High mileage tow cars
 

Hi all,

Just interested to know if anyone has a high mileage car they still use for towing? My 1999 V70 tdi is on 196k miles now and although it doesn't miss a beat around town I'm worried it may be past it for towing. Last time we went away with our caravan was summer 2016, it was ok with the caravan on the back but it blew a turbo hose around 60 miles from home. It did still get us home with reduced power and lots of black smoke though! It was probably on 180k then.

We would like to go up to Yorkshire in the summer which is 249 miles each way. Doesn't sound a lot on its own but I'm worried that might be too much for it towing the caravan. I'm not sure whether to call it a day and try to get something newer (£4k-£5k budget). If I did get something newer my C70 would become a weekend car and I would use the V70 for work while the Mrs had the newer car.

It's got an additional gearbox oil cooler fitted but standard apart from that. I've spent quite a bit on it over the last few years. Had new cam belt and water pump etc last October, reconditioned steering rack probably 3 years ago, both front wheel bearings replaced, brakes all round and other basics.

So what are your thoughts on using it and what mileage cars have you towed with? Is it worth me doing an overhaul on hoses/pipes/suspension/gearbox oil change etc to keep it going?

Thanks,

Mike

we got quite a few customers with excess of 200k used for towing, one has an xc90 with 250k and tow's to France quite frequently and that's a euro 3 one so got a few years on it too!

That's interesting, may be life in the old girl yet then!

I think all our tow cars have well over 200,000 miles on them

Maybe I am worrying over nothing then

Just be prepared for any possible breakdowns with some decent cover, not saying it will/wont happen but even on a new car i will always recommend a safety net !

Yes, I've got full cover. Did have to use it last year when the water pump went and it dumped it's coolant all over the road but that's the only time it's ever needed to be recovered. One of those things you have to have though, we were down on the coast and I don't know how I would have got it home without breakdown cover.

Turbo pipe at the back of the engine on the P2 did have problems as they tended to go soft due to heat from exhaust over time. They sucks in on it's self cutting air as the turbo want's too suck more air as you use more power and you get a message on dash saying "engine maintenance required" and car goes into limp mode. If you replaced that last year you should be fine just give it a good service before you go

Thanks. It wasn't that pipe that went, it was the top intercooler one that burst, but I have heard about that pipe collapsing in on itself. I did wonder about replacing it anyway just to be sure. It felt ok when I checked it but I think it was about £80 from Volvo when I enquired so might be a good preventative measure. Mines classed as a P1 (I think?), but I believe it is a weak point on both.

Is that the only weak point in your opinion?

Not sure on P1 as not got any experience with one. But only problems that seem common on the P2 were the Auto box's been a weak point. If manual the DMF at can give up on a Volvo as they do on most cars with high mileage but at the end of the day the DMF is a serviceable part like the clutch . But if any car can cope with high mileage it's a Volvo but one day even they let go eventually. So enjoy it till it does because like my old P2 did not owe me a penny when I swapped it at 176k and I loved every minute behind the wheel.