posted by
someone claiming to be long-gone
on
Tue Aug 28 14:39 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Greetings. I'm taking a leap of faith tomorrow and I'm buying a low milage (58K) S80 2.9 non turbo. I know the person very well who had it (deceased). The widow recalls having few problems with the car besides annoyances. At $3500 I don't think I can go wrong unless something major happens. I'm a competent (most times!) mechanic and wouldn't need to take it in for very much, if anything. Only parts would be an expense.
I've been reading the boards here earnestly for days now, plus consumer reports and reviews and I am very aware that there is a general consensus that these cars have a bounty of documented troubles. The more I read, the more I stumbled across that I needed to look into.
What I'm hoping can be contributed here is a "list", as it were, of typical, common, acknowledged and warranty/recall problems with this model (and if applicable the milage points).
I think a list such as this would be appropriate for a car with so many documentad faults and give interested parties wishing to research a helpful base of items that might be relevant to search for within the Brickboard. It might also help to clearup errors or misconceptions bred by owner discontent.
Here's a start to a list of what owners or prospective buyers might want to be aware of. Please add to it, correct it or update it if you can. Thanks! **This is from info found on the net - some or all may be in error or misrepresented**
Viewers should read entire the thread for corrections/additions, if any. Original list based on the 1999 model and may vary or be non existent on subsequent models.
RECALLS:
1. Ball Joints (premature failure @ c30K) Not certain if due to a suspension design or actual part flaw.
2. Throttle Body (?) (premature failure) design flaw, subsequent replacements known to fail as well.
3. Thermal auxilliary fan (electrical failure that may cause a fire, even when car is not in use).
DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS
1. ABS control module (circuit failures @ c50K) Must be upgraded or replaced.
2. ETM (throttle module) (early failure/part of throttle body recall?) Vovo extended the coverage on this
item to10yr/200K.
3. Interior trim poorly glued/attached.
4. Electric door locks and keyless entry (premature failures).
5. Strut and suspension bushings (premature failures under c50K).
COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEMS/PATTERNS (MAJOR)
1. Transmission (premature failures under c60K).
2. Air Conditioning. (Premature compressor or evaporator failures).
3. Ignition coils (premature failure, particularly cylinder 3?)
COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEMS/PATTERNS (ANNOYANCES)
1. Sunroof (fails in open position)
2. Radio (unexpected early failure, particularly CD player, and AM radio reception)
3. Master remote mirror control (switch breakage)
4. Turn signal/steering wheel module (failure).
5. Oil leaks at front of oil pan (Volvo makes a replacement kit for front 3 pan bolts ?)
6. Clearcoat on roof trim (oxidises and peels).
7. Gear selector lock (brakes and leaves operator unable to put car in gear).
8. Trunk leak.
9. Service/engine/diagnostic alerts (unable to clear after repairs made).
SERVICE "MUSTS".
1. Timing belt WITH TENSIONER at 105K (or earlier) Tensioner pulley prne to early failure and must be
replaced with belt, might consider replacing water pump at same time.
2. Regular Tranmission flush/oil changes to prolong trans that may be prone to early failures.
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I'm curious if any of the front-wheel-drive Volvo owners on this forum (or the 900 owners) have considered intstalling a relay and a resistor pack to the primary cooling fan? A few considerations:
1. A relay that would turn on the fan and circulate air through the engine bay and the radiator for a set duration of time after the engine is shut down (typically 2 to 5 minutes). You could also wire up a manual over-ride switch to the cabin so the driver could either disable or manually force it into operation. Having the car automatically cool itself would reduce/elimiate the "heat soak" cycle that the engine gives itself after it shuts down and the air stops moving through the bay. -also reduces nylon fatigue and embritlement as engine bay temps are reduced.
***Vehicles where used previously: Many Chrysler vehicles in the late '80s and early '90s. My brother's wife had a late '80s Plymouth Horizon with this setup.
2. Install a high current resistor between the ignition switch and the cooling fan, forcing the fan to run at a low speed anytime the key is in position 2. This would help reduce the temperature cycles in the engine bay during operation.
