The Random Ramblings of a Sysadmin

Yes indeed, my trusty 1998 Volvo V70 has recently seen a remarkable improvement in acceleration, with a very minor effort needed on my part. Actually, all I did was leave it at the authorized Volvo dealer in town, as it was time for the 240.000 km service anyway. For those who have little or no knowledge of the Volvo V70 service schedule, here's a quick run-down of the relevant parts of the checklist: Engine oil/filter Air filter Timing belt In addition to these three points, plenty of things are checked - none of them needed any attention in my case. Now, you may find yourself wondering how these three particular service events could have an effect on acceleration. They didn't. Two things that are not part of the regular service schedule did. First up was a little something my mechanic discovered when changing the air filter: The intake air temperature sensor wasn't seated correctly. The intake air temperature sensor on the B5252S, and presumably on other naturally aspirated V70 engines as well, fits in a small rubber plug in the intake. Apparently, it is possible for this little plug to "pop out", leaving the intake air temperature sensor measuring the air temperature in a small stale pocket of air rather than in the actual air flow. No wonder the engine felt a bit sluggish at times, the ECU was left almost completely in the dark by this problem - no error codes were generated either. The second noticeable change has less to do with acceleration, but still has a minor influence on initial acceleration when changing gears or starting. For this service I had specifically requested that both upper and lower engine mounts were changed. The upper one was definitely shot, and the lower one had seen an equal amount of time and distance, so I figured that it would be best to change both. I was right, or rather, the good people in the SwedeSpeed 1998-2000 C/S/V70 forum were (thanks JRL). Changing the mounts has meant less engine movement, and thus a smoother driving experience. In all, this service has made me smile even wider when driving. Edit: B5252S does not have a MAF, it has an intake air temperature sensor.