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-   -   New Volvo owner with a fixer upper - seeking pointers (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=284233)

UltE Jul 17th, 2018 22:35

New Volvo owner with a fixer upper - seeking pointers
 
Greetings All!

New to the forum and typing on my phone so bare with me :D

I picked up a 2005 V50 last night that I wanted. It's a T5 awd manual. 137k on the clock, had a fair bit done, brakes, dmf and clutch, a lot of service records showing 5-30w fully synth oil changes (I feel that's a bit thin for the miles personally), couple of springs and bushes etc. (And a lot of bulbs haha).

I bought it cheap being advertised as having a suspect head gasket failure. However my theory its more likely something else. I've been reading various posts about oil breathers, valve stem seals and turbo seals etc. Looking for advice on what to start removing and inspecting and such like by owners and enthusiasts as it's my first Volvo.

Symptoms and notes:
There's no water or oil mix, no noticeable oil loss at the moment, no overheating at all even after a good raz, just blue smoke when revved but not on start up or idle. And slightly lumpy (missing on one cylinder) when first started after a few days but goes after a few seconds (wet plug maybe or cylinder full of oil?).

No abnormal sounds, no particular lag (did find the air filter box was not clipped closed properly when I got back), no abnormal turbo noises. The smoke seemed to only blow occasionally with a little or a lot of heavy acceleration and other times nothing. No visible smoke on idle when hot or cold.

Im thinking more along the lines of valve stem seals, clogged oil breather system or something else oil related. I'll have the plugs out tomorrow to see if it's one or all cylinders burning, check the turbo and pipes for excess oil but what else should I check do you think?

There is also a feeling/sound of a loose component on the front, bumps feel harsh and clunky when hit. I know it's not the most refined car, it's done some miles and it's got a lot of mechanicals stuffed in the front but any known issues I can look for? Shocks, mounts, panels etc? (Though I think the belly pan is missing so I'll be seeking a replacement asap as that sump sits pretty low).

Many thanks and sorry for all the text, but hopefully it covers the most likely response questions. :)

Rusty1 Jul 17th, 2018 23:17

A compression test would be a good starting point. It's not a definitive test for head gasket failure but if all cylinders are within spec and about the same then failure is unlikely. If they're not then the cylinder head will need to come off for further investigation.

andy_d Jul 17th, 2018 23:26

there are HG test kits, they sample the coolant and check for oil/hydrocarbons etc usually Any colour change - suspect hg, might be worth dropping some £ on one of those as a first step.

if thats ok and 1 pot is still awol perhaps compression test time

then its Cleaning the pipe work time,, theres going to be oily "oh dear me" in there, and possibly the intercooler as well,, rubber gloves and cleaning time



plugs wise
its a Volvo, there are "alternative" plugs out there and they work, sort of mostly, so Gen volvo plugs for it rather than "ngk /etc" check the coil packs as your going


suspension
drop links? track rod ends? snapped spring? shock top mount,, or loose wheel nuts *its been known,,

id not fuss too much on the belly pan being awol untill you have gotten all the gremlins sorted

IF you intend to keep the car and diy service it etc (assuming the HG is fine that is)

have a look at VIDA + a laptop/tablet to run it on ,,forget using generic ODB readers its a volvo , vida will do a Lot more than just diag faults, there is a Total how to for taking everything off and back on the car included

FunkyMelon Jul 18th, 2018 11:08

Easiest way to tell for early HG signs as said is hydrocarbon test.

If you don't have one of those, take it for a nice long hot drive so it's all up to temperature, don't use it again, leave it on the drive overnight till it's stone cold again and release the expansion header the next morning. If there is any pressure release or noise then you have exhaust gasses in the system and your HG is likely on it's way out.

Saw the car you got on eBay a week or so back, looks good spec and AWD is rare in T5 form so will be good if you get it going.

EDIT: Blue smoke is burning oil, could be piston rings, stem seals or possibly the oil return seal within the turbo itself.

Clan Jul 18th, 2018 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by UltE (Post 2426576)
Greetings All!

