Need advice if should fix or sell my 2004 XC 70?? Or Is it time to let it go?

[Oiler Country]

Hi I have a 2004 Volvo XC and I took it in to my local Volvo dealer and basically here is what they said my Volvo of 14 years needs.

1.Bevel gear leaking badly requires new seal. Approx $800

2.Oil Trap/PCV Banjo Bolt , all intake joints leaking oil, requires oil trap with plumbing and PCV Banjo Bolt. $700

3. Timing Belt and Cam seals., oil on inside of cam sprockets indicating cam seal leakage $700

4. Rear Shocks and springs. Both shocks leaking badly and right rear spring broken. $ 850

5. Car also needs fluid changes and other odds and ends $ 750


Total $3800 this does not include tax or other shop supplies of course, these prices are discounted as I have a friend working there would be a lot higher if not.


Now the good news car has new brakes front and back, front suspension good and rest of car in top shape, body perfect car has approx 202,000 miles or 325,000 km.

Has its time came to sell it? Or should I just do rear shocks and springs? Should I just leave Oil and keep checking (only down 1/2 litre every 3 months). oil does leak when parked sometimes,

I am worried if get all those oil leaks fixed Turbo may fail next and car would be worthless.


Currently car seems to drive well, handles well rattles a little bit but seems solid if I was to sell it in our local market i think it would be worth about $2500. Should I put this money into it or drive it till it completely fails?


Has anyone ever had a broken rear spring? Is this a safety hazard ? Am I on borrowed time with this car?


Any thoughts, opinions or suggestions greatly appreciated as mechanic waiting for my decision.

Thank You

Oiler Country

[Xfingers]

Lots of things to consider here:

First, is the car your Daily Driver? If you decide to sell, do you have another vehicle to drive? What are your funds like? If instead of spending $3800 to fix, you put that towards a used car I'm not sure what that will get you. Apparently, the used car market has become very pricey these days due to high demand. If you sell for $2500, now you would potentially have $6300 (3800+2500) to spend on a vehicle.

It looks like the big repair your car needs is a PCV replacement because your system is plugged. The built-up pressure in your engine case has pushed out your cam seals and fouled your timing belt so those need to be replaced along with your PCV. The combined quote for these jobs is $1400 (2. and 3. in your post). At 200k miles, both the PCV and TB (with pulley and tensioner) likely need to be replaced anyways as standard maintenance.

At 200k miles, replacing the rear shocks and broken spring can also be considered routine maintenance.

The angle gear is a different question. They are known to "weep" a little, especially if they're overfilled. But if your gear is leaking and not holding fluid, now you've got a bigger problem. Your angle gear can run dry, you'll lose AWD and replacement can be a few thousand $$. Other members have more experience with this than me.


If you have the time, ability and patience to work on these cars, this is how a lot of us keep them on the road without having to take out a second mortgage. From what you've reported, a lot of the work is just regular maintenance at the 200,000 mile marker. Rear suspension, PCV and timing belt are certainly overdue if they're still original (TB gets replaced every 100k miles). If you're turning wrenches yourself, parts should run you under $1000 total for the 3 jobs. But they are involved repairs which require time, effort and know-how (especially TB and PCV).

The angle gear is a different question. Removing and re-sealing could be a bear. I've seen a tutorial but never tried it myself. If it was me, I'd be checking the fluid level periodically to monitor the leak and make sure it doesn't run dry. This would involve jacking up the car, crawling underneath, removing the plastic shield, and unscrewing the fill bolt on the angle gear. A bit of a PIA (and potentially dangerous) if you're not used to working on your car.

As you noted, paying to have these problems fixed is no guarantee something else might soon need attention. But this is the case with any older used car. I think to make an informed decision, you have to have a plan for what you would do if you decide sell this car (not mentioned in your post). If you've got the bucks to buy a new 2022 model, go for it!

[Oiler Country]

Thank you for quick information so far, yes it is my son's daily driver to school and back and work all short commutes no longer trips on car. Will try to keep within city limits.

As for work being done this is exactly what VOLVO dealership said so I didn't state anything above correctly

1.BEVEL GEAR RESEAL
INVESTIGATE FOR OIL LEAK. FOUND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN CAR. BEVEL GEAR LEAKING BADLY... REQUIRES RESEAL (5.6HRS INCLUDING CLEANING).
Parts: $234.24
Labour: $560.00
Other: $0.00
Total: $794.24 (Taxes not included)

2.OIL TRAP/PCV BANJO BOLT
ALL INTAKE JOINTS LEAKING OIL FAULT TRACED. HOOK UP MANOMETER AND CHECKED CRANKCASE PRESSURE (POS .2 kPa... SHOULD BE IN THE NEGATIVE). REQUIRES OIL TRAP WITH PLUMBING AND PCV BANJO BOLT (3.9HRS).
Parts: $320.59
Labour: $390.00
Other: $0.00
Total: $710.59 (Taxes not included)


