S40 (New) Engine 2.0D : Low power at high speed and possible solenoid fault

[milzibkit]

Hello,

I've posted here before and was advised to get my codes read; I took my car to a garage and I've been told a possible solenoid fault was found when the codes were read.

Is this likely to be the cause of the problem I have (and always have had ever since buying the car 2nd hand) with a lack of power and acceleration when faced with even the very slightest of incline at high speed?
If I'm on a motorway/dual carriageway and cruising at 70-80mph, the car will slow down to ~60mph when going up a slight incline. Even dropping down from 6th to 4th will not provide any extra acceleration and I have to poodle along with my foot flat on the pedal until the hill ends. Overtaking in this situation is impossible.

The car will rev to ~4000rpm quite happily up to a speed of about 60, then it just dies on me.

I'm going to be driving to the south of France soon and really want to sort the problem before I go. However, the ever-present issue of not actually having any money for an expensive fix (such as DPF replacement) is still worrying me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[fenton_jd]

So when you get to 60mph, does it stop reving properly after this? Sounds like "limp home mode". When did you last have the DPF additive tank topped up?

When mine was running low, the car would go into limp home mode every so often. When the tank was empty it constantly went into that state.
No power after 2,500 rpm. Revs feel very restricted and slow etc. Barely possible to pass 60mph.

Tips:

- get the additive tank topped up at a volvo dealer

- the Y shaped hose connector at the front of the engine houses the throttle open/close valve. Unscrew the hose clamps and get a rag in there, clean the valve as best you can to remove any sticky residue.

- There's an aluminum pipe that runs from the top of the engine bay to front. Try and remove this and uncake any crud build up. It looks tricky to remove the front bit of the pipe (you need Torq 25 screwdriver bits) but if you clear a path by unbolting a few minor things, you can get it off.

- fuel filter, if you see lots of bubbles (large ones) flowing through the diesel fuel pipes around the engine, have the fuel filter replaced at the dealer

[spokoluzik]

got any codes at all???
normally diagnostic gives clear results.
what engine you have.
what is 8th digit of your vin??
where are you in london??
how many miles have done???
sometimes have to ask many questions to find right answer.

[milzibkit]

Originally Posted by spokoluzik

got any codes at all???
normally diagnostic gives clear results.
what engine you have.
what is 8th digit of your vin??
where are you in london??
how many miles have done???
sometimes have to ask many questions to find right answer.

Thanks for the responses so far.

I don't remember if the garage gave me a specific code, I'll check when I get home.
It's the 2.0D engine, with dreaded DPF.
I'm now living in Kent, but still inside the M25.
When I bought the car it was on 60k, now it's on 83k.

I did get it serviced when I had the codes read and the garage's opinion was there was nothing wrong with it except the "possible" solenoid fault. Just hoping I can get away with not having to change the DPF.

[Guru]

Well, if the codes indicate a solenoid fault, and with given symptoms, it just might me the Turbo Control Valve "TCV" which is an electro-pneumatic switch that costs around £50 to replace.



It's that brown thingy in the blue circle.

[spokoluzik]

had customer with similar problem and readings from non Volvo computer. at the end we just refilled dpf fluid.

[milzibkit]

Just in case anyone reads this thread after searching similar problems, I've now got everything sorted.

I took the car into Volvo Orpington to have the codes read, having previously had the codes read at a recommended independent garage in Blackheath.

Volvo got 2 fault codes that the indie garage didn't pick up on and it turns out I needed a new EGR valve, which wasn't particularly cheap.

I also had a cracked pipe leading to the turbo control valve (so the garage said), which had been taped up by someone previously (assuming the previous owner, thanks for that mate).

Cost me £500 in total to fix, but the car really flies now. I thought it was ok in 1st-4th gear before, but the turbo is soooo much more powerful now. Yet to take it onto the motorway, but I assume it'll have a lot more kick at high speed too. Can't stop smiling, because it really feels like a new car


Thanks for the advice given on here (Guru, you were pretty much correct!).

[milzibkit]

Hello, Me again!

On my way to work this morning, accelerating fairly hard up a slip road to join the motorway with the turbo doing its job, the car suddenly lost power and went into limp home mode. Cue a very slow and boring journey until I could get off the motorway.

Once I'd turned the engine off and back on again, it seemed to be fine. Has it been known for cars to go into limp home mode without any actual fault having developed? I got no warning lights or messages on the dash?

I'm supposed to be driving to the south of France next week, so now very concerned that there's another underlying problem, or the original problem wasn't entirely fixed by Volvo. They can't look at my car until Tues next week, which only leaves a couple of days before I go away.

[rossiboi]

Hi milzibkit,
I too have a s40 2.0d sport, 84k on the clock, and it does the same as your car, fine one minute, flat as a fart the next. I was going to go down the EGR valve path, but after reading your post I dont know what to do...........

I have changed the turbo control vavle (brown one near the battery) and that made no difference. Maybe I might get the DPF fluid topped up......

Hey ho, onwards and upwards...................

[fenton_jd]

Once the DPF additive tank is empty, it'll go into limp home mode pretty much every time you accelerate hard.

A volvo dealer needs to refill it and reset the fault code.