Sensible commuter - Volvo S60 2.0T LPG
Discussion
After the recent SOTW LS400 I needed something economical to do 20k+ miles a year. I was really struggling to find anything suitable - everything was either too gutless, too thirsty, too f
ked or too diesel. What can I say, a couple of years of driving decent petrol engines has really made me dislike the idea of running around in a diesel.
So in the end I found this and picked it up a week ago. A base spec Volvo S60 2.0T converted to LPG, it's got pretty much everything I need. Aircon, comfy seat, decent stereo, economical. Time will tell if it proves to be a good move or not but it's had all the usual S/V70 problem points addressed and the LPG conversion is exceptionally neat. Overall it's in excellent condition for the age and has obviously been really well looked after by the previous owner. It also came with a set of winter wheels and tyres which is a nice bonus - if nothing else I shouldn't need to buy any new tyres for a while!
It drives really nicely, being an S60 it's almost completely lacking in driver feedback (my S70R is light years ahead of it in that regard) but it's a great mile eater. I drove it back from Sheffield to Berkshire last week and had no aches or pains when I arrived. Performance is pretty decent, 180bhp and a decent slug of torque, and the engine is very smooth. I reckon it makes a very good alternative to a diesel.
It's a bit early to know what sort of MPG I'm getting as I'm still on my first tank of gas but I'm hoping for the equivalent of high 40's MPG.
Very tidy under here for an aftermarket LPG conversion:
90L cylinder tank takes up quite a lot of boot - not a problem for me and it means I get a proper spare wheel in the usual place:
Not very PH, the smallest lowest powered petrol engine in the range, but it does mean I can run a nice 5-pot engine at high annual mileages and have money left over for something more PH in the garage - can't complain
ked or too diesel. What can I say, a couple of years of driving decent petrol engines has really made me dislike the idea of running around in a diesel.So in the end I found this and picked it up a week ago. A base spec Volvo S60 2.0T converted to LPG, it's got pretty much everything I need. Aircon, comfy seat, decent stereo, economical. Time will tell if it proves to be a good move or not but it's had all the usual S/V70 problem points addressed and the LPG conversion is exceptionally neat. Overall it's in excellent condition for the age and has obviously been really well looked after by the previous owner. It also came with a set of winter wheels and tyres which is a nice bonus - if nothing else I shouldn't need to buy any new tyres for a while!
It drives really nicely, being an S60 it's almost completely lacking in driver feedback (my S70R is light years ahead of it in that regard) but it's a great mile eater. I drove it back from Sheffield to Berkshire last week and had no aches or pains when I arrived. Performance is pretty decent, 180bhp and a decent slug of torque, and the engine is very smooth. I reckon it makes a very good alternative to a diesel.
It's a bit early to know what sort of MPG I'm getting as I'm still on my first tank of gas but I'm hoping for the equivalent of high 40's MPG.
Very tidy under here for an aftermarket LPG conversion:
90L cylinder tank takes up quite a lot of boot - not a problem for me and it means I get a proper spare wheel in the usual place:
Not very PH, the smallest lowest powered petrol engine in the range, but it does mean I can run a nice 5-pot engine at high annual mileages and have money left over for something more PH in the garage - can't complain
Fingers crossed it stays reliable It's certainly got enough go for a commuter car, just need to remember to use the gearbox and not rely on it having enough grunt to pick up speed quickly in the higher gears...... 'cos it doesn't 
Did a few jobs over the weekend. First I changed the air and pollen filters, air filter was a doddle but the pollen filter was a PITA. The housing cover is in the passenger footwell and is held on by four torx-head screws, two of which were an absolute nightmare to get to. Ended up taking over an hour just to change two filters
Then I wired in my bluetooth/iPod kit. I'd forgotten what pain it is to get the head unit out on the S60/V70 but got there in the end.
Did my first LPG fill - equivalent petrol MPG in the high 40's which I was pretty happy with considering that covered quite a lot of time stuck in traffic and also some sustained high-ish speed motorway running. Will be interesting to see what the next tank is like as that will be much more representative of normal use. I'm not going to get anal about measuring my MPG etc, just curious to see what I can expect from a tank at the moment.
It's certainly got enough go for a commuter car, just need to remember to use the gearbox and not rely on it having enough grunt to pick up speed quickly in the higher gears...... 'cos it doesn't Did a few jobs over the weekend. First I changed the air and pollen filters, air filter was a doddle but the pollen filter was a PITA. The housing cover is in the passenger footwell and is held on by four torx-head screws, two of which were an absolute nightmare to get to. Ended up taking over an hour just to change two filters
Then I wired in my bluetooth/iPod kit. I'd forgotten what pain it is to get the head unit out on the S60/V70 but got there in the end.
