When the radiator went in my 2000 V70 at 210,000 miles, I took the advice I received from several on this website and went to an independent radiator shop. The job was good (as far as I can tell) and the price was about $300 less than the dealer's quote.

NOW, it's the heater core's turn. At least I assume so. I'm getting a foggy/filmy windshield, along with the feeling of increased humidity and the smell of coolant in the passenger compartment. The "low coolant" lamp has just lit.

Is this a problem that would best be addressed by a dealer, regardless of cost, or can I trust it to an independent garage?

Opinions (as usual) on Brickyard are highly valued and appreciated.

Thanks!

When my heater core blew (cheap plastic) it took the head gasket and because happened in the country the valves as well. I would replace it. It is not too hard to do oneself. A bit messy and tight spaces but basically just two pipes.

There is virtually no reason to take a 15 year old Volvo to the dealer for service. I know people who have been told that "only a couple of the techs know how to work on these old ones" at dealerships!

Find a good Volvo specialist indy shop. Many of these guys worked in the dealerships when these cars represented the bulk of the business.

Good luck!

LOL, that is a DIY job. EBAY has a seller that will sell you a replacement for less than $50. If you have a Torx 25 driver and a plastic bag to catch antifreeze, you could do this in less than 2 hours (I like to take lots of breaks).

If you have an old T shirt (clean), you could use it as a cheese cloth to slowly pour the antifreeze back in the overflow bottle. Or clamp both supply lines in the engine compartment to minimize drips. Or both, as the heater core will always contain antifreeze.

I would NEVER go to a dealer for this procedure. They charge too much for the heater core, and then charge too much for the labor.

Contact an Indie garage that knows Volvos, let them know about the really cheap core on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-Heater-Core-850-S70-V70-C70-1994-2000-lifetime-warranty-9144221-/360771828487?fits=Make%3AVolvo|Model%3A850&hash=item53ffad3b07:g:Hk0AAOSwEetV-EQ9&vxp=mtr
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Keeping it running is better than buying new

I have done 2 of these, 1.5 Hrs easy. I got the Ebay core.