Problems with new S40

[Northview]

My first post...

I bought an ex-demonstrator S40 2.0D SE in late June this year. It had been registered about 3 months earlier. Sadly, I've been rather disappointed.

First of all, the fuel economy is appalling. My typical commute involves a 15 mile journey, mostly out of town, yet I'm averaging about 39mpg. I know I'm not unique in this regard as I've seen other postings on here (and elsewhere) saying much the same thing.

Secondly, ever since I took delivery, the engine has had a tendency to 'hesitate' under light load. Coupled to that, every now and then when I try to pull away, I find I have no power, and the engine then stutters and misfires until I either kick the throttle hard, or switch off and start again. This was attributed to a faulty EGR valve, which has now been replaced, but nothing has changed.

Thirdly, the driver's seat 'clicks' when cornering, particularly when changing direction through a series of 'S' bends, or when going through a roundabout.

I've been back to the dealer repeatedly to have these problems fixed, but 3 months later, I still have all the same problems.

This is my first ever Volvo, and I wondered if other Volvo owners had any observations/advice they'd like to share. At the moment I feel like I've made a big mistake.

[ptecuk]

I have an ex dem 2005 S40 2.0d SE Sport which I purchased from Volvo when it was about a year old. The test drive seemed fine. Then once owned I had several problems some very irritating. It is my first Volvo and I was initially dissapointed but have now grown to like it more and more as time passes. The Volvo dealer has been very helpful and most of the problems have been sorted. I have also resolved some myself.
Problems fixed by the dealer:
Mass movement sensor alarm was too sensitive and has been replaced.
Rear passenger window would close then reopen. Now fixed
Gear lever cables replaced. Volvo themselves decided this needed doing.
Problems fixed by me:
Rear rattle going over sharp bumps in road surface. Originally thought it was a rear shock absorber but then traced it to the rear edge of the roof lining. A few packing inserts around the clips and rear edge of the roof lining cured this.
Buzzing sound in front of the driver when the car has been standing in the shade. This is an odd one. Thought it was the instrument panel. Volvo couldn't find the cause and nor could I until by chance resting my hand on the top of the steering wheel centre cured the noise. A small insert of foam behind the steering wheel horn/airbag cures the noise. Need to ask Volvo to do a proper fix as I don't want to mess with the airbag.

Now these problems have been fixed or have a known cure I am very pleased with the car. The handling and performance is excellent. I average about 43 mpg. Best I can get is 50 mpg on a long drive without pushing it. Urban driving about 40 mpg. The ride is quite hard but then I do have the sport version with 18 inch wheels. It took a while to get used to driving a diesel with 6 gears after a VW Bora petrol. There is a transmission clunk on quick unmatched gear changes and on low speed torque reversal. I understand that this could be the dual mass flywheel and probably normal but nevertheless unusual. Hope to get Volvo to explain what this is. If you can sort your problems out I am sure you will be pleased with the car. Perhaps you could try another dealer if you can't get the running problem resolved under warranty.

[Marmoset]

There's a known fix for the seat click, you're dealer should have a technical bulleting for it - had mine fixed and it worked.

[Northview]

I've been thinking about trying another dealer. If I can't get my local dealer to take the problems more seriously then that may be the route to take.

At present, my plan is firstly to get to talk to somebody in a reasonably senior role at my local dealer - if I phone up the service department, I'll probably merely end up getting the car booked in to the workshop again! I think I need to get some committment from them that they realise that as far as I'm concerned this is completely unsatisfactory, and an assurance that they have a clear plan to address my concerns. Failing that, I could try escalating it to Volvo UK perhaps.

[7050man]

There's a known fix for the seat click, you're dealer should have a technical bulleting for it - had mine fixed and it worked.

Me too. Mentioned at service and hey presto. Fixed.!

[sam-ski]

my week long work experience for volvo showed me that the S40's are full of faults from needing new drive shafts (on a 55 plate!) to new clutches and egr valves etc. i love the look of them and when the small niggles are ironed out they should be good cars. I got driven in a 2.0 turbo diesel and i was really impressed with the power! whilst moving you plant your foot and it just rockets off!

[Geordie-Chris]

my week long work experience for volvo showed me that the S40's are full of faults from needing new drive shafts (on a 55 plate!) to new clutches and egr valves etc. i love the look of them and when the small niggles are ironed out they should be good cars.
Thats what happens when you work in a main dealer tho, you see all the faults and dont hear any of the good comments from customers!! Its the same in all the garages I've worked in.
I agree that the S/V40 and new C70's have their fair share of problems, but thats Ford for you!!