Did my first LPG fill - equivalent petrol MPG in the high 40's which I was pretty happy with considering that covered quite a lot of time stuck in traffic and also some sustained high-ish speed motorway running. Will be interesting to see what the next tank is like as that will be much more representative of normal use. I'm not going to get anal about measuring my MPG etc, just curious to see what I can expect from a tank at the moment.
First full week on the new commute and the car has been spot on - certainly not entertaining but as a tool to make a commute easy I really can't complain.
Good news on the fuel economy - equivalent to 55mpg on diesel or 51 mpg on petrol.
So far I'm really happy with the decision to go LPG again. Only time will tell how well the car holds up but compared to the crap I was looking at when hunting for a sub-£2k diesel it certainly seems like a better option.
Now to get the S70R sold and go track day car hunting
Good news on the fuel economy - equivalent to 55mpg on diesel or 51 mpg on petrol.
So far I'm really happy with the decision to go LPG again. Only time will tell how well the car holds up but compared to the crap I was looking at when hunting for a sub-£2k diesel it certainly seems like a better option.
Now to get the S70R sold and go track day car hunting
The previous owner converted it himself. Buying an already converted car is usually a lot cheaper than getting it converted yourself,the problem is finding one that's not knackered.
You can pick up a nice one of these for about a grand, but there are a lot of dogs out there so it will probably take some looking. Conversion prices will vary depending on your location, the installer and the kit being used but I'd guess at a ballpark figure of £1400 or so - could vary either way.
You can pick up a nice one of these for about a grand, but there are a lot of dogs out there so it will probably take some looking. Conversion prices will vary depending on your location, the installer and the kit being used but I'd guess at a ballpark figure of £1400 or so - could vary either way.
Quick update:
Car generally doing a great job.
Clutch on the way out which isn't that surprising as it's the original one, not sure if it's just worn out or if it's been contaminated by a failed slave cylinder which is quite common on these. Either way it's still perfectly usable at the moment so I'll see how it goes.
Have had to spend a bit of money because the VVT solenoid packed up which causes problems starting, worse fuel economy and a lack of top end performance. I was expecting it to be a nice simple job - it's four bolts and one gasket - but unfortunately the new part is "upgraded" and comes with a different connector. I've not done any soldering for a couple of decades but it came back to me pretty quickly!
Still way too warm to put the winter wheels on but when they do go on I'll have to get one of the current wheels refurbished thanks to some nasty kerb rash - not my fault...... Grrrrr!
Car generally doing a great job.
Clutch on the way out which isn't that surprising as it's the original one, not sure if it's just worn out or if it's been contaminated by a failed slave cylinder which is quite common on these. Either way it's still perfectly usable at the moment so I'll see how it goes.
Have had to spend a bit of money because the VVT solenoid packed up which causes problems starting, worse fuel economy and a lack of top end performance. I was expecting it to be a nice simple job - it's four bolts and one gasket - but unfortunately the new part is "upgraded" and comes with a different connector. I've not done any soldering for a couple of decades but it came back to me pretty quickly!
Still way too warm to put the winter wheels on but when they do go on I'll have to get one of the current wheels refurbished thanks to some nasty kerb rash - not my fault...... Grrrrr!
charltjr said:
Clutch on the way out which isn't that surprising as it's the original one, not sure if it's just worn out or if it's been contaminated by a failed slave cylinder which is quite common on these. Either way it's still perfectly usable at the moment so I'll see how it goes.
Ahhhhhhhhh st fk wk.......Slave cylinder/release bearing (they're combined) has started squealing so clearly isn't going to live much longer.
I was aware I was in for a hefty bill given the amount of labour involved but the damn thing's only got a DMF as well hasn't it. Would be a bit daft to take the gearbox off to replace the clutch and slave and leave the old DMF in there - and in any case the garage tell me when the slave fails it usually contaminates the flywheel as well as the clutch. Looking at a total bill of about a grand.
Buggery b
ks.It's only money.
Definitely getting it all done - I'm going to have the car a few years so given I've got to pay the labour to get in there anyway there's no point in not doing it.
I was aware of the slave cylinder issue and clutch contamination etc, it was all good when I picked the car up. Just sheer bad luck. Never even considered whether it had a DMF or not but to be fair it wouldn't have changed my decision to buy it, just one of the risks you run when buying a car I guess. No point in getting shut of it for something else because whatever I replace it with would be just as likely to have issues of it's own - better the devil you know and all that.
I was aware of the slave cylinder issue and clutch contamination etc, it was all good when I picked the car up. Just sheer bad luck. Never even considered whether it had a DMF or not but to be fair it wouldn't have changed my decision to buy it, just one of the risks you run when buying a car I guess. No point in getting shut of it for something else because whatever I replace it with would be just as likely to have issues of it's own - better the devil you know and all that.
