[Geezer]

G'day from Downunder,

First I have to admit that this is pretty much a generic enquiry. I have contacted a number of other Volvo sites in the hope someone can give me and my mechanic a few clues.

Second, I'd like to say thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences. I have been in and out of this site (and others) for a while now taking in what you guys have been doing and finding out about 850 Volvo's. Up until now I haven't had a problem that I haven't been able to sort out through reading different postings....until today! (I woke up this morning and just knew it was going to be a BAD DAY).

Third, sorry about the length of this post.

The Story So Far:

My wife took our 95 850 Turbo (105,000Kms, auto, FSH etc.etc) and the kids away on a shopping trip approx 100 kms. On the way home, after spending every last cent we have, the car basically FARTED and SHIT itself.

The story according to her is as follows (no reason to doubt her...verified by the kids): just been through some serious road works (deep potholes) at 30kph (15-20mph?), came out the other side and accelerated up a hill onto a long flat stretch of road up to 100kph (70mph??).

Along the flat stretch she noticed a ticking sound in the cabin that was audible above the stereo (we like it loud). She noticed no acceleration when she pressed the "go" pedal, and also that the temp gauge was higher than normal, however it was nowhere near the red zone.

Next thing the oil warning light came on. She looked in the rear view mirror and noticed heaps of blue smoke trailing behind, and pulled over to the side of the road. When she pulled over, she said heaps of blue smoke billowed out from under the bonnet and pretty much every other warning light on the dash came on. She then turned the ignition off.

Questions:

1) Can anyone identify what caused the ticking sound?
2) Is it likely that the oil line that feeds the turbo has parted company somewhere?
3) Is it likely that the engine has been cooked?
4) Could it be a turbo problem?
4) Any clues on any other contributing factor?

The car has been transported back to a mechanic friends business, and he will try to sort it out next week, but as he has had minimal experience on Volvo's, can anybody offer any clues on what he should be looking for, and any clues on how to go about it?

I really hope you guys can help and look forward to your replies.

Regards,

Geezer

Eargasm: A Turbo Charged 2.3 LTR 5 Cylinder At Full Howl

P.S.: I have noticed a lot of "genuine" Volvo parts on e-bay etc. Does anyone know where they are being sourced from?

 

[Tech]

Sounds like you blew somekind of oil line,The tapping was the fact that you were low on oil.I bet if you opened the hood you will find some oil under there.
There is also a chance that the turbo went bad.
If there is oil all over clean it up and add oil and start it up and see where it comes from.
If there is no leaks then suspect the turbo or a clogged vent system pumping oil into the cylinders.

 

[ampangbear]

Regarding your "PS" part, well I have not done anymyself, so this is nor from personal experience. :|

But I know of someone who loves to DIY and loves to source parts cheapER (notice the "ER"), who'd go to online auctions for the parts. These things get shipped from all over the globe to our country. He just continues 'hunting' and checking things out (with patience) until he is fully satisfied that the product will work.

But you may want to check for yourself first. I believe eBay has some sort of 'rating' that you may want to check out on the parties involved. Further, email the seller and ask him EVERYTHING you want to know about. Normally they will entertain you, as these kind of transactions require a lot of explanation, and assurance that the parts will work. I think there's even a refund-policy (I THINK! Unsure, though) that eBay promotes.

If you are serious to source the parts from the online world, spend a little more time to get to know all the important areas that you should and must know of.

I do believe online transactions are safe, but then again, the world is a big-a**e place.

 

[Geezer]

Thanks for the info Guys,

It's all good. I won't know anything about how serious the problem is until Monday.
Will keep you posted. Incidentally, the oil level, coolant level and tyre pressures were checked before the trip...all correct. We have had no problems with this car in the 2 months since we purchased it. No warning lights coming on (other than what you would get when you turn on the ignition, then they all go out as normal), so this problem has really come out of the blue.

Regarding the parts on e-bay: I am thinking seriously about importing genuine parts into NZ for my own use (and possible re-sale), and was interested about how and where the genuine parts that are offered on e-bay etc are being sourced, that is, are they being purchased as stock run outs, overstock etc? I would like to go direct to the source if possible.

Anyway, thanks for your help. If anyone has got any more theories etc. on the engine problem or the parts on e-bay...keep posting.

Cheers,

Geezer

Eargasm: A Turbo Charged 2.3 LTR 5 Cylinder At Full Howl

 

[Tech]

I will be waiting to hear from you on how it goes.

 

[Geezer]

G'day again from Downunder,

If you're interested here is the latest info.

