock will not release. I disassembled the corner to find an arm that fits between two partitions (one broken) to control the locking mechanism. Also the seatbelt locked in place not allowing me to return the seat to full upright position
Any suggestions for seatbelt release? and/or lock repair? I will call dealer.
Thanks, Mark

markemarkv70

Hi all,
Can anybody help? My internal lights will not go out unless i slam the door several times. This can happen on both n/s & o/s fronts doors. I know there is a pin of somekind that turns them off on other cars but this seems to be done via some other method on the Volvo, unless i am looking in the wrong place. My alarm is not working at the mo and i am locking via the key in the door. But i've been doing this for a while now and this light problem has only just started to happen.
Thank you in advance for any help or tips.
MEMV70

biancar

Any Volvo guys reading here?

I test-drove the V70 today and liked it very much in many respects, but it had what felt like a very peculiar and irritating throttle response. When I put pedal to metal, it had to think about it for a couple seconds before anything happened. Reverse was true when I took my foot off the gas - it took a few seconds to respond to the lack of input to slow down slightly.

This was disconcerting. I am used to my 350Z, which responds instantly to either more pressure or less pressure.

I don't expect a wagon to handle like a sports car, of course, but this isn't a question of handling as such, it was more about predictability of response. Very strange.

Is this normal?

I also test drove the XC70, which I liked very much, but I think it's a bit too much of an SUV for me.. Didn't notice anything weird about the throttle response, but I may have been too dazzled by the gorgeous interior to pay attention.

fedlawman

Yup, throttle response is not lightning quick. I have always described my V70's responses (throttle, steering, shifting, door locks, etc.) as though there's a layer of molasses between the control input and the car's reaction.

It's just a very relaxed car - it does what it does amazingly well, but it doesn't provide any degree of excitement. That's why I also own a BMW...

biancar

Thanks for the response. Sounds like it's typical of the model then, and not just a quirk of the specimen I drove.

That's a pity, because I really liked it otherwise.

Also drove the Chevy Equinox today and liked that too. Tomorrow will drive the Subies, Forester and Outback, and see how they compare. Outback and Equinox, at least on paper, are very similar, with the 'nox actually winning some luxury points vs. the OB.

fedlawman

We chose the V70 for it's safety, reliability, and comfort. We also got the 3rd row rear-facing seat, which most cars short of full-size SUV's don't have. Like I said, it's not exciting, but it is easily one of the best cars I've ever owned.

You really can't beat the Volvo for around town utility and long-distance comfort. Pretty much a Swedish Buick...

biancar

How long have you owned it? Did you compare with the Outback when you were shopping?

I did like it a lot in many ways, just found that delayed throttle response very annoying.

gmwalters

Exactly the same reasons we bought our 2010 V70. The gas mileage on it is outstanding, too. Had to order it and wait 3 months for it to be built, but it was worth the wait.
I had been looking at the 2010 Outback and drove two of them, but many of them have a steering vibration problem that has not been fixed by Subaru. Read all 1300+ posts on the subaruoutback.org forum.

fedlawman

We bought it new - 6 years ago next month.

No, we didn't look at the Outback since the 3rd row seat was a priority for us. We cross-shopped with the Acura MDX and Toyota Highlander, to name a couple of contenders.

tifighter

I have a favor to ask. Can anyone with a V70 tell me the interior height in the cargo area, floor to ceiling? Dimensions for the cargo area are hard to find; I appreciate the help. Thanks...

pete51