The D5 engine questions

[jgjones095]

All. Currently got 2.4t petrol but considering a D5.
I've always had petrol cars so diesels are new to me.

I know there are the 165 and 185 bhp versions.
One with blacktop and grey top covers

I'm looking at a 55 plate D5 with 185 bhp. Around 150k

What are the common pitfalls /failures with them?

Would this year have the DPF EGR stuff?
How would I identify it under the bonnet?

What should I look for under the bonnet when as easing engine condition?

Cheers all.

[simonwedge]

Originally Posted by jgjones095

All. Currently got 2.4t petrol but considering a D5.
I've always had petrol cars so diesels are new to me.

I know there are the 165 and 185 bhp versions.
One with blacktop and grey top covers

I'm looking at a 55 plate D5 with 185 bhp. Around 150k

What are the common pitfalls /failures with them?

Would this year have the DPF EGR stuff?
How would I identify it under the bonnet?

What should I look for under the bonnet when as easing engine condition?



Cheers all.

All of the 185 bhp engines have grey covers, the 163 bhp engines have black covers. The 185 bhp cars have a DPF, the 163 bhp cars do not. In terms of manual gearboxes, the 185 bhp cars tend to be (are all?) 6-speed whereas the 163 bhp cars tend to be (are all?) 5-speed. Both engines are surprisinly economical for a big engine in a big car.

The DPF in itself is not a problem. However, if you do lots of short journeys then it might have a hard time performing regenerations and will flash up a message - at which point you'll have to go on an extended journey to get it to regen.

Other than DPF, both engines are very durable - clutches/dual mass flywheels can need changing and are about £750 including parts and labour to fix. Look for a clutch pedal that has a very high biting point or a clutch that rattles when the pedal is depressed.

Engine mounts can get tired and cause clonking but they're relatively easy/cheap to fix.

Hope this helps.

[Tunneruk]

As Simon above says ... the 163's are 5 speed and the 185's are 6 speed.

185's have a silver / grey engine cover.
163's have black.

185's had an updated clutch too so tend to suffer with clutch problems less than 163's.

Both have EGR valves but only the 185 has a DPF. This are fine if you buy the car being aware of it and use it accordingly, if it's only ever going to poodle around town then it's likely to clog up, however, given a 20 mile dual carriage way run once a week should see you clear of any problems.

I removed mine and cleaned it out when I bought my car, that way I knew I was starting with a clean slate so to speak.

[IJMOK]

I had a 2005 D5, nothing particular to report in terms of issues, the DPF was never an issue, I saw the full light once in 4 years after a Christmas having done lots of bumbling about but my 9-mile commute was sufficient to keep it happy under normal conditions.

The DPF does rob you of fuel economy, I rarely got above 44mpg indicated, I had an older 163bhp D5 manage far more on longer runs. That said they are getting a little long in to tooth now.

All things considered it was an ace car, only changed as the dog was far to big for the back seats in a S60, the V70 solved that, so an upgrade to a P3 seemed the logical manoeuvre

Be aware that there are some 2.4D models out there in the range your looking for, they are essentially down tuned D5’s
Easily identified as they will have the grey engine cover but will be badged as “2.4D” not “D5”

Rob

[TristarL1011]

The euro 4 engine after 2005 has swirl flaps and DPF, where the euro 3 hasn't.
Check that the swirl flap arm is attached to the flap lever and that it works ok. This can be an expensive fix (£500) if it needs new swirl flaps and can up the "Engine system service required" light on.
The 163 and 185 bhp from 2005 on are actually the same engine, same turbo, injectors ect. The only difference is the engine ECU programme. So they both can be remapped to about 220bhp with ease.
Also open the oil filler cap with the engine running. If it sounds like there is a small man in the top of the engine banging a drum then almost certain the vacuum engine mounts are shot. This can be expensive and tricky to do. I had a go at doing it myself the parts were £180 and spent 5 hours under the car with jacks trying to get the engine in the air.
Also the intercoolers are prone to leaking. If you can have a look under the car check there is no oil on the underside of the intercooler which is sandwiched between the Air con condenser and Radiator.
There is also a small oil plug on the side of the engine where it meets the gearbox. this is prone to leaking so if you can check there is no oil in between the engine and where the gearbox meets.
if you go for auto the 6 speed from 2005 is better but make sure it has had the gearbox oil changed. Volvo say "Sealed for life" but in there eyes its the life of the warranty so best to get it changed if it hasn't been done.

