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I appreciate this thread isn't the most riveting on Pistonheads, but I find it useful to keep it updated and see where I'm at. So where am I at?
Well I'm just about 13 months of ownership now, and over the last 4/5 months I have had a bit of a challenge with starting. Well I say a challenge, it would always start, just sometimes took a few seconds of cranking over. I may have mentioned it before but a battery tester showed the battery to be around 85% so I went down the fuel filter route and had it changed. Cold starting was a bit better and I just put it down to "one of those things". More recently it has been bugging me again so I bit the bullet and purchased a new Platinum Prestige battery for £100. When did batteries get so expensive?!
Anyway, I fitted it the other night. You might not know, but the battery in a V/XC70 is located in the boot. Out with the pushchair, the boot protector, the boot tray and located with the spare wheel was the original 12 year old battery!
New one was plugged in (just a couple of 10mm bolts) and it now starts on the button each time. I should have just purchased it last year when I noticed the issue!
Next up is the rear lights. It's taken me 13 months, but I noticed my rear lights are different! Clearly one has been replaced at some point.
It turns out the one on the left is a 01-04 tail light, and the one on the right a 05-07. Off to eBay and I purchased the correct rear light for £12 so I now have a matching set of 05-07 lights, although I am yet to fit it.
Finally it's MOT time soon. It is due by the end of March. We are now on 152k and I reckon it might need the lower arm bushes replacing. Will find out in time. In the meantime I've been considering a change of car but really struggling to work out what to replace it with, it just does everything well but part of me fancies a newer car, I've just no idea what!
Well I'm just about 13 months of ownership now, and over the last 4/5 months I have had a bit of a challenge with starting. Well I say a challenge, it would always start, just sometimes took a few seconds of cranking over. I may have mentioned it before but a battery tester showed the battery to be around 85% so I went down the fuel filter route and had it changed. Cold starting was a bit better and I just put it down to "one of those things". More recently it has been bugging me again so I bit the bullet and purchased a new Platinum Prestige battery for £100. When did batteries get so expensive?!
Anyway, I fitted it the other night. You might not know, but the battery in a V/XC70 is located in the boot. Out with the pushchair, the boot protector, the boot tray and located with the spare wheel was the original 12 year old battery!
New one was plugged in (just a couple of 10mm bolts) and it now starts on the button each time. I should have just purchased it last year when I noticed the issue!
Next up is the rear lights. It's taken me 13 months, but I noticed my rear lights are different! Clearly one has been replaced at some point.
It turns out the one on the left is a 01-04 tail light, and the one on the right a 05-07. Off to eBay and I purchased the correct rear light for £12 so I now have a matching set of 05-07 lights, although I am yet to fit it.
Finally it's MOT time soon. It is due by the end of March. We are now on 152k and I reckon it might need the lower arm bushes replacing. Will find out in time. In the meantime I've been considering a change of car but really struggling to work out what to replace it with, it just does everything well but part of me fancies a newer car, I've just no idea what!
Edited by S100HP on Wednesday 20th February 09:12
S100HP said:
Finally it's MOT time soon. It is due by the end of March. We are now on 152k and I reckon it might need the lower arm bushes replacing. Will find out in time. In the meantime I've been considering a change of car but really struggling to work out what to replace it with, it just does everything well but part of me fancies a newer car, I've just no idea what!
It's been an few weeks since I posted the above, and I'm sure you're all on tenterhooks to see what has happened since my last post. Well I can tell you now. I chucked it in for its MOT on the 1st March and received a call to say it had failed shortly afterwards 
The reason it failed was classed as a dangerous defect:
Nearside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened (7.1.2 (b) (ii))
This was an advisory last year and I actually purchased a replacement belt this time last year, but just hadn't got round to fitting it. A poor excuse and an entirely avoidable failure. Sorry car! Anyway, the replacement belt that I've had for a year was fitted, and the car returned to pass the MOT today (8th) but it wasn't a clean MOT. We have some advisories.
Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))
Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))
Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
Fluid leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
The bushes were an advisory last year so I'm not overly worried about that. The rear pads are a minor issue and can be addressed in the next few weeks, along with the tyres which I mentioned replacing a few posts ago. The fluid leak is also minor, its from the expansion tank and I did the job on my V70R so not overly concerned about that either.
