High mileage V70

[YorkshireDave]

Originally Posted by Org

Been and had a look at the car today and it looks good lots of receipts , timing belt done in 2018 at 125000. The engine was warm when I got there but it was slow starting, but when running it sounded good, boy did it have some get up and go on the test drive. My only concerns are the slight smell of exhaust fumes in the car after a run and the header tank was black and I couldn't see the coolant level, i couldn't remove the cap as the engine was hot. l thought the tanks were a clear white in colour so does this mean there is engine oil in the coolant, I know that there is a cooler that can leak so just wondering if that's a problem. As for transmission oil changes there is no evidence of this.

I got the exhaust smell when an injector seal failed. Again not cheap.

[Org]

I've walked away from that one now and thought i had found another today BUT I spoke to the seller who said he new everything about Volvo's and runs a Facebook group but wasn't a trader!!!!!!!! He has certainly moved a few cars in the past and when i put his name into google some dodgy stuff came up, his name even appeared on this forum many years ago, enough said on that.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Org

I've walked away from that one now and thought i had found another today BUT I spoke to the seller who said he new everything about Volvo's and runs a Facebook group but wasn't a trader!!!!!!!! He has certainly moved a few cars in the past and when i put his name into google some dodgy stuff came up, his name even appeared on this forum many years ago, enough said on that.

Something will come up. Just take your time, do proper research & bring the car on a good long test drive to listen for any noises from the suspension, to test how the transmission shifts etc. Check the MOT history online prior to arrival (if you know the reg) to check the mileage tallies up & if there were any previous advisories. You'll see plenty of adverts where the reg is hidden, I don't even look at those ones because its like the seller is hiding something. Why would you hide the reg? You want to sell the car at the end of the day, so hiding the reg won't do you any favours.

Don't buy a car that has been warmed up before you get there or with the engine running whilst you're looking around it... come back & test it when the engine is stone cold. Then when you start it, you can listen for any noises, look for any warning lights, see how fast it starts up & so forth. Also, try to view a vehicle when its not chucking it down & when its bright if possible because rain can hide scratches & buying a car in the dark obviously makes things less visible.

You don't want to buy a lemon and/or one that's damaged. Failure to do the above increases the chances of doing so.