C70 convertible - any quirks to know about?

[OlBlueEyes]

Looking at a '99 C70 ragtop - any advice or areas of concern to look for?
Thanks.

 

[Tim..]

Looking at a '99 C70 ragtop - any advice or areas of concern to look for? Thanks.

Yes, dont pay too much!!! Anything at a dealer is going to be waaaay over the top. 6-7k grand should be plenty on a 99 unless its in exceptional order / low miles.

An all new C70 is very imminent, and the older model is fairly unloved as it is.

Beware scuttle shake and poor ride especially on GT's with the harder suspension.

Expect to have to hold on tight if its a T5!!

Tim..

 

[Wytze]

Electric front windows are sometime tricky. Check for smooth noiseless movement. Check for perfect closing / sealing of the window when closed. Check for whistling noise at higher speeds. Best: visible inspection of inside mechanism, specifically front side where cable is fixed to window frame. Reason: adjusting the windows is tedious and a new window mechanism ("sorry sir, only the complete unit") costs a fortune. Alternative: live with it & handle with care.

Cracking noise when steering max left or right are often caused by a design flaw, regularly put grease on the appropriate locations solves it (not typically for convertable).

rest: mine is not for sale

W.

 

[Chris Bowne]

1999 is the first year that the 70 series used the electronic throttle module, or ETM. Very high rate of failure , esp after 70K miles. There is a class action suit pending against Volvo because of the high rate (I have heard of something like an 85 percent failure rate). If it fails, usually without warning, you lose throttle control and end up limping along at idle speed. Better hope it doesn't happen on an interstate with a semi breathing down your neck and there's 4 lanes of traffic to get across to the shoulder. Do a google on Volvo + ETM, and or check out the xc70.com forums on this subject. If I was buying a 1999-2001 70 series I would insist on dealer replacement of the ETM as a condition of sale, and an extended warranty on it on top of that. They go for around a grand to replace. Have given Volvo's reliability reputation a big and apperenty well deserved black eye for the way they have been trying to dodge responsibility. I just dodged the ETM bullet, my recently purchased 98 V70 XC Cross Country was the last year of the series that had a nice simple cable and spring controlled throttle body. Why they went from something cheap, simple and reliable to a electrical servo motor driven throttle body that costs a grand to replace and has an abysmal failure rate is beyond me.