Buying a used S40 T4 :o)

[timway]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a Phase 2 S40 T4 in the next few weeks hopefully. So far I've seen a 2001 Y T4 sport in metallic silver with42,000 on the clock at a local dealer for £7995, and have just seen a 2001 51 reg T4 SE in metallic black with 70,000 miles for £6499 on autotrader... I'm tempted to go for the latter one, not just because
its £1500 cheaper but I think they look fantastic in black :)
:D

Trouble is I do 25,000 miles a year (A and B roads) and would like to keep it a few years - so could be putting up to 145,000 on it -
and I want to get it chipped!
So I was wondering if anyone on here has experience of how well the T4 engines/drivetrain take big mileages, what sort of things go wrong (perhaps the turbo is a weak point?) - maybe its sensible to get the lowest mileage one I can find given the mileage I do...

any advice would be much appreciated!
Tim

there was a y reg t4 in the adtrader last week for 4k!!! i have a x reg t4, only had it a couple of month but everything seems ok it has 73k on mine and going strong

[timway]

Just had a look on autotrader and saw the Y reg T4 for 4k - its done 105,000 miles though.

Was looking through some old topics and noticed the cambelt service is due at 80K so maybe that one I saw with 70,000 isnt such a good idea... hmmmm...

[CJL]

I've had my '99 V40 T4 for 6 years now and have covered 100,000 miles. I'd expect the same again, without much spending.

Have had to replace the fuel pump (£200), and air recirculation solenoid (£80), along with discs all round at 83,000 miles

I'd say 70,000 is nothing for a T4, but the cambelt will need to be changed at 80,000, and the brake discs may well need changing too. This would also be a good time to change the water pump, so unless you can do some of this yourself, I'd expect a main dealer to charge about a grand plus for the 80K service. Perhaps you could use this to haggle? Having said that, you would then expect the car to go on to 150K without much more spent apart from dampers maybe.

From reading on this forum, 150K seems about average life for the turbo on T5s, but if the car's been hammered from cold and not allowed to cool before stopping it could well be much less.

hope this was of some help.....

[GorgeousGeorge]

"but if the car's been hammered from cold and not allowed to cool before stopping it could well be much less."

yeah, like 40K on my V40 2.0T, so look after it and let it cool after a blast.

80K service with cambelt,panel filter etc £460ish at an indie (yep the one in bromsgrove)

i do 17-20K miles a year, and plan to keep it forever.

only thing apart from turbo splitting on mine is the usual routine maint. tyres, discs, pads, and more tyres

still the best car i have ever had, never regretted buying it, not once..

happy hunting

scott

[timway]

Thanks for the advice!
In fact I've got to get the front discs done on my vectra tomorrow to get it through the MOT - bit annoying when I'm about to sell it but never mind.
Just been to the website of the dealer with the 70k T4 and its already been "reserved" :(
So it looks like I might be going for the silver 42,000 mile one - only thing that worries me is the dealer's had it for 6 months now! (probably because he was originally asking £9999 for it - about £2500 over book)
Very good website :D ! I didnt get anything done at work today lol
Tim

[v6en]

Hi there, i've got a 2000 T4 and it's fantastic. i don't ever plan on parting with it :)

this website can come in handy for replacement or upgraded stuff for the car:

http://www.partsforvolvosonline.com/default.php

i personally think you're better off with the low mileage one anyway, my car has done 73000 miles now and although it's given me no problems i'm starting to replace stuff that's worn and torn; you can do without that on a car you've just bought!

the turbo has had a lot of pain as i do the 1/4 mile several times a year and like a good blast around the place, and still no sign of death yet, and the engine has been perfect, just with regular servicing and changing the oil once between each service (around every 6000 miles).

if it makes you feel any better, i think my T4 sat at the dealers for a while as well, but i think that's just because it was waiting for me to come along. things like high insurance premiums probably put people off the T4, but it's well worth it, great stealth car, very fast.

jacq.

[timway]

another one's just appeared on the autotrader website - a black 2002 52 reg T4 sport lux - the phase III with black eggcrate grill, done 39000 and going for £8999 - expensive but probably worth it :o)

I emailed a Volvo dealer with a similar car, but the P/X price they offered for my car was far too low in my opinion :( - £3000 for a 2001Y 45,000 mile vectra 2.2 16v with FVSH and 12 mnths MOT - against a 51 reg T4 SE with 52,000m for £8999

I'm waiting till my insurance renewal the end of the month - if I make it without crashing I'll have 5 years ncb, which I can get protected - then a group 16 car won't be too bad

1/4 mile in 14.2 seconds ?!? :o - what have you done to yours?? :D

think they do it in about 16.5 in standard form?
Tim

[v6en]

Cone filter in cool air box
mechanical boost controller @16psi (1.1bar)
de-cat pipe.

?remap although no actual evidence that it's been done.

got full new exhaust on now and TME reflash on the 28th so hopefully manage to shave a fraction of a second off that time. it was mainly due to my boyfriend's skilled right foot that the times were as good though lol.

jacq.

[timway]

Sounds good :D
What does a mechanical boost controller do exactly?
If the ECU is remapped/chipped that would increase the
boost anyway wouldnt it?
I was thinking about an Upsolute chip, panel filter
and possibly a cat back exhaust when the standard one
needs replacing... :)

got to actually buy the thing first though... :7

Tim