Other XC90 Problem: Excessive smoke (inconsistently)

[NMB]

Hi All,

So, I wanted to share an update with you all, if anyone may be interested, about my progress to finding a solution to my Smoking Volvo XC90.

I am delighted to say that the problem has been found and fixed!!!

After some testing and inspections with VIDA, I had narrowed down the likelihood of my problem being due to the turbo seals leaking as there was some fresh oil on the charged air side and the pipework into the throttle and EGR was hugely carbonised and also with oil contamination.

So, I will share my preparation to taking the turbo out and replacing it.

Purchases preinstall:
1) New Turbo
2) Turbo fixing kit and gaskets
3) Syringe to prime the turbo with oil (before starting)
4) Carb cleaner x 5
5) Break Cleaner
6) Seafoam penetrating fluid (This stuff is absolutely amazing btw)
7) Kitchen scourer (to clean the inlet pipework from carbon)
8) Molyslip engine oil flush
9) 10 litters of Manol 0/30 low sulphured fully synthetic oil
10) 20 Litters or Manol premixed anti-freeze
11) Multi pack of 100 various sized copper rings

Engine Flush
As I was very worried about the oil rings being carboned up and being the cause of the smoke, so I added the Engine Flush to the oil and ran the engine on idol for 12 minutes pre dismantling. I figured that a good internal clean would be good for the engine and may help decarbonise the rings if they were a problem.
Once 12 minutes were up, I turned off the engine, disconnected the battery and started the next step. The instructions stated 10 minutes, but I decided to give it a couple more minutes for good measure.

Radiator Drain
I decided to do a drain of the cooling system and then to flush the radiator to clean out any unwanted junk internally in the system. The water was a mickey red prior to the drain, and this may have been to different types of anti-freeze or perhaps gunk in the system. I was unsure so I flush mit as I felt a drain would be beneficial.

Turbo Replacement
Without listing all of the steps to replace the turbo, I simply followed the turbo replacement steps as listed in the technical guide in VIDA.

The detail I will add is at the point that the steps state “Remove the turbo” as once disconnected its not possible due to the space between the manifold and the bulkhead.

Here we go:
1) Remove the manifold nuts and loosen the manifold.
2) Remove all of the manifold studs
3) Support the engine on a trolly jack and take the weight of the engine
4) Disconnect the 6 driveshaft bolts connecting the drive shaft to the Bezzle Gearbox
5) Remove the front engine mount at the bottom of the engine and the bottom engine stabiliser
6) Carefully lower the engine watching closely the clearance of the crank flywheel onto the subframe.
7) Now you can pull the turbo out – it will be very tight, and you will need to “manoeuvre” the turbo carefully out of the tight gap.
8) Reassemble.

Once the turbo was out it was very clear that there was plentyh of movement on the shaft and that this was deffinetely A problem and needed to be replaced.

(You do not need to remove the bevel gearbox doing it this way!!!)

EGR & Pipework Clean
I also removed the charged air pipework, throttle body butterfly and the EGR pipework to the manifold for a thorough clean. Inside the pipe work and EGR I would hazard a guess that the diameter was reduced by around 30% due to carbon build-up. I understand this is normal for this engine but bloody hell I have never seen anything like it! It was disgusting and an ABSOLUTELY filthy job cleaning all this, but it was done, and it was very clean when reassembled.

Whilst the pipework was off, I removed the PCV “lid” and removed the catch can for cleaning. I checked the PCV diaphragm and this was in good condition, so I just cleaned it and reassembled checking all pipework for blockages.

Oil and Filter Change
I replaced the oil in the system with no additives and installed a new oil filter.
Start-Up

On start-up I flicked the key and she fired up on the button but I killed it after 4 seconds. Waited and repeated this again q2 more times before I started her properly and let her idol for 10 minutes (whilst deliriously running around the car jumping around shouting “it’s working” (Ask my neighbour!!!))
After 10 minutes and running it up to temperature I started blipping the throttle and there was only steam coming out of the exhaust with a good diesel oil free smell.
After another 5 minutes I killed the engine and checked the entire system for leaks – and there were none.

VIDA
Logging into VIDA there were no error codes reporting so I navigated my way to the advanced system settings and reset the adaptations to the Turbo Actuator, DPF pressure and throttle body.

I felt that the changed i had made to the car deserved these to be reset.

By 8pm that evening I took the car on a short drive to “burp” the cooling system and
I had concerns as it was quite a smoke show after 5 miles – I figured (HOPED!!!) that it was the oil in the intercooler being burnt off.

I then packed the car and the following morning we left for Scotland and smashed in 485 miles in the car with our 5 children, top box and bike rack and the car was great. It took about 100 miles before there wasn’t any smoke and on arrival, I checked the oil and found myself deliberating whether the car had used any oil.

The fact that I wasn’t sure whether I had used any oil (as it was in a very similar place or so I thought) is probably the answer to the high oil consumption I had of 150 miles from min to max.

So the reason for this protracted story is really to offer he,p to oters and also share the news of this mamoth job with others as it help. Also a huge thank you to everyone who has offered help to me with my smoking problem – I cannot thank you enough.

How Hard was it?

I have to say that for my knowledge and skill level this was a very big job. Not because it was a difficult job to do, as the reality is that its just discionnecting and replacing an engine component, but it;s all about access.

i would say that there are 7 nuts/bolts that are just hugely difficult to access and this is the difficulty of the job. Space is tigt and often, even with mirrors well placed, you just cannot see what you are doing.

Anyway thats enough from me.

My Volvo now only has an intermittent light ring fault which i'll get fixed at some pont soon.

Nigel.

[gmonag]

Well done - great persistence!