99 volvo XC70 crosscountry wagon

The electrical system was less reliable than typical. Over 15% of owners had problems. This problem was on all V70s through the 2000 model. It was fixed in the 2001 redesign.

In general the 1998 and 1999 model years were the least reliable for the V70XC. The 2001 was a big improvement.

Also, make sure the tires are rotated at every scheduled service.

If you have a warranty and there are any problems with the transfer case, the FIRST thing the dealer mechanics do is measure the circumference of the tires. If more than 5% diff, then any warranty claim is invalid......

Transfer case is a weak link and VERY expensive to replace.

Best,

If one is buying a V70xc from that era, how do we accurately recognise the "2001" model with the improvements and avoid it's predecessor??

Thanks,

Jim

| > V70XC. The 2001 was a big improvement.

Pre 2001 the 70 was just an improved 850, post 2001 the 70 is a redesign based on S60.

Cheers, Peter.

Note that the more advanced (and so far less troublesome) AWD system did not appear immediately on the "new" body V70. It wasn't until the 2003 models.

Ouch! . . . So to be sure to get the reliable AWD one has to avoid all cross country models up to and including 2002!!!

Is it fair to say that the introduction of the new AWD system coincided with the introduction of the badge name "XC70"?

Is there a way to recognise the AWD mechanicals to be sure that it is the "new" type?

A new motor snuck in during 2003 . . . the 2.5L . . . with considerably more torque (285 up 12% to 320nm). Are these proving to be a significant improvement, reliable, etc? My current 850-T5 has better KW specs and it seems odd to buy a heavier vehicle with less power!

Curiously, I haven't seen any differences with the '2004' models??

Cheers,

Jim Kelly.

| > Pre 2001 the 70 was just an improved 850, post 2001 the 70 is a redesign based | > on S60. | >

| > Cheers, Peter. | >

2003 | models. | | -- | Mike F. | Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont. | | NOTE: new address!! | Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly. | (But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

Beginning with the 2003 Model Year, the Cross Country a/k/a the XC70 has the Haldex AWD which is much better (reliability-wise) than the previously used AWD with viscous coupling. Search Google Groups for prior discussions in this NG regarding Haldex.

Sandy

The Haldex is strictly a performance enhancement. There were no reliability issues with the viscous coupling. In fact it is one of the most reliable systems in existance since there are no valves or switches to go bad. It has a long history of reliability. The Haldex system is newer and unproven.

Haldex historically made automatic brake adjustors. It has expanded into other hydraulic fields, but the Haldex AWD system is a new field for it and is relatively unproven.

There is a reliability issue with the viscous coupling in the sense that if tires sizes are too different (this includes one new tire and 3 half worn) front to rear, then the driveshaft is loaded. After a short period of time, this overheats the oil in the angle gear, which causes the angle gear to fail. This includes use of the spare tire. The Haldex system can be (and is) programmed to ignore this kind of tire size differential.

This falls under the category of reading the manual. True 4WDs can break axles and dive shafts if used on dry pavement, but that is covered in the manual. If you don't read the manual, you can have tons of "reliability" problems that are actually user caused: tire pressure, oil level, coolant level, fuel level, tire wear, releasing the hand brake, turning off the parking lights, brake fluid level, etc.

Actually I discovered this viscous-coupling/tire-diameter, concern on a

1990 Subaru Legacy. My Subaru dealer was not aware of the problem. I always rotated the best tires to the front and got a power surging which Subaru could not figure out. The dealer tried rotating the tires and it solved the problem. The smallest diameter tires had to be in the front. The problem was agravated by tire wear problems.

With my 2001 V70 XC I just have my Volvo dealer check my tires whenever I go in for 7,500 mile service and haven't had any problems. They rotate the tires when appropriate. I use the original equipment Pirelli Scorpion S/Ts tires and tire wear has been very uniform and tread wear has been good also.

snip

Mike,

Thanks for explaining. You and others knew what I meant when I used the term "reliability-wise" in connection with viscous coupling AWD. I was trying to alert the poster who I think is contemplating buying a Cross Country. That's also why I referred the poster to the prior discussions in this NG regarding Haldex and viscous coupling, some of which were started by my questions about it.

I've been told, even if one does not have any expense for repairs to the viscous coupling AWD, that buying tires four at a time so as to avoid any problem with the viscous coupling "hurts" especially when some of the tires have a lot of tread left.

I was going to buy a new 2002 XC70. After I learned about the viscous coupling compared to Haldex AWD issue and learned that the 2003 models would have Haldex AWD (which has been successfully used for several years by Audio and VW), I waited to buy a 2003 XC70. BTW, I bought it (my 4th Volvo, but first one with AWD) on Jan. 31, 2003 with 10 miles on it and it now has almost 29,000 miles! It's been a great vehicle and has been terrific in the snow and on the slippery roads, here in N.H. last winter and also this winter.

Sandy

You don't need to buy 4 tires at a time. You just need to keep the smallest tires on the front if there is too big a disparity between the sizes. If you keep the tires rotated there is not problem. If you get into trouble by not rotating, then you may have to play the game by keeping smaller tires on the front.