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Our beloved '02 Ocean Race special edition (#511) bit the dust last week*. We were hoping to get a '04 or newer XC70, but ended up getting another '02. Yeah, I know.

On the Ocean Race, we had the fan unit and fuel pump right replaced right after getting her (~160k miles), and my father and I replaced the passenger side upper strut mount a little over a year ago. The drivers side was due to be done. The new '02 (a goldish silver color, don't know the proper name for it), is right at 145k miles, so I'm expecting all the same issues we had with the Ocean Race to crop up.


What else should I be on the look out for?

What issues can I prevent with some basic maintenance? This car doesn't have a turbo, so do I not have to worry about the PCV issues?


The dealer we got the new one from put new axles in up front (torn boots), new spark plugs (but not wires), new brakes up front, and new belts, and gave me some tips for if the fan or the fuel pump went out**. There were some service records included, showing a transmission flush at 108k. I'm now trying to tell if I'm just hearing more engine noise without the turbos noise masking it, or if there's any issues talking to me




* Just shy of 200k she started dumping oil. Tracked it down to the crankshaft seal. Immediately started kicking myself, because as soon as I started doing research, I realized I could've prevented this with some PCV maintenance, if only I had known. Would really love to learn anything else I should be doing to prevent killing this one prematurely. Anyone looking for a mechanics special in the PDX area?

** He says it's only 10 minutes to pull a fan at a junkyard, and suggested a marine epoxy fix for the fuel pump.

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