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Volvo V70 Wagon Experience

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Comments

  • ronsteveronsteve Member Posts: 1,190
    I've now had my V70 for 2 years, and I'm getting close to 47K (bought it with 11k) and have my first electrical gremlin.

    As my fuel gage was going down on the last tank of gas, sometimes I'd randomly see it up to 3/4 for a few minutes (when it was really a half) or other such inaccuracies. I was somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 tank the other day, and I noticed the gage showed over 1/2 tank, and then a split second later, it had gone all the way to the left. Not just empty, but like when you turn the car off.

    Until I filled up, it would read as high as 1/2 tank, and sometimes be dead... haven't seen anything weird since I filled up, but are there any good ideas on what could be doing this?

    I guess I'll be paying a visit to the dealer service dept. next time I'm below a half tank.
    2015 Acura RDX AWD / 2013 VW Jetta 2.5SE
  • donwillsondonwillson Member Posts: 3
    As of May 31, 2009 there is a rebuild procedure that replaces the potentiometer type throttle position sensor with a non-contacting digital angle sensor. The whole ETM is checked, potential internal problems fixed and the TPS replaced.
    Full details of the problem can be found at VEXEDvolvo and the sequel containing the solution at FixYourETM."
  • caratunk98caratunk98 Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 v70 turbo wagon has been clunking since mile 59557. I have been faithfully getting service on this unit every 7500 miles. Each time I have told the service dept about the clunking noise and they have tried the various areas of changing the motor mounts,upgrade the throttle problems, tried test driving and found nothing. It's like a tooth ache. when going to a doctor, it disappears for many different times prior to going to the dentist. Well, finally at 150000 mile service the transmission light, "transmission needs service" came on.
    So the tech roadtested the vehicle and felt the tranny was shifting hard into drive when taking off from a stop.Horrah! The tech suggested that the transmission needed to be updated with a software package that would eliminate the tranny from going into netrual when stopping. (this was designed to save gas) The part (software) cost $24.86 and the labor $98.00 or a total of $122.86. The tech also found the upper engine mount was broken. Since having this done the engine/transmission is behaving themselves and at this point I am a happy camper.
    Hope this info will help some of you owners who have been experiencing similar problems.
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    I was just told my 2003 V70 needs upper strut mounts (seperating) $473 and all lower control arm bushings cracking. $650.

    This car is in Phoenix , but stays in our garage and seldom is just sitting out in the sun - it seems hard to buy that the rubber is all shot .

    There is a small space between the rubber bushing at the top and the mount - BUT you cannot turn the nut - the attachment to the rubber is still solid both sides. The top rubber is still firm and no signs of any cracking.

    BTW the same trip , I was told I needed cabin air filter and engine air filter and oil /filter changed (this was all done 30 days ago in a 30K service) so I am having a hard time accepting .

    Comments ??? (Especially Volvomax who I see is local. )
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    "I was just told my 2003 V70 needs . . . "

    Told by whom?
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    By a Volvo dealer in Phoenix
  • volvomaxvolvomax Member Posts: 5,238
    Problem isn't sitting in the sun, it is the hellish temps the engine bay reaches in normal operation. I'm not surprised that a 6 yr old car needs these done. Not in Phoenix.

    As for the rest, did this dealer know you did the 30k somewhere else?
    Or did they just assume that you hadn't done the 30k?
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    Thanks for reply - I agree about the hellish temps - I even always lift the hood in the garge after a trip but thats only part of the soak.

    I guess I was fishing for other exeperience in Phoenix area on bushing life.

    Yes , today they told me they assumed I did not do a 30K since I had it done at an independent Volvo garage and it does not get into the Volvo system.

    Rgds -- Hank
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    We took our annual family trek down and up the west coast in July and passed the 90,000 mile mark. We managed a solid 29 MPG over the course of our 4000 mile vacation, which included a lot of flat and mountain highway driving, and a good amount of urban traffic. I can't emphasize enough how great a touring car the V70 is. It drives like a sedan, but swallows all of our luggage (family of 4) with ease. When we're at our destination, we pile in with family/friends and it turns into a minivan. It transports 7 people (if at least 2 are kids) to the beach, movies, Sea World, etc.