[outnumbered]

Originally Posted by TristarL1011

The euro 4 engine after 2005 has swirl flaps and DPF, where the euro 3 hasn't.
Check that the swirl flap arm is attached to the flap lever and that it works ok. This can be an expensive fix (£500) if it needs new swirl flaps and can up the "Engine system service required" light on.
The 163 and 185 bhp from 2005 on are actually the same engine, same turbo, injectors ect. The only difference is the engine ECU programme. So they both can be remapped to about 220bhp with ease.
Also open the oil filler cap with the engine running. If it sounds like there is a small man in the top of the engine banging a drum then almost certain the vacuum engine mounts are shot. This can be expensive and tricky to do. I had a go at doing it myself the parts were £180 and spent 5 hours under the car with jacks trying to get the engine in the air.
Also the intercoolers are prone to leaking. If you can have a look under the car check there is no oil on the underside of the intercooler which is sandwiched between the Air con condenser and Radiator.
There is also a small oil plug on the side of the engine where it meets the gearbox. this is prone to leaking so if you can check there is no oil in between the engine and where the gearbox meets.
if you go for auto the 6 speed from 2005 is better but make sure it has had the gearbox oil changed. Volvo say "Sealed for life" but in there eyes its the life of the warranty so best to get it changed if it hasn't been done.

Just to point out the injectors are not the same on the 163/185 bhp.The turbo is not the same 163 is vacuum operated,the 185 is electronic.
Mike

[Symes]

It's worth having a look at the "Diesel Engines" section too.

The 185 engines (one of mine included) can have an unhealthy thirst for oil... across the model range.

Some recent investigation and diagnosis in that section seems to indicate that the fault may lie with the way that the DPF regeneration operates, homing in on the so called 'throttle body' - alas it seems that *if* this thinking is correct there are no diagnostic codes set to point to it and might be a reason why the problems have persisted for so long!

In short, if the dealer/seller gives the slightest hint of oil consumption between services I suggest you bid them 'good day' and run :-)

On the positive side, I've had D5 engines for the past 13 Years in Eu3 and Eu4 versions, they work well in general, are reasonably economical and fairly easy to maintain. Most (oil consumption excepted) problems with them are now well understood and the 'fixes' can be found in this (and other) forums.

Despite the vilification of Diesels recently, it still makes sense for larger annual mileages, however my opinion is that the ban for Eu3 engines in central London will spread over the next few Years and the limits will start to apply to Eu4 and above before too long, that coupled with growing price differentials between petrol and diesel (128.9 vs 136.9 locally at Texaco) will eventually stop 'consumer' use (for the foreseeable future there'll need to be some way to still make things viable for the commercial traffic though). My own rough plan is that I probably expect to persevere with Diesel for another 4-5 Years before changing to some form of hybrid.

[TDIvolvo]

Originally Posted by jgjones095

All. Currently got 2.4t petrol but considering a D5.
I've always had petrol cars so diesels are new to me.

I know there are the 165 and 185 bhp versions.
One with blacktop and grey top covers

I'm looking at a 55 plate D5 with 185 bhp. Around 150k

What are the common pitfalls /failures with them?

Would this year have the DPF EGR stuff?
How would I identify it under the bonnet?

What should I look for under the bonnet when as easing engine condition?

Cheers all.

At that mileage I would want to know if the DMF has been done yet... fairly costly repair.