I just purchased a 2000 S70 base with a 5 speed transmission. This car like many Volvos has a few little things that need to be fixed. The first and most annoying is a not too loud high pitched whine while the car is at idle or low speeds. From what I've read here on the boards it’s probably a problem with a piston cooler valve. That seems to be the case with at least two other 2000 S70s on this board in the last two years. Does that sound like a reasonable explanation?

Now, will this piston cooler valve problem cause any damage to my engine? I'm looking at a 300 mile round trip this weekend from Atlanta to a state park in South Carolina. I'm assuming the valve still works it just makes some noise.

The other little things are:
I've read the trip computer is installed in each S70, but just needs to be turned on by a dealer. Is that true for my 2000 model?

I also hear a small chirping sound from what seems to be the front suspension when at slow speeds. It seems to be when the car goes over small changes in the road, not large ones. I was thinking it may be a bad engine mount, the top one, but I have to check that. Any ideas?

Other than that it seems to be a great car. It’s still under warranty, but I drive to South Carolina a good bit to see my fiancé` so it will close in on 100k very quickly. Thanks for the help; I'm just looking for some verification since my service appointment isn't until next week.

JH
http://www.johnharte.net