    I knew I'd hit 90,000 miles during the trip, so I stocked up on parts for the service before we left. I ordered the following parts over the internet: Ate front rotors, Zimmerman rear rotors, Mintex pads (front & rear), Mahle air filter, Mann oil filter, and NPN charcoal cabin filter. I bought 6 qts of Mobil 1 0W-40 oil locally.

    The brake pads were in great shape all around (these Mintex pads last a lot longer than the OE pads, and stop/feel the same), but since the rotors were ready to be replaced, I did new pads anyways. It took me all day Saturday in my garage to do the brakes (it's easy but tedious work - the worst part is removing the paint off the rear rotors with brake cleaner), then I did the oil/filters in the driveway this morning.

    The suspension (bushings, links, joints, etc.) and driveshafts are in fine shape. Exhaust looks fine too. Transmission fluid is still clean and red and brake fluid is still clean and blue (both flushed at 60,000 miles).

    My front tires (Goodyear Assurance ComforTred installed at 45,000 miles) will need replacing in the next 5000 miles or so but the rears still look very good (I never rotated them). I plan on paying a mechanic to replace the timing belt (and water pump, idler pulley, accessory belts) at 100,000 miles.

    Except for a knack for eating a random light bulb every 6 months or so, our V70 has been completely trouble free. It still runs and drives like new. I test drove the Mercedes E350 wagon and Acura MDX in July just to toy with the idea of trading to a new car, but I honestly can't justify getting rid of our paid-for Volvo and being saddled with a car payment again. Except for some missing modern amenities (bluetooth, iPod interface, etc.), our V70 continues to be a joy to own and drive and there's no reason not to keep it for at least another few years.

    Of course, my daughter will be driving in 3 years - it would make a very nice (safe) 1st car for her... :shades:
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    Well ,most of you folks have had much better experience that I have . Guess I got a lemon. This vehicle has been maintained per Volvo specs and in addition runs Mobil One approx every 6 months (do it on time rather than miles since it is so low mileage) .In the last year I replaced fuel pump assembly (gas odors so bad scared to put it in garage), $716 plus $250 to analyze. , Engine torque mount bushing $75 , Right front power door lock and radiator $1232. It now needs upper strut mounts $473 and lower control arm bushings $650.

    Then check engine light came on , $225 to put in new software that "probably will correct the emission system leak readout" but if not then we will have to do a leak pump. . At that visit told that transmisssion pan seal is leaking and will be $900 to replace. In addition now told CV boots, half shafts, control arms "may require attention" and highlighted Shocks /rear struts may require attention.

    Now it may be I am getting scammed but I have dealt with this same service adviser since 1995 at several different Volvo places so unless this new place is not allowing him to still be an honest man ......I have not gone to get a second opinion yet on all these things.

    But like fedlawman - otherwise I REALLY like this car - comfort , performance , appearance , 21mpg in town with A/C on - and NOBODY makes anything that compares to it in terms of what you can get in the back because of the way they are angling the back doors for styling. I have looked at Acura, Honda Pilot , Lincoln MDX, Ford Edge ,Toyota Highlander. (that one will load as high a box as the Volvo), Toyota Venza . None of them really grab me - the Venza seems to be as close as anything - and when I walk back to my Volvo I think to myself why not just go spend the money to do all the stuff they say is needed to the tune of probably $3K or $4K. BUT if I do all that and then more stuff keeps failing it would have been a bad idea. The guy at the local independent Volvo place told me one day - Just figure on $1500 a year for a Volvo - so far that is about right for mine. (I cannot any longer do the work myself so I cannot buy parts and do the work)

    Just my experience - maybe its just living in the hellish temperatures we have in Phoenix that just kills things ?
  • volvomaxvolvomax Member Posts: 5,238
    Fuel pump issue is common to Volvo and other cars.