New to the forum and typing on my phone so bare with me :D

I picked up a 2005 V50 last night that I wanted. It's a T5 awd manual. 137k on the clock, had a fair bit done, brakes, dmf and clutch, a lot of service records showing 5-30w fully synth oil changes (I feel that's a bit thin for the miles personally), couple of springs and bushes etc. (And a lot of bulbs haha).

I bought it cheap being advertised as having a suspect head gasket failure. However my theory its more likely something else. I've been reading various posts about oil breathers, valve stem seals and turbo seals etc. Looking for advice on what to start removing and inspecting and such like by owners and enthusiasts as it's my first Volvo.

Symptoms and notes:
There's no water or oil mix, no noticeable oil loss at the moment, no overheating at all even after a good raz, just blue smoke when revved but not on start up or idle. And slightly lumpy (missing on one cylinder) when first started after a few days but goes after a few seconds (wet plug maybe or cylinder full of oil?).

No abnormal sounds, no particular lag (did find the air filter box was not clipped closed properly when I got back), no abnormal turbo noises. The smoke seemed to only blow occasionally with a little or a lot of heavy acceleration and other times nothing. No visible smoke on idle when hot or cold.

Im thinking more along the lines of valve stem seals, clogged oil breather system or something else oil related. I'll have the plugs out tomorrow to see if it's one or all cylinders burning, check the turbo and pipes for excess oil but what else should I check do you think?

There is also a feeling/sound of a loose component on the front, bumps feel harsh and clunky when hit. I know it's not the most refined car, it's done some miles and it's got a lot of mechanicals stuffed in the front but any known issues I can look for? Shocks, mounts, panels etc? (Though I think the belly pan is missing so I'll be seeking a replacement asap as that sump sits pretty low).

Many thanks and sorry for all the text, but hopefully it covers the most likely response questions. :)

for the clunk underneath , probably the big rear bushes on the lower wishbones … The T% does not have an engine undertray , only diesels have the tray , a plastic tray won't stop the sump being cracked if you hit it , highly unlikely you will hit it ..

LizardOfBodom Jul 18th, 2018 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by UltE (Post 2426576)
...

Many thanks and sorry for all the text, but hopefully it covers the most likely response questions. :)

Whoa!, another unicorn on the forum, welcome to the ever joyful world of "EverythingIsDoubleBecauseYouHaveAWD" :) Happy to see another one here :woot:

Any pics? :)

I may be able to help you with some stuff strictle-related to AWD as I had my fair share of it within last 2 years, but a lot of issues you (unfortunately) will come across are related to P1 platform and T5 engine in general. But in the same time lot of people will be able to chip in with the knowledge, so dont worry.

as for your issue - I am not sure if maybe symptoms are related to clogged PVC oil breathe? It is very common problem on those engine and I think every T5 went trough the PVC replacement once atleast (oil filter housing p. n 31338685). Common symptom of it is a "whining" noise that changes when you pull the oil dipstick out when engine is idling. No harm to check it anyway, but I cant be positive your smoke problem is relate to it it any way.



oh, forgot to add - Clunking noises you may be referring to - could be worn front control arms (those do go off on our cars often) or top shock mounts+bearings. I had all those replaced on mine within last 2 years, including front shocks. Worn shocks made weird "rattle" noises, that I thought were related to axle. Top mounts were making "creaking" noises, similar to ships hull (cant find better comparison :P). Lower control arms are apparently making clunking noises aswell but were replaced before I got the car so I didnt hear it myself.
Also - another noise-generating items are engine pads - there are 2 (one under battery tray, one on opposite side) + gearbox one, also called torque mount. When front ones are shot engine vibrates more and in some cases may cause other weird sounds. Worth checking them aswell.

LizardOfBodom Jul 18th, 2018 13:30

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Clan (Post 2426718)
for the clunk underneath , probably the big rear bushes on the lower wishbones … The T% does not have an engine undertray , only diesels have the tray , a plastic tray won't stop the sump being cracked if you hit it , highly unlikely you will hit it ..

