D4 VEA 'check engine' light / EGR fault thread

[Clan]

Originally Posted by GMcL

I thought Volvo and Volvocars were two separate companies. Now I understand two companies can share a resource but a boat Penta engine, a bus engine and a D4 VEA going down the same line one after the other ? Does that really happen ?

That Penta engine for a boat is made for cars (D5) in Bridgend isn't it ?

It was yes , but from this week the VEA takes over in the AWD cars .
The D5 was made in the FORD bridgend factory from 2007 , but the block was modified by Ford to save alluminium , In my opinion the block isn't stiff enough on the deck face because of this , you only have to look around the edge of the top of the block , The cylinder head is only supported by about 4 mm of cylinder block thickness all around the edge by about 25 mm ..

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Kev78

I don't doubt that they could.....I just doubt the Chinese owners think it is cost effective to do so.

Didn't Volvo blame a shortage of a Chinese made component as an excuse when early d4 orders were put back a few months?

The engine factory started making stuff in 1868, they supplied Volvo with their first engine in 1925. Volvo bought the factory in 1935. It's now one of the most automated factories in the world. It employs 8,000 people now.

I think the Chinese want Volvo's expertise and access the European and American markets, but I don't see any input of engine components as Volvo heavily outgun the Chinese side of the operation at the present time. Why would the parent company seek to undermine it's expensive investment? It will have Volvo setting up an engine manufacturing plant in China I'm sure but as yet we won't be getting any engines from them I'm sure.

Some video of the Volvo engine factory making engines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_RcIJQDsUQ

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by GMcL

I thought Volvo and Volvocars were two separate companies. Now I understand two companies can share a resource but a boat Penta engine, a bus engine and a D4 VEA going down the same line one after the other ? Does that really happen ?

That Penta engine for a boat is made for cars (D5) in Bridgend isn't it ?

They have far more than one production line.

[GMcL]

Originally Posted by Clan

It was yes , but from this week the VEA takes over in the AWD cars .
The D5 was made in the FORD bridgend factory from 2007 , but the block was modified by Ford to save alluminium , In my opinion the block isn't stiff enough on the deck face because of this , you only have to look around the edge of the top of the block , The cylinder head is only supported by about 4 mm of cylinder block thickness all around the edge by about 25 mm ..

Does this mean a D4 VEA AWD is in the pipeline for whichever model can accommodate it ?

What was D5 dimensions before 2007 ?

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

They have far more than one production line.

Surely the most efficient line is one that can build whatever is coming at it with JiT ? Whether that be engines, cars or whatever.
In 2015 It doesn't make sense to have a boat line, a truck/bus line and a car line.

[GMcL]

Duplicate thread.

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Clan

It was yes , but from this week the VEA takes over in the AWD cars .
The D5 was made in the FORD bridgend factory from 2007 , but the block was modified by Ford to save alluminium , In my opinion the block isn't stiff enough on the deck face because of this , you only have to look around the edge of the top of the block , The cylinder head is only supported by about 4 mm of cylinder block thickness all around the edge by about 25 mm ..

Volvo say the D5 five cylinder is made in Skodve now. Also the 4 cylinder, Also 6 cylinder. They have other engine plants as well in different countries but I think the EU cars are fitted with the Swedish made engines. They have extended that factory massively at about the same time as they split with Ford.

[GMcL]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

Volvo say the D5 five cylinder is made in Skodve now. Also the 4 cylinder, Also 6 cylinder.

This is getting weird. Why would they pull the D5 from Bridgend and make a 6 cylinder when they have publicly announced 4 cylinder and fewer is where the future is at ? Surely you'd pay Ford to produce a forecast number and when they're gone, they're gone ?

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by GMcL

Does this mean a D4 VEA AWD is in the pipeline for whichever model can accommodate it ?

What was D5 dimensions before 2007 ?



Surely the most efficient line is one that can build whatever is coming at it with JiT ? Whether that be engines, cars or whatever.
In 2015 It doesn't make sense to have a boat line, a truck/bus line and a car line.

But the factory (s) is (are) huge. However having said that if you looked at how modern vehicles are made production lines can do exactly that and still be efficient. Check out the BBC program Building Cars Live. There were no identical cars being produced on the same production line.

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by GMcL

This is getting weird. Why would they pull the D5 from Bridgend and make a 6 cylinder when they have publicly announced 4 cylinder and fewer is where the future is at ? Surely you'd pay Ford to produce a forecast number and when they're gone, they're gone ?

Maybe because they spit with Ford 6 years ago and have the capacity to make the engines themselves? They invested 34 million SEK in the factory at the time of the split.

The 6 cylinder is for the trucks I guess. (and boats?) Volvo revolutionised the truck industry in 1954 by producing small turbocharged high power units. Guess they are trying the same thing with cars now.

[GMcL]

My point was, if you were done with anything greater than 4 cylinders why pay to retool a plant to make something you no longer have an interest in ?

It makes no sense! You may as well pay a premium to leave production where it is if you are phasing it out.

I have to admit I have not seen "the BBC program Building Cars Live". Now you seem to be throwing the engine plant at Skodve into the mix wherever or whomever is building the cars. The fact is that's nothing new. The Ford Focus 1.0l 100PS is built on the same line as the 345PS RS model even though the shells are not identical.

Volvo don't line up with that. The S, V & XC are not all built in the same place and the V60 D6 is a separate entity altogether. For such a small segment within the overall Volvo stable it's a bit of a hotch-potch.