[Northview]

...but thats Ford for you!!

Hi Chris,

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Yes, Ford own Volvo, but that doesn't mean Volvos are Ford clones, surely?

As I understand it, the Volvo P1 platform on which the S40 is based is essentially the Ford/Mazda/Volvo C1 platform. According to Wikipedia, this was co-developed by all three companies - engineers from Ford, Mazda and Volvo were involved. As for the engine, as far as I've been able to find out (from others on this forum and from elsewhere) it's basically the same as the PSA HDi unit, found in the Peugeot 407, etc. I believe this too was a collaboration, this time between Ford and PSA. So yes, Ford have had a lot of input into the S40 one way and another, but ultimately it's still a Volvo product, built in a Volvo factory.

I've looked at reports from owners of Fords and Peugeots, trying to find evidence of similar problems, e.g. to see whether owners of Peugeot 407 with the 2.0 HDi 136 bhp engine have similar complaints about EGR valves, poor economy, etc. I haven't been able to find much similarity, which implies these problems are Volvo-specific. Or that my research is inadequate!

[bircham]

Hi Northview

My wife's V50 2.0d SE 2006 car had terrible engine probems, hesitancy, poor starting etc until the dealer replaced the injectors. There is an issue with leaking injectors that cause all of these issues. The car was transformed with one visit to the dealers.

Ask them about it!

Jonathan

[Northview]

Hi Jonathan,

Oddly enough, before the dealership started saying they thought it was the EGR valve, I was thinking injectors myself - not that I really know all that much about it! I'll certainly mention it to them next time I'm in.

The impression I've been getting, sadly, is that they're not really taking the time to investigate possible causes at first hand. Instead they seem to be relying on the fault codes in the computer - although they admit that they've never yet found a fault code in my car suggesting a problem with the EGR valve - and software updates. It's as though they're saying, "We'll try this because it sound like it might relate to the problems he's reporting. If it doesn't fix it, he can bring it back and we can try something else". I may be being unfair, but it's how it feels to me.

[ricofrancois]

Hello

I have a 05 S40, The seat clicks too in roundabouts and corners...

I have booked it on wednesday but on the phone I asked my dealer (Pilling Hemel-Hampstead) if this was a known issue and they didn't seem to know about it...

Could anyone let me know which dealer knew about the seat click bulletin?

I was also disapointed to find out that a courtesy car was not available for me because I hold a french licence (European) which is fine for my insurance company or the UK government...

I can't wait to see what they have to say as the sale part was excellent.

Thanks

Eric

[7050man]

Can't really believe that a large dealership like Pilling at Hemel, are not aware of this technical bulliten, as several people here have mentioned it. However, if they really are ignorant, get them to give Mcnaughton Ross Volvo a call, on 01580 200354. The people there are friendly and helpful, oh and they certainly fixed my clicking seat.
By the way I don't work for Mcnaughton Ross, just have my car serviced by them.
Good luck.

[jazzyr1]

this isnt just a volvo prob,focus and cmax have the same prob and the same fix.new plastic lugs in seat base. jazz

[mark2jag]

With 11800 miles showing on my car I noted that there was a noise somewhat like a loose downpipe on my car, but only at 1000 rpm or marginally above. Turns out there was, traced to a faulty exhaust mounting bracket, which had a hairline crack all the way across it,which eventually snapped. Volvo know all about it, and the info given to me today by the dealers is that yes volvo are aware of it, but they dont intend issuing a recall, they'll just wait till some poor sod burns the skin off his hands going back to pick up a red hot exhaust pipe after its fallen off their car. On the positive side at least it was free as it's under warranty, and their coffee/chocolate machine does a blinding cup of hot chocolate. Thank you Lancaster Volvo Guildford for being so genuinely up-front and helpful even though i was a miserable b****r when i went to see them!!!

[Marmoset]

My 2.0d is in for a service on Thursday (36k) and one of the items I've mentioned is that it sounds like the exhaust is blowing in the engine bay somewhere at low revs - only started a few weeks back - wonder if its the same thing?

[Northview]

Update on my S40 problems:

EGR valve was replaced. Since then I've had about 4 or 5 occasions when the car has almost stalled and then puttered uneasily until I switched off and restarted.
Seat now clunks much less than it did, but still not completely fixed.
Fuel consumption now varies, sometimes delivering quite reasonable figures, and other times no better than before (i.e. very bad). Overall average is still rubbish.