    The other issues you have are related to living in Phx. The heat just kills the rubber bushings in the torque mounts and suspension parts.
    It is a little odd that the radiator and door lock went out.
    Shocks are probably a time issue, they don't last forever. Especially if you routinely carry heavy loads in the cargo area.
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    I do not "routinely carry heavy loads " unless you count a weeks groceries for two people. About every month I bring home about 105 lbs of cat litter in a 3 mile trip . I once carried a 80 lb dishwasher (thats why I like the Volvo back door - most "crossover SUV's " are arranged so you cant get a 27 by 32 inch box in )

    I had two 95 960's one a wagon ,one a sedan - The sedan was my Wife's car and was very easily driven- The wagon was my go to work car but I did have covered parking. I traded them both for the 2003 so I had both for 8 years and neither had this sort of rubber failures/degradation. They both had the classis A/C air control valve crap out and both had steering racks replaced. The wagon did have the radiator replaced.

    I also had a 1983 Toyota Camry with about 85000 miles which we traded for my wifes 95 960 Sedan . That Camry had nothing but normal maintenance and none of these sort of failures. The CV joints were getting noisy when we traded it. I had an 87 turbo 4 and a 91 SR5 V6 Toyota pickup and neither had rubber /suspension issues . At that point I was able to do all my own maintenance ,oil changes etc and could watch for anything going wrong under the truck. I traded the 91 for a 96 Tacoma which was a semi lemon - recall for front suspension strengthening and leaking head gasket on the V6 - both taken care of by Toyota under warranty - it drummed at about 65 mph even after bed coating to dampen the noise and was just not very nice - Based on how we liked the wife's 960 Sedan , I traded for the 95 960 Wagon .

    So I have still have a problem with all these failures in the 2003 after two less years .Maybe its global warming ?

    Right now , I think I am going back to try Toyota again . Its probably my next to last car anyhow. I certainly would not buy a 2010 V70 unless I also bought an extended warranty. They had some great deals on the 2009 V70's with the 5/50 warranty program but only two in town and not what we wanted.
  • volvophanvolvophan Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 volvo v70 awd with 137K miles. It has just begun making a "thud" sound when going up or down a slight grade upon takeoff. The noise is in the area between the front and back seats under the car. The transmission is shifting smoothly through all gears. I only hear the thud at very low speeds. Any one have any similar experience or idea what this might be? We do most of our own mechanical work, but this is something we haven't been able to figure out! Thanks.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I haven't experienced this, but I have some thoughts. There could be some "play" at the input of one of the driveshafts or differentials. It could also be a suspension noise. Maybe a loose end link or shock mount that moves when weight is transferred? Maybe something rolling around on the floor?
  • volvophanvolvophan Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for your response. It does sound like something rolling around on the floor; we removed everything loose from the car, and were able to replicate the sound by rolling slowly on our paved driveway. We still get the noise even with the engine off, and the car rolling in neutral (down a slight grade). We put the car up on jack stands to do a visual inspection.There is nothing loose and no play anywhere on the drive shaft. Sounds crazy, but my husband looked under the car with his head hanging down as I drove slowly to see if he could see anything, and we again heard the noise under the center of the car, seems to be in the area just in front of the rear wheel wells, but in the center. Again, we hear this noise only at very low speeds, forward and backward both. Incidentally, it is an automatic transmission.
  • xcv70sydneyxcv70sydney Member Posts: 8
    Hi, it could be the differential = have you check the fluids? Or the exhaust rubbing against the upper body? That's where I would look. Failing that put the car on a hoist and check the drive shaft, uni joint and check for side movement of the rear wheels.
    Good luck.
    p.s. My 2001 V70XC has just turned 180000kms and only issue with it now is the core plug(like the common distributor but our series has one for each spark plug and they are $200 each = DOH!!)
  • durakdurak Member Posts: 1
    My V70 is 2002, but problems almost identical, plus right front axle, door locks go up and down as they please, right turn signal stop cooperating, cigarette outlets don't work (yes, I did check fuse), car is shaking at 60 miles per hour (nobody can find problem) and finaly I can't get more then 15000 to18000 miles on top line tires, tire shop keep telling me it is VOLVO vag, they known for this problem????? I had 2 Suburbans before, I drove them in to the ground, 200000 miles each, never a problem, tires were used for minimum of 60000miles, and that car is much heavier... Please, can anybody tell me any thing???? :lemon:
  • volvophanvolvophan Member Posts: 3
    My problem was diagnosed today. My indie mechanic says I have a bad rear torque tube bushing. Cost $100 inc part. Imagine what the dealer 'might' have said my problem was. Bad differential? The sky's the limit. Whew was I relieved.(Same mech welded a leaking tube on the tranny of my 1994 940 yesterday, $150 inc a fluid/filter change) Did you get an alignment at a good shop, check the wheel balance? Bent rim? Bad front end parts? Sounds like the tire problem and shaking could be related. Are the tires wearing unevenly? Not sure about the electrical problems, those are tricky. Good luck.
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    I know I'm late in responding, but IMO that's a whole of stuff to be going wrong on an '03 w/35000 miles. I can't believe that AZ heat is causing it all, like: fuel pump assembly for $1000. And transmission pan seal is leaking and will be $900 to replace????

