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Hi Everyone,
I am looking for some advice for my 99 S70 GLT. I have put alot of money into it and want to stop. I put in a new fuel pump, gear shift knob, maf sensor, shocks, power antenna, spark plugs, all new coil packs, and brakes a year ago.
Tonight my wife was driving my car and said the check engine light went on and then off and then stayed on. I was thinking that I can go to schucks and check out a OBDII reader and figure out what the code is and how severe the problem is. But fixing it might be costly. I have 3 worn tires that might need replacing in a year or two. I just dont want to put more money into the car because it might be time for me to say good bye. The car still runs and is not rough or anything like that but the check engine light is on.
Kelly Blue Book says that if its in mint condition its worth $2100 but it needs 3 new tires and there is a check engine light. I was thinking if I tried to sell it I have to take into account the 3 tires that need replacing and the issue with the check engine light. The junk yard might give $150 or $200? I just dont know what is the best option.
I live in Northern, CA. Does anyone have any ideas if you were me?
Andrew
99 Volvo S70 GLT 182k miles
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Can you go to chain parts store and get the codes for free? They won't clear them though. Tire deals are out there. There is also a market out there for parents shopping for safe Volvos for their kids. $2K might be easy to get. The question is, how much does it bug you in other ways(?) Does it drive well, are the seats OK, are there creaks and groans...It's possible that a newer car might cost more to maintain, and cars of this era are now more familiar and a little cheaper to fix, newer models, more electronics, less simplicity. Are you happy with your mechanic, and do you negotiate or ask for discounts? Our cars are not always considered "totaled" when there are some fixes needed. Or, it might be time for a deserved upgrade. I recently did well selling my '97 850 with 256K mi, '06 V70 wasn't free though
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Farewell 'black manta' ('97 850) Hello 'rocket sled' ('06 V70R)
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Hi Everyone,
Thank you for helping me view things a bit differently. When I get back to CA and have a look at my car I will report back. I have to find out what the check engine light code is all about.
The body and interior are in excellent condition however the engine is using oil at about 1,000 miles after I change it with mobil 1 synthetic. I would say, it always used to eat some oil but normally it would have been 2,500 miles when the car was younger. Now it starts to eat oil at about 1,000 miles. I would say it would use about a 1/8 of a quart and more as time goes on from that point.
Andrew99 S70 GLT 182k miles
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Are you saying that the engine uses a quart of oil every 1000 miles? If so, that is definitely not good!
However, there might be fixable reasons for this type oil consumption short of a mechanical engine repair:
1. Do the engine seals leak oil? Have you found oil leaks under the car?
2. A possible related problem. Has the PCV system ever been serviced? If not, the PCV hoses, EGR valve (if your car has one) or the breather box could be clogged and that will up engine oil consumption and probably cause the engine seals to leak.
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I have no oil leaks under my car that drip on the ground. The dealer has serviced the car and i assumed everything was good.
I went to OReillys and got the following codes:p1332,p0000. They said that they cant get codes and need a newer code reader.
Anyone know of a good independent shop in mountain view, CA?
The car seems to drive ok but I dont know if something is happening like running too hot as a result of the oxygen sensor? That sensor has never been changed out.
The car uses about 1/2 qt of oil every 1800 miles. If i add oil a bit at a time at 700 miles the oil seems to last longer. One reason it might be using oil is that a shop that did my radiator didnt do a good job and the coolant tank went dry. I shut it down and had it towed.
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Assuming you use 1 quart every 3600 miles or so that is nothing to worry about on a 18 year old car with 182k on it.
My 850 with 251k uses more than that but it does have a leak...:)
You could search the web or maybe call a Volvo dealer to see if they can give you what your car's code is. That would be helpful to know.
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Thank you for your comments. I am waiting for my appointment now. I have an appointment on Nov 1 to see about my check engine light. I note that it has gone out now so i wonder if that means that the sensor isnt a problem? I am thinking I still need to figure out what it is though. Also I am thinking its more than a poor fit on a gas cap because I thought normal OBDII readers can catch that one?
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It likely is an intermittent fault that can self clear. Common ones on GM's are MAF sensor out of range or too many knock sensor hits in a given time.
Any code that cannot be read by a generic code reader is allowed to be self-clearing as it is not part of the federal mandate (emissions, mostly).
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Yes, if it is an intermittent CEL I wouldn't worry about it. Save your money!
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Consider yourself lucky that the car is still running. Overheating due to lack of antifreeze will cause the rings to wear, among other things.