I've also had a few one-off niggles, such as a strange noise from the power steering when on full right lock (happened a few days ago, but nothing since then so far). A few months ago, the air-conditioning suddenly started spewing water vapour into the passenger cabin. This was blamed on a kinked or blocked drain pipe, but when the dealer checked it, there was apparently nothing wrong with it. The problem hasn't happened since, so I suspect it was just a blockage.

Oh, and last week I had to replace a front tyre because I'd managed to collect a screw in the top of the sidewall! Not Volvo's fault though! :)

[i saw it first its mine]

is an egr valve the anti stall valve?
the fuel injector problem should only really affect a cold engine causing poor starting rather than hesitancy when warmed up,because with a hot engine the weeping fuel should evaporate anyway

personally i think if the car has poor starting and hesitancy when warm it has 2 symptoms of different faults,and the valve should be reprogrammed and injectors should be replaced also

[Northview]

The EGR valve is used to control Exhaust Gas Recirculation, which as I understand is intended to lower combustion temperatures in the cylinder to reduce the amount of NOx in emissions.

In addition to the problem on starting, there have also been a couple of occasions in the past month where there's been some noticeable diesel 'clatter' on acceleration (which is not normal), and when that happens, the engine then 'hesitates' almost constantly when under light load.

Aside from these long-running (unfixable?) problems, I occasionally get mysterious clunks, twangs, rubbing noises, etc. for no apparent reason and with no discernable pattern. Nothing's fallen off yet, so I'm assuming they don't indicate any serious problem(s). Still, I don't see much likelihood of me buying another Volvo in future! A pity, because in other ways it's a very nice car.

[gregpe]

is an egr valve the anti stall valve?
the fuel injector problem should only really affect a cold engine causing poor starting rather than hesitancy when warmed up,because with a hot engine the weeping fuel should evaporate anyway

personally i think if the car has poor starting and hesitancy when warm it has 2 symptoms of different faults,and the valve should be reprogrammed and injectors should be replaced also

Leaking injectors- in this system "common rail" appear internal leakage from high pressure rail to return. due to this leakage high pressure rail loosing pressure and engine can't start. when engine is warm fuel is hot and is thiner then when engine is cold thats thr reason why it happend usualy when engine is warm.
EGR valve sometimes stuck in open position andthru this valve engine suck air ( engine not workig so in exhaust manifold is air not exhaust gases) and this valve made air flow meter by pass and engine can't start
Greg
technitian

[ricofrancois]

I brought my car to have the driver seat fixed, and it was done, I can't hear the click anymore. A few days later thepassenger seat did the same thing but after taking it to Volvo, the noise was still here. when I called them they asked me to take the car back. I did and the noise although not as strong is still there. When I talked to Pilling Volvo again they said this is a known issue but there is no fix yet. Volvo UK only advises to grease the seat rails.

I found this unacceptable on a 6000 miles car and have contacted Volvo UK for more information about it.

[webbie]

There's a known fix for the seat click, you're dealer should have a technical bulleting for it - had mine fixed and it worked.

thats interesting, my drivers seat squeaks when I accelerate heavily or lean back into the seat.

I had a poke around and decided a long spring I could see going up the backreat part of the seat inside the leather (side nearest the door) was the cause so gave it a quick squirt of WD40 which stopped it squeaking.

But the squeak sounds like it's making a retun 6 weeks later

Will ask my dealer about it next time it's in.

other than that and a wee elctrical issue I've posted about seperatly I like my V50, even more now than when I got it as it seems to get quicker and more economical the more miles I put on it, plus the fact I was used to a V40 2.0T petrol before and this is my first diesel.

cheers

Webbie

[hate vovlo]

I have recently had the flywheel changed in my volvo s40 d sport (55 plate) the car started perfectly before it went to the garage, and never had any problems with starting the car previous, however when the garage have stripped the car down and put the new flywheel in and built it back up again they can not get the car to start, it cranks over but wont fire. It's still in the garage now, i'm hoping to have it back this morning but i'm not holding my breath to be honest. This has been dragging on for 3 weeks now, does anyone know or have any educated guesses as to why the effing car wont start :-( Please help if you can

[Guru]

Try having them reset the ECM through VIDA.
Have them check all connection to fuel pump too.