***Many GM vehicles in the '80s and '90s had a similar system set up, but using temp probes in the block to trip activation of the low & high speed resistors settings.
3. Install a temperature probe in the lower radiator hose (an on/off probe with a lower "on" temp than the standard engine temp probe), that slaves a relay, which kicks on the cooling fan through a resistor. This would allow the engine to start cooling itself sooner with the fan running at low speeds, and maintain a more constant temperature rather than the fan running at high speeds for short durations.
***Volvo used a similar setup in their early 700 vehicles to activate the pusher fan mounted in front of the AC Condenser (on vehicles that did not have the temp sensor in the radiator). I don't have the part number handy, but there was a 2.5" lenth of ABS plastic that you spliced in the middle of the lower radiator hose that had a temperature probe in the middle of it. This was used to trigger the relay & fan. This was used to augment the cooling of the standard fan behind the radiator.
God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Spidey
on
Tue Sep 11 16:46 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Further to your worries,I am a mechanic that as of a few months ago started working for a shop that specialize's in Volvo's,the owners sold out their dealership and I work with guys that have up to 40 years of factory training. The trans.that Volvo use's is an Aisin unit that is made in Japan and used on every car that comes out of Japan (Toyota,Lexus,even Mercedes) They are the worlds largest Trans.manufacture and make a good product,even GM is starting to use them in the new Caddy's.Some problem's come up when a Volvo overdrive solenoid is used on the overdrive but is a couple hundred dollar fix that people might get screwed on.Other issue's I have seen on some postings is "the dealer downloading new software to the ECU" that never happens as you can't download new software to it,you can read the codes ect.maybe an idle re-learn but that's it.There is ABS module failure around 60,000 miles,struts are good,bushings normally good till about 150,000 miles.Light bulbs burn out frequently for some reason,Over all I think they make a pretty good product.
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Wow, I admit I really love the design of the S80, I've driven both turbo and non-turbo models and found it to be a very enjoyable experience that I could live with for a long time.....but after this thread and all the "Consumer Reports" type warnings I'm wondering if Volvo made this car as a wonderful piece of Driveway Art to be admired but don't dare drive it!!
I put 250K on my '75 turbo diesel 745 and now have 220K on my turbo 945 (which I've begun to completely revamp with an excellent 965 interior swap)
It's been in one accident (idiot didn't even try to stop at the red light/RR tracks and plowed into my rear!!) and fully repaired/repainted..(6 yrs ago) and now I'm going after it again for a total rework!
Definately the Devil you know....
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Some years are better than others. Your list is pretty good for a 1st or 2ns model year, but the tensioner has been upgraded since then. Some of those 105K tensioners failed at less than 80K miles, the belts are still good for 105K.
The water pump should last longer than 105K, but will not go to 210K miles.
The center coils go first because of the heat. We need to find a way to get some cooler air to the coils. Also true with the 5 cyl engines. The twin turbo models are even worse about engine compartment heat destroying electronic boxes in the engine bay.
Don't wait for the fan relay "recall", replace it when you change the timeing belt, every time. It is too easy to cook these engines. Also get a lower thermostat, if you can find one. Dealer only stocks the 92C, and the 87C would be much better.
All Volvos:
The front license plate bracket is too low on the bumper and covers part of the lower air intake (more important than the center grill intake for cooling). Turn the bracket upside down and reinstall the plate, this gets the plate out of the air stream completely and only raises the plate 1 inch above the bumper.
Klaus
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Please answer, we need to know if the advice is good or bad. The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are 2 turbos :)
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This is an interesting list in that it applies almost verbatim to the issues I've had with my 2000 S70 AWD, particularly relating to the coil, ABS and ETS issues.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Lane from s.c.
on
Fri Sep 7 10:00 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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cover off of the coils. I have thought about this before just have not done it. Sorry for the hi jack.
Regards,
Lane
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I just saw a picture of a BMW or Mercedes engine with the 8 coils above the cover. If there were a good way to ensure that water could not get around the boot over the sparkplug hole, I would say go for it. The boot should keep most all dirt out.