So that is where we're at. The car has now covered 152,259 miles but it's cost me a few quid lately, and needs another £4/500 spending on it now. The temptation to change is growing but this is equally challenged by the fact I actually do like the car. It is one of the last P2 models which is considered the sweet spot for these and because I've spent a few quid now I should keep going with it. It's also an excellent family car. I wish I had r129sl outlook on cars as I'd love to throw unlimited money at the car and keep it going to 200k+. What to do?
Obligatory photo with text below.
Food for thought. This is the car tempting me. I've a fondness for French and it's a C5 with the 2.7 diesel lump and it's just a lot more modern inside than the XC70
http://tinyurl.com/y6ay3c5c
http://tinyurl.com/y6ay3c5c
carreauchompeur said:
I’m coming up to insurance renewal and am considering a remap. Probably not sensible on 240k, but the numbers look good... anyone done it?
Certainly have given it thought but never have the desire to follow through with it.The XC70 ticked over 153k today meaning 12k in my ownership now. Finally managed to tick off another of those little jobs today, I fitted the replacement light mentioned a few posts. An easy job that took longer than expected as access to the lower of the two nuts was tricky.
A reminder, this was the 01-04 rear light that someone had incorrectly fitted to my car. The indicator lense was supposed to be clear, but I only noticed (embarrassingly) that it was different to the other side a few months back.
Firstly you need to remove the speaker grill which gives access to the boot speaker (probably to keep the dogs happy). A little red tab locks the speaker in place. Remove that and the speaker pops out. It's then just a case of undoing 2 X 10mm nuts. The upper is easy, the lower required a socket with an elbow meaning it can be used at 45 degrees. I didn't have one of these so fitting was aborted till we went to visit friends in the afternoon. He had one and I was able to remove the light.
Refitting was very simple (now I had the tool required). This minor detail actually made me pretty happy for the rest of the day. It now matches!
As a side, the friends mentioned above had just purchased themselves an XC90 (05 plate). I took it for a spin. I liked it.
TheJimi said:
So, XC90 next then? 
Yes, maybe, but nope. Not yet anyway. I've just purchased new tyres for delivery next week which commits me to the car for a while. Vredestein Quatrac5 which I've seen good feedback on. An all-season tyre opposed to a winter tyre which I've been running since purchasing the car.Shakermaker said:
Still reading this thread
The T6, which I mentioned a few months ago, is appealing, but none in my budget are decent enough to be put to use for what I'd need.
Therefore I'm looking likely to go for a 2012-2014 aged one which seem to start around £8k... fits in my "under 10 years old" requirement for work.
I've all but discounted the chance of finding a worthy 5 series at that budget or similar so I think this will do the job....
Nice pic of Notre Dame you got the other month too!
Would love a T6 one (if I could afford one) but even if I could the high tax bracket would put me off. Maybe just me?The T6, which I mentioned a few months ago, is appealing, but none in my budget are decent enough to be put to use for what I'd need.
Therefore I'm looking likely to go for a 2012-2014 aged one which seem to start around £8k... fits in my "under 10 years old" requirement for work.
I've all but discounted the chance of finding a worthy 5 series at that budget or similar so I think this will do the job....
Nice pic of Notre Dame you got the other month too!
Wish I had been to Notre Damn, but it was The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, which is a similar style and less burnt.
jmcc500 said:
Just read thread, please keep it up, very interesting!
My 940 estate succumbed to rust last year but I don’t think I am done with Volvo Estates yet. These seem great, but fuel consumption seems worse than I expected. Are the later cars more frugal?
I think mine age one is the least frugal. The 185bhp. The earlier one (163bhp) do nearer 50mpg, and the later ones (newer shape) get upwards of 40mpg.My 940 estate succumbed to rust last year but I don’t think I am done with Volvo Estates yet. These seem great, but fuel consumption seems worse than I expected. Are the later cars more frugal?
Thrilling update. New tyres fitted. The man Ali in mid-flow.
Huge difference to the noise and ride quality of the car, for the better, although I guess that was pretty predictable as the winter tyres that were removed were manufactured in the 42nd week of 2008. They had gone pretty hard and noisy. Rear pads need replacing next. It's endless.
17/6 - I've no idea why it won't display this thrilling picture?
Huge difference to the noise and ride quality of the car, for the better, although I guess that was pretty predictable as the winter tyres that were removed were manufactured in the 42nd week of 2008. They had gone pretty hard and noisy. Rear pads need replacing next. It's endless.
