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  #31  
Old 11-10-2007, 11:50 PM
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Location: N. California./ N. Nevada
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Some comprehensive opinions here, on volvo 240 vs. Mercedes Diesel

Click here. This same issue came up a little while ago.

Trade or Sell a Volvo 240 for a Benz?

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)
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  #32  
Old 11-11-2007, 01:57 AM
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Location: Tacoma, WA
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My parents drive Volvos...my dad the S70 GLT and mom in the 240DL "doggiewagen". The 240DL is the only station wagon we've found that will fit two large dog crates side by side. No newer Volvo or MB will do it.

The S70 is a nice, quick little car. Wish it was RWD for better handling, but it is better in snow and ice for the two times a year we get it in western WA. It feels smaller than the 300D (and probably is by a bit). The interior is pretty good, the leather is nice. The brakes are better than MB's. You really do need asbestos pants to continuously use the seat heaters in this car. Among other repairs, the ABS/TRACS box has died once and the ignition lock has failed once.

The '95 850 he had before that burned an exhaust valve at about 90k. I guess it did some damage to the head too because they replaced the whole head. While it was under warranty, the manual trans started to pop itself out of gear. Volvo replaced the tranny under warranty. He had that car until about 165k and traded it in for the S70 about five years ago. The weird thing about the 850 was it burned an unusually large amount of oil (at least for a new car) since it was new.

The 240 is a nice reliable car, but the interiors and accessories fall apart and die quickly. The plastic gets brittle and breaks, and things like the radio and climate control start acting quirky. For a while before we put in a new radio, it was only barely working on one speaker. The heat would also pretty much be an all or nothing affair; as soon as you barely moved the slider toward the hot setting, it would go full heat and turn the car into an oven. We found a replacement for her old one this summer with only 85k. I'm betting that's the last one we'll be having as all of them will be too old and busted by the time this one wears out.
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1990 300D 2.5 Turbo -155k
2000 E430 - 103k
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel 4x4 - 11k
2014 VW Passat TDI SE - 7k Bro's Diesel
2006 E320 CDI - 128k Pop's Benz


Pre-glow - A moment of silence in honor of Rudolph Diesel
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  #33  
Old 11-11-2007, 02:12 AM
Jim B.'s Avatar
Who's flying this thing ?
 
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Posts: 3,611
More good Volvo discussion by Mercedesshop forum posters here:

Car Choice: Old Honda vs. Old Volvo
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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)
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  #34  
Old 11-11-2007, 02:32 AM
Official Car Final Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Peoria, IL
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I had a 91' 240DL sedan before my 83' 300SD. The Volvo was a great car, expecially in the wreck that destroyed it. I t-boned some stupid stoned college kid at about 35mph, got out of the car and pushed it out of the intersection. If the SRS hadn't severed the ignition, I could have drove the poor thing home. However, the Benz turns many more heads when I drive through the south end (Peoria Ghetto).
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  #35  
Old 10-11-2008, 11:21 AM
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Cool abs module programming

Quote:
Originally Posted by davidmash View Post
We had a 1999 S70 T5.

Never again. O2 sensors, ABS/traction module, motor mounts all went out with less than 150 on the ODO. I know they are wear items but the module was 700 doars and it had to be programed for another 200. What kind of BS is that? The dye was wearing off the seat bottom showing black leather beneath the dye. The interior door skins were delaminating from their backing.

