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Would changing to thin synthetic (say Mobile1 5W-30) dissolve the sludge, or would some engine oil flush be in order, one of the commercial products or kerosene?
I'm trying to collect more evidence on this subject. I'm aware of others who have had to replace their engines at relatively low mileage having followed the recommended oil changes. did this happen to you?
It's been many years since I've looked under a valve cover, and that was a Chrysler slant-six. Does the presence of visible sludge there indicate that oil passages in the head are plugged, or are there other indications as well? Does the visible sludge itself interfere with lubrication of the the cam shafts or valves? Is there detectable wear of the cam bearings?
Who is it that is proposing replacing the engine? Would it be possible to use one the engine flush products? I could imagine that some of these products would detach adhering sludge and have it plug up smaller oil passages, but this is jsut what I imagine without any experience in desludging an engine.
One more question. I read that the Volvo V70 takes premium gas. If I get this car, I do not plan on doing any hard driving that requires performance, exceptional acceleration, etc.
Can I get by on unleaded gas or is premium a must?
Please advise.
Thanks.
Dave
What is available in Dallas where I live are AKI 87, 89 and 93. I use 93 because it only costs 10 cents more per gal than 87. I could save a little by mixing equal parts of 89 and 93 to give 91 exactly, or 1 part 87 plus 3 parts 93 which would do the same, but the savings is minimal. The way I drive, 89 would work fine and even 87, but just on the off-chance that the knock sensor would fail I use what the manual recommends. Recommends, not requires.
The Volvo engines have a knock sensor (which I think retards spark timing if knocking is detected) which allows it to run without damage on any fuel above its minimum cutoff of 87 octane AKI. AKI is AntiKnockIndex = (research octane number + motor octane number)/2.
The extra cost of premium fuel is negligible compared to the total cost of ownership of a Volvo, and our V70 is a base model 2.4L, 168 hp, non-turbo, cloth, no sunroof, with auto trans as the only option. I am tight with a dollar and I use premium fuel. I used to use regular in our 1996 850 wagon and never had any knocking.
I also use full synthetic Mobile1 10W-30 (Dallas climate)and have the dealer change at 7500 miles like the manual says. This costs me an extra $40 per change, but some modern engines (like some Toyotas) were cooking conventional oil in the heads, and I don't want to take a chance on that.
I put a trailer hitch on it and have done some towing. I plan to do more towing, and I want optimum lubrication and fuel.
Why don't you alternate regular and premium and see if you can detect any difference? Be sure the tires are inflated to some standard pressure above the minimum. The 2004 V70 base tire was 195/65-15 with OE on ours Michelin tires that have 51 psi max infl pressure.
I inflate ours to 35 to 38 psi (38 psi is maximum recommended on the V70 tire sticker) and we get the EPA mileage estimates (22 city/30 hwy for the 2004 base V70 with 168 hp non-turbo engine).
Took it in for the $700 60K service and mentioned these problems. They did the service, told me the knocking was the result of broken connectors for the anti-sway bars and a broken anti-vibration something or other on the engine, which they fixed under my warranty minus $100 deductible. Said they could not identify source of oil leak and I should bring it back if it persisted (i.e., we did the gravy maintenance work and don't feel like searching for an oil leak).
Took it back 2 weeks later - thing was leaking like an old Camaro. This time, they used die, and service rep called and told me it was coming from the engine block itself, and was result of either a bad anerobic seal inside engine or a defect in the block. Either way, the only fix was an entirely new engine!!! Almost 1 week later VIP warranty company is still arguing with the dealer and factory rep regarding this diagnosis. It all seems ridiculous that a $40K car that is only 5 years old with 60K would require a whole new engine. FYI, I have had all factory scheduled maintenence done at the dealer, and have had oil changed every 5K miles. Dealer assures me that factory will insist on replacement. I guess I'm happy to have a new engine at no cost, but it certainly makes me think twice about keeping this car for another 5 years like I had planned. Wife thinks I should quit while I'm ahead and trade in for a Camry. She also thinks I should insist on a refund for the $700 service they did on an engine that is going to be replaced because they didn't feel like diagnosing the problem at the start.
