First, the AC went suddelnly off in my '98 S70 (180,000 km). Not really nice in the Dubai wheather, when it is 48C out there. The next day - while being highway-driven - the car crept and stalled following gradual loss of power and rpm madness.

The Volvo garage later detected the presence of coolant fluid in the transmission. I checked the oil myself, it was brownish. The coolant level in the reservoir had also dropped below minimum. The technician called it coolant leak in the trasnmission due to corrosion. The car still drives at low speed.

Volvo says it will cost me 6,500$ to change the gear box and the cooling system! Way more what this car is worth on a market that has little respect for Volvo cars anyway. The technician recommended new gear box (10 days to order from Sweden), screw (?) and radiator. Even then, Volvo will not warrant results until car is road-tested: There could be more surprises. The tech did not mention, but his body language seemed to say: Time to scrap this car.

At this price tag, I will certainly consider.

Do you guys in cyber space agree with this analysis? Aren't there other ways to get it fixed, like a used trany? I loved and pampered this car. I wished to keep it for many more years (I have just received a shipment from FCP and eEuroparts)

I have to admit, driving a Volvo in such a hot country is not as popular as in Europe or North America. Some claim that Volvo cars were not meant for extremely hot climates. May be this reputation is catching up on me after all.
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tmounib ('S70 98 non turbo + '04 Grand Voyageur)