|
|
Ok, so I bought a 1998 V70R with 122k miles on it. Dealer had all the maintenance records and it seemed nice enough for $5150. However, it's now time to fix the issues and I could use some advice:
1. mileage - I drove a 98 S70 before this and I was getting about 29 mpg on the highway and about 19-22 in the city. With the V70R, I'm getting about 18-19 in the city but only about 22-23 on the highway. R drivers, is this normal? I expected to take a bit of a hit by going to awd but that seems to be a lot...
2. accelerator - again, I'm just referencing against driving my S70, but the accelerator is very hard to push down to the point that I'm having a hard time getting to boost and I think it's throwing off the cruise control (pushing up on the cruise, most of the time the car won't accelerate). Is there an adjustment that can be made to the throttle cable or is it something else?
3. air leak - driving on the highway I learned that there is some sort of air leak coming into the cabin under the kneeboard on the driver's side. As best as I can tell it feels like around the hood latch. It was VERY cold air and the heater wasn't keeping up..in fact for a volvo heater I had it cranked up all the way and while the vents were blowing hot there wasn't much velocity to the air - I'm thinking the blower motor? Anyone know of methods to plug the holes? (is there a manual air vent under there that I'm unaware of?
|
|
-
|
|
|
Mileage should be 22-28. I got 28 when averaging 75mph on the I roads. You must use 89 or 91 octane, 87(regular) will turn on the knock sensors and kill any mileage.
The engine end of the throttle cable on mine got very hard to turn. Lube the wheel the cable fits on, as well as the other linkage. Salt is the culprit on the aluminum parts. Also clean the throttle body, it is full of gunk.
No manual vents under the dash :) Use some silicone putty around the cable opening. When it is very cold or hot outside, close the center vents for fresh air, but leave the cabin air vents open. Never use the recirc button, let the ECC control that.
In fact, put the blower speed and vents on auto and leave them that way. The ECC unit in the car is one of the best ever made, when you ask it to deliver 72F, you get 72F regardless of the outside temp. If you smoke and open the window a crack, the vacuum outside of the window will draw all of the hot air out of the car and your passengers will freeze!
The blower motor should blow fast enough at high speed, but is hard to feel when it is blowing most of the hot air out of the bottom vents. The dash vents are mainly for AC, not heat. Some hot air will come out of the upper vents, just enough to warm your finger tips.
As to the cruise control, mine slowly died until I figured out that it was the extremely dirty throttle body that was so hard to turn, the vacuum in the CC couldn't handle it. I could set it at 70mph, but at the first hill the car would slow down and then speed back up to 70mph on the down hill section.
Klaus
I really liked my 98 R.
--
Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.
|
|
-
|
|
|
I've been putting 89 octane in the car, however since I just got it two weeks ago, I don't know what gas was put in it before...there could potentially be 87 still in there affecting the mileage.
Your description of the cable and throttle body sounds just like the problem I am having. I'll look into that and see if it makes a difference - Thanks!
I'll have to head over to the local shop to see if I can get them to silicone the gaps - cause it's just too cold otherwise.
Thanks for the prompt help, this helps me greatly.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Be nice and fill it up with premium when you get to a 1/2 tank. It's only 10 cents more a gallon and your car will feel better. 89 octane will not let you go over 5,000rpm before the knock sensors kick in. I used premium around town and 89 on the interstate for cruising, and leave the selector on S around town and E on the highway. Never use M.
The 98 tranny will stay in 2nd gear if you shift to L above 25mph and not go to 1st until you come to a stop. Makes for fun driving in the 30mph zones, and keeps the revs up to get the engine oil hot.
Use only synthetic 0 or 5W30 and a Mann filter. Change the synthetic every 5-7K miles.
Rotate the tires at every oil change.
And have fun with the turbo when it kicks in at 3500.
Your car has Nivomats in the rear, but the front struts can be swapped for Koni sport adjustable when you are ready. The sway bar endlinks from IPD are a lot better than OEM and easy to replace.
Put new rear hatch struts on your spring list of things to replace, they are getting old and weak.
If your garage is as cold as mine, contemplate flushing the tranny when you change the oil. It only takes 30 minutes, and if you use Mobile 1 ATF, it will shift smoother.
Don't forget to flush your bevel gear oil. There is a procedure to drill a hole into the casing on Volvospeed and Matthews, most good Volvo shops know about it and will do it for you. This is a must. The bevel gear oil has to be replaced at 50K intervals, especially if you are on patch ice roads and the wheels slip and grab a lot.
More hints to follow:
Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.
|
|
-
|
|
|
All great tips, thanks I do appreciate it. So far up to 122k miles the carfax reported that the first owner took it to the dealer for maintenance pretty regularly.
Your right about the trunk lid..with some ice on it, it was not staying up while I loaded my bags. I'm also getting problems with it staying locked in cold weather - I think the latch post just needs to be adjusted towards the rear to fix that?
So far trans shifting has been very smooth haven't noticed any bucking or rough shifts...however since I think the throttle body is dirty, I'm having a hard time getting it to kick down in the first place. My knees aren't in good shape so pressing down that hard for a long time is painful to me and that's why I brought up the issue in my original post.
I will take any and all tips you've got Klaus - I want to hopefully keep this car for at least 5 years or more until I get a much better paying job and whenever Volvo decides to come out with a hybrid =)
Another question...the SC900 head unit. Can't get the CDs to play...tried burned CDs and regular commercial ones, no luck. It just keeps swapping through all three discs like there is nothing in there. I've done some reading online about it and it sounds like either I replace it with a SC901 (upgraded unit) or just go aftermarket. Either way I think I'm looking at least +$500 not counting installation/modification costs?
|
|
-
|
|
|
The trunk latch is secured with 2 T40 screws, just visible. Scribe the latch plate with a sharp pencil before moving it a mm or 2 and get all of the dirt out. If the latch is moved too close to the front, the added pressure to lock the hatch will break the lock. A new lock is around $450.
For temporary cleaning of the TB, just take off the intake hose and spray the butterfly with TB cleaner and a used toothbrush. Let it dry before putting the hose back on. Use a 7mm ratchet to loosen and tighten the clamp, much easier than a screwdriver.
I am no help with the dumb radio. I can only suggest getting a small flash light and looking into the unit for dirt or large foreigh matter. Be careful with burned CDs, the cheaper ones will get stuck and you will have to remove the cover plate to get them out.
My car had the 901 unit and center speaker, amplifier under the passenger seat.
Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Volvo Farmer
on
Sun Jan 3 09:13 CST 2010 [ RELATED]
|
|
Can't you put an SC816 in there? Those are all over Ebay for less than $100
|
|
|
|
|