    If you told me it was a Land Rover, or old M-B or Audi, I'd understand. But I'm thinking your Lemon thesis may be correct--personally I'd sell it before you go broke......
  • k7hpk7hp Member Posts: 29
    Think you are right - if consumers reports mean anything , the 2002 and 2003 V70 are solid black for suspension related issues among others . Its pretty much a Toyota Venza , or Highlander . Gut tells me to buy American like a Ford but they are essentially the people who tell me to go to hell. GM has nothing I like . OK maybe a rear wheel drive Cadillac CTS wagon but the stylists have screwed up the rear opening height and reliability is not reported that hot+ they are pretty dear. But it looks like I am going to have to order to get anything close to what I want - hope the Volvo will last 10 -12 weeks. Today the ignition switch started binding. Cripes -
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    I'm considering buying a new V70 (debating between this and the Subaru Outback). At this point I have to take something that's already on a dealer's lot, pretty much, since the model is being discontinued.

    I really want Premium, Climate, and Convenience. Would take BLISS and the PCC if they happen to be on the car.

    Can anyone comment about the NAV system? Is it worth looking for a car with it? Those seem to be very rare.

    It is also harder than I thought it would be to find Premium, Climate and Convenience all together, but I have found a couple, I think. Dealer's websites do not always explain what packages are on the car, and some aren't clear if their MSRP includes the destination fee or not. Going back and forth between Volvo's main site and the dealer's site, I think I can make a good guess as to what packages are included, though.

    Is there anything you did not get that you wished you had, or the reverse, something you got that you felt afterwards was not worth the money?
  • volvobuffvolvobuff Member Posts: 35
    Actually, the final date for ordering a 2010 V70 from the factory equipped as you would like to have it is April 15th. I just ordered one equipped pretty much loaded, with Metallic, Premium, Climate, Multimedia (incl Nav), Technology, BLIS, PCC, & Xenon. What can I say -- I like gadgets.

    There are very few V70s on dealer lots; most dealers have one or at most two, and most of the ones available have at most Premium and Climate. Finding a stock vehicle with Nav is virtually impossible.

    I have at present a 2007 V50 and 2008 S40, both with the same Nav system as the current V70. A lot of folks (mostly reviewers) don't like the Volvo Nav system, as its controls are out of sight behind the wheel. I found that once I got used to it, it was very intuitive and quick, easy, and safe to use. Having the screen high up on the dash is a *big* safety plus, after having had several other cars with much lower displays that require the driver to look down and away from the road.

