V70 D5 Engine Trouble - Advice/ Opinions?

[JimmyBurnWorld]

After coping for the last couple of years with a slight injector fault, my otherwise fine example of a 2003 V70 D5 is sick.

It runs rough at idle when up to temperature, and the cutting out I had put down to a dodgy injector is getting worse.

The thing that's really worrying me is the puffing from the dip stick. I recently went through the oil breather system to see if this was blocked and found nothing wrong. Having spoken to some garages and after a bit of internet research I have decided that I'm either in a coma or I have worn piston rings.

I have found a chap who will do a full exchange engine including all ancilliaries, DMF and Clutch for £1500 fitted, with 6 months warranty.

MOT is due this Friday, but the car should get through that

2003 V70 D5, 230,000 miles. Car uses next to no oil between services.

So poll time:

1: Cut losses and sell the car with 12 months MOT - What price can I expect to achieve?
2: Live with the erratic idle - How long before terminal failure?
3: MOT, fresh engine, plough on to 300K?

Alternativley tell me I'm being a hypochondri-prat, get my injectors sorted and that at 230K I should be expecting some puffing from the dipstick!

[silverhorse]

Tough one this. At 230k you have had your moneys worth. But, as you say, it is a fine example apart from the idle and puffing.
Is it sellable as is? Maybe not.
If you did not have this problem, would you keep her? Probably yes.
Could you live with spending £1500 on the car as well as all the other normal expenses? Hmmmmm.......tough call. Dunno if I could.

If it was me, I would go to a Volvo indie, (if you haven't already) and get a definitive diagnosis. Then, when you are armed with the facts and figures you can make a considered decision.
Your problem is that the car is otherwise a good 'un. If it was a sack of poo as well as these problems, then you would get rid in a flash.
If you sold and got another, it may be just as bad or have a whole new set of expensive problems.

Hope I have cleared it up for you!!!!

[JimmyBurnWorld]

About as cleared up as I'd got it already! It's a real quandry.

I have the option to go back into a company car, however my wife's 406 is on it's way out and she loves the big swede. By the time I've sold and brought and sorted out a new car for my wife I'd probably be in for about the same sort of money as sorting the V70 and keeping it in the family.

I think I'll get the car booked into my Volvo Indie (Swedish Car Parts - Stoke: No parts, only garage services go figure!) and get a compression test done along with some other checks.

What money could I expect for a 2003 V70 D5 with 230K miles and a recent engine + new clutch & DMF? My thinking is if the difference between effectively scrap value and good saleable condition is enough, it would justify the engine work.

[LeeT5]

Have you tried having the car Decarbonised? IE a Terraclean.

Well worth the £90 and may even cure your injector problem. Will definitely drive better afterwards.

[JimmyBurnWorld]

Have you tried having the car Decarbonised? IE a Terraclean.

Well worth the £90 and may even cure your injector problem. Will definitely drive better afterwards.

Tried the Terraclean over winter:

Linky

Unfortunatley I didn't see much difference. The car felt a bit smoother to drive, but it wasn't night and day. The app I run for tracking my running costs has shown diddly squat in terms of benefit in fuel consumption. I think as the car is used mostly on motorway, the fuel system is kept reasonably clean by the high, mostly constant fuel flow rates of motorway driving.

It's booked into my Volvo indie for next monday (if it makes it that long!) so we shall see whats going on. In the words of the garage owner "You'd be puffing out of your dipstick after 230K miles"!!!

He's going to give it a pre-mot, send it off to be MOT'd, then do a compression test and general diagnosis.

He claims he can get a reasonable idea of the compression test by using a plug in doo-dah without having to pull glow plugs etc. Any idea how this is possible?

[Harvey]

I have seen a compression test on a Renault van with there clip machine (same type of machine as the volvo dice unit)
It uses the cranking speed ,crank sensor and I think a dc amp sensor,it did show a fault and was correct .

[graemewelch]

i dont know if volvo are the same but the ford tdci engine in mondeo dosnt have a crank breather. i think your getting abit to far ahead talking about new engines. have you had a leak off test on injectors. are boost pipes ok. what about egr valve. is it gunked up whats its present condition. do a compresion test. ive got one you lend if you cover the postage both ways. if all those fail id keep running it till it fails