If you want plenty of space and the reassuring feeling that comes from knowing you could drive into a building and walk away unscathed, what you need is a Volvo. A tough as granite, Volvos represent the cutting edge of safety. But they’re more than that.
A Volvo, the right Volvo, can be a wonderfully quiet, comfortable and luxurious place in which to munch the miles. Few models in the Volvo range do all that better than the platform-sharing second-generation V70 and first-generation S80.
Big, wafty, supremely comfortable and with the right engine, fast, the V70 and S80 represented Swedish motoring at its finest. The models have moved on a bit now.
In fact, the S80 has been discontinued as has the V70. That’s no bad thing though. It means they’re now used bargains, and thanks to our insider tips, they’re bargains that you can maintain yourself.
01 Pollen filter
There are two places in the heater housing for the pollen filter. Standard filters slide up into the narrower of the two slots in the housing, whilst multi-filters (vehicles with an air quality sensor) slide up into the wider of the slots. Don’t mix and match though – use the right filters for your car!
02 Timing belt tensioner
If you’re changing the timing belt on petrol models manufactured prior to 2006, or any diesel model, the belt tensioner setting is dependent on ambient temperature. A strange quirk, but one you should be aware of. Check our guide for more information.
03 Thermostat
Unusually, some models were fitted with a horizontally-mounted thermostat. If you find you need to change this, you need to make sure that the bleed valve is at the top when re-fitting, otherwise you’ll get trapped air.
04 Dash bulbs
If you’re looking at a pre-2004 model and notice lights are out on the heater control panel, don’t worry. You can change the bulbs individually. However, if it’s a later car, the illumination is fibreoptic, which can’t be fixed.
05 Alternator drive pulley
On diesel models, the alternator drive pulley is fitted with a one-way clutch to reduced wear and stress on the auxiliary drivebelt. You’re going to need a special tool for this. It’s Volvo part number 999 5760. This holds the alternator shaft whilst unscrewing the pulley.
06 Rear bulbs
This one was slightly frustrating for us to find out! Turns out that if you want to replace a bulb in the upper rear light clusters, you need to remove the rear pillar speaker.
However, it’s not obvious as to how. There’s a little red locking tab that had to be prised out first. If you don’t do this, and force the speaker out, you’ll break it. Trust us!
For more information on how to service and repair your Volvo V70 and S80, our best-selling manual for V70 and S80 petrol and diesel engines and has all the information you need!