Volvo XC70 D5 - yet more comfy bargeness

Volvo XC70 D5 - yet more comfy bargeness

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Discussion

ozzuk

1,173 posts

126 months

Thursday 19th May 2022
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OP, a shining example of the best true care of a car, seeing to it's every need. You'd sell this car in a second on here if you ever had the need - I'd be tempted myself!

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Thursday 19th May 2022
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Ta smile

And not forgetting it's party piece...



TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Friday 20th May 2022
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Bled the clutch line/slave cylinder out. 5 min job with good access and a girlfriend who's slowly getting used to the pedal pushing routine.





The first few squirts that came out were black, then it got progressively less murky until it was clear after 50ml or so was through.



Doubt very much this has been done before, over the car's 190k mile life. Clutch pedal feels better as a result.

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Friday 17th June 2022
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Took the beater down to SW Cornwall for a friend's wedding and for a few days in the sun. 700 or so miles round trip by the time we'd driven around down there, 46mpg overall.






TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
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Doing what it does best:


Accelebrate

5,244 posts

214 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2022
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You’ll make it homesick! smile

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Sunday 26th June 2022
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Quite! Although only it's second or third trip in the time we've had the car.


Today's job was collecting a s/h day bed from a nearby town. The Volvo swallows this type of stuff with ease - roofrack deployed for the bits too long to fit inside.




TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Sunday 26th June 2022
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Air Conditioning

This hasn't worked in the time I've had the car. It isn't something that features on my agenda for the bargain loadlugger, but the now pregnant girlfriend was starting to look a bit hot and bothered.

Usually on a system this old it's pretty quick to diagnose - no pressure left in the system means a decent sized leak (condenser). However I still had 10psi in there so figured it can't be leaking too much and just needed a routine top-up. Over the years I've charged my own cars with decent success so went digging in the garage and found a can of stop leak and a refrigerant bottle with some still in. I duly deployed.










This enabled the compressor to kick-in, and the refrigerant didn't/hasn't leaked out, but I saw no improvement in cabin temps:



(Yep, that's a BBQ meat probe).




I started to wonder if it was a cabin temp control issue, as low-side pressure was good and compressor clutch behaved as it should - kicking in and out when button is depressed, and gap is good/clutch holds at high load. So I dug out the laptop with VIDA on and started digging around.

Usual plethora of errors, the only consistent one left after code clearing being the standard CCM-0040 cabin air quality sensor:






This is responsible for controlling the auto-recirc. A quick check of the logic statements/functionality shows that it can't affect the a/c operation, and disconnecting it means you control recirc manually with the button (no auto feature). I gave this a go and still no cool air from the vents.

A bit more digging and I can see the evaporator temp is not much below ambient:






Initially I missed the aircon pressure sensor readout, assuming it was somewhere on the systems low-side. However a look over of the parts diagram shows it's mounted in the drier/on the high side [item 11]:







Aircon off (compressor clutch disengaged) I have 188kPa pressure (~27psi). Aircon on (compressor clutch engaged) I have 215kPa (31psi). i.e. the compressor is doing bugger-all compressing.



Which is where I'm up to. I presume it requires a replacement/refurb compressor - I'll get the gas in the system vacuumed out and proceed. Unless anyone else has experience/ideas to pursue first?


Accelebrate

5,244 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2022
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Does the compressor sound normal?

Interesting to see those DIY bottles in action. I’ve used a garage in Northampton a couple of times for cheap top-ups… https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/cs-autos-2 the bottles are probably easier and cheaper if you’re starting from an empty system though.

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Thursday 30th June 2022
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I'm trying to get my A/C system emptied and no-one is interested! Have phoned a few quik-fits and they all just say that their machines have to do a refill after a vacuum. Any other national chains you have got the work done successfully with?

Smaller outfits by and large are not interested or can't do the work. Don't want to release this stuff into the atmosphere...

confused_buyer

6,610 posts

180 months

Thursday 30th June 2022
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They probably don't want a half job. What they'd normally do is suck the gas out, replace the compressor and then put the gas back in.

Replacing the compressor on one of these only books at 1.3 hours excluding the evac/refill so you might do better just to get a compressor and find someone to do the whole lot in one go for you. Using a proper machine you can be sure you've got the exact amount of gas required in there as well.

The compressors usually start making nasty noises then eventually seize on these but still compress.

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Friday 1st July 2022
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Accelebrate said:
Does the compressor sound normal?

Interesting to see those DIY bottles in action. I’ve used a garage in Northampton a couple of times for cheap top-ups… https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/cs-autos-2 the bottles are probably easier and cheaper if you’re starting from an empty system though.
It does! No knocking, squealing or groaning.

