Volvo S80 MkI buying advice *bought it!*

[Lukas]

Hello to all of you!

 

Today I looked at a 2000 Volvo S80 2.4 140hp with automatic transmission, povo-spec in lightblue, owned by an old lady who bought it in 2001. Sounds like the ideal shiters car.

 

It drove very nice, serviced religiously by a Volvo-mechanic. It has 208.000km on the clock, which might be ~ 130.000 miles. It has no rust, a lot of dents and parking-dings, but that does not bother me as I have to park it outside too. I checked it underneath, it looked very good for a 13 year old car. No rust, first exhaust which is still good, first brake-lines which are very nice too, the austrian MOT-equivalent is new too, so it´s in very good condition technically.

 

Are there any known faults with this car? What should I look out for?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Lukas

 

P.S.: That´s the one:

 

[Spiny Norman]

Have a look on the Volvo forum for info on the electronic throttle module (ETM) as fitted to Volvo petrol cars from 98 to 02.

They're Volvo's "K series OMGHGF" and WILL fail, costing a minimum of £4-500 to sort. There's a new improved version that hopefully will have already been fitted, the new one has a yellow sticker on it whereas the original has a white one.

 

Otherwise check the usual big car stuff, they OMNOMNOM things like suspension and steering components, the steering lock is hopeless so stay out of multi storey car parks and gutless engine will have been thrashed mercilessly to make it move. The 170bhp version I had in a C70 felt like one of the slowest things I've ever driven.

 

They're lovely comfy old barges though, if it sounds like I've got a bit of a downer on them. A good one for a few hundred quid would be quite an agreeable way to waft about the place, albeit slowly.

[R9UKE]

Auto boxes suffer if maintainence is neglected, as I found out with my 1999 2.9 SE!

[skattrd]

I don't know about the petrol engine ones, mines the Audi 5-pot dizzler.

They eat suspension bushes and droplinks, but these are relatively cheap and easy to replace. I changed the fluid in my autobox and it changes quite smoothly, it was ok before, but better after the change. ABS ecu's can be temperamental, but re-soldered ones are available on ebay. ABS sensors and rings are also be prone to failure, I replaced my front ABS sensors and rings shortly after purchase. Tyres wear quite quickly all round, I'll be happy if I get over 20k miles out of my current set.

As said, they're not the easiest things to park, they're quite large with a crap turning circle.

 

That said, I regularly do 300+ miles a day in mine and couldn't think of anything I'd rather do it in.

[Lukas]

Thanks a lot for the advice!

 

The ETM has been changed before, the mechanic told me it cost around 900€ to replace it. At the moment, everything is fine, the engine runs smoothly and at a steady 700rpm. I did not test the function of the ABS, but it has to work for our MOT so it should be fine. The main drawback for me is the povo-spec without anything and the ugly colour. It was slow, yes. The kick-down did make it louder, not moving faster. But it has a nice engine-note.

 

I may get this thing as a daily driver for at least a few month. Let´s see, I said I´ll phone him tomorrow and tell him if I buy it or not.

 

Thank you all!

 

Lukas

[Spiny Norman]

How povo-spec is it? Pretty sure even the most basic ones we got here had all the essentials like aircon, front leccy windows/mirrors/heated seats etc.

If it all checks out OK it should still be a decent old barge, so long as the price is right.

[Lukas]

It´s got velour-seats, automatic transmission, aircondition, 4 electric windows, electric and heated mirrors and a radio with a tape-deck. Sadly no multi-info-display, no front-foglights, no leather-steering-wheel, no alloy wheels, no park-distance-control, no fake-wood, nothing more.

 

Regarding the price: I will not tell you how much it is because you would not believe me. In the UK, you could get them for a few hundred pounds, here you have to pay a few thousand €.

[RichL]

As I remember the early 6 cylinder models (2.9/T6) were fitted with GM autoboxes. All 5 pots used the Aisin Warner 5 speed auto/ geartronic and should be fine.

[Spiny Norman]

It´s got velour-seats, automatic transmission, aircondition, 4 electric windows, electric and heated mirrors and a radio with a tape-deck. Sadly no multi-info-display, no front-foglights, no leather-steering-wheel, no alloy wheels, no park-distance-control, no fake-wood, nothing more.

 

Sounds good!

I prefer velour to leather, the multi display thing is prone to lying about stuff and pixels die like forgotten donkeys, the leather steering wheels get very sticky with age when the top layer of lacquer comes off them, alloys can go porous, you can probably park OK and wood belongs on trees.

[rml2345]

If its anything like the wood I nabbed out of a lateish 940 then no trees will have been harmed during its manufacture

[Lukas]

Be there (again), bought that!

 

Next monday I will collect it. I´m quite happy, should be a cheap and very comfortable barge to cruise around in.