It did drive well. Great pick up, plush cruiser but too mushy in the corners. We traded it in for a 1995 300D and I have not looked back. I love that car.

that '99 abs module could not be programmed........it was plug and play until 2002 on volvo's your mechanic must have loved you!
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  #36  
Old 10-11-2008, 12:49 PM
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Volvo non turbo RWD gassers are great . Diesels no .
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  #37  
Old 10-11-2008, 01:56 PM
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Location: San Antonio, TX.
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Third generation Volvo 240 gassers are excellent , classy, industrial, simple and inexpensive to maintain, virtually bullet proof. Excellent in every way lacking the expense of repair and maintenance and complexity of the Mercedes.
I have 203K on a 3rd generation Volvo 240 gas car. Imagine, it took me 15 minutes with a crescent wrench and channel locks -- and $16.00 -- to replace an inner tie rod end.
The diesel 240 I would not touch - pitiful engine from a German auto maker that I don't care for - no way.
This is not say I don't love the MB diesels - I do , but some of the design complexity is absurd and parts costs have increased quickly and without fail.
Curious that a large number of Volvo parts are German and very economical.
I'll keep my MB diesels for the look, because they are diesels and beyond some of the stupid design errors , the engineering is better than just about any other car.
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1984 300D In Progress
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  #38  
Old 10-11-2008, 03:03 PM
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Volvo Comparisons

A friend has a 1991 Volvo 740 wagon gasser...Same engine and trans...343,000 miles and running strong...just normal repairs, U-joints and mounts & such....
There are good forums such as Brickboard on most of the systems with detailed repair articles similar to this great site here....tons of parts available at Pull-A-Parts for cheap....

The Volvo B230-F non-turbo gasser engine is known as a close long life rival for almost any automotive diesel if maintained....They run cool and slow with dependable,heavy, internal oiling...large bearing surfaces....much like a diesel Benz...

The older Volvo does not have the same appeal to me as my old oil-squeezer Benz.. But a very good, solid, reliable automobile...Very user friendly for DIY types...A little weak on AC here in Mississippi....But it came from Sweden....not many AC forums up there...
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  #39  
Old 10-11-2008, 04:34 PM
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The two volvo models I would want to own are a p1800 Wagon, or a 240 stick shift. Maybe one of the 80's turbo models too, or a Bertone. I think the 240, and their earlier stuff are great cars. After the 90's, not so much.




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  #40  
Old 10-12-2008, 01:58 AM
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I bought a used Volvo 244Gl with the D24 6cyl Diesel which as others have said is a VW made engine (Manual Trans with an Overdrive). If the mileage is to be believed it had around 148,000 miles showing on the Odometer.
At idle and the Engine cold it put out too much smoke for my taste. Apparently at 148,000 the cylinders/Pistons were worn out.

I had the block re-bored oversized and installed new VW Rabbit type Pistons (Made in Brazil), rebuilt the Injectors, new Water Pump, replaced the Clutch, Throw Out Bearing, 1 Axle Bearing and the Con Rod and Main Bearings.
I did not have a Valve Job don on the Cylinder head.
I have driven the car since 1992 with the only major problem being that the IP Drive Shaft Seal started leaking and the car sat a year until I fixed it.
Parts wise it has been an inexpensive car to take care of and is still my daily driver car.
The suspension is more conventional and simple than the Mercedes.
The exterior and interior finish is not as good as Mercedes as it has not held up as well when compared to my 84 300D.
It is a lighter weight car with Rack and Pinion steering which makes in a much handier car to drive.
The Volvo has no Turbo but the apparent Power seems only slightly less than the 300D (the engine size is similar).
I would gladly have bought another Volvo but with an Auto Trans if I could have found one out here in CA when I was looking to buy another car (I bought the 300D ). At the time all of the Volvo diesels that were selling on Ebay appeared to be on the East Coast.
In my town I have only seen 2 other Volvo Diesels and another one that turned up in the Junk Yard last month. I do not see them around any more.
I did get the Vacuum Pump off of the Junk Yard Volvo for $4 as it cost as much as a Mercedes Vacuum Pump.
Other than the Diesel Engine related parts all the rest of the parts are easily available.

