I just bought my 2003 XC70 on Saturday from a public auto auction. 156,000. I think I got a decent deal at $5,495- despite these issues...
Day 1 – check engine light – I checked the code, and it was vacuum related. I found a disconnected sensor under the hood (behind the driver-side headlight on a vacuum hose) I hooked that up, cleared the code and no CEL for ~150miles
Day 3 – rattle from front end – Researched online and determined this was probably the sway bar links, so I ordered some on ebay (BUT! I was wrong – read on!)
Day 4 – Brakes star grinding, or so I think – looking through wheel spokes, rotors look brand new – plenty of width on the pads.. So, I jack up the car for the first time. I reach in to check the sway links, and they feel really solid … hmmmm.. I do find something loose though – front passenger brake caliper!!!
The lower ?? slide bolt ?? was not screwed in at all on that side. After pulling the wheel, I could rotate the caliper on the upper slide bolt… yikes! I pulled both bolts out and they looked the same. I put them back in ALL THE WAY, and the caliper felt secure.
I GUESS THIS IS MY QUESTION: I can rock the caliper a little bit – just enough to notice – if I grasp it. Do I just need to bleed the brakes?
I put the wheel back on and no more rattle – excellent! What’s even more excellent is that the caliper didn’t come off on the highway and lock up my wheel at 80mph!
I swear I still hear a little grind as I come to a stop, but I'm listening very carefully after the above mentioned.
So obviously the last mechanic or owner that worked on the car screwed up big-time. (I forgot to put a nut on a ball-joint once, so I won't rag on them too much) Is it just me, or are these slide bolts pathetic?; there are 4 or 5 rows of threads, and they’re pretty course. Any other brakes I’ve worked on have 10 or more threads and they’re usually pretty tight. The bolt-and-slide-in-one design seems the most secure.
But aside from it possibly nearly killing me on the highway there, I really like the car. Very comfortable seats. I would have died comfortably.
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