just bought a 2005 (05) xc70 advise please newbie

[jamesey]

hi ive just bought a 2005 xc70 it has a black engine cover so that tells me its a 163 bhp , the log book says 199 co2 emmisions.
ive got a few questions if anyone can help me , it only has 1 key , if i bought or got a 2nd had one how easy is it to programme up to work my car , also the power steering feels funny as thou the tyres are inflated far too much , like its a bit twitchy .
also its done 181k and in the history it had a dmf and clutch also timing belt kit on 107k , im sure it will be needing a timing belt soon and water pump kit , what am i likely to pay at a garage to fit me one , ive left a depostit on the car and pick it up next saturday , any help world be great , ,,,,,love these cars they look solid and plenty of room.

[SwissXC90]

New keys are easy: you get them from a Volvo dealer.
Due to the security systems in place, that's the only place you can get the key

[Tommyzoom85]

Your twitchy steering is likely to be the steering rack or the steering pump. Mine does the same. S60 d5 2005 185 132000m best thing to do first is check the colour and texture of the fluid. If its quite thick and dark, give the system a flush and replace with the green stuff which is commonly used with volvos. This may help a bit (wont do any harm and cheap to do yourself) ive read that it has cured a few people's problems with steering twitch. It didn't mine but it definitely needed the flush!

[jamesey]

Originally Posted by Tommyzoom85

Your twitchy steering is likely to be the steering rack or the steering pump. Mine does the same. S60 d5 2005 185 132000m best thing to do first is check the colour and texture of the fluid. If its quite thick and dark, give the system a flush and replace with the green stuff which is commonly used with volvos. This may help a bit (wont do any harm and cheap to do yourself) ive read that it has cured a few people's problems with steering twitch. It didn't mine but it definitely needed the flush!

thats ok its worth a try at least , think its mineral oil , my passat uses the green stuff that ive got until saturday, cant wait to pick the xc70 up now.

[jasmith44]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

New keys are easy: you get them from a Volvo dealer.
Due to the security systems in place, that's the only place you can get the key

About £200

[Bonefishblues]

Unless there is a problem with the water pump the general advice is to leave alone.

[jamesey]

Originally Posted by Bonefishblues

Unless there is a problem with the water pump the general advice is to leave alone.

the man i bought this off said just that , full gates kits are around £90 how long usually do the belt and pulleys take , look quite accesible , ill leave the water pump alone.

[Thassos]

Keys are usually £230 to £250 each, and the volvo dealer will need the car to program a new key to it..

Vague steering is usually the lower wishbone bushes, if it feels like theres a dead zone in the centre where small steering wheel movements produce no effect, youll often feel it on surfaces like raised road markings, where the car wanders

[Thassos]

Heres a pic of a new bush,, the rubber centre of the bush gets a twisting movement as the lower suspension arm moves, and volvo made some improvements to the bushes in later years (have a look at yours if you can see thru it with big gaps each sides its probably knackered !) im assuming the xc70 has a similar suspension to S60/V70 but ignore this if that's not the case!

[jamesey]

Originally Posted by Thassos

Keys are usually £230 to £250 each, and the volvo dealer will need the car to program a new key to it..

Vague steering is usually the lower wishbone bushes, if it feels like theres a dead zone in the centre where small steering wheel movements produce no effect, youll often feel it on surfaces like raised road markings, where the car wanders

i was thinking of getting a service key cut to save some money as theres nothing wrong with my remote key bet there still 100 plus
also picked the car up today and drove it the 40 miles home , the steering feels a bit funny , do you know when you drive your car and turn out of a junction with the wheels turned , the steering wheel moves itself back to central as it should , mine doesnt , if i turn mine full lock and drive off it stays on full lock , does this make sence , it could be the big genaral grabber xc70 winter tyres it has fitted , might send it in for a tracking session this would tell me.