I drive a 98 S70 GLT with 90k. I have had it now for six months and have yet to have floored the pedal. Should it be avoided, and is it hard on the turbo? How do you know when it kicks in? Do any of you floor it on a day to day basis, say merging on to a highway etc. Any concerns or troubles to note. Am I being overly cautious? Is the engine protected from over boosting etc..

Thanks.

Ps I don't have any mods or anything.

JW

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you stated a "98' GLT". Didn't the lite-pressure turbo come out in 99'?

The LPT was introduced in the 97 850 GLT (in North America).

Courtesy Canadian Driver:


1998: Volvo's mainstay duo returned in base, GLT, and sporty T5 versions with front-drive, and in V70 R and XC (Cross Country) wagon form with all-wheel drive. An AWD GLT sedan joined the lineup this year. Output of the strongest engine rose from 236 to 247 horsepower, when installed in the R wagon. New electronic brake modulation helped optimize performance in normal stops. Volvo's traction control system now included throttle as well as brake intervention. A starter interlock was added to models with manual shift, automatic transmissions gained "adaptive" shift logic, and an engine immobilizer became standard. Dashboard airbags got new two-stage sensors that matched deployment force to road speed and belt use; they also automatically unlocked doors after the bags triggered.

That sounds like a mix of 98 and 99 features. For example,
the 98 traction control does not modulate the throttle until
model year 99 when an electronic throttle was introduced
(98s use a cable controlled throttle).

You are using the turbo even at mid throttle settings.
In fact, they idle at something like 20,000 RPMS. The
turbo is very reliable and should not be of concern.
Driving the car hard on occassion is actually kind of
good for it.

The only possible problem I can think of is if the timing belt
was not replaced at 70K miles. This is very important.
Check the records for this. If no records, check the timing
belt cover for a sticker indicating when it was replaced.
Get the help of a mechanic if you can't determine this yourself
or are not sure if the previous owner maintained the car "by
the book".

Thanks,
I'll open the throttle every once in a while then. Had the t belt changed a couple of months ago.

Volvo has had problems with valve deposits with these engines in the North American market. This has been attributed to the way North American’s loaf their engines around in comparison to the way European’s tend to drive more aggressively, running the engines harder. It’s good to dip into that pedal to get revs out of the motor and to get the valves nice and hot so they burn off deposits, not build them up.

Interestingly, the brake system on these cars had to be slightly redesigned for our market to for similar reasons; we drag our brakes for long and smooth stops, they stop more abruptly they us. Our style of braking caused rear disks to warp.
--
1999 S70 T5

No, it is not hard on the turbo. Your car's ECU controls the level of boost that is allowed to build and a wastegate opens to preclude there being too much boost. The turbos on these cars are pretty sturdy and Volvo has been selling turbos now for 20 years or so. Just make sure you change the oil regularly, preferably with synthetic.