All done.
Flywheel would apparently still have been serviceable but was right on the tolerance limit, clutch was pretty badly worn and also contaminated with brake fluid, slave cylinder was leaking.
Also had a new set of front pads and an aircon regas done while it was there - somehow those smaller jobs hurt less when added on to a frikking enormous bill.
Now looking forward to a few months of surviving on baked beans, toast and gruel.
Flywheel would apparently still have been serviceable but was right on the tolerance limit, clutch was pretty badly worn and also contaminated with brake fluid, slave cylinder was leaking.
Also had a new set of front pads and an aircon regas done while it was there - somehow those smaller jobs hurt less when added on to a frikking enormous bill.
Now looking forward to a few months of surviving on baked beans, toast and gruel.
I've not checked the LPG mpg for a couple of months, I was getting high 20's mpg which given the price differential worked out to about a 50mpg petrol equivalent.
I do enjoy the driving characteristics much more than a diesel, although you don't have the low down torque punch it's nice to be able to rev the engine.
I'll see what actual MPG I'm getting on gas over the next week or two. I know it's been working out somewhere in the region of £10 or £11 for every 100 miles which I've been happy with.
I do enjoy the driving characteristics much more than a diesel, although you don't have the low down torque punch it's nice to be able to rev the engine.
I'll see what actual MPG I'm getting on gas over the next week or two. I know it's been working out somewhere in the region of £10 or £11 for every 100 miles which I've been happy with.
Checked the MPG on the last tank and it's running at 25mpg, at current prices that's roughly equivalent to 47mpg on petrol or 49mpg on diesel.
Still happy with that, the drop is because I've changed the time at which I commute in to work so I spend about ten minutes a day in stop/start traffic now whereas when I was getting 28/29 mpg out of it I generally just had a straight run.
The maths will start to look worse over winter because LPG prices always go up in the cold weather, and petrol/diesel prices are falling back a bit at the moment.
The car is just coming up to 130k miles and is running perfectly (fingers crossed......)
Still happy with that, the drop is because I've changed the time at which I commute in to work so I spend about ten minutes a day in stop/start traffic now whereas when I was getting 28/29 mpg out of it I generally just had a straight run.
The maths will start to look worse over winter because LPG prices always go up in the cold weather, and petrol/diesel prices are falling back a bit at the moment.
The car is just coming up to 130k miles and is running perfectly (fingers crossed......)
Loving the car on the winter wheels. How much of it is the different tyre design and how much is the smaller wheels/higher sidewall I'm not sure about, but either way the ride is much improved. The downside is a generally "squidgier" response in cornering but this car has never been about driving fun.
What I'm not liking is the reliability. It's never actually let me down, but the brake servo has now started to fail. I'm getting "hissing brake pedal" syndrome which usually happens because a small hole in the servo diaphragm has opened up. It can apparently go on for months in the state it's in before finally going pop, but I'm not happy with the potential to lose servo assistance so I'm getting it fixed straight away.
This is apparently another known issue with the early S60/V70 cars which is fixed by an upgraded part so it should be done and dusted now, but it still doesn't change the fact that muggins here is having to shell out for it. I might be lucky and it might just be some pipework which has failed rather than the servo, but the odds aren't good.
If it is the servo then I'm getting perilously close to having spent the purchase price on repairs in the course of six months. Such is life sometimes when running old cars at high mileages.
Overall given I'm looking at near-zero depreciation I can't complain too much about the value for money I'm getting.
What I'm not liking is the reliability. It's never actually let me down, but the brake servo has now started to fail. I'm getting "hissing brake pedal" syndrome which usually happens because a small hole in the servo diaphragm has opened up. It can apparently go on for months in the state it's in before finally going pop, but I'm not happy with the potential to lose servo assistance so I'm getting it fixed straight away.
This is apparently another known issue with the early S60/V70 cars which is fixed by an upgraded part so it should be done and dusted now, but it still doesn't change the fact that muggins here is having to shell out for it. I might be lucky and it might just be some pipework which has failed rather than the servo, but the odds aren't good.
If it is the servo then I'm getting perilously close to having spent the purchase price on repairs in the course of six months. Such is life sometimes when running old cars at high mileages.
Overall given I'm looking at near-zero depreciation I can't complain too much about the value for money I'm getting.
Yep I agree with you. I've currently got the 17" wheels up for sale. If they don't sell then it doesn't matter as they can just sit in the garage until the warmer weather, then I'll finish off the tyres and sell them as bare wheels.
Car is back from the mechanic and the brakes feel much better, obviously the old servo wasn't doing it's job entirely correctly for some time. Cruise control has gone west but a play with the brake and/or clutch position sensor will most likely sort that out, if not I'm sure the guy who did the work will take a look for me.
