C70 S70 V70: Blue Smoke

[kevingrim]

My 1997 S70 has started to emit a thin bit of blue smoke on start up. It has 180k miles on the clock but runs and drives really well and is a super car that I would like to keep going. However my local independent garage says that the blue smoke is an engine problem, will bugger up the CAT and so basically the car is headed for the scrap yard. Are they right or can I keep my S70 going?

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by kevingrim

my local independent garage says that the blue smoke is an engine problem, will bugger up the CAT and so basically the car is headed for the scrap yard. Are they right or can I keep my S70 going?

It rather depends upon how severe the smoke becomes ie it may just be oil creeping past valve guides/seals when it is cold which may well be why it stops as the car warms up or oil draining down past the guides overnight - try parking the car pointing uphill overnight and see whether it smokes as badly when started from cold.....it sounds daft but more oil tends to seep past when older/higher mileage 850s/V70s etc are pointing down hill!


If yours has is a turbo, it could be oil leaking past the bearing when it is cold or it could be worn piston rings. If it is the turbo, is can be repaired or substituted for a known good one from a breaker.

If it is the valve guides/seals then the costs start to climb as significantly more labour is needed to do the repair.

Get the cylinders pressure checked to rule out worn rings, the gauge fits in place of each spark plug in turn - google "pressure test cylinders ". These are tough engines and are usually good for 250k miles if looked after.

You might be able to find a local garage who will carry out a "leakdown test" which determines how well the cylinder holds pressure rather than how good the piston is at creating it.....if the rings have gone the repair will be expensive, probably costing a lot more than the car is worth.

[john.wigley]

A second vote here for valve stem seals. My N/A Ph 1 V70 (130K up) does the same. It will also puff out a cloud of blue smoke *(when coming back onto the gas)* after an extended period on the over-run, a condition which I intend to live with until it becomes an MOT issue.

Regards, John.

[Bob Meadows]

Keep it going – various reasons for this as mentioned- if causing concern at MOT time make sure it has an oil change & filter and give the car a good run prior to the test.
You can now get no smoke additives & less smoke oils but I can’t comment on suitability for the Volvo.
Bob

[DSK]

One of my T5's has 250K on it and its been driven hard too and doesn't smoke and is still on the original turbo - so these are seriously a gem of an engine like no other!

If the car is good in every other way and strong, then keep it going. Most mechanics cannot be bothered with such jobs, either because they think its an old car and the owner won't pay or, they are not good enough to do the job etc. I can only recommend Tim Williams and Kings Volvo for such things.

Far easier than spending thousands on a new car which turns out to be some body's nightmare.

[sdg1970]

Change your oil with 15w/40 and stick a bottle of Forte Seal Conditioner in. Run it for 2500 miles and then change it again. Doing this dramatically reduced the puff of smoke on mine (97 V70R) and it now only gives a slight wiff of smoke when hot - never cold - after a period of idling when it's revved very lightly.

[dingov70]

One question , is your car petrol or diesel ?

If it is diesel ,injection pump timing is very critical to ensure no blue smoke . My V70 smoked at start up . New cam & injection pump belts , along with dynamic pump timing sorted that issue .

Also ensure the breather system is working as it should , because a pressure build up can lead to oil forcing it's way to where it is not needed or wanted ,again leading to blue smoke you onmly see when stopped