Get a compression test done. Two, one dry and the other 'wet'. Wet means adding 2 table spoons of oil to each cylinder before the test. This coats the rings and should increase compression. The engine should be 'warm' in both tests.
Check under 'shops' in the pull down menu at the top of the page.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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My V70 is at my indy's shop right now. ABS-TRACS light. (This is not the first time -- I've owned the car for 20 years).
According to KBB, my car -- in "good" condition is worth $277 as a trade-in. The chance that this repair is going to cost less than $277 is fairly remote.
As Tom Magliozzi (Car Talk) pointed out, it's a false dichotomy. If the spending limit on car repairs was the value of the car, he couldn't put gas in his car.
If a car that's nearly 20 years old uses a half quart of oil between changes that doesn't sound bad so maybe the block isn't warped from overheating.
My car was driven without oil a few years ago -- for a few blocks (an oil cooler fitting rusted off). I shut the car down soon enough and it's been fine since the radiator/oil cooler was replaced.
At $277, the car is worth much more to me than it is to anyone else.
For a few hundred bucks, a Volvo that needs a tires and has a CEL could be an amazing bargain. Or it could be a nightmare. It depends.
-BTC
'98 V70 T5 213K mi., 5-speed manual, original clutch, cold weather package, factory HD suspension (1998 only), front IPD stabilizer bar, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, XC grill, C70 jewel E-Codes, V-1, Lidatek, IPD stuff, JB Weld, Original Duck Tape, sand, dog hair, zip-ties, Mobil-1 since new.
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Another random thought — KBB says the private party value of my car is $1,490. I’d probably spend ($1490 - $277) $1213 on it without even a second thought. And probably more, if, say, it needs a clutch, after just a little thought.
When it develops structural rust — no. It’s going to the crusher.
-BTC
'98 V70 T5 213K mi., 5-speed manual, original clutch, cold weather package, factory HD suspension (1998 only), front IPD stabilizer bar, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, XC grill, C70 jewel E-Codes, V-1, Lidatek, IPD stuff, JB Weld, Original Duck Tape, sand, dog hair, zip-ties, Mobil-1 since new.
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I agree with check the PCV system. I particularly like Robert from YouTube's glove test. With the engine running -*caution* do when cold- replace the oil filler cap with a rubber glove so it seals. It should not inflate at all. If it does, the PCV system needs to be replaced. (Can also check plugs for wet oil, and flame trap elbow etc, but the glove test is awesome) The parts are not super expensive, but it involves removing the intake manifold, which is not too hard except for a couple bolts underneath. FCP video is great BTW, it looks like a lot more work in newer cars (not looking forward to it) Good to hear you use synthetic, because it doesn't cook and scale, & clog things up. Sorry to be adding something to your list, but the PCV is good to do at a regular interval anyway, because there is so much heat, that hoses can become brittle and break, and vac elbows fall of etc. affecting performance. Don't replace the flame trap. A little oil consumption is not awful, but it sounds like you might have a symptom.
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Farewell 'black manta' ('97 850) Hello 'rocket sled' ('06 V70R)
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I agree with not replacing the flame trap screen. Better off with nothing!
LilHelpHere - Do the NA 98's still have a flame trap screen? I think, but am not sure, that was the last year for the flame trap screen.
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Oh, dunno. I wasn't really paying attention to model years. Just mine, and that there might be a flame trap included in the parts kit. fun stuff
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Farewell 'black manta' ('97 850) Hello 'rocket sled' ('06 V70R)
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You are right. Even though the 99 MY's have no screen, it is certainly possible that the "PCV "kit" might include one.
Removed the "screen" from 95 850 GLT shortly after buying it. Also removed it from 90 240. Good idea to help reduce PCV clogs. Never an issue after removing it....
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I suggest fixing it. The engines and transmissions in the 850/S70/V70's will normally go well over 200k with care. As they are the really expensive items to fix, almost anything else is just maintenance to keep it running and safe.
The check engine light could be something as simple as the gas cap not being screwed on correctly. Find out what it is before making a decision.
The car is certainly worth a lot more than $150-200. Even at the junkyard! Factoring in needed work, I'd guess it's value is still at least $1500 if the body and interior are good.
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Maintenance issues are routine for every car, as a function of time and mileage.
You will be wearing out tires and brakes all the time as you put on the miles.
You also consume items such as the timing belt which is another pricey affair,
less costly if you're a DIY'er.
Fixing and maintaining a car costs time and money, still way cheaper than buying something new, which will also have the same need for fixing and maintenance.
Stop watching TV, where you get a message every two minutes to buy a new car.
Those messages are designed to empty your bank account.
Bill
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