I washed a friends 854T5 engine a while back, the car lived on a dirt road!! After washing the engine bay down with a garden hose and a finger to provide some pressure (with the engine running), I deceided to drive around the block to help things dry out. Well, I almost made it :) First, 1 cyl misfired, then another, the CEL came on, then it just died. When I pulled the cover off, it was dry. But, when I pulled the plug wire out, there was an inch or two of water in every hole! I used a rag to soak up the water - very hot!!! - and then waited 2 hours before starting it up again. I also found out that the distributer cap had a large crack in it. New plugs, wires, rotor and cap are on my workbench waiting for the T5 to visit again.
Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)
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The only problem would be keeping water out of the spark plug holes.
Klaus
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Please answer, we need to know if the advice is good or bad. The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are 2 turbos :)
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posted by
someone claiming to be Lane from s.c.
on
Thu Sep 13 10:07 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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I agree. also dirt.
Lane
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posted by
someone claiming to be long-gone
on
Tue Aug 28 17:06 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Adding....
RECALLS:
4. Brake master cylinder. recall spring 2007. Leaking seals on Cardone MCs could cause brake failure.
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posted by
someone claiming to be long-gone
on
Fri Sep 7 04:59 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Correction....
RECALLS:
4a. Brake master cylinder recall is apparently for REPLACEMENT Cardone master cylinders (up to a certain
date code) that have been fitted as replacements or repair for the originals.
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posted by
someone claiming to be long-gone
on
Fri Sep 7 12:05 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Thanks for the addition Klaus. It did seem that the motor well got a little hotter than I was used to. I had to wait particularly long for the compartment to cool down after driving before I could mess around in there, even with the hood up. I almost burnt my hands just leaning on the sheet metal above the radiator.
So far, I'm actually happy with it (knock on wood). No more quirks really than any other brands I've had. i think part of the problem here (just a small part, these cars do have some issues) is that many of the owners base their expectations on former, spectacularly reliable, Volvos that they have recently owned or heard about. Makes the troubles seem that much more extraordinary or numerous.
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posted by
someone claiming to be long-gone
on
Tue Oct 16 16:29 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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ADDITIONS 10/07:
Contributed after evaluating experiences with my 99 S80. I wasn't going to add these because I thought they were just random, bad luck failures, but researching the boards here showed enough complaints/issues regarding them that I felt they should be included.
COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEMS/PATTERNS (MAJOR)
4. Leaking/Faulty steering rack (also a minor issue of intermittent "hard" steering at very low speeds)
5. Front wheel bearing/hub failure (@ app. 30K-60K)
Adding at this point, I like my S80 so far, and while these cars are definately disposed to an extraordinary number of issues, a few things have become clear. The early (99, 00) models carry the brunt of these design deficiencies, later models are less prone to these complaints.
These problems have solutions that after performing will bring the car closer and closer to a stable, reliable state. There do seem to be some exceptions which include replacement parts that may be prone to the same early failure as the originals and some parts (ie: suspension) that wear quickly due to design and driver habits. But overall each repair should improve the cars constitution, reliability and longevity. It would definately help one suffer through if they were mechanically inclined or have a good reliable/reasonable indy mechanic, as many of these problems can be addressed without dealership involvement for a fraction of the cost. Some items, particularly diagnostic and computer needs may still need attention by Volvo.
I think these cars will always be disposed to quirky and annoying electrical/computer problems that may get worse as the wiring sensors and vaccum lines get old and brittle. I believe the high heat conditions in the motor well might exascerbate problems with some components under the bonnet.
While I've EXPECTED 200K+ from all my older Volvos, I think I'd be happy to get 150K out of my S80.
I've had a few Volvo 1800s and I recall that similarly, they had trunk full of peculiar issues too, but my ultimate memory is what a great, fun and unique car they were.
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Thanks for the thread. I don't have much to add, but just got a 99 S80 myself. I love it. Yeah it seems there's a lot of problems with the model compared to other Volvos, but still better than most other brands. I hope others with experience here will contribute!
Aaron
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79 265 B27 BW55, 86 765
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