Volvo S60 2.0T Barge-O-Matic
Discussion
Also here is a short video of me revving it on the drive. Can you hear that sort of dull, supercharger-esque whine? Not sure if that's just how these sound of whether there is a bearing for one of the pulleys on the engine that's crying mercy!
http://1drv.ms/1Ip4Ytj
It's a one drive link.sorry.
http://1drv.ms/1Ip4Ytj
It's a one drive link.sorry.
Bit of an update.
The engine has started to idle a bit rough on a morning or after being left for a long time. It often coughs into life, then runs rough. A few blips on the throttle sorts it. Having read about Volvo and their duff ETM (electronic throttle module) I have come to the conclusion that the electronics are fine, but the throttle valve assembly likely needs a bit of a de-gunk. I guess once its all cooled down and sticky crap has condensed and settled, the airflow is restricted just that little more at idle throttle. That or the throttle gets a bit stuck at its closed position. But I hear the motor for the ETM is quite strong so not sure its that.
Anyway, had a look at cleaning it and of course, on my particular car the damn thing is buried under the manifold....
Secondly, that whining noise. Having perused YT for S60 2.0T acceleration videos, it would appear some do and some don't have this whine. The differentiating factor appears to be whether your car is manual or automatic. The latter whine, so it must be a characteristic of the 5 speed auto box.
Third. The clonking noise when setting off or getting on the throttle is likely down to the axel bolts on the ends of the shaft. This is located behind the centre caps on the wheels and to test if that is the problem you simply tighten them up having put on a little loctite. Apparently these un-torque themselves quite easily and causes some slack to appear in the shaft assembly. The permanent fix is to use similar bolts off of an XC90 which feature a rubber washer/gromet which stops them from vibrating loose.
The engine has started to idle a bit rough on a morning or after being left for a long time. It often coughs into life, then runs rough. A few blips on the throttle sorts it. Having read about Volvo and their duff ETM (electronic throttle module) I have come to the conclusion that the electronics are fine, but the throttle valve assembly likely needs a bit of a de-gunk. I guess once its all cooled down and sticky crap has condensed and settled, the airflow is restricted just that little more at idle throttle. That or the throttle gets a bit stuck at its closed position. But I hear the motor for the ETM is quite strong so not sure its that.
Anyway, had a look at cleaning it and of course, on my particular car the damn thing is buried under the manifold....
Secondly, that whining noise. Having perused YT for S60 2.0T acceleration videos, it would appear some do and some don't have this whine. The differentiating factor appears to be whether your car is manual or automatic. The latter whine, so it must be a characteristic of the 5 speed auto box.
Third. The clonking noise when setting off or getting on the throttle is likely down to the axel bolts on the ends of the shaft. This is located behind the centre caps on the wheels and to test if that is the problem you simply tighten them up having put on a little loctite. Apparently these un-torque themselves quite easily and causes some slack to appear in the shaft assembly. The permanent fix is to use similar bolts off of an XC90 which feature a rubber washer/gromet which stops them from vibrating loose.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
The permanent fix is to use similar bolts off of an XC90 which feature a rubber washer/gromet which stops them from vibrating loose.
That advice has been superseded in the last year or two.....The rubber washer bolts were trapping water and literally fusing the whole hub together in one mass of rust. Very, very expensive to sort!
I dont know about the UK, but Volvo here in NL wont even sell you the rubber washer bolts for the '90 anymore, and new wheel bearing kits from Volvo come with normal bolts.
Best thing to do is replace with new, original bolts with loctite. They are stretch bolts and can only be used once, hence re-torquing the ones you have on there is not a permanent solution.
I will re-tighten the current bolts, just to see if that actually is the problem. If the sound goes away, then I shall get some new bolts and replace them. Do you know if Volvo sell a replacement ETM with a contactless position sensor? So far I have only seen people splicing in a a third party contactless TPS into the existing ETM.
