Engine: T5: Going to check out a 2005 V70 2.0T AUT. What to look for?

[Harry Ireland]

Hi Gents,

The name is Harry. Pleased to meet you.

I have had my eye on a 2005 V70 2.0t AUT estate for a while now and I'm planning on viewing it soon.
It has around 220.000km's on it and it appears accident-free.

Other than driving automatics for the past 15 years, I'm not a mechanic.
I have never owned a Volvo before, could you help me with things to check out before deciding on the purchase?
Pricewise, for the ROI, what would be a fair price for a 2005 V70?

I'd appreciate some tips, thanks very much!

[Dippydog]

Hello and welcome to the forum.For starters you want a decent length test drive to get things up to temperature and check that the gearbox operates smoothly when changing up/down and also in reverse.Watch for smoke[blue or black] from the exhaust both from a cold start up and under acceleration.Check under bonnet for signs of leaks.Make sure all electrical "goodies" fitted work as they should[unless it's stated that they don't work]I don't know how the ROI is for the M.o.T. test but if you have such a thing[or its equivalent]can you check the history of previous tests?

[oragex]

As above, feel for the warmed up transmission for noticeable hiccups/kicks. Too much, walk away

Mind you these cars all look amazingly clean - don't let yourself fooled by the apparent condition

Look under the oil cap for thick deposits (poor oil changes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBWmjtjbrU

Look at the timing belt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zbkJYkLxCA

Test the PCV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RmtGPqSVEw

These are the most important imo

You may also want to look at the wishbones, and use only quality parts for repairs (Bosch, Lemforder, Sachs, Continental)

[barrybritcher]

check the auto gearbox dipstick if you can - should be cherry red and not smell burned.

If it is light brown that's ok just means you'll have to do a flush - any other colour I would get the price down a fair chunk (it's usually fine after flush regardless in my experience)

make sure you get it warmed up and drive it full throttle above 4000rpm, if it's going to die on the test drive it's more likely to die at the higher rpm. If you drive it like a grandad on the test drive and not fully exploited it you dont want it to blow up after you've parted with the cash. (I had STOP ENGINE / LOW OIL PRESSURE error on test drive after doing this and walked away)

Check handbrake operation - not expensive but can be fiddly to fix.
Check how badly rustly the rear calipers are, I think the 2005 on are ally fronts so dont rust

[Harry Ireland]

Thanks very much, gentlemen.

These are some grand tips, I really appreciate it.
I always liked Volvos and this will be my first one. I get very attached to my vehicles and I intend on keeping it for several years. Sadly, the budget doesn't allow for a younger Volvo, I saw an awesome 2007 XC70 the other day.

Regarding the 2005 V70, it is the facelift model.
I'll make sure to get it above 4000 rpm (after asking permission of course) and will test the automatic transmission during that run.
Will check for signs of headgasket troubles, as well as PCV, transfluid, smoke issues, leakages and such.
Even though it's not going to be a high value purchase, I would still like to avoid breaking the bank on major repairs. At least for the first year.

NCT for petrol vehicles is annually and the past certs reveal failures and repairs.

I'm also looking at a 2003 2.4d AWD XC90, however a 2.4 diesel has an roadtax which is unreasonably high in Ireland. (€1100 p/a)
This particular XC90 has about 170k miles, which is not too bad, but the trouble is an oil leak, which might be a plug but could also be a rear main seal.
Awesome looking car, but there are some repairs to keep in mind.
I would prefer an AWD. Any thoughts on the XC90?

I will of course share the outcome, the viewing still has to happen.

Thanks very much, y'all!

Harry

[mentepazza]

Have you had a look at the v70xc 1996-1999? It’s an awesome car.

[oragex]

That xc90 is a much riskier purchase being high miles and first year production of a new model. The xc90 is quite a different car in terms of complexity and repair costs. It if has not been repaired yet, the awd is surely no longer functional.

[stellamon]

I would also consider a 2.4 T5, virtually the same running costs but more power

[Harry Ireland]

Originally Posted by mentepazza

Have you had a look at the v70xc 1996-1999? It’s an awesome car.

Sadly, there are none for sale in Ireland at the moment. But there are awesome!

[Harry Ireland]

Originally Posted by oragex

That xc90 is a much riskier purchase being high miles and first year production of a new model. The xc90 is quite a different car in terms of complexity and repair costs. It if has not been repaired yet, the awd is surely no longer functional.

I was thinking along those lines myself, especially it being a 2003.
Since I have a really tight budget, I'd probably be better off skipping this one. Thank you!