All:

I found an 2001 S70 wagon with 91k. I think I can get it for $6,500 which seems fair. The lot that has the car has no manual and no idea about the car. I have an 850 so I am well versed in the line. My car has both traction control and a winter driving mode which just changes the shift point to higher gears. This wagon has a button labeled "W" next to the gear shifter. I assume this is for winter mode. Does this mean the vehicle has traction control? I thought that I read volvo got rid of the silly tranny mode for winter so I am guessing this is the traction control button. I really need the trac control to get up and down my pass each day hear in Colorado. Where is hte trac control button? Any thoughts on the car? How about that price?

Thanks all!

The S70/V70 was the successor to the 850, yes. The 2001 V70 (wagon) was a different animal...mostly re-designed from the previous generation, with the AWD system from the earlier years mated to a new 5-speed transmission that 'disconnects' when coming to a stop & ends up destroying the transmission before they reach 100,000 miles. Coincidentally, 2001 was also the first year for a Ford Escape, which has been nothing but problems since my sister has owned it. Look for a 2002 or later...no stupid transmission, and a better AWD system

Great intel! I will pass. Is this also true of the s-80 and the cross country with the tranny?

Thx

Actually I know where there is a 98 850 with only 70k on it. I can get that for 5500 so maybe that is the best. My 93 850 has been great

In 1998 Volvo came out with the S/V70, 1997 was the last year of 850.

Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 1967 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

I just looked at Denver's Craigslist and the pickings are really poor.

According to the office cooler gossip, the 2001 is to be avoided because of 1st year model glitches - mostly electrical problems, not engine. With 91K miles, you are looking at a new Tbelt and tensioner soon (105K). It has the 5 speed tranny which is why there is only a W switch. W has nothing to do with "slip control" and everything to do with starting off in 3rd if you are on ice and don't know how to feather the wireless throttle.

A little higher in price than what you are looking for, and be careful about the title owner if it is a lease:
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/1421813898.html

I really don't like to deal with car dealers, some of them don't tell the truth. But individuals can be the same way, so be careful.

Check out of state, a "day trip" might just be worth it.

Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 1967 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

Isn't the S70 just an 850? Most everything looks like my 93. I tend to avoid first runs also but my 850 has been a hell of a car and I thought of the S70 as the hier to that technology. I avoid dealers also but I need to trade my 850 rather than trying to sell it needing tires and a windshield.

Thx

You said 2001 in your original message. This is the 2nd generation V70, which was introduced in the 2001 model year in USA. So Klaus is right, beware of the first year for any car.

I didn't think the S70 line continued past 2000 (ie: MY98, MY99, MY00 only) - you might want to double check the model year....

If it's a 1998-2000 he Traction control system in that car is called TRACS. There is a TRACS OFF button on the dash near the ignition key area. I don't know how authoritative this is but read it anyway: http://www.autosmanual.com/587/1995-volvo-850-abs-and-traction-control-systems.html

The W button is for winter/wet mode. It just starts the car off in 3rd gear so you get lots of HP+torque going in the engine with low road wheel speeds. I have heard it is hard on the trans to use this mode. It's only appropriate for very low speeds.

If you're interested in a car you should try to find out as much about it as you can ahead of time. For Volvos that you're not familiar with, start with the owner's manuals, which can be found online directly from Volvo for all models:
http://www.volvocars.com/us/tools/OwnersInfo/Pages/VolvoOwners.aspx

FYI I just checked on this site and Volvo does not list an owner's manual for a 2001 S70


*** UPDATE ***
My bad - you said it was a wagon, so you meant 2001 V70. Totally different beast. The owner's info still applies.

There are two traction control system available for that car, and you can have both: DTC, DSTC.

From the user's manual:

4. Stability Traction Control (STC) -option

Press this switch for at least half a second to turn the STC system on or off. An LED in the switch will light up to indicate that the system is on. See page 20 for more information on STC. This system should be switched off if you, for any reason, temporarily have to drive with tires of different dimensions (e.g., spare tire).

NOTE: To help reduce the risk that this system is turned off inadvertently, the switch must be held in for at least half a second to turn STC off. The warning symbol in the instrument panel will light up to indicate that STC is OFF.

5. Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC) - option

This button is used to switch DSTC off. When the LED in the button is ON, this indicates that the system is ON (the light will also come on if a fault has been detected in the system).

NOTE: To avoid inadvertently switching the system off, the button must be pressed for at least half a second before DSTC is deactivated.

The warning symbol will come on to indicate that DSTC has been switched off. The system is automatically switched on when the engine is started. DSTC should be switched off if the steering wheel position or the front wheels are not properly aligned.