EDIT: Starting up again this morning, I am now not so sure it is the ETM. The car starts and it is lumpy. A rev up and it really sounds like there is a misfire/bad timing/cylinder out. After 2 or 3 squirts on the throttle though its fine, but then the engine sounds rather loud and blowy whilst reversing down the driveway. Really not sure whats happened since I bought it, it did not behave like this.
Still worth cleaning the ETM out? I should probably double check coils and spark plugs as well.
Is it a possibility that a petrol injector is sticking shut on first start?
EDIT2: Further sure the ETM is probably ok. This is a 2004 car so doesn't have the ill-fated Magneti Marelli ETM, its the simpler more robust Bosch unit. So now I am looking at Spark plugs, Coils, Injectors and the MAF.
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 25th June 09:11
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 25th June 10:23
Hoofy said:
I swear I posted this here but coilpacks. Check the coilpacks. Are you not getting a fault code? Mines displayed similar problems over the last month - and started throwing up an engine error. The scanner said it was cylinder 3... coilpack died. Apparently, a common issue.
No error messages as yet no. I keep getting one about the alarm, which again I gather is common fault because of where the alarm is positioned. Not too worried about it. But thats the only message I get, there are no more. Perhaps its only just starting to go? Once its generated a few HV pulses its sort of alright again.How can you test the coils to check if they are dying? Having said that, could be the HT leads as well.
Reading around...a duff coil has symptoms exactly like I have. I am, perhaps too hastily, ruling out spark plugs as I have found a service receipt showing that they had been replaced in the last two years. Though thats not to say there were replaced with something decent.
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 25th June 14:46
Otispunkmeyer said:
No error messages as yet no. I keep getting one about the alarm, which again I gather is common fault because of where the alarm is positioned. Not too worried about it. But thats the only message I get, there are no more. Perhaps its only just starting to go? Once its generated a few HV pulses its sort of alright again.
How can you test the coils to check if they are dying? Having said that, could be the HT leads as well.
Reading around...a duff coil has symptoms exactly like I have. I am, perhaps too hastily, ruling out spark plugs as I have found a service receipt showing that they had been replaced in the last two years. Though thats not to say there were replaced with something decent.
Well, yeah, HT leads/coilpack/spark plugs - that's all in the line so anything in that which goes will give you the symptoms. Early days could mean you don't see much to worry about. Give it a month. How can you test the coils to check if they are dying? Having said that, could be the HT leads as well.
Reading around...a duff coil has symptoms exactly like I have. I am, perhaps too hastily, ruling out spark plugs as I have found a service receipt showing that they had been replaced in the last two years. Though thats not to say there were replaced with something decent.
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 25th June 14:46
Initially, mine was fine on start up but when parking up and holding the brake to slow down it was juddery and the lights dimmed slightly. Then after a month, it was fine on start up but within 10 minutes it would feel slightly juddery on acceleration. Then about a week later, it was juddery while idling and I got an orange engine light that came on sometimes. Then about a week further, it would come on all the time and was always juddery. At that point, I called my mechanic. And just before I took it in, the engine light would flash. I guess next stage was the doors would fall off?
Once things like that start to go, I don't think it takes long. The EM stress from high voltage will soon wear down any 
s in the insulation etc.
Mine is literally only faltering on start up when cold. subsequent start ups seem fine and even today when I went out for lunch it started fine. It starts first time, like you would expect but on a morning it just comes out all lumpy and once it does get going, is significantly louder for a minute or two before becoming right as rain.
Casting my mind back a week or so I had noticed this occasional hiccup out of the blue on one morning. Then it never appeared again. Now its doing it every morning. So I am definitely on the downward trajectory here. Odd though that its doing it cold, rather than hot, where you usually get ignition system issues.
Still, changing a coil pack is a damn sight easier than fannying around trying to get at the ETM!
s in the insulation etc.Mine is literally only faltering on start up when cold. subsequent start ups seem fine and even today when I went out for lunch it started fine. It starts first time, like you would expect but on a morning it just comes out all lumpy and once it does get going, is significantly louder for a minute or two before becoming right as rain.
