Last week after a few days of the cow cutting out after a few minutes of running on petrol, I decided to get her into a garage to sort out the problem.
I pulled away from a set of lights and turned right into a narrow one way main road running over a railway bridge with a cycle path on the right, said path has a ridge of sloping curbstones to separate cars from cyclists. The cow cut out as I pulled away. I fired her up again, and she took, just enough to get me into the narrow section of the road, then she cut out again. I rolled her over the curb and ground the underside on it.
She rolled to a stop and I tried again to start her, which she did, and I went off to fill up with gas. She stopped no problem, and restarted so I drove home to pick up the other half and offspring to go to the pictures.
Again she started and ran on both gas and petrol, then out of nowhere she stopped running on gas. So I drove her down to a local garage that fits and services gas conversions. The booked her in to sort out the problem on Friday last.
Drove up to Bristol, no problems she ran without a cough on petrol. Did a bit of round town stopping and starting. Drove home, still no problems, following day the other half took her out again no problems.
Then I had a run to do, same route as the previous Monday, she ran no problem until I stopped at a roundabout. I was sitting waiting for the traffic to ease so I could pull on, normally I would slam the foot down and drop into a space in the flow, but I had the boys in blue sitting behind me.
As I sat there the engine revs started to climb and almost red lined, I had my foot on the break! So I put her in neutral, then when put her back into gear to pull away.
She was very sluggish, no power, I put my foot down and she pulled away very slowly. I got to my destination as she slowly ground to a halt, no drive.
I left her to go in to the call, about three minutes and then went back to her, checked underneath, no oil, no water no nothing, so no leaks. Got in and started her, put her in gear and she pulled away.
I got her around to my local garage and then managed to block the drive as I had no reverse to put her into a parking space. So I hopped out and pushed her back, am I glad the area is flat.
They have had a look at her and said that the oil smelt burnt when it came out. But as it was late on Friday when they go around to looking at her, not much could be done.
So now I'm waiting for the bad news tomorrow, I have a feeling that it could mean a rebuilt gearbox. Volvo say the Geartronic is a sealed for life unit, so when they go wrong are they saying it's their problem? Some how I don't think so.
Then next thing is a price for a repair, the bloody car has had my arm and a leg. It enough to make you cry off Volvos for ever, this is my fifth and it could be my last.
I'm now driving my 850 T5 and she's running like a dream, but then she's a pre Ford ownership model.
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