The car is approaching 189K miles and I figure its about time to do some work on her. The struts and shocks are original, as are all the cooling system hoses, tstat, fuel filter. Here is a breakdown of what I think needs to be done:

Replace all struts and shocks. All are original, they pass the bounce test but I have to think they are way past their prime. Last time the car was in for service, I had the indy volvo mechanic go over the car and he told me it didn't need anything (That was about a year ago or maybe 12K miles). What I am not sure is what else to replace while I am in there. Balljoints? Tie rod ends? The car still tracks very straight and does not wander but even with a new set of tires, the ride on the highway doesn't feel just right. I've replaced shocks before, and from reading the FAQ it doesn't look like it should be all that bad. I don't believe that there are nivo's in the back so that job should be pretty simple too.

Cooling system rehab. All the hoses are original and quite frankly, they dont look bad at all. This is just one of those things that I think should be done before it becomes a problem. Radiator hoses look like a piece of cake, the heater hoses look to be a bit more problematic. Cooling system was flushed about 2-3 years ago.

New brake pads and flush out the system. Plan on getting the pressure bleeder from fcp. Wonder if its time to replace the brake hoses? Any gotchas here that I may be missing? Whats the consensus on the best set for wear/brake dust. Going to order everything from FCP BTW. What about wheel bearings? I don't think they have ever been serviced before.

New fuel filter. Still on the original. I have also had the problem where if the car sits for awhile, the engine will stumble badly when first started. If I shut it off and start again, its fine. I understand there is a check valve, but where is it? Is it colocated with the filter somewhere on the underside of the car? Do the procedures in the faq (pull the fuel pump fuse and wait till the car dies) work to drain the fuel lines before I start?

Flame trap replace/repair. Plan on getting the kit from fcp.

New plugs. No biggie, any recommendations over and above bosch standard plugs? Last time I was in there the wiring looked ok.

Flush the tranny. Was last done at the dealer about 4 years ago, maybe 80 to 100K miles ago. Planning on following the FAQ directions.

In general, the engine is still running very smoothly and the tranny shifts good. Timing belt was done at 140k by me and I figure to do that when it gets to 200. Water pump was done at 140 as well. Radiator was replaced about 2 years ago. I have replaced rotors and pads before. So what else am I missing here guys? I have a spare vehicle available (F150 supercrew that I leave parked mostly) and I could park the volvo for a week or so while I have it down for service. I am really not sure what to expect with the front end, that is an area that I don't claim much expertise in. I could tear it down and then start ordering parts or just order what I think might need replacement. Goal is to minimize stuff that must be bought locally. Any insights or advice will be welcome. Thanks, Bob




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97 S90 with 188K miles still going strong