Engine: TDI: 1999 V70 2.5D D5252t unbelievably slow

[ttocsc]

Hi, newbie here - been lurking a while but now require the help of you V70 gurus. I inherited a 1999 example, a D5252T with 247,000 miles. It ticks over smoothly and sounds just fine through the revs, but it's just slow as all hell. My top speed is 85mph in 4th, and it won't maintain that in 5th. 0-60 takes 22s.

I occasionally drive a VW LT35 van with the same engine, albeit detuned, and the van seems a ton faster. There is noticeable turbo lag before 2,000rpm but after it's started blowing the thing pulls strongly and will happily sit at 100mph on the motorway, uphill and all.

The Volvo, on the other hand, doesn't have that turbo sensation, it just seems to pull sluggishly from idle all the way to the governer flatly and without any boost. It really struggles to get up to motorway speeds, and needs a ton of throttle to stay there.

The previous owner had deleted the valve-type thing that's clipped on next to the MAF (boost control valve..?) - the one with 3 pipe connectors attached to the inlet hose, the wastegate and what I assume is a vacuum line - by simply joining the hose from the inlet manifold to the one going to the turbo wastegate. Reconnecting the valve thing doesn't seem to make any difference.

When you squeeze the inlet hose and get someone to rev to 3000rpm the hose inflates, so there is some boost pressure, just apparently nowhere near enough.

Having read the posts here about similar problems I've had the injection pump timing checked (-3 degrees), replaced my MAF sensor with a brand new Bosch one, deleted my EGR and checked the cat for blockage and everything looks fine. Suspect the turbo must be wrongly plumbed but everything looks fine from the top. Service light comes and goes intermittently but according to Delphi diagnostic software the only code is glowplug-related. Anyone got any ideas as to where I should start?

TIA

[doingitsideways]

You really need it plugging into Vida for a proper diagnosis.

Does the Lambda light (green triangle on an amber background) come on with ignition and go off with engine start? That's your malfunction lamp.
If it doesn't come on at all the bulb has gone. Any odd gaps in your ignition lights on the RH side?

Something is very wrong though as mine went like stink even when standard with over 300k on the clock

Is the vacuum block for the EGR still plugged in?
If not, it's probably in limp mode.

[doingitsideways]

Could really do with a picture of the block you're referring toas there's one which controls boost and one the EGR.

Give us a pic of your ignition lights while you're at it

[ttocsc]

Could really do with a picture of the block you're referring toas there's one which controls boost and one the EGR.

Give us a pic of your ignition lights while you're at it

Thanks for such a prompt reply; I'll get those after I'm finished work this evening. I haven't seen any warning lights except the orange one which says SERVICE but as you say the bulb may be gone.

[doingitsideways]

No worries, just happened to be online at the time.

Mine is an 850, so runs the older management, but I think the light is the same.
See second from right, next to the service light

[martin_r_smith]

Check the pipe on the other end if the inlet manifold, it goes to the map sensor. Look for holes /splits and also the sensor itself.

You don't want to have the pipe going straight from the boost pipe to the actuator that is a recipe for disaster.

[warninglight]

How have you checked the cat for flow?

I had similar symptoms a couple of years ago with my Disco TD5. Went through wastegate actuator, MAF, EGR, boost hoses, intercooler etc. and finally found that if I dropped the downpipe off the exhaust manifold and took it for a drive, it went like stink. No errors showing up, it just couldn't get the gas through a clogged cat element. Bashed them out and it was back to perfection.

[PNuT]

Originally Posted by doingitsideways

Mine is an 850, so runs the older management,

99 could still be 15.7....

I have come across both

[PNuT]

Deleted EGR

It does sound like it is in limp mode but never tried deleting my later engines but have heard they dont like the delete

[Richard_TD]

Originally Posted by doingitsideways

No worries, just happened to be online at the time.

Mine is an 850, so runs the older management, but I think the light is the same.
See second from right, next to the service light

If it's the newer management it's a different light, that's how you know which system you have. 15.8 has a picture of an engine, in the same position. If it's not lighting at all you should be able to find out which kind you have by shining a torch into the dash.

We had a 99/2000 model that was similarly sluggish. It had no power supply to the MAF or TC control valve. A couple of wires jumped in and full performance was restored. The previous owner had removed the bulb from the fault light.

The SERVICE light just means it's more than 10000 miles since it was reset. It's supposed to be reset after a service, but not everybody can do that.

I have VIDA ("engine" light) and VOL FCR (Lambda light) available if you fancy bringing the car over to Fife one evening or over the weekend.