    I would suggest that you find a dealer willing to order you the V70 that you really want to have, rather than settle for a stripped stock vehicle. However, you will have to get the deal done in the next week or so, or you will be out of luck. There is still $2500 dealer cash back available, plus $500/lease or $1000/purchase bonus if you currently own a Volvo. You should be able to do a deal for a few hundred over invoice, less the above amounts. Let us know how you make out.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Thanks. So you're saying that the most important thing is to find a dealer I like and get something ordered that way? I have been talking with two different Volvo dealers; both of them seem to want my business, but one definitely does not have any car in stock that I would want; the other one might - I'll find out tomorrow.

    Is it possible to reprogram the NAV while you drive by voice or other commands? it sounds like the passenger can't do anything because of that placement of the controls behind the steering wheel.

    How long is the wait if you order something?
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Went to a third Volvo dealer today, about 45 miles from my house, and bought myself a car. Actually no money has changed hands as yet, but we agreed on the deal, and I will go back on Wednesday bringing my trade (I wasn't driving the to-be-traded car today), sign all the paperwork, etc.

    It's a Caspian Blue over Sandstone with Climate, Convenience, Premium, and BLISS. Plus Sirius radio.

    I would not have gone out of my way to get the Sirius, but since it's there, who knows, I might find I enjoy having it.

    I thought I had wanted the Seashell color and was thinking about ordering it, per the advice above, but she had a Seashell car there (not with the options I wanted) and I compared to the blue, and in person, actually like the blue one better. They are both good colors and I would have accepted either one on a car with the right options, but I'm just as happy it worked out this way.

    Looking forward to Wednesday!
  • volvobuffvolvobuff Member Posts: 35
    On the smaller Volvos (or at least on my two) it is possible to make new entries and changes to the Nav program while in motion. On the larger Volvos, including the V70, you are locked out from making changes while the car is moving, apparently for safety reasons. I will probably find this a big annoyance when I get my V70, but am hoping to find a hack to disable this limitation.

    In addition to the driver-operated Nav controls behind the steering wheel, there is also a handheld IR remote control which duplicates the steering wheel controls and could be operated by the passenger. However, I suspect that both the driver and passenger controllers are locked out while in motion. I hope I am wrong about that.

    The waiting time for a special-ordered Volvo is about two months. You can track the production and shipping of the vehicle on-line using the VIN, which is very informative and a lot of fun as well.
  • volvobuffvolvobuff Member Posts: 35
    Good luck with your choice! After looking over the various color choices, I opted for the Seashell Metallic over Sandstone. The one option I absolutely wouldn't want to do without is the PCC, which I have on both of my present Volvos. The keyless entry and keyless drive features are an absolute pleasure.

    As you probably already know, the current ignition key system on the V70 and other large Volvos is a real pain: you have to insert the key fob into a recess in the dash and then push an adjacent button to stop and start the engine. You can't really keep the ignition key on a ring with other household keys, as I prefer to do, because they will swing against the dash and make a continual noise while moving, and probably scratch up the dash as well. They should have made the keyless entry and drive standard on the larger cars, to obviate the need to insert the key.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Good point about the key having to be kept separate from your household keys. My car does not have the PCC - I guess that can't be added afterward, can it?

    Re the NAV system, I asked about the portable NAV that they sell (a Garmin system) and she said that with that one, the passenger can input changes while the car is moving. Of course you don't get the rear back-up camera with that, which would have been nice, but I decided we could manage without it. We might buy the portable one later.

    Have you seen the Seashell Metallic in person? It's a very pretty color, more towards silver than I had expected from looking at it in the brochure. It's very changeable, from a soft metallic beige to silver, depending on angle. It looked very different when I was looking at it through sunglasses versus just natural light.

    The only two colors I would not have wanted were the black and the dark grey. Any of the other colors would have been ok with me, with the Seashell and the Caspian Blue being top of the list.
  • volvobuffvolvobuff Member Posts: 35
    edited April 2010
    Unfortunately, the PCC cannot be added by the dealership. It is a factory-installed option.

