Thread: General: - V50 S40 Recall
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Old Nov 6th, 2013, 14:33   #73
gswede
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Last Online: May 10th, 2016 15:53
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Rogaland
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My 04,5 V50 T5 died on me last october 12 months ago. No warning lights, completely dead. Not even a tick from the starter solenoid. Funny thing was that, all of a sudden it would start, then not, thought it might be sticky starter solenoid. Took it to the volvodealer who spent a week of searching. Changed the ingnition switch, no go, changed battery, no go. Checked all wiring etc. They did not check starter cause it WAS NOT the problem they claimed.
A week later they called the mrs up and told her the car was fixed and ready to be picked up.

They fixed it by bypassing the starter relay, putting a permanent from it to ground on strut tower. this worked albiet I was not impressed. Shortly there after the car took forever to warm up to normal operating temperature. Dealer changed both thermostat and ect temp sensor, twice!! Still didnt heat up. Then the power steering got screwed, worked fine when coasting at steady speed. But when giving throttle it would not respond no matter how hard i turned the wheel. Especially bad until it got to operating temp, which took forever.
Dealer changer power steering fluid, no fix. Changed the steering pump, still no fix. The car was rendered useless and I handed over my 850R to the mrs and started using public transport myself. One night I had to go for a short trip, had no choice but using the V50. After 5 miles or so, car completely shat itself, first warning light so far showed up. Checked code. Cant remember the specific code but it was for O2 stuck lean.

After this happened, cooling fan died, vacuum pump died, both O2 sensor died, maf/map/ect/fps sensor likewise.

The car got shipped to dealer. I demanded they remove the jerry rigged cable from the starter relay ground and start fresh.

They did not want to hear of it and as car was out of warranty they offered no further help.

I then started ordering parts, all the parts listed above, including new fanshroud and plugs, starter motor and all. Costly stuff.

First thing I did was to remove the little 1`black grounding cable that initially cost me 650pounds (including fault searching etc).

Then replaced all parts myself in my driveway. Car still did not start on command, still not even a tick from solenoid under no start condition. Power steering worked when car worked.
Also, when car fired up and was used. MPG was halved 11MPG max.Could newer stop until back home again, as I anticipated to be stranded wherever I chose to stop the car. Ohh the cooling fan did still not kick in.

Mailed Volvo Sweden, Norway office, Im norwegian.. also mailed Volvo US branch. No replies after 2 weeks. I went by norway branch facebook page and publicly posted my story, which is more comprehensive than this account. 1 hour later volvo called me and said they would fix the car as they had blatantly disregarded their on procedures and practises. This was early june this summer. They had the car all summer, got it back late august. More or less fixed.
They had changed the ECU, TCM, cleaned the throttlebody etc. Car is now starting on command but has intermittent power delivery issues. At least I can use my car.
Lost 11 months usage of car and to top it of I had to pay a third of the cost for the parts they installed, no labour charge. This and the cost for all the parts I`ve changed myself summizes to almost 6000pounds, including the thermostats, ECT`s, power steering pump, fluid for it twice.
Power steering I suspect to be a result of a shot maf as it works in correlation with vehicle speed, load and probably other things.

NO CODES APART FROM the O2 sensor stuck lean, throughout the ordeal.

As a sidenote I can mention other things that have gone wrong with my car. The trunk door switch, passenger side window elevetor motor, windscreen wash pump, wheel bearing before 25k miles, ac compressor and finally PCV. ohh and TCV. I have had the car flooded 3 times. 1. Ac condenser plug loose 2. Right side sun roof drain plugged 3. Left side sun roof drain plugged.
Have had the interior out of the car 3 times!!! Changed carpet once.
Now I have drilled a 3mm hole on bottom part of rear footwells so as if anything want to flood the car again, at least it drains itself.

All in all the ****tiest car I have ever owned. Smooth and nice when fine but a true nightmare when not. Needless to say I will never buy another Volvo. Let alone trust a Volvo mechanic.

Looking to part with this P.O.S as soon as possible, while it still runs.
If I can get it sold for 10k pounds I`ll be happy - crazy prices in norway. I will have taken a total loss of 86000,- eightysixthousandpounds on this car. Cost 90000,- new. Not accounting for depreciation but still...

BTW car only has 60k miles on the odometer.
I might add that car has been serviced by the book from new, by volvo dealer.

Sorry for my rant, glad I`m still breathing..

Last edited by gswede; Nov 6th, 2013 at 15:34.
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