Clan, are you referring to actual undertray or something different?
mine has the plastic protective one, not very sturdy, true, but its there :)

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1531913429

UltE Jul 18th, 2018 16:51

Massive thanks to everyone for all the thoughts and advice. Great to get a good response (as some forums are a tad vacant).

I really didn't feel up to playing cars on my day off but I needed to make a start so I knew what I'd be facing.

Unfortunately I realised my compression tester is in storage some 80 miles away, but I shall buy another one asap. Spent too much time trying to work out why I've got a premium sound system with a usb socket and audio jack in the centre console arm rest, yet no way of selecting aux or usb input? Can't find piddle squit on Google.

Checked the wheels nuts as suggested and found the front ones all a little bit loose. Not a lot but the brakes have recently been done all the way around and evidently not re-torqued afterwards. Still a bit clunky on the front but seemingly not so bad - lower back bushes upfront sounds and feels about right. I'll investigate more soon on that.

Smoke. Now this is what I hate most because without my compression tester and learning my way around the engine bay, all I could do was inspect the plugs and some pipes. Took the coolant cap off (eventually after a lot of turns) and I faintly heard a very tiny hiss of half a second. Oh and as an fyi i just checked after reading about the pcv above, and found a receipt in the paper work for breather unit, housing and pipe replacement about 50k ago in 2012.

Plugs did not match to a receipt from a garage for a service saying ngk plugs 15k ago. But all looked equally old but not fouled up. Intercooler pipe and intake pipe clear, oil breather hose into the top centre of the head was a bit oily but not clogged. However what I did find was one very fouled up air filter. Looks to be an old k&n but it's far worse than it looks in a picture.

So I left it out and put the filter lid back on with a sock over the snorkel to catch big bits of debris being drawn in. Then put it all together and started it up, no smoke on start or idle but was a missing a bit (Though having no air filter might have contributed). Then took it for a blast and still no smoke. Really gave it a good run, sat and revved, blasted away, pulled in a higher gear from low revs and still nothing.

Temperature fine, pulling a lot better better now and feeling a second surge after 5000 rpm which wasn't noticeable before. But no visible smoke at all and certainly nothing like it was. And that frankly worries me more because good luck like that does not happen to me... But though it doesn't seem right, one clogged air filter out and smokes gone and no smell of burning oil either.

So pcv is my guess now and as mentioned. I couldn't see a breather pipe going into the air filter box to coat the filter that side so much?

And there are remains of a belly pan/under tray where the garage that did the dmf and clutch likely ripped it off and chucked it. Hate that because it's not there to just protect the underside from water or small impacts, it's there for aerodynamics ... hit an autobahn without a tray there where there should be one and you soon feel the difference.

Anyway I'm knackered so left it as is for now until I get a compression tester as I need to test compression regardless at 137k on the clock. I'll try and upload pics but it might prove a headache. Once I know what's up, it will be on to cleaning and servicing.

Only bits I can pick up on is the rear washer jet is missing and I can't seem to use the usb or aux sockets. Otherwise it's just grubby and done some miles.

Thanks again everyone!

UltE Jul 18th, 2018 17:08

5 Attachment(s)
Sorry they are such low quality...
Attachment 114219
That is a polestar badge, I'll be contacting them soon to verify if it's legit or not.
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FunkyMelon Jul 18th, 2018 19:07

The fact you got a bit of pressure releasing on cold doesn't sound good. Does the misfire go away when warm?

Generally when a head gasket is leaking slightly you'll get small amounts of coolant running down the cylinder wall when it's cold and the leak has opened, it may only be a few drops, if that. The misfire happens till the coolant has burnt off and the engine has warmed up, the gasket will seal again due to the heat and you'll be none the wiser till it gets worse.

On my old car I went 6 months on a head gasket going just topping it up till one day after a run it went completely and left me at the side of the road.

EDIT: I believe, from memory, to switch between USB and aux you use the 'mode' button the stereo.


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