    Some people seem to prefer the Gamin portable Nav over the factory-installed unit. However, I much prefer the factory unit, which is more highly integrated with the car's audio system, etc. And, as you point out, you can't get a backup camera for the Gamin system. FWIIW, the backup camera can be installed after delivery by the dealer, provided you already have the factory Nav.

    It is difficult to find a V70 in Seashell Metallic anywhere in this area, but I did manage to find one at a local dealership and viewed it on both sunny and cloudy days, with and without sunglasses. However, I ordered the car from my regular dealer and salesman, with whom I have had an outstanding ongoing relationship for the past three years. Fortunately, there are a good number of Volvo dealerships in my area and I do have a choice. I have to drive 77 miles to visit my dealer, but it is well worth the effort. I would never do business with any of the several closer dealerships, having had bad experiences with them while Volvo-shopping three years ago.

    I have found that Volvo colors are indeed very complex and variable depending on the light and the viewing angle. The most extreme case is Chameleon Blue. I have found that most colors are much more attractive when seen in person than in a brochure or on the website. My second color choice would have been Electric Silver Metallic, which has a very attractive blueish hue in some lights.

    I agree with you that Black is just not my thing, but the Savile Gray is actually much more attractive and not as dark in person as the photos would lead one to believe. Caspian Blue is nice enough, but it shows the dirt and road grim very easily and looks awful if not kept clean. In the blue range, I much prefer Barents Blue, which I have on my present V50. This color is available on the V70 as a special order or OSD color and can be gotten on a domestically-sold vehicle if you have a good persistent sales manager working for you. My S40 is Orinoco Blue, which in theory was available only for OSD cars.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Lots of ranges of blues!

    The Maxima we will be trading in is "Ice Blue Pearl," which was my first choice way back then, and which I still like to this day. I guess the light blues have gone out of favor now. Back then, Camrys and Maximas both had an attractive light blue. When shopping around now, I rarely found a model that had a light blue, other than the Subaru which had a black interior mandatory with it, which I definitely did not want.

    Around here, the Seashell appears to be a popular color, but the models just didn't happen to have all four things I wanted. Several of them had three of the four, but none had everything.

    Made me wonder how dealers make up their minds what to order. It seemed like they were trying to hit a price point of high 30's to very low 40's, and didn't want to load up their cars any further than that. So that meant picking and choosing from the available options to hit that point.

    Since the light-colored leather only comes with Premium, Premium was virtually ubiquitous. But very, very hard to find Premium, Climate and Convenience, all three, much less with anything else. I considered myself fortunate to have found what I did.

    The car had just arrived to the dealership four days before my visit. It had 9 miles on it when I took it out for a test drive.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    So, I bought the car.

    Yet, I am driving a loaner because the driver side window does not work properly! It goes up about a third of the way, stops and goes down again. They are working on it... They gave me a loaner to get home because they had to keep the car overnight.

    This is my first Volvo, and somehow this is not exactly confidence-inspiring. The dealership even called Volvo headquarters (or so the saleswoman said) to figure out what's wrong with the window. The other V70 they have on the lot did the same thing.

    I had assumed it would be a simple re-programming (per the manual that says what to do to re-set after the battery has been disconnected for any reason) but sounds like it's not that.

    Has anyone else here had that sort of problem with the windows? What did you find was really the issue?

    Incidentally, is volvomax still around? I notice he has not posted for a long time.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Hello? Hello? Anyone here in the Volvo forums?

    Do other Volvos have the seat-belt warning chime go off even if you have fastened your seat-belts before starting the engine? I hope this is another thing that can be reprogrammed. Does anyone know?
  • gmwaltersgmwalters Member Posts: 20
    My 2010 V70 does not chime as you described.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Thanks. I e-mailed the saleswoman about it. I'm hoping it can be reprogrammed, because it's very annoying.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I just installed a set of Bilstein HD shocks all around. At 105,000 miles, the OE shocks were completely dead (I was able to fully compress the front shocks completely by hand!).