17/6 - I've no idea why it won't display this thrilling picture?
Edited by S100HP on Monday 17th June 09:29
Have now driven quite a bit with the new tyres including a trip up to near Gatwick and back the other day. The difference these tyres have made is immense. The ride quality is significantly better, gone has the harshness as you hit the imperfections in the road. It's also much quieter and mpg seems to have increased from 32/33mpg to 38mpg. Really happy with it right now.
Snapped this today after cleaning it earlier. Think it looks great from this angle.
Snapped this today after cleaning it earlier. Think it looks great from this angle.
A very satisfying update (for me anyway). When I got the car the little bits of trim where the seatbelts enter the B pillar had been broken and half missing. A very common issue, which resulted in the seatbelt becoming damaged earlier in the thread.
Anyway, I'd been sort of hunting for some replacement bits, but never got round to buying them. After the seatbelt issue I decided to look a bit harder and purchased a replacement pair from a breaker for £15. Chuffed as nuts I went to install them only to find them too small for the space. It appears they changed this part on the later runs for a bigger one.
I then decided to contact Volvo and order via them. The parts were ordered and once they arrived I went and grabbed them, only to find them also too small for the space. The parts department ended up contacting Volvo for a technical bulletin to find the correct part. Eventually the correct parts turned up last week and I fitted them immediately. A minor detail but it's been a bit of a mission to get the right parts. So satisfying and stopped some rattling too.
Apart from that, all is good. Drove on a beach today just because I can.
Such a great car.
Anyway, I'd been sort of hunting for some replacement bits, but never got round to buying them. After the seatbelt issue I decided to look a bit harder and purchased a replacement pair from a breaker for £15. Chuffed as nuts I went to install them only to find them too small for the space. It appears they changed this part on the later runs for a bigger one.
I then decided to contact Volvo and order via them. The parts were ordered and once they arrived I went and grabbed them, only to find them also too small for the space. The parts department ended up contacting Volvo for a technical bulletin to find the correct part. Eventually the correct parts turned up last week and I fitted them immediately. A minor detail but it's been a bit of a mission to get the right parts. So satisfying and stopped some rattling too.
Apart from that, all is good. Drove on a beach today just because I can.
Such a great car.
Davie said:
Looks a fairly benine leak, may get away with a smear of sealant on the offending weeping gadget / joint. On another note, I too found Quatrac 5's to be brilliant, especially for our random climate plus the odd mild off road foray. And on another note, interesting you should say about the MPG, my recently binned off V70 D5 Geartronic with the 185bhp was pretty terrible... it'd only just crack 40MPG on a steady run but door to door, low 30's. Maybe it had issues. No wait... it had issues.
I did think about sealing it but there is quite a bit of residue there suggesting it's been leaking for a while. I'm just going to change to whole housing and fit a new gasket. I actually quite like this car and don't see me selling it for some time so I'd rather just sort it properly.I've been impressed with the quatracs too. Much better ride than the old rubber I had and grip much better in the wet. MPG has settled around 36 now. Far from good but it's a massive car with an auto box so I guess it'll do. Wonder what difference a remap would do?
In other news I've finally sorted the sat nav. I'm sure I mentioned a few pages back that I took the old nav out to have a go at fixing the lense. That didn't work so in a rage I chucked it, not knowing they were coded to the car. I purchased a replacement, which didn't work (got a refund) and then purchased another which turned on and made the screen pop up, but the controls didn't work. These units seem to sell around £90 normally.
Anyway, a few posts on a Volvo forum and I was given a selection of unit codes which might work. Well a bit of backward and forward with a bloke on an XC70 page resulted in me receiving a replacement unit with one of these codes, for just under £50. He assured me it would work. I had my doubts.
Well to my surprise it bloody did work. Once connected the screen popped up. With trepidation I went and pushed the buttons on the back of the wheel and the cursor moved. To say I was over the moon would be an understatement. To make things even better my 2016 eBay special disc which I purchased when I originally tried to get the nav to work also worked. The software on the unit was updated and I now have working nav.
Now I totally appreciate the built in nav is utter crap. You can't even enter postcodes and it doesn't do traffic, but frankly I don't care. For me it was more about if you have something, it should work, and now it does. So now I can actually enter an address and see where I'm supposed to be going.....I just can't actually drive anywhere currently...
