2010 V50 1.6 d drive s
 

Hi.
I'm new to forum. As a family we are looking at purchasing our first volvo. We are looking at a v50 d drive s 1.6 2010 plate with 108k
I'm just wondering if anyone can give me any advice on if that is a good car, things to look out for, common issues etc

Hope this post is okay. Apologies if it's not.
Thanks in advance

Beemused 😊

Hello bud, welcome along.

I had that engine in a V70, no problems while it was doing 10k+ miles a year. Very frugal on fuel . There will , most likely, be a Pat fluid tank to help with dpf regeneration, which needs to be filled from time to time. Fuel filters must be kept in mind as a cause of problems that readers don’t always identify. I replaced a lot of unnecessary parts , only for the problem to be fuel filter.

Many don’t like the 1.6d, mine was fine until my annual mileage dropped after retiring.

Good luck.😁👍

Thank you.
It's one owner from new. Which sounds postive. We are going to look on Sunday. So not sure what to look out for. It's had cam belt and water pump done recently. Is that a bad sign? It's done 108k

My 1.6d had a water pump at 97975 miles, squealing!

I wouldn't say so. The car is 14 years old... Its just preventative maintenance or peace of mind for the new buyer.

Things to check/do;

-Keep your eye on the temperature needle, make sure it doesn't go above half way.

-Bring it on a good test drive, ideally down some bumpy roads.

-Test all the electrics like central locking, electric windows for example and radio.

-Make sure the air conditioning works.

-Make sure the car changes gear smoothly, no rattles when its idling.

-Have a look at the service records, see what was done and when.

-Check tyre condition and tread depth.

-Check the oil level, check there's no oil in the coolant (coolant should be clean, not black or oily). Check there's no white mayonnaise residue on the oil cap after you've been for a drive.

-Check the brakes engage nicely, so no wobbles or shaking in the steering when you brake.

-Check the handbrake works.

-Make sure there's no warning lights on the dash when you start the car.

Those are the basics that you can do when looking at a car really. Hopefully that gives you an idea.

Also check that the diesel particular filter (DPF) was changed at 75,000 miles and the PAT/Eolys fluid topped up at the same interval. That fluid will need topped up again at the 112,500 mile service.

We have a 2009 1.6D. If properly serviced and maintained it's really frugal and reliable. Ours has done 167,000 miles now. If it's not properly maintained or it's only going to be used for short journeys (like any diesel) it's not a good buy. If you occasionally so long motorway runs, it's got a good service history and everything's been done to Volvo service specs then go for it.

wow, thank you. it has a full service history. But I will definitely go through it.
PAT/Eolys fluid can I do that myself or is it a garage job?
is it better to find a volvo specialist (I'm in wincanton) or a normal garage can handle it?

PAT fluid is rum stuff. My garage used to remove the tank, fill it and put it back.
Getting it to fill properly in situ was a problem , for some reason. That was a V70 though.

A Volvo Specialist ideally is always a better bet with these cars. They have the diagnostics specific to Volvo, whereas other garages use generic equipment to deal with all sorts of cars.

Eolys fluid can be done DIY, but its a bit of a fiddly job. You need tubes to fill the tank if you're leaving the tank in situ, but space is tight. Lots of garages just remove the tank, fill it and then put it back on. You need a ramp ideally, but it could be done of jacks and jack stands (you just have to lift it high enough). By no means is it impossible to do, but depending on your experience with cars, you may want to leave it to a professional. Oh, you also need diagnostic equipment to tell the car it has new fluid.

Is there any volvo specialists people recommend?
Off to see the car today. Finger crossed. 🤞