    This was long overdue, but the ride degraded so gradually and my wife drives the car 90% of the time, I only just got around to doing the switch.

    The car is utterly transformed. Steering is tight, road feel is wonderful, and the handling is firm with no sacrifice in compliance. It finally feels like the European Touring car that it is. It's like driving a new car again - I'm thrilled.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    You think it's a better ride than the OEM shocks were when they were new?
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    No doubt about it.
  • ldtmldtm Member Posts: 8
    Has anyone heard of steering racks failing on 2006 V70? Mine is being replaced by dealer under warranty but I'm really concerned as to why it happened and if I run the risk of future problems associated with this failure in the future. I've had ongoing concerns when turning the wheel that I've documented with them but they were never able to pinpoint the problem until now.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    What exactly failed on it? That sounds scary.
  • ldtmldtm Member Posts: 8
    They did not give me specifics. There was a noise that got worse whenever I turned the wheel. The noise was so bad I was afraid to drive it and it also led me to check the PS fluid which was practically empty. There was evidence of recent leaking on driveway but interestingly no stains indicating there was a leak going on for a long time. The dealer basically said the steering rack needed to be replaced and I should not be having this problem and that this would take care of it. I am going to ask to speak to one of the mechanics - any advice on what I should ask would be greatly appreciated.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    What kind of noise? Was it a kind of moaning sound coming from the engine bay?

    Last year, my V70 started making that sound whenever I turned the steering wheel. Fresh PS fluid was the solution.
  • ldtmldtm Member Posts: 8
    Good description, that is very much what it sounded like. And I would agree, just fresh PS fluid but in this case they 're telling me the entire steering rack needs replacing.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    edited May 2010
    I lived with the moaning noise for months and logged several thousand miles before I changed the fluid, and there have been no ill effects with mine.

    I suppose it's possible your steering rack failed, but my suspicious nature tells me the dealer is looking for the warranty work.

    Whether your rack failed or not, there's no harm in getting a new one. They are mechanically very simple, and there is no known defect with them that I know of.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Already my brand new car is having electrical gremlins. The right turn signal bulb has burned out. The car doesn't even have 1,000 miles on it yet! I am not happy.
  • gmwaltersgmwalters Member Posts: 20
    A burned out bulb is not a gremlin. It is just a burned out bulb, most likely a fluke, a sub standard bulb that was in the mix. Can happen to anyone or any new car. Enjoy your new V70. They are wonderful vehicles. And Volvo will replace it for you at no cost.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    Bulb failures are a part of the ownership experience with Volvo's. I've replaced one or two bulbs every year since I bought mine - usually the dealer does it for free. No big deal.
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Will any dealer do it for free? I bought it from a dealer about 45 miles away from me, but there is a dealer much closer, just a few miles down the road.

    Maybe it's time I introduced myself to the closer dealer's service department.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    edited May 2010
    I'm sure they don't have to do it for free, but it's a cheap loyalty earner for them.

    However, if I lived 45 miles away, I wouldn't go to the dealer to get a free replacement. The bulbs are only a buck or two, and all you need is a screwdriver and 5 minutes...

    http://www.ipdusa.com/version.asp?strPageHistory=category&numSearchStartRecord=0- - - &strParents=127,383&P_ID=1583&CAT_ID=383&V_ID=3392

    IPD is a great company, by the way...
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Hubby took the car in to the close-by dealer today and they replaced the bulb for free. This dealer is likely where we will get warranty work done, for convenience reasons, so it was good that they stepped up for this little thing.

    I just hope this isn't a sign of things to come. I don't think I ever needed to change a bulb in 10 years in my Maxima.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    If you ever see a Volkswagon or Volvo with all it's lights working, go buy a lottery ticket right away... :P
  • biancarbiancar Member Posts: 965
    Ha!

    Well, all our lights are working at the moment, so maybe tomorrow will be my lucky day. ;-)
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