I'm thinking this is just some freak thing and that I should be happy to have an essentially new car. Thoughts anyone???
With a new engine that car should be good for a long time to come.
BTW, alot of people are unhappy w/ the new Camry, so changing cars doesn't always mean more reliability.
Dealer should have caught the leak, so getting a refund on the 60K service is justified.
So, now I am wondering, will I get the identical engine that was in my 2001, or will I get the current T5 engine, which I understand has been tweaked since 2001 to produce a bit more horsepower and torque? Obviously hoping for the latter
A note to those who use Mobil1 10-30. Reading the oils forum here on Edmunds has me convinced to use 0-40 Mobil1 year round for three reasons. The "base stock" in this grade is superior to that in the 10-30, it is afterall the same price, and , finally, on a hot day the extended range up to 40W will give you more protection.
Speaking of hot days, even here in New England I find that after a brisk drive in July when I shut down the engine, the auxilliary fan comes on to blow hot air out of the engine compartment. Is my aux fan overly sensitive or is this standard all year long in such climates as Houston? To help out, I raise the hood. No other car that I've owned has done this (or had such high under hood temps).
In any event, I am not given comfort by my service advisor's mention to me that they have never attempted such a repair, that the standard labor hours for this repair are 20, but that it will take much longer. This, of course, means that the technicians will avoid this job like the plague since they are paid a flat rate.
I am calling VIP warranty today to unleash a little frustration... more updates later.
Raising the hood to cool the engine compartment is something that some people think is beneficial. I can't believe it is worth the trouble and extra wear on the hood mechanism. A hot day in New England? Get real.
Here in AZ we have hot days(don't consider any day in NE hot!)
Even when it is 115 degrees outside we never have overheating problems. Hewck, my S60's temp gauge never goes over mid way.
Trust me - 94 degrees and a dew point of 75 is hot. "It's jungle hot."
Temperature humidity index is important to animals and for the performance of evaporative coolers (water fans) but is irrelevant to the cooling of an auto engine. It's the actual air temperature. Wind chill is similiarly irrelevant to the level of antifreeze protection required.
One is the radiator fan.
The other is the interior climate control fan.
This runs approx one hour after engine shutdown, it is designed to clear water out of the evaporator.
The radiator fan runs much more frequently after stopping. But you're right, the temp needle never budges.
Thanks.
When you compare the Saab 9-5 wagon with the Volvo V70 the pricing seems very close. The Volvo needs to be optioned up a little to match the Saab specs but when all is said and done they both have an MSRP of about 37K with leather, roof, etc. HOWEVER, only Volvo offers AWD and it isn't much more money. To get Zenons on a Volvo wagon you have to go for the XC AWD model and then pay $700 extra for them as an option. Zenons are not available on two wheel drive V70s. The Saab 9-5 while not available as an AWD does have a sport package (formely calle the Aero package) for about $1000 which gets you some neat sport seats, a tuned and lowered chassis, etc. Zenons for Saabs are available for roughly $1200 in a package.
All in all, it seems fairly clear. If you live in the snow belt the XC70 is preferable and if you don't, the Saab 9-5 wagon with the sport package sounds like much more fun than a two wheel drive V70.
This might change 360 degrees when you come to sedans. I think that a Saab 9-5 with the spors package would be much more fun than the standard Volvo sedan with about 55 more HP (260 vs. 208). I can't understand the atraction of an AWD sedan (if you need AWD, go all the way to a wagon and get some load carrying capability etc.). To my way of thinking the Saab two wheel drive sedan is the way to go, especially if you add the sports package with sport seats, the opional ventilated/cooled seats and zenons.
I didn't consider the R Series Volvo in the above because the price premium makes it hard to compare with the Saab.
Volvomax and others, what say you?
The real difference is going to come at resale time. A Volvo wagon will do alot better than a SAAB one.
As for sedans, with the lease deals out there the S60R is an unbeatable choice.
Agreed. The Saab resale is notoriously low due in part to the heavy discounting of MSRP. (This makes a fair comparison difficult because no one pays even within 5K of list for a Saab.)
