OK so this a bit of a rehash from a post I made before but recently had the same problem again (5/13/10), left the airport again after about a week of being parked...

...When I engage reverse and start to back up it feels like there is resistance in the transmission almost like the parking brake is still on even though I haven't used the parking brake for months. I think I may have noticed this problem once before several months ago after being parked at the airport for about a week when i went to reverse there was a loud popping noise, I thought I had run over a can or something but there was nothing under the tires....

The tranny was flushed last summer at 95K, timing belt is next maybe later this summer, car currently only has 97K, walk a lot to work instead of driving

Thanks for any advice,

Miles

Was the airport parking outside, in the rain? I only ask because if the parking brake was disengaged, it could be a rusty caliper/guide/rotor combination.

Klaus
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Cynthia Amendt, RIP

Klaus,

It was outside and yes indeed it did rain most of the week, brakes were recently checked and they look fine, plenty left on both the pads and rotors, I guess I am just being too cautious, car runs like a dream otherwise....still always present in the back of mind is the AWD system and its inherent faults.
Thanks for the feedback!!

Miles

The best thing you can do to the awd is to flush the bevel fluid every 50K miles, that is the weak point for Volvo.

If you DIY your own brakes, remove the slide pins from the back of the calipers, clean all of the black goop from them, coat them with silicone brake grease, and put them back in.

Never worry about the rotors getting rust on them, they will self clean the first time you use the brakes.

Enjoy your car, don't baby it.

Klaus
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Cynthia Amendt, RIP

The parking Bake Shoes rust and the lining separates from the shoe.They will try and turn with the rotor and grab.
If not used much this is likely happened to you.
Take a look.
John
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90-740GL , 92-945Turbo

Maybe have someone check out the parking brake. There are brake shoe linings inside the rear brake disc that is the parking brake. (Note this is completely separate braking mechanism than the rear disc brake) I have heard some people having problem with these although I've never encountered the problem.

Here are some diagrams for your reference

http://www.volvoxc.com/resources/how-to/pdf/parking_brake_brake_shoes_replacing.pdf
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2001 V70 T5 ASR, 2001 XC70, http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/