3. TIMING BELT AND CAM SEALS
ALSO FOUND LEAKAGE FROM BEHIND TIMING COVER. REMOVED UPPER TIMING COVER AND FOUND LEAK AT TOP OF ENGINE... OIL ON INSIDE OF CAM SPROCKETS INDICATING CAM SEAL LEAKAGE (4.7 HRS INCLUDING WASHING OUT BEHIND TIMING COVER). TIMING BELT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CONTAMINATION LABOR INCLUDED IN SEAL REPLACEMENT). DUE TO LEAK AT TOP OF ENGINE, UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF FRONT CRANKSHAFT/OIL PUMP SEALS LEAKING.. RECOMMEND REPLACING WHILE TIMING BELT OUT (ADDITIONAL .7HRS WITH TIMING BELT OUT). QUOTING TIMING BELT AND CAM SEALS TOGETHER (5.4)
Parts: $129.34
Labour: $540.00
Other: $0.00
Total: $669.34 (Taxes not included)

4. REAR SHOCKS AND RIGHT REAR SPRING
BOTH REAR SHOCKS LEAKING BADLY AND R/R SPRING IS BROKEN (REPLACED IN PAIRS)(2.2HRS).
Parts: $608.78
Labour: $220.00
Other: $0.00
Total: $828.78 (Taxes not included)


So as you mentioned some of this is considered routine maintenance. I think I will take your advice and sell car and put repair monies to another used car. As after some research most people recommend if your putting more into than what car is worth time to sell. In my case I would be putting twice the value to repair it than what the car is worth.



What I am wondering now is


1. With the broken rear spring and leaking shocks is the car safe to drive until i could find a new car?


2. With the bevel gear leaking is this something that the car will fail right away, or do I have some time?


3.I assume with timing belt, it depends on how much oil is on that belt, whether it will fail or not?


Lastly, do you think there is a market for a 2004 volvo xc70 needing these repairs, if so how much should I list it for? Body is excellent, interior perfect brakes new. Two sets of rims and brand new winter tires, etc.. I know I had mentioned $2500 but this is just a guess as there are no Volvo XC70's for sale for comparables.


Any advice greatly appreciated,


Oiler Country

[Xfingers]

Oiler Country, please remember this is just one person's opinion. Hopefully other members will weigh in. There are other forums where you can also ask your question which might be a little more active (Swedespeed). I'd say shop around in the used car market first and see what you find. I haven't looked lately but all the news seems to be that prices are going up. If it looks like there are some quality cars at a price you're willing to pay, then you can move on to something else. But just remember, some of these cars may need repair work just like the XC70 you're thinking of selling. You may not find out until after you buy the car.

Personally, I think there will definitely be a market for your 04XC70. There's still a healthy demand for these cars by "enthusiasts", people who like these volvos and know how to work on them. For $2500 + $1000 in parts, $3500 total, I think someone will be happy to do the required repairs, especially if the body and interior are in good condition. Heck, if I needed a car I'd probably take on the project.

As for your questions, with the condition of the rear suspension I would drive very gingerly. Without knowing how much fluid is left in the bevel gear, it could go/seize at any time. If it was me, I'd want to check the level and top it off before continuing to drive. Oil will degrade the rubber on the timing belt, weakening it until the belt snaps at which point you'll be stranded, the engine will be toast, you'll need a tow and no one will want to buy the car. IMHO, this is the biggest risk in driving the car. Just driving local at lower speeds would minimize the danger to your son and others but I would say the car in the condition you describe it is unsafe. Your mechanic would probably be in the best position to answer your questions about safety.

[br0dy]

On the PCV issue, drive with the dipstick out for now to alleviate the pressure. Maybe put a shop towel over the dipstick hole with an elastic band so it doesn't make too much of a mess. Monitor fluid levels. It's a bear of a job but mine ended up costing about a total of $200 with all aftermarket parts. Need about 5 hours of your time during the summer.

For the bevel gear- forget AWD, just remove the prop shaft and use the car as a FWD. I haven't done this myself but plan to once my angle gear actually poses a problem.

Timing belt- get it done.. this is a item that you can't really skip or do any sort of ghetto fix for. Do the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. Sourcing OEM parts that aren't in volvo boxes and using an indy mechanic will drive the cost down on this service.

Suspension- did you look and you actually have a broken spring? that would be pretty neat. I'd probably just get a quick strut from rockauto, or buy one from a junkyard (car-part.com) and replace it. Not too bad of a job in the summertime.

All above advice please take with a grain of salt as they are from a VERY cheap owner who has performed many ghetto hacks on his own car in order to keep it running.. Do some poking around the forums and you'll almost always find a cheap solution.