Interestingly enough, while the Volvo dealer body seems stronger with better facilities etc. there are still at least a couple of Saab dealers in New England that built their business on the old two stroke 96 series so beloved by a generation of college faculty. Stetson in Maine is one. I suspect that these guys would give better customer service on a sick 9-5 than the typically much larger, higher volume Volvo stores would on a V70. When Volvo went up-scale with the 144 Series in the late 60's it pulled away from Saab. Then when Suburu came in 10 years later with AWD, Saab lost what low end busines it still retained. A whole generation of Mainers whose parents drove Saabs now drive Outbacks and their more successful cousins drive Volvos.
How is the resale on a V70R? Does it tend to be only a small premium above the XC70? In other words, are there deals to be had such as finding a V70R in good shape for the same or not much more than full retail on a XC70?
As an S60R knowledgeable owner how is the ride? Is it too boy racerish?
First of all: a special thanks to all of you who have spent your time posting about various cars, trials and tribulations with dealers, price haggling and results, and the features that stand out in the various models. For the past 3 months, your efforts have been incredibly helpful.
I went from the BMW 325xi to the Audi A4 Avant. I tried the Subaru Outback and Legacy GT (not enough room to stretch my legs out), and for a time ended up with a VW Passat 3.6 4motion Wagon on order (Sport Pakage). I still think it is a great car, and that the sport suspension and seats are the only way to go. However, after waiting 5 weeks and realizing that the 6 week promise of a car was patently false. (In the beginning preorder, I had even told them that the internet had suggested 10 weeks yet they stuck to their 6 week time frame.) After it became obvious that the car would be late, it is currently on the dock in Germany awaiting transport (at 5.5 weeks), I tried to renegotiate the numbers (I had offered $36, 800—about $800 over invoice) but they said it cost them money to order the car and couldn’t do anything on price—they also said if I backed out there would be “no hard feelings” and a full refund of my $500 deposit. I didn’t back out at that time, but I did continue the search. Initially, I had eliminated Volvo’s: XC 70 no fun to drive (though it did have everything else). While the V70 T5 was a kick to drive, and had a nice feel, I needed a vehicle with all wheel drive. I hope to NEVER put chains on a car again! I eventually returned to Volvo (I already own a ’94 940 wagon with 110,000 miles with NO problems so I’m a bit partial). Took a ride in the V70-R and fell in love—seriously.
I needed all wheel drove for the snow, an exceptionally comfortable seat to withstand 6.5 hour drives to the SF Bay Area for wind, and an equally long 6.5 hour drive to the snow for skiing. I also wanted a FUN car to drive. Additionally I needed a fair amount of room for surfing and windsurfing gear. Further, about half the time, I needed room for a wife and dog, and sometimes a daughter. You’ll laugh about these volume requirements, but in fact I was scaling down from a Suburban which is usually full of stuff with room for only one passenger—and even then I had to move some stuff around! The Volvo wagon offered adequate size, but it wasn’t until the end of the line (and steep discounts on 2006 Volvo’s), that I went back and test drove, for the first time, the V70—R.
What an amazing car! Comfortable, FUN, glued to the road, way more to offer the “spirited” driver than ALL the other cars. Even better than the 330xi I tested solely for trying out the sport suspension and seats which I could never find in the 325xi. If you’re in the market for an understated rocket, be sure and give the V70-R some consideration.
I added roof rails and got an agreed upon price of $41, 580. This is about $7000 under MSRP, and about $4000 above the cost of the VW Passat 3.6 4 Motion Wagon (I should mention that the Passat had 0.0% financing for 36 months which is obviously worth something). Thanx again to ALL who shared their stories and helped me make an informed decision.
Also, you would need snow tires since the R rides on summer performance tires.
Saab's last bastion in the US is in the northeast, so dealer service should be good there.
I drive an S60R, and w/ the adjustable suspension the ride can be whatever you want it to be. Soft to racetrack hard.
"What do Mack Trucks and Saab have in common?"
Only people in New England still buy them.
Curious to see if anyone else has made the Honda-to-Volvo swap or has any horror stories to tell about the pre-2001 XC wagons that I should be aware of. Thanks!
