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-   -   V50 General : 1.8 Petrol Engine Very High Emissions (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=292769)

Kimberley Smith Mar 13th, 2019 10:42

1.8 Petrol Engine Very High Emissions
 
Good Morning. Any help here will be appreciated please. My V50, 2006, 1.8 petrol, has failed MoT on VERY high CO and HC emissions. The tester said that they started just out of spec and then shot up as he ran the engine (expecting them to drop). He also said that he had to open the workshop doors and windows to clear the smoke! The compressions all appear to be good. My fuel consumption seems to have dropped recently, although it has never been good and performance has never been impressive. Three weeks ago I replaced the EGR valve (to stop clouds of smoke and heavy pre-ignition). The engine management light is not on and my ALDI fault code reader says that there are no faults recorded (having cleared the one from the faulty EGR valve). I have done the obvious; air and oil filters, oil, plugs. I am wondering about a failed temperature sensor or air-flow sensor so will check those. I have booked it in for a check on the volvo diagnostics machine, although I wonder if I will be wasting my money as there are no apparent fault codes. Many thanks. Kim.

StatusRed Mar 13th, 2019 11:13

I was going to say it might be worth finding someone with VIDA to see if that reveals something..

simonsen Mar 13th, 2019 22:00

Same thing here just failed MOT on high emissions white smoke with rotten egg smell yet no lights, changed basics plus lambda sensor and smoke still there.

FracturedButWhole Mar 13th, 2019 22:21

Some bedtime reading
 
Hi guys, a good read here:

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/archi.../t-228505.html

Hope it helps...

Kimberley Smith Mar 13th, 2019 22:57

That thread is very instructive thank you. I am not sure that with 125k miles on the clock and 13 years of age it will be worth stripping the engine to replace oil control rings though. What puzzles me is the drop in fuel consumption; I would not have expected that if only oil control rings have worn. Fuel consumption has never been good, an overall average of 34 is the best I have achieved. Even sitting at 60mph on a long motorway run will not get me to 40mpg. I will see what the Volvo specialist diagnostics reveals.

Welton Mar 14th, 2019 16:44

As per the other similar post today this will not be the piston rings, white smoke must be water getting into a combustion chamber.

Try googling 'white smoke' and 'mazda' as the engine's are the same, this might throw up more clues for you.

simonsen Mar 15th, 2019 19:50

Evening Kim any update on yours?

Kimberley Smith Mar 18th, 2019 23:10

Thank you all for your comments. I now have an update, although not a happy one.
At the weekend I replaced the spark plugs. The old ones looked really weird; a hard white deposit. I fully expected a wet dirty burnt oil appearance. I wonder if this meant that the EGR valve had not been working and hence the combustion chambers were too hot??? I also blanked off the EGR valve at the suggestion of a retired garage owner. I rechecked the cylinder compressions; still all looking good, ranging from 185 to 195 cold and 175 to 190 hot.
Today I returned to the MoT man (they are also Volvo specialists). He repeated the emissions check and it failed as before. He then did a diagnostics check; no faults showing. As before, the CO and HC readings rose dramatically as the temperature increased. On the final emissions check he took a video of the rear of the car; as the engine heated up the exhaust output went from nothing visible to a huge cloud of smoke....however the smoke is white not black. I would like to think that "Welton" is correct in suggesting that it is not oil burning, however the water level does not change but it takes possibly a gallon of oil between 10k changes.
I have spent the evening pondering what to do next. Scrap it? Strip the engine and replace piston rings? Buy a replacement engine? I wish I had kept my V40, or my 480, or my 940, or my 440, or my 240!!!!

simonsen Mar 18th, 2019 23:33

Came to same conclusion after changing all basic bits smoke is still there. I would not recommend buying a second hand engine as more likely it will have same issue as it is a common fault on them engines. Best to find good cheap garage and change piston rings.
Lets be fair when you type in white smoke in Google in reference to our problems it always comes back with loads of posts about worn piston rings.
My mechanic suggested that piston rings might be just stuck rather than worn so we poured some thinner into each cylinder for few hours and after that it started to smoke even more thinner dissolved old carbon deposits and now it takes even more oil. Long story short I will be striping my engine next week.

Kimberley Smith Sep 15th, 2019 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimberley Smith (Post 2505595)
Thank you all for your comments. I now have an update, although not a happy one.
At the weekend I replaced the spark plugs. The old ones looked really weird; a hard white deposit. I fully expected a wet dirty burnt oil appearance. I wonder if this meant that the EGR valve had not been working and hence the combustion chambers were too hot??? I also blanked off the EGR valve at the suggestion of a retired garage owner. I rechecked the cylinder compressions; still all looking good, ranging from 185 to 195 cold and 175 to 190 hot.
Today I returned to the MoT man (they are also Volvo specialists). He repeated the emissions check and it failed as before. He then did a diagnostics check; no faults showing. As before, the CO and HC readings rose dramatically as the temperature increased. On the final emissions check he took a video of the rear of the car; as the engine heated up the exhaust output went from nothing visible to a huge cloud of smoke....however the smoke is white not black. I would like to think that "Welton" is correct in suggesting that it is not oil burning, however the water level does not change but it takes possibly a gallon of oil between 10k changes.
I have spent the evening pondering what to do next. Scrap it? Strip the engine and replace piston rings? Buy a replacement engine? I wish I had kept my V40, or my 480, or my 940, or my 440, or my 240!!!!

This is a long-overdue update on my V50 (2006 1.8 petrol) emissions problem. Having wasted money having a Volvo specialist run their diagnostics I took it elsewhere for a second opinion on the emissions. We watched as it warmed up and proceeded to produce huge clouds of smoke from the exhaust. Without hesitation they said "piston rings".
I decided against buying a replacement engine or paying £2,000 to have the existing one rebuilt and eventually decided to tackle the strip-down and rebuild myself. I have done just about every job on cars in my time but at my great age was doubting my ability to tackle this one! Anyway; stripped it in situ, not the easiest of jobs, access is a challenge. All four oil control rings were stuck in place; effectively flush with the wall of the piston! They were stuck so firmly that I do not think that any amount of soaking in whatever fluid would have freed them. I replaced the rings and big end shells and tidied the head (new valve stem seals). All back together eventually. Sailed through the MoT emissions test. Has now done over 3,000 miles so I am starting to gain confidence that I did a reasonable job. Oil consumption has dropped to near zero. Cost of parts; around £250.


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