Casting my mind back a week or so I had noticed this occasional hiccup out of the blue on one morning. Then it never appeared again. Now its doing it every morning. So I am definitely on the downward trajectory here. Odd though that its doing it cold, rather than hot, where you usually get ignition system issues.
Still, changing a coil pack is a damn sight easier than fannying around trying to get at the ETM!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 25th June 16:36
TBH I'm not the right person to speak to. I am only relaying my experiences so be in no doubt that I don't have a beard, 2 kids and a old dog called Samuel. 
It was the cheapest practical automatic that I could find for under £1k. By sheer luck does it have the 2.4T engine with a tiptronic box that I'm too lazy to use.
It was the cheapest practical automatic that I could find for under £1k. By sheer luck does it have the 2.4T engine with a tiptronic box that I'm too lazy to use.
Nothing came up when my indy got his OBD scanner on it. I think if there is a problem you do eventually get one on the dashboard too. I think its a short lived thing that clears before the fault can be generated.
Having said that, they pulled all the coils and plugs. All the coils appear to fire fine but cylinder 5 spark plug was mucky (whereas the other 4 were fine). So something isn't right somewhere. I'll keep an eye on it. They cleaned up all the plugs anyway and I have not had the starting issue since, so its very likely ignition was the cause. I'll likely order a new coil and a set of genuine spark plugs (apparently volvos are fussy here).
On the way home, the boost pipe blew off. Which was interesting! without any boost at all the car goes nowhere! Fixed it back on and took it out with my bluetooth OBD thing and the torque app. Shows 6-8psi of boost with peaks of 14 (which I don't trust to be honest). So about right for a low pressure turbo.
Strangely they said the manifold boost pressure sensor was reading way off, even with the engine off (ignition on). It was reporting 145 psi! Not sure what to make of that.
New power steering fluid has properly sorted the steering now. So thats good. They couldn't see anything wrong with the handbrake, so I guess thats just how it is.
New axel bolts + loctite have solved the clonk on power take up but there is now new clonks when hitting speed bumps. I am going to assume drop links. Its a heavy car and the roads round here are worse than the surface of the moon, so I am sure they're taking a battering. Will sort out some HD drop links in the near future and a set of new bushes.
Got the tow bar removed, which was a heavy fker! The back of the car now sits a bit higher!
Having said that, they pulled all the coils and plugs. All the coils appear to fire fine but cylinder 5 spark plug was mucky (whereas the other 4 were fine). So something isn't right somewhere. I'll keep an eye on it. They cleaned up all the plugs anyway and I have not had the starting issue since, so its very likely ignition was the cause. I'll likely order a new coil and a set of genuine spark plugs (apparently volvos are fussy here).
On the way home, the boost pipe blew off. Which was interesting! without any boost at all the car goes nowhere! Fixed it back on and took it out with my bluetooth OBD thing and the torque app. Shows 6-8psi of boost with peaks of 14 (which I don't trust to be honest). So about right for a low pressure turbo.
Strangely they said the manifold boost pressure sensor was reading way off, even with the engine off (ignition on). It was reporting 145 psi! Not sure what to make of that.
New power steering fluid has properly sorted the steering now. So thats good. They couldn't see anything wrong with the handbrake, so I guess thats just how it is.
New axel bolts + loctite have solved the clonk on power take up but there is now new clonks when hitting speed bumps. I am going to assume drop links. Its a heavy car and the roads round here are worse than the surface of the moon, so I am sure they're taking a battering. Will sort out some HD drop links in the near future and a set of new bushes.
Got the tow bar removed, which was a heavy f
ker! The back of the car now sits a bit higher!I really don't see the point in getting one of these, why not just go for the T5? Surely they're the same in terms of fuel economy?
Same applies for the 9-5, the Aero is the best petrol model in the range for fuel economy.
It'd have to be a D5 or T5 for me if I went for an S60, rather than a watered down version.
Same applies for the 9-5, the Aero is the best petrol model in the range for fuel economy.
It'd have to be a D5 or T5 for me if I went for an S60, rather than a watered down version.
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