How reliable is the 2.3 T5 Lump Actually
 

I thought i would ask the Guys here with all the knowledge

i have found a Volvo V70 t5 black Manual. It's covered 138k and the seller wants just over 1k.

Now i am very interested but at the same time a bit hesitant due to the fact my brother v70 went boom and spun a shell. This all happened after a few days he bought the car , i won't get into that too much.

So i guess i am being more precautionary? I've already had 850 t5 fail on me and then my brothers v70 t5 die ( Currently getting a new engine fitted )

I've heard a lot of bad news about the 2.3 blocks on how weak it is and how the oil return system gets blocked causing the engine to fail ect?

Anway i am in two minds in if I should gamble again and but another Volvo ( for some odd reason I keep coming back to them? )

cheers guys

The T5 is just as solid as any other Volvo engine , The blocks are not weak , that is why they are 2.3 because the bores are 1mm smaller to strengthen the liners . lots of T5 engines are 20 years old now and you cannot have foreseen how badly they have been serviced or mistreated … during all that time ...

If all looked after they are a very solid engine. PCV can cause issues but not with the block, just the front and rear cam seals and sometimes rear main seal (which is the big one as involves dropping the subframe and gearbox to install a £20 seal).

PCVs generally last 8-10 years and aren't a big cost of pain to replace. Symptoms are easy to identify too.

I echo the comments above. Mine has done 222,000 miles and still going strong. If the they are looked after then no problems, if the owners has skipped the oil changes etc, then you will have any problems just like other engines. Get the codes read before you buy

cheers for all the comments guys

this is the car in question

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Volv...EAAOSwHcFbuz8I

Also this isnt the 2.4 the dealer obviously doesnt know what t5 is.

Also intially i was looking for a P80 850 but those cars arent cheap anymore

It's already been messed about with as stated 'stage 2 remap' cheers,JDmac.

This is actually a P2 V70, and given its age its more than possible that the engine is actually 2.4. Only the very early MY2000 P2s had the 2.3s. You realise, I presume, that this is not the same chassis et al as the P80 cars and is completely different in handling and general driving?

Car looks like it's had a hard life, judging by the exhaust and given its a Stage 2. I'd be worried that the supporting mods were not done properly, which could be terrible.

One of my C70 2.3 T5's was my uncles from new, I got it in 2006 with 111K its now got 240,000 miles on it and it doesn't use a drop of oil or coolant between services. I've driven that very briskly to say the least and its reliability for the pace it used to cruise at is what made me keep over my Supra TT, Jag XKR and BMW M5......... I service them all identically, religiously every 5,000 miles for oil changes using Valvoline 10w40. Major servicing at 10,000 mile intervals. Gearbox oil changed roughly every 40,000 miles. PCV is checked annually and to this date the silver one has not needed it!

I also have bought another C70 2.3 T5 which has taken over the duties of 900 mile a week commuting. Its been doing this effortless, going from 70,000 miles to now 141,000 miles in a couple of years. Again absolute headache free but is serviced religiously using only OEM/Premium parts. Uses no oil or coolant and has no PCV issues.

S70R is remapped and again owned in since 2011 - engine and gearbox are smooth as......... The PCV was showing early signs so got that done immediately. Again still doesn't use any oil or coolant.

I'm very stunned at how headache free these engines are comapred to other cars I've owed alongside. My Volvo's, touchwood have never given me issues with odd hesistation, not being different cold to when warm, no leaky seals or gaskets etc.

Summary

Very reliable engines, the most trouble free I've experienced. Genuinely capable of delivery seriously trouble free mileages. They do like to be serviced on time with good parts and premium fluids. (Which is nothing to ask of in return for what they deliver).

Only a lack of basic maintenance leads to issues that you experience/describe which can build up due to prevuious owners negligence.

It's a 2001 model so if it were a T5 it would have a 2.3 me7 engine.

Doing a tax check on it comes up with 2319cc which would indicate a T5.

Volvo did do a 2.4 light pressure turbo for that model and also the later T5's from about 2005/6 were 2.4 so it just looks like the seller might have got a bit mixed up and the car does look to be a T5.

I've had my T5 for about 6 years now and I've found it a good strong engine.
make sure breather system is ok, I've done a a couple of cam seals on it as well as the usual maintenance.
I will concede at 170k the stem seals are shot now and a bit blue out the back on the over run but doesn't affect the running other than the fact it's using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles which is a bit heavy but not drastic.
When these engines are on song they really are superb units.