The engine (now after approx. 106,000 km…and that's about as far as it's going) has suffered a catastrophic meltdown. My mechanic (and mate) has pulled the engine, removed the head and discovered one of the pistons (I don't know which one…too pissed off to look) has melted in the bore.

After removing the engine, he was able to trace back the original cause of the problem.

Who wants to take bets on what was the cause??

The fault boils down to a NZ$35.00 part!! Basically the coolant thermostat has closed and the resulting heat build up has melted a piston in the bore. There was no problem with the turbo, no problem with con rods or a lack of oil or coolant. The piston has melted, the engine has spewed oil all over the engine bay, and finally seized.

My mechanic mate also said that the failure was sudden. The engine was running perfectly up until the thermostat failed, as can be witnessed by the tailpipe, which is a textbook shade of grey. He said that when my wife noticed that the temp gauge was higher than normal, it is likely that it had already been in the red zone and was on it's way down the gauge when the seizure happened. The damage had already been done, hence no acceleration.

Question 1 for everyone: How often do you check your gauges?

Anyway, the engine will be completely pulled down to see if a rebuild is likely (obtaining quotes for parts etc), or if the news is not good, a replacement engine will be sourced (obtaining quotes as well). The last eventuality could be that the whole vehicle is written off.

The only good news is, that when we purchased the vehicle, we also purchased a full mechanical insurance policy to the value of NZ$4000.00, so hopefully we will incur minimal extra impact to the wallet. The only other good news is, we would have at least a completely rebuilt engine or a very good second hand engine that shouldn't require anything more than regular servicing (hopefully).

Question 2 for everyone: Can you purchase mechanical insurance overseas? If you can, do it!

Question 3: Is there a procedure to check if a thermostat is working correctly to avoid this sort of problem in the future? If so, please advise. It really annoys me that a part like the thermostat could be the main contributor in a meltdown!!

Question 4: Is a thermostat check something that would be looked at as part of a service?

I hope, in the next few days to get a full breakdown of costs etc. I will keep you informed. Still trying to see the bright side.

Cheers,

Geezer

Not going anywhere fast!!

 

[Tech]

About the only way to keep track of the thermostat is to open it up and look at it.
They are not checked during services.
It would take you about 5-10 minutes to check it out.

Sorry to hear that it was that.
Was the thermostat stuck shut or was the side broke and it was stuck fully open?

 

[ampangbear]

In my country, I have not heard of any kind of mechanical insurance that specifically covers the mechanical parts.

 

[cpapashley]

QUOTE(Tech @ May 4 2005, 09:58 PM)About the only way to keep track of the thermostat is to open it up and look at it.
They are not checked during services.
It would take you about 5-10 minutes to check it out.

Sorry to hear that it was that.
Was the thermostat stuck shut or was the side broke and it was stuck fully open?

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Hi Tech,

Read elsewhere that the thermostat needs to be changed every five years or there abouts. Would you agree with this. Sounds like a very important service item.

 

[cpapashley]

QUOTE(Geezer @ May 4 2005, 06:29 PM)
Question 2 for everyone: Can you purchase mechanical insurance overseas? If you can, do it!

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Sorry to hear of your experience Geezer. I hope it is all covered under the warranty.

In Australia we have similar insurance for the drive train etc. Think it may be a good idea to take something like this out on the car. $4,000 sounds very hi though I think ours is more like $1,000 - $1500.

Hope to hear more on how the rebuild is going.

 

[axelm]

In my country there is a company that for 150USD they will install an oil pressure and temperature monitoring system. when the car starts to fail it will beep really loud. When the levels are catastrophic it will automatically shut the engine off.

I wonder why car manufacturers don't add an audible alarm to the temp gauge. It would cost max 3 dollars. I don't want to think that they like to sell replacement engines for rip off prices.

 

[ampangbear]

QUOTE(cpapashley @ May 21 2006, 05:55 AM)Hi Tech,

Read elsewhere that the thermostat needs to be changed every five years or there abouts. Would you agree with this. Sounds like a very important service item.

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For what it does, the price of the thermostat is cheap.
I change it every 12 months.

 

[axelm]

12 months? Isn't that an overkill?

 

[ampangbear]

It is, but even after using distilled water mixed with 50:50 Volvo original coolant, I could see the colour of the metal change (due to oxidation at high temps)...

Besides, like I said, the price of the thermostat is less than what I pay for everytime I take my family out for dinner. And besides, I fix it in myself, so labour charge is actually a pleasure for me.

Better safe than sorry...