Edited by S100HP on Friday 14th June 09:31
Having done a little research, changing the thermostat housing on a D5 isn't for the feint of heart. I've done it before on other cars, but this one requires the serpentine belt to be removed and the power steering pump to be moved.
f
k that.
Instead I paid my friendly Volvo man to do it for me, and whilst he was there asked him to change the oil filter as it was weeping slightly less than I am, having paid for this work along with the hammering my card has taken fixing my soon to be wife's car.
I guess I could have smeared a little sealant on the housing but I'd always be concerned it would leak again, so asked him to replace the whole lot. I'd rather know it was good, and shiny is good right?
f
k that.Instead I paid my friendly Volvo man to do it for me, and whilst he was there asked him to change the oil filter as it was weeping slightly less than I am, having paid for this work along with the hammering my card has taken fixing my soon to be wife's car.
I guess I could have smeared a little sealant on the housing but I'd always be concerned it would leak again, so asked him to replace the whole lot. I'd rather know it was good, and shiny is good right?
Edited by S100HP on Monday 17th June 20:26
Ever since I've owned my XC70 I've been keeping an eye out for the rear picnic table. It was a rare accessory. They tend to sell for around £100 on eBay and the like. I've seen a few go around £70, which frankly is too much for something that I'll probably use once, but I wanted one.
Well last week one popped up on eBay. I made an offer of £15 which was accepted. My only issue is that it was advertised for a XC90. I'd no idea if it would fit, but it was worth a punt. I figured they'd be the same thing anyway, and thankfully is.
So here we are. Something I've no need for, but I wanted anyway. Need to hunt down the cushions now.
Well last week one popped up on eBay. I made an offer of £15 which was accepted. My only issue is that it was advertised for a XC90. I'd no idea if it would fit, but it was worth a punt. I figured they'd be the same thing anyway, and thankfully is.
So here we are. Something I've no need for, but I wanted anyway. Need to hunt down the cushions now.
Paul S4 said:
That table is amazing....not really practical for my C30 though !!
Typical Volvo/Swedish design, ingenious !
We got to use it tonight! Pizza in the boot. What more could a kid want?Typical Volvo/Swedish design, ingenious !
Not much else to report in Volvo land. All is going well. Replacement rear pads were fitted a few weeks back as they were very low. It has just has its yearly service with nothing to report except a replacement numberplate bulb.
I also purchased some new mats, carpet style opposed to rubber but I'm not keen, I suspect they'll be off pretty soon. I also refitted the original rear seats in the back in the car as I could no longer cope knowing the rear bench didn't have blue stitching!
I've been browsing autotrader lately, there really is nothing out there without breaking the bank that I want. I guess I might make it to 2 years with this one at this rate.
Edited by S100HP on Thursday 15th August 22:06
Despite starting a thread looking for ideas for next car I'm not sure I'm ready to move mine on currently. Despite having 156k on the clock now it's probably in the best condition it has been during my ownership. I therefore decided it was time to bring it into more modern times and install a grom, giving me Bluetooth integration with the standard head unit.
As you can see they retail over £120, but I managed to nab one at half the price. It arrived today and I fitted this evening. I neglected to take any pictures but this video gives you an idea. You pop off the shifter surround, undo a few screws, slide the (massive) radio/climate unit, plug the grom in and put it all back together.
Here is a video for anyone interested.
https://youtu.be/LBtDcoBRHWs
It's a clever box of tricks, mimicking a 10 CD changer from the stereo point of view. I connected Bluetooth from my phone and can now stream music from my phone. I also ran the mic along the top of the transmission tunnel under the shifter/cup holders and it currently sits in the arm rest. The quality is excellent as you'd expect. A worthy investment brining the car into the 21st century.
As you can see they retail over £120, but I managed to nab one at half the price. It arrived today and I fitted this evening. I neglected to take any pictures but this video gives you an idea. You pop off the shifter surround, undo a few screws, slide the (massive) radio/climate unit, plug the grom in and put it all back together.
Here is a video for anyone interested.
https://youtu.be/LBtDcoBRHWs
It's a clever box of tricks, mimicking a 10 CD changer from the stereo point of view. I connected Bluetooth from my phone and can now stream music from my phone. I also ran the mic along the top of the transmission tunnel under the shifter/cup holders and it currently sits in the arm rest. The quality is excellent as you'd expect. A worthy investment brining the car into the 21st century.
Edited by S100HP on Wednesday 28th August 23:11
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