So, the car...

[collwen]

I took it to the garage last week to get a once over before taking it across the state.

The list of what they found:
Right lower ball joint is bad
Left Front and Right Rear tires are bad
Front Pads Low
Water Pump Leaking
Radiator leaking on the bottom
Exhaust Manifold cracked
Leaking oil from multiple areas
Head Gasket bad- causing over pressurizing of system and leading to other issues (like the leaking oil & coolant issues)

Metal in the overflow jug- probably from the water pump (which looks like it was replaced recently, and poorly).

Now some of this I can understand coming from regular wear and tear (like the tires and the brakes, and even the ball joint). But it takes work/active neglect for a Volvo to get this bad!

Initial estimate for repairs, providing nothing else goes wrong- $3000 (and it's not the garage trying to screw me over- they don't even do a number of the things on the list, like the head gasket).

I've sent a message to the previous owner to see if we can make some sort of arrangement. Not sure what though.

Needless to say, it's not leaving the Capital District until I sort out what's going on.

Comments

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

Right lower ball joint is bad

Not surprising, but not difficult for a shop to fix.

Radiator leaking on the bottom

Get an all-metal (brass) replacement. It will never leak again.

Leaking oil from multiple areas

Clean and/or replace the flame trap in the PCV system. If the shop has no idea what you're talking about, find a Volvo specialist shop. They all do this, and it's usually NOT the normal oil seals that are the problem. Or bring the car by my place, and I'll clean the flame trap.

Head Gasket bad- causing over pressurizing of system and leading to other issues (like the leaking oil & coolant issues)

I will bet MONEY that the head gasket is fine. If there is coolant leaking out around the water pump, that is because the water pump was not installed properly. When you do a Volvo water pump, you MUST seal it properly to the head, and lever it upwards with a pry bar when you install it and tighten down the bolts.

If the exhaust manifold isn't actively leaking exhaust, it should be fine. If it is, a junkyard part should not be hard at all to source. I may be able to contact the local Volvo club to see if there's a better/cheaper Volvo mechanic in the area.

Volvos are not hard to work on, but you have to know what you're doing when you are working on them. Things that look like big problems are usually not. If I can find my compression tester, we can do a compression test on the engine as well, to verify that the head gasket really is okay.

[collwen.livejournal.com]

Where are you living these days?

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

Still on South Lake Ave in Troy. Haven't moved in over a decade. :-)

Volvo parts?

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

I was poking around in my storage garage last night, and I found some bits and pieces that you might be able to use.

I have, in a box:

1. Oil filter
2. Tune-up parts (plugs, wires, cap, rotor)
3. Timing belt
4. Magnetic oil drain plug/washer

I thought I might have a spare water pump, but the only one I found is for an older Volvo. :-(

Yours if you want them, they're just taking up space for me...

[featheredfrog.livejournal.com]

If they advertised it using anything like "good running condition" you're in luck and have recourse. If "as is", not so good.