I have a 98 S 70 with 66000 miles that i bought recently and the air conditioning seems to be a little weak.

I spoke with the local Volvo dealer and he said it could be the evaporator core going bad which is a hefty $1200 reapair (ouch).

Does anyone who replacing the gas would help in this case or is it the usual norm on the S 70's to replace the evaporator core for fix this issue?

Hey, I know this sounds kinda crazy, but have you checked the micro air filter and all the air duct work leading to the AC (you know, where the air is drawn into the system just in front of the windshield)? I just got my car washed this AM here in Madison, WI and you wouldn't believe the amount of those little buds and things that had collected along the trunk lining in my 1998 S70 T5.

At least it's a cheap check to insure there are no other gremlins that could be causing the problems.

I would have it charged and dye added at the same time. That may
last a year or two. If it does, just repeat in 2 years; otherwise,
the dye will show exactly where the leak is. Don't replace anything
until at least one re-charge with dye has been used.

This whole thing about evaporator failure in 98 and newer Volvos is apparently overblown according to my local dealer. It WAS a problem on earlier models. My '98 V70 AWD had low levels of refrigerant and had dye added with a new fill of refrigerant shortly before the warranty ran out. (I had to pay for this). One week later I personally went under my car with a blacklight and found the entire hose that lies under the radiator area soaked with an oily, phosphorescent residue. Ah ha! My leak! Volvo fixed it under warranty on the last day of my warranty period! A new hose was installed. Apparently they can get micro-porous with time and leak slowly right through the hose. Other auto manufaturers have had this problem too, especially with the smaller molecular size of the new refrigerant. Check your own hose. Maybe you can save alot of cash

My car has a sticker indicating dye was added at some point. I bought the car almost a year ago (and 10,000 miles ago, too). Is there some decay period for the dye, or If I grab a blacklight right now and get under there will I see a leak (assuming there is one).

I think I made that question really complicated, basically, how long does the dye last, if not forever?

Thanks,
Scott Silverman
--
'98 S70 T5-M - Tropic Green w/ tan, Spoiler, Fog Lights, CD-6/CD-3 Changer, External Amp, Cold Weather Pkg, Sunroof

Exactly which hose was leaking? I probably need to replace the same hose on our 1998 S70 since we have to re-charge our AC system each Spring. Thanks!

Let's see...I dug out the repair order...It is the hose from the condensor to the compressor, part # 9171666-2. Also O-ring 6847526-8 needed. It was 2.3 hours of time.

Just curious, what did they make you pay for that first recharge under warranty? Why would refrigerant be a "wear item"?

Did the dealer look at it?? Or just phone diagnose it? I love it when they give you a phone diagnosis for $1,200, and all it might need is a recharge?!

I'd have them look at it before you start to get worried about expensive repairs. Check the refrigerant PSI. A local automotive part store should have a hose, guage and recharge kit approx. ~ $30. maybe you just need to top it off!!

Good Luck!

-Ananda
98 S70 T5 SEM - IPD ECU/Exhaust, K&N, SAM Strut Bar, 17" Mille EVO's, Slotted Brembo's......