So that's:
£110 for the VVT solenoid (fitted it myself)
£1100 for the clutch, flywheel, DMF and a set of brake pads plus an aircon regas
£340 for the brake servo - and that was a very good price for the part and the work.
£1550 on repairs so far. <sigh>
Car is back from the mechanic and the brakes feel much better, obviously the old servo wasn't doing it's job entirely correctly for some time. Cruise control has gone west but a play with the brake and/or clutch position sensor will most likely sort that out, if not I'm sure the guy who did the work will take a look for me.
So that's:
£110 for the VVT solenoid (fitted it myself)
£1100 for the clutch, flywheel, DMF and a set of brake pads plus an aircon regas
£340 for the brake servo - and that was a very good price for the part and the work.
£1550 on repairs so far. <sigh>
Cruise control was an easy fix in the end, the balljoint linking the clutch pedal to the position sensor had popped off. Most likely due to all the messing around when the brake servo was replaced, no biggie, it just popped right back on and now I've got my cruise back.
Good news is that I sold the old "summer" wheels for £300 which pretty much covered the cost of the servo replacement. The current wheels will just have a set of new tyres thrown on once the current winter tyres get low on tread. They're considerably cheaper than the bigger tyres anyway so I can't see any reason to run the larger wheels at all. OK the bigger wheels look a bit better, but it's a base spec S60 for chrissakes
Slowly starting to build some trust back in the car again, hopefully I'm in for a period of just putting fuel in the tank and driving it. Please. God.
Good news is that I sold the old "summer" wheels for £300 which pretty much covered the cost of the servo replacement. The current wheels will just have a set of new tyres thrown on once the current winter tyres get low on tread. They're considerably cheaper than the bigger tyres anyway so I can't see any reason to run the larger wheels at all. OK the bigger wheels look a bit better, but it's a base spec S60 for chrissakes
Slowly starting to build some trust back in the car again, hopefully I'm in for a period of just putting fuel in the tank and driving it. Please. God.
charltjr said:
hopefully I'm in for a period of just putting fuel in the tank and driving it. Please. God.
That's exactly what's happened. Gas in the tank, a top up of oil, nothing to report.Had a very odd conversation with someone at the petrol station last time I filled up. "Bet you regret having LPG now petrol prices have dropped so much, eh?". Um, well, no? Admittedly my "petrol equivalent" mpg doesn't look so pretty any more as it's in the low 40's but the car isn't costing me a penny more to fuel than the day I bought it so I'm still perfectly happy with it.
Service is coming due, so that's 12,500 miles in six months under the cars belt.
Looked through the schedule this evening and all it scheduled for is a cabin filter, oil filter and oil. The usual checks but nothing else is scheduled for replacement. Phew.
I think I'll give the cabin filter a miss as I only changed it six months ago, I'll do it at the next service.
The car continues to behave itself perfectly, it's been starting without a hitch even in -6C but then I guess that's a pretty mild day for a Volvo
Looked through the schedule this evening and all it scheduled for is a cabin filter, oil filter and oil. The usual checks but nothing else is scheduled for replacement. Phew.
I think I'll give the cabin filter a miss as I only changed it six months ago, I'll do it at the next service.
The car continues to behave itself perfectly, it's been starting without a hitch even in -6C but then I guess that's a pretty mild day for a Volvo
Just a quick update:
All is well!
The S60 is off to my mechanic next week for an oil service as per the schedule, but other than that and a slightly tired battery which needed replacing it's been ticking along perfectly.
The winter tyres have lasted well and certainly have at least one more year in them if not two, but now the weather is warming up they'll be coming off shortly. The other big advantage of running the 16" wheels is cheap tyres - a set of four from a good brand comes in at only a little over £200. Marvellous
I can't see me keeping the S60 much longer, it's a great car but boredom is starting to kick in and I fancy something with an auto box next time around, although I'll probably end up with a cheap lease deal of some sort so I don't need to worry about unexpected bills. The fact it's taken me nine months to get to that point is a tribute to the car really, it usually only takes about six!
All is well!
The S60 is off to my mechanic next week for an oil service as per the schedule, but other than that and a slightly tired battery which needed replacing it's been ticking along perfectly.
The winter tyres have lasted well and certainly have at least one more year in them if not two, but now the weather is warming up they'll be coming off shortly. The other big advantage of running the 16" wheels is cheap tyres - a set of four from a good brand comes in at only a little over £200. Marvellous
I can't see me keeping the S60 much longer, it's a great car but boredom is starting to kick in and I fancy something with an auto box next time around, although I'll probably end up with a cheap lease deal of some sort so I don't need to worry about unexpected bills. The fact it's taken me nine months to get to that point is a tribute to the car really, it usually only takes about six!
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