I like the car but the paint ane interior have been gradually "Going South" for years now.
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  #41  
Old 10-12-2008, 11:27 AM
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I have had each of the vehicles, 2 Volvo 240 gasers, 1 740 gaser, 1 740 Diesel Volvo, 1 XC70 Volvo, and a Mercedes 240 Diesel. The Volvo 240 and 740 series were excellent cars. They were fairly simple. They also shared a common engine, the B23. With only basic care the engine will outlast the chassis. In my experience the Volvo diesel was a bad design. It had a interference engine with the camshaft being driven by a belt. Mine broke 2 times. The first time I had it fixed, multiple bent valves. The second time, it broke with such force, it snapped the camshaft in several places. The Volvo XC70 was a great car with all the creature comforts. However, when Volvo was bought by Ford, they learned about planned obsolecense. After only 125,000 miles the transmission went. Replacement from the dealer was $4000 for a reconditioned Trans. After a little research I found that it was a common problem with this model. The Mercedes 240 is a nice car with alot of creature comforts, for a 25 year old car. It is simple to maintain, with an excellent engine. The problem areas seem to be rust, leaks, and the cooky vacume system. The seats in the Volvo's are superior to any car, including the Mercedes. The only car I still own is the Mercedes, but would concider a nice 245 or 740 Volvo gasser stick shift.
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  #42  
Old 10-12-2008, 01:05 PM
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Ich fahre dieseltypen
 
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Location: Oklahoma
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I used to own a volvo 740 Turbo it a quick and fast car when the turbo kicks in, seats were very good solid thx to the memory foam seats, but then it has it own problems, my climate control when out of wack it was blowing cold air in defrost and hot air in the vents when the A/C is on weird then my a/c fan quit, radio quit and eventually major eletrical failure it was a mess...
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1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
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1987 300SDL 200K+
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  #43  
Old 10-12-2008, 07:39 PM
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I owned a 1971 Volvo 142S (not a diesel). It was my first car, bought for $500 in late 1986 after I graduated HS. Kept it for 2 years then traded it in on a Honda CRX, (almost traded it for a 1980 Rover 3500 SDI). It was a great car and reliable. It had about 180K miles on it and in 2 years only had to replace the alternator, timing chain and an oil leak. It ran great and was fairly peppy for such a heavy car. It was fire engine red and the original factory paint. Was a little faded but my buddy and I spent several hours power buffing it and it looked brand new. Interior was perfect and everything worked. I really miss that car.
I always loved the 164's, still would love to own one. A neighbor a few streets down has a p1800 coupe and wagon.

My nephew has a 2001 S80. I drove it this summer, nice car. Hes had it about a year but no major problems yet. I think it has about 80K miles.

I just looked at the new C30s the other day, that is a really cool car.
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  #44  
Old 10-12-2008, 09:19 PM
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I'd drive a Volve, but not a SAAB. Buddy of mine bought some late model little turbo coupe and he spent more money on fixing that pos than I spent buying and fixing up my 300SD. Junk.
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  #45  
Old 10-12-2008, 09:49 PM
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I've owned a Volvo 740 Wagon which was reliable for it's simplicity but very slow. I felt safe in it and used it to haul all kinds of things. The main reason I bought it was to keep the miles of my E420. I sold it when I bought the 6.9 because I thought three cars were too many, I was up to 17 cars a few weeks ago.

It has 210,000 miles on it. I put another 10,000 miles on it in 6 months hauling up and down GA 400. Then I sold it to a fellow who drove it everywhere. He even drove it up to Canada a few times in order to see his in laws.

Everything worked on that car including the A/C. My first car in the US was a Saab 900S convertible. It was a 1992 (so 8 years old) and had 170,000 miles on it. It needed a lot of work to get right. I spent an obscene amount of money on it. It was very solid but very very slow and awkward to work on. I think I spent a lot of money taking it to people who made the car worse and then taking it to other people to undo the mess that the first people did.

I would consider a 93 turbo 16 convertible. After that year, GM basically started designing these cars and all the character went away.

You may as well buy an Vauxhall Cavalier.

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