Advice re 1998 C70 GT T5 Coupe purchase

PhilCol ( snipped-for-privacy@dsl.pipex.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

There's been more than a few posts covering S/V70, though...

Adrian wrote in news:Xns96E0D9A4DAAC6adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170:

I bought a S70 T5 (same car, different body shape) about six weeks ago. I'm very happy with it and my general impression so far is that it's a very good solid car. Make sure the turbocharger and clutch are in good order as these are the expensive things to repair if they fail. Budget for a new cambelt as it will be due for replacement at 80k. AFAIK, there are no other major failure points particular to this vehicle; just look at the general condition.

I don't know how many miles you do, but bear in mind that they're quite thirsty and wear out front tyres very quickly. Not a problem for me as my mileage is very low, but the cost per mile of running one of these cars is rather high.

If you go for it, remember to treat the turbo with respect; never switch the engine of abruptly after a fast run. Always let it tick over for a short period, to let the turbo slow down.

Good luck!

Sorry to be pedantic, but don't you mean cool down rather than slow down? Mike.

"Mike G" wrote in news:433c6f85$0$73619$ed2619ec@ptn- nntp-reader03.plus.net:

TBH, I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to turbo technology. I don't really know about the mechanics, just the basic principle of how they work. I thought that the reason for the idling period was to allow the turbine shaft to slow before cutting off the bearing lubrication, but I stand corrected.

In any case, the same good practice applies ;-)

It's because the turbine housing, and the exhaust turbine rotor itself can get very hot. Even red hot. Hence the heat shields. Under those circumstances, it's only the flow of cool oil through the bearings and water cooling of the bearing housings, like that in my Celica turbo, that keeps the bearings cool enough for the oil to do it's job. If switched off while the turbo is very hot, heat soak can cause the bearings to get hot enough to burn the oil remaing in the bearings, so hard carbon particles are formed. This hopefully gets washed away when the car is started again, but before it does, it can cause damage to the bearing surfaces. At the high speeds a turbo runs at, it doesn't take much before this treatment causes bearing failure, followed by the break up of the turbine blades as they start rattling and striking the housing. I understand some modern turbos don't need to be allowed to cool before switching off, as even with the ignition off, the oil feed to the turbo bearings continues for a set period automatically. Similar to the way that some radiator cooling fans will come on after switching off if the engine is very hot. Mike.

Wheel bearings will be waiting to go (front ones) - replace only with volvo originals. They tand to last 60 to 100k miles.

Engines are very strong, turbos last ages, clutches too if not abused. If it's an auto get the fluid changed soon, they don't recommend a service interval - sealed for life - but other's experience shows that that represents a 110-150k mile life...

Other than that basic on-schedule servicing with the right oils and original parts isn't expensive (unless done at main dealer labour rates) and they are reliable.

Expect some trim rattles to appear.

"Tim S Kemp" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Possibly the shocks as well. I'm still unsure about whether my fronts could do with replacing or not. They're working OK, but the car's handling doesn't feel as responsive as it could be, despite having a OEM strut brace fitted. But this may just be because the springs are softer than I'm used to after years of driving Primeras. The seats are certainly different - much more comfy, but my arse slides all over the place when cornering fast :-)

Whilst on the subject, is there any merit in changing the gearbox oil on a manual? I already know that it uses a synthetic engine oil (5w30?) and that it's best to stick to the OEM stuff.

No rattles on mine after 8 years and 96k, although I must admit that the centre console is crap - very flimsy and plasticky. I've also noticed that the front indicators and the fuel flap are insecurely fixed, but in general the build quality is very good. The doors, for example, close with very little effort. Just the minor components let the car down on the quality side.

Set tyre prssures at the maximum recommended (high speed driving settings)...

Probably... never thought about it!

Has yours got a remote fuel flap release??? They fail, as does the plastic hinge mechanism on the flap itself!

"Tim S Kemp" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@karoo.co.uk:

I'll give that a try.

It has an electric (i.e. switch & solenoid, not cable & lever) fuel flap release. I say it's poor because it only latches at the upper corner and if you dont tuck the fuel cap strap away properly, it forces the bottom of the flap out. So they fail, eh? Fabulous. Dare I ask how I get it open once this happy event has occured?

Aha... Haven't got a clue, just know that they fail. If the hinge failes the door falls off...

Use the manual override:

bweebar wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Thanks for the tip. May well come in useful, if what Tim says is anything to go by!