[briancpearce]

I've had a 2005 S40 T5 M66 for the last seven years and a few months ago I traded it in for a 2004 Mercedes E320 wagon. After driving it for a few months, my wife and I realized this thing will be expensive to maintain and that we really are Volvo people. I've got a line on a 2005 V70 with 2.5T engine that has 94,000 miles on it. I'm looking at the car tomorrow and while I'm very familiar with the S40 and what to look for when buying one of those, what should I be checking in this? I don't know what the automatic transmission is supposed to feel like and I'm used to the feel of a T5. Any suggestions? Also, how do I tell which audio system it has. I read enough in this part of the forum to be able to determine three head units were made, but not how to tell them apart. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[JRL]

Two (2) HUs not three and it probably has the base 650
I don't know where you found three
650 and 850 says right on the radio, plus the 850 has Dolby 3 channel buttons.Quite easy to tell

 

[briancpearce]

In the sticky section on model info, it mentions 3 head units on the second post down. Maybe they only made two HU's for the 2005 model year, but that wasn't clear from the post. The post mentions the 650, 830, and 850 head units.

 

[ss60]

I've had a 2005 S40 T5 M66 for the last seven years and a few months ago I traded it in for a 2004 Mercedes E320 wagon. After driving it for a few months, my wife and I realized this thing will be expensive to maintain and that we really are Volvo people. I've got a line on a 2005 V70 with 2.5T engine that has 94,000 miles on it. I'm looking at the car tomorrow and while I'm very familiar with the S40 and what to look for when buying one of those, what should I be checking in this? I don't know what the automatic transmission is supposed to feel like and I'm used to the feel of a T5. Any suggestions? Also, how do I tell which audio system it has. I read enough in this part of the forum to be able to determine three head units were made, but not how to tell them apart. Any advice is appreciated.

They are pretty solid. The only biggie (labor-wise) is that the PCV system clogs up eventually, and the parts need to be replaced. This can largely be avoided by doubling up the 'recommended' oil change interval.

Besides that, nothing much other than rubber wear parts - control arm bushings, strut mounts (at top), spring seats, brakes/pads, upper engine mount, lower (trans) mount.

The trans should not 'feel' like anything, it should just drive smoothly without shift flares or clunks.

the rear wheel bearings are another common replacement item, but are fairly easy to do.

 

[JRL]

In the sticky section on model info, it mentions 3 head units on the second post down. Maybe they only made two HU's for the 2005 model year, but that wasn't clear from the post. The post mentions the 650, 830, and 850 head units.

You mean this?

Head Units:
HU-613 1 cd 1 tape with hidden equalizer
HU-803 Pro-logic 4 cd with hidden equalizer menue
HU-805 Pro-logic 6 cd with no (known) hidden equalizer

Someone meant to write 850
Also base radio on 05-07s is a 650 which was left out
Just like menu has no E:facepalm:
Take all this with a grain of salt

01-04 had a 613 base and an 803 Dolby Pro Logic 1
05-07 s have the 650 base or an 850 Dolby Pro Logic 2

 

[briancpearce]

Took a look at the car today and it was a pile. Hadn't been maintained at all and I thought the engine would fall right out of it. Time to keep looking as we've pretty much decided it is a V70 that we want.

 

[almostarctic]

Look up Howard's Volvo site. It has lots of good info on the P2 Volvo v70s . Like MVS is to the 1st gen Volvos.

 

[JRL]

Howard???????

 

[almostarctic]

Www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/