There is an active user on matt's volvo forum named Blacklab who's based out of Calgary. Perhaps he knows a reputable indy near you in Edmonton that can help. It's worth a shot. I'm sure you could put $1000 or under into it and sleep ok at night. Not sure about your financial situation, but right now there's no way in hell I'm buying a new (or used!) vehicle with the current market. Both of my P2s are gonna be driven into the ground if the current supply chain trend continues. I don't care if that means the whole damn thing is held together with zip ties and duct tape.

@JRL and Astro, looking forward to hearing your opinions on the above

[Astro14]

Well... your car is suffering from neglected maintenance. I've heard it said once, that it's the cheap man who ends up spending the most... deferring maintenance causes a small problem to affect other systems and costing far more money.

Moving on.

Angle gear (bevel gear, whatever) is known for leaks, and Volvo published a TNN on how to re-seal it. Parts cost under $200, though I recommend replacing the collar, so, closer to $300. Fix it and keep the AWD. Otherwise, what you've done is create a big, slow, softly sprung version of every V70 out there and killed the car's value. Hardly an improvement. Sure, you saved the cost of an angle gear repair, and cost yourself more.

https://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showt...d-modification

Fix the PCV system. $300 in parts, a DIY job. Neglect this and you blow cam seals, oh, wait, that's happened...maybe.

Have the timing belt done, or, again, DIY. Under $200 in parts. Neglecting this leads to a totaled engine. Not good. Do your cam seals really need replacing? Or is your failed PCV system pushing oil past them? You should be able to physically see if the seal is in place, or pushed out. You won't know until you're in there. I've had a Volvo dealer tell me that the cam seals needed replacing. They didn't. I checked. That was 80,000 miles ago. Cam seals are still good.

Springs can break. Lesjofors makes new ones. Not expensive but a pain to install the rears. Leave that to a mechanic. Fronts are easy, but rears are hard.

Look, don't worry about your turbo going and making the car worthless. To be very direct: your car is worthless right now. I wouldn't give you $100 for it.

If you want to keep it, fix absolutely everything you just listed. Go price a new car, or even used, in today's market. You may decide that fixing this one is the cheapest option. But please, start taking better care of this one. Ignoring problems has created other, expensive problems.

[albertj]

This one's easy. Other than the above, you say your car's in god shape. IMHO in this market you're not going to get a car in as good shape as yours (once repaired) for $4,000.

You can get these things properly repaired, however, for a more reasonable price by negotiating with an independent shop. Only because their hourly labor rate will be less. Their reckoning of the time to do the jobs may or may not differ.

Consider finding any other Volvo owner who uses an independent shop within say 50 miles of you for their repairs. Really, just ask around. But find a Volvo specialist - they will have accumulated over time the special tools that take cost, time, and uncertainty out of the repair processes. Anyway - ask that Volvo owner if they recommend that shop. Assuming they do, then go to that shop with your list of repairs and tell them you were recommended by that Volvo owner and want to schedule a service appointment to cover the entire scope of work listed by the dealer. I have a hunch they will recommend Sandy Lane or AIRS (Auto Imports Repair & Service).

Some perspective.

The broken spring is likely because once the shock(s) wore out the spring(s) had to work too hard. The excess spring flexing causes them to "work harden" and the wire gets brittle then snaps. Usually you lose a little bit off one end of the spring, enough to throw off camber and cause other problems.

As for the turbo, it's rather the case that if you *don't* fix the problems you're in trouble with the turbo. If you fix them properly, the turbo will likely keep turbo-ing. They are durable if maintained. They don't like conventional motor oils.

As for the PCV, lots of short-trips tends to plug them up, especially if using conventional motor oil.

Finally, while you are at the work on the timing belt, might be a good time to replace the VVT gear. They use oil pressure, and when bad it looks for all the world like a leaking cam seal. But it is not. And you're at about the mileage where the gear would be a thing.

[vtl]

Blown cam seal is about 1 quart of oil leaking out every minute. What your mechanic probably saw could be in fact a worn O-ring inside VVT hub: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vol...arket-9497786s Cheap part, but not cheap to replace, since the hubs have to come off, which means seal replacement make sense now just because you got down there. Also the exhaust hub is likely worn, it is sort of costly.

Rear suspension is an easy DIY job. Sachs shocks and Lesjofors or Kilen springs, everything is cheap.

Bevel gear may be easier and cheaper to buy used, in a good shape, from a low(ish) mileage S60 AWD, they made it till 2009. Resealing yours is also doable, just check the condition of the splines.

Anyways, your car is lacking some common repairs (called "maintenance" among old Volvo folks and it would need more repairs soon. I wasn't easy on my XC70, taking it fully loaded with gear to anywhere I wanted, but by 350 kkms I had to replace steering rack and pump, rebuild alternator, transmission, engine, replace starter, axles, propeller shaft, twice the suspension, bevel gear, fix Haldex a few times, and lot more things. Some of them were a throw away job, like rear main seal, because the engine broke a few thousands miles later.

It's not like you fix everything what your mechanic was able to find and it's a brand new car now.