THANKS,
Problem is I am told by one dealer that until Volvo in '03 went to the Haldex AWD system that you can't just change one tire but all four because the old style AWD would burn itself up trying t o accomodate tires of different diameters (one new; three old). Compounding this, the Artic Alpin is no longe available. The Tire Rack suggested a Michelin that replaced it but said that while comparable it had a different tread design.
Can I get away with three somewhat worn Artic Alpins and one different tire?
Should I put TWO new non-Artic Alpins on the same axle?
Or do I have to buy four new identical tires?
If there is going to be a significant tread difference between the new and old ties then replacing all 4 is necessary.
I'm usually on the Suburu boards, but my new Tribeca has just been in a wreck and we just rented a Volvo V70 at ATL airport yesterday. They told us that it was AWD and even the placard said that the V70 which is part of their "Prestige" line at Hertz is AWD. It's important to have an AWD because we need it here in the mountains of NC today.
Anyway, we're driving it and we can't find anywhere in the car saying that it's an AWD car. It does have an option that will let us drive when it's raining or a "W" feature. But it does not say AWD on the back or inside.
I'm concerned because it may snow tomorrow and our place is on top of a steep mountain here.
Please help...how do I make sure this car is in fact AWD? Where does it say this so I can feel a bit more comfortable.
Thanks!
But even if it's just a front wheel drive V70, that should handle winter rain and snow acceptably well. The "W" is winter tranny setting which reduces start-up wheel spin on slick road surfaces (by starting in 2nd gear, I think).
I appreciate your response. I'm just a bit upset that Hertz sold us a weekly rental on a this Volvo (which was an upgraded car!) as an AWD. It even said so on the placard at the counter. This is why we were a bit baffled when we didn't see AWD anywhere on the car.
We love this V70 and it's a great car. Thanks.
Only the XC70 and V70R come w/ AWD.
I doubt that Hertz is renting V70R's!
Are you sure you don't have an XC70, because Hertz does rent those.
The XC70 is easily recognized by it's plastic cladding around the lower body and fenders.
Also says Cross Country under the back glass.
doing 2 won't matter any way so if you not going to buy 4 just do the one and replace your transfer box if/when it fails.
Sorry my wife loves the volvo wagons and we are looking to replace our old 850. She wants AWD and I want FWD specifically for these reasons.
In an old life I sold tires and went through a couple of week training sessions at the Michelin plant in SC. They will tell you to buy 5 tires when you replace and rotate every 6-8 K including the 5th tire in the rotation pattern. That way this will prevent you having an issue like this. Oh yea it won't cost you any more because by buying 5 instead of 4 tires you get more wear out of them.
That said I never saw anyone purchase 5 tires under this logic.
All of this said all is probably a mute point because few people rotate their tires often enough to keep them the same size. My guess is your volvo eats up front tires quickly and rotation is very important on his model as they are so much heavier in front them back.
Good Luck
What is the exact model designation on the back hatch of the rented Volvo wagon? Does it read "V70R" or just "V70"?
Were you able to confirm the presence, or absence, of drive axles connected to the rear wheels?
Whether it is FWD or AWD drive, I hope you'll let us know how the vehicle handled the mountain road. In about 1985 our 1981 Pontiac Phoenix (GM "X-Body) FWD easily climbed an icy hill that a bunch of Mercedes and BMW RWD cars were slewing sideways on. FWD will do a great job of climbing icy hills. Where AWD shines is in aggressive driving on twisty roads.
Jim
We will adding child #2 soon and don't want to jump into the minivan world or add another SUV. I'm moving from a Jetta GLI and prefer to have a sporty feel to my vehicle and the T5 seems to fit the sporty family car. I'm am looking in the used market, most likely '04 coming off of 3yr leases.
Again, I'm interested in comments about the T5 and whether I should continue to look for it versus the standard V70.
Much appreciated.
Seats are a little nicer and you would have a few more toys on the car.
T5 wagons are pretty rare.
The 2.4T or 2.5T's are more common.
They also have turbo engines, they just aren't as powerful.
On a trip with a Thule roof box we got 29 mpg. I've also got a Volvo trailer hitch on it, but in the one highway trip pulling the trailer the mpg was down significantly to a little over 20 mpg.