2001 V70 XC turbo - broken heater controls

Bought a beautiful sky blue (silver?) 2001 V70 XC turbo from a FORMER friend. Beautiful body, paint, etc. Drip, Drip, Drip goes the heater core all over the floor. Bought a new core to install. Like a fool I watched YouTubers testify how easy it is to replace. Now I know why the previous owner avoids me like the plague - the core had been replaced before. No gaskets in the ends of the tubes and the delicate plastic heater vent controls are broken. :mad:

Can anyone recommend a course of action short of driving off a cliff?
Thank you in advance for suggestions.

The two metal tubes going into the heater core are notorious for being difficult to re-install with new rubber washers. If you do a search, you should find stories of the force required and the lengths people went to get the tubes to seat in the core.

First - replace the o-rings (they're not really gaskets) in the heater core and fix your leak. If you've got access to a vacuum system, hook it up and minimize the spillage of coolant. If not, be prepared to mop/soak up about a quart.

As far as the doors? Linkage? I would need to see more of what's broken to suggest a COA...

But I will say this: Erie Vovo has good used parts and your car doesn't need new heater box or controls. Heater cores wear out, but the box itself doesn't, really.

Go used if you end up replacing parts on the doors/linkages.

I replaced the heater core myself after extended reading on this and other Volvo enthusiast sites. The process was difficult 1. because of the cramped space and need to work laying in the footwell. On our Right Hand drive models this means the Front Passenger NOT Drivers Footwell so USA versions are probably really even harder in this respect. BUT the reall problem I found was with those new 'O' rings. Even with silicone buricant they took unbelievable force to seat! Re-inserting the aluminum clips was also frought with difficulty because the space for a tool of any kind is so restricted. Long story short: I too broke the plastick control arm attatched to the actuator motor for the control of COLD/HOT airflow to the passenger side of the car. I think to take out the broken unit and replace with a good used one likely involves complete removal of the dash with aple opportunity to break other items in the process

Whoops ... I eventually successfully mended the orginal arm by splinting it with an aditioonal piece of plastic using Gorrilla Super Glue. I didn't dare change the temp setting. The following day I used J B Weld Kwickweld - quick setting Steel reinforced epoxy. I also left that 24 hours. My air con is the EEC type. I have faith in epoxy bcause my father worked for Rollys Royce aircraft division and he told me some aircraft wing components are actually bonded to each other with epoxy! So far the repair has lasted two years.