The bottles are about £45 ea and top up 2-3 cars depending on how low they are.

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Friday 1st July 2022
quotequote all
shalmaneser said:
I'm trying to get my A/C system emptied and no-one is interested! Have phoned a few quik-fits and they all just say that their machines have to do a refill after a vacuum. Any other national chains you have got the work done successfully with?

Smaller outfits by and large are not interested or can't do the work. Don't want to release this stuff into the atmosphere...
It wouldn’t take much to DIY tbh - connectors/manifold/gauges are about £25 or so online somewhere. You’d then just need a tank to evacuate it too - a small calor gas one would do the trick.



Edited by TurboRob on Friday 1st July 09:29

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Friday 1st July 2022
quotequote all
confused_buyer said:
Replacing the compressor on one of these only books at 1.3 hours excluding the evac/refill so you might do better just to get a compressor and find someone to do the whole lot in one go for you. Using a proper machine you can be sure you've got the exact amount of gas required in there as well.

The compressors usually start making nasty noises then eventually seize on these but still compress.
Thanks, that’s good intel. Bit of a loss why this compressor isn’t building high pressure then.

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Sunday 14th August 2022
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Nothing exciting to report on the Ovlov, I haven't given it any attention the past couple of months. It's in the low 190k miles now and just keeps motoring.



Faust66

2,028 posts

164 months

Monday 15th August 2022
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TurboRob said:
Nothing exciting to report on the Ovlov, I haven't given it any attention the past couple of months. It's in the low 190k miles now and just keeps motoring.

Been looking at this thread for a while... I was after a comfy long distance cruiser that would give decent mpg (I do a fair bit of hiking around the UK) and as I'm a bit of Volvo fan I thought I'd go for an XC70 to go with my missus's 1999 V70 and my Amazon.

Took a fair bit of finding - lot of overpriced and/or dodgy cars out there - but just over a month ago I picked up a 2007 P2 manual D5 185bhp model.

Fair bit of history with new clutch and DMF at 178k miles (now on 221k), recent rear 4CS dampers and lots of other stuff. Air con is ice cold and it's got heated seats. Quite a lot of car for 2 grand.

Fitting new front discs, pads and calipers this weekend and it needs a front vacuum engine mount which I'll do soon.

So, thanks for the inspiration OP!




Skyedriver

17,667 posts

281 months

Friday 19th August 2022
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Interesting read.
I've had 940 Estates for close on 20 years, wife keeps hinting to get a newer Volvo but I like RWD & keep saying I can get more in my 940 than a V70
You're tempting me over with your car though. Would need to be a brighter colour but the mileage you're getting is near twice mine.
Your car does look tasty.

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2022
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Faust66 said:
Been looking at this thread for a while... I was after a comfy long distance cruiser that would give decent mpg (I do a fair bit of hiking around the UK) and as I'm a bit of Volvo fan I thought I'd go for an XC70 to go with my missus's 1999 V70 and my Amazon.

Took a fair bit of finding - lot of overpriced and/or dodgy cars out there - but just over a month ago I picked up a 2007 P2 manual D5 185bhp model.

Fair bit of history with new clutch and DMF at 178k miles (now on 221k), recent rear 4CS dampers and lots of other stuff. Air con is ice cold and it's got heated seats. Quite a lot of car for 2 grand.

Fitting new front discs, pads and calipers this weekend and it needs a front vacuum engine mount which I'll do soon.

So, thanks for the inspiration OP!
Nice work! And you're welcome.

If you're long distance cruising in these - the tyres make a big difference. The first set I had on were (arguably budget spec) Avon ZV7s - these gave better MPG and were quieter than the Michelin CrossClimate+ I have on now. However the Michelin's give a much nicer ride and are all-season so a piece of mid for the winter weather. Pirelli Scorpion Verde's are apparently the original fit/go to tyre for these - might try them next.

Envious of your A/C weeping

TurboRob

Original Poster:

309 posts

172 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2022
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Skyedriver said:
Interesting read.
I've had 940 Estates for close on 20 years, wife keeps hinting to get a newer Volvo but I like RWD & keep saying I can get more in my 940 than a V70
You're tempting me over with your car though. Would need to be a brighter colour but the mileage you're getting is near twice mine.
Your car does look tasty.
I had a 740 estate and 960 estate 15 or so years ago, loved them to bits but they are quite agricultural in modern terms. The build quality of this V/XC70 platform is comparable to what I can remember from the 7/900 series, but the D5 engine is the real star of the show - even weighed-up against the 3.0L I6 in the 960.

guitarcarfanatic

1,570 posts

134 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2022
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I have a full set of Pirelli Scorpion Verde on my XC70 and they are great - last forever too!!