V70 tdi. Complete*. Smug smog.

[scdan4]

Mot time.

 

Amazingly the turded overactive abs behaved itself on the bay. What are the chances of that?

 

Straight through.

 

 

Happy days.

[scdan4]

To celebrate the mot pass the ovlov was rewarded with a sorta service.

 

I’ve got a new pela. Car was nice and warm so the oil was nice and runny. Much quicker.

 

 

Air filter needed doing. I’m wondering if I missed the last service somehow.

 

Flushed with the success of the t cut session on the mondeo, and with it to hand I had a go at removing the evidence of a bout of bin fighting.

 

 

 

There we are, perfect*

 

And a much more usual size oil puddle from the filter, which is nicely accessible from the top of the engine, so I kinda just let it all fall.

 

 

Still pretty good for me.

 

Does anyone know how to reset the service light?

[Dirk Diggler]

[scdan4]

That’s amazingly easy.

 

Thanks for looking that up for me, can’t believe I haven’t done it before. Lights been on since I got it.

[sutty2006]

Glad the old purple throbber continues its service to you. Mileage unreadable???

[scdan4]

Help please. There is a problem and I don't know how to solve it.

 

The abs is activating a lot of the time under normal, quite light braking. The car usually, but not always, pulls off to the left when this happens. The brake pedal is stiff, graunchy and thumpy, its definitively the abs. There are no dash lights and codes when hit with the appropriate scanner. It thinks it is all hunky dory,

 

If you disconnect the electrical multiplug from the abs ecu unit, the brakes are transformed into reliable, glorious stopping devices with a much lighter pedal and more feel). But the dash shows the abs warning and brake warning lights and the speedo doesn't work. There is also (unsurprisingly) no abs (tested).

 

It first did this shortly before mot time so it was handed to the mechanic with a "please sort it if you can". He took it to his mot garage and they put a proper scanner on it and could find nothing. luckily it behaved long enough to pass the brake test. "it was fine on the bay sir"

 

Initial googles revealed that 850/v70's shit their abs ecus for fun, so although my symptoms didn't match any other ones I could find on the web, I figured it was the ecu and ordered a guaranteed working one from a ebay 850 specialist breakers. 

 

I swapped the ecus, cleaning the multiplug on the way with contact cleaner as it was full of green fur and no dice. Exactly the same. 

 

So it's a wheel sensor then isn't it. I measured the resistance on the sensors today - and as far as I can see they're all within the same ballpark. The rear sensor wires sprout up under the rear seat, so I have no idea about right of left, but can't see it matters now. (All sensors also gave reliable repeated readings.)

 

N/S/F 788 ohm

O/S/F 773 ohm

rear 787 ohm

rear 761 ohm

 

I have no idea of the expected precision of these - should they be 787 on the nose and hence 761 is enough to fuck it up? Happy days if so, but I would like confirmation of that before firing in a new one and being in the exact same position. However, I suspect that is not the problem.

 

Other than that I'm completely stumped, with no idea what to look for next. 

 

My mechanic isn't keen to get stuck into forensic mechanicing and can't say I've got the inclination or wallet fund it, especially as better condition ones keep going for sensible money on ebay, a days work and a couple of parts and it could cost the same as a shiny new* one.

 

But I'd much rather fix her. Is there something else I can check? 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

[sutty2006]

Have you checked all ABS rings? A tooth out can cause similar problems. My carlton currently kicks the ABS in if I turn right at slow speeds under braking and I think it’s ring issue. I also had a horrible shitroen xantia that the abs kicked in under normal braking for no reason. That turned out to be a broken ABS ring on a drive shaft. Few spots of weld sorted that out temporarily

[Mrs6C]

This ^^^^ would seem to be about right.

 

Here are a few online discussions about the same symptoms. As sutty2006 says, the consensus seems to be that one of the toothed reluctor rings that the ABS sensor reads is dirty, cracked or broken...

 

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43065

 

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=64663
Quote: "Typically, unwanted abs activation without an error code is down to a faulty reluctor ring."

 

Handy Youtube video on how to replace said ring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqYm8AdbfF0

 

Hope the above are helpful.

[scdan4]

Useful, and your Google fu seems considerably better than mine.

 

I had glanced at the front ones and all seemed fine, but I will have a proper look.

I will investigate and report back

 

Thanks.

[Mrs6C]

I have a 1999 V70 T5 auto, so have many Volvo forum threads stored as browser favourites!

[SiC]

I bet the ABS reluctor rings have a split in them. They rust up and eventually split. The split can be very small but at speed, the centripetal forces open up the ring causing it to slip and move at the wrong speed.

 

I've had it on the Saab 9-5 and Smart Roadster. Incredibly common problem on most cars as they age to be honest. Can be a pain in the arse on some cars to get them on. Usually involves getting the ring as hot as possible, then using the old ring as a drift.

[spartacus]

I'll concur and say it sounds very much like a reluctor ring fault. Either heavy dirt build up, corrosion or a split, as suggested above.

If your ABS fixing skills are as good as your T-cutting skills then you'll be fine!

[rainagain]

+1 in it being a split abs ring, my oh’s Tucson did the same, no fault code just the abs kicking in when stopping at a low speed.

[scdan4]

Thanks all, I was feeling rather frustrated with it yesterday. You’ve all given me hope again.

 

Will get on it when I can .

[rainagain]

I got my replacement ring from ebay, the seller ' dodthebod' was recommended to me. I followed a video on youtube and heated the ring up with a butane torch before I dropped it on the axle. I then tapped it in place, once it cooled it wasn't going anywhere!

 

I found the crack by removing the ABS sensor and rotating the axle, here's a pic of the crack and old v new rings

[Mrs6C]

I found the crack by removing the ABS sensor and rotating the axle, here's a pic of the crack and old v new rings

Hoorah!

 

Well done you!

[scdan4]

‘‘Twas the reluctor rings and I cheated and paid a man. I did try and do the job myself, twice, but rain stopped play before it had begun on the first attempt and on the second a promising start was nadgered by my discovery that I no longer own a breaker bar. Time is in short supply at the moment, pay a man, Braking restored. Marvellous.

 

For a bit.

 

Then there was a smell, quite a bad smell coupled with a fairly horrific rev dependant metal grinding on metal sound. No warning lights or performance* drop, so as I had shit to do, I ignored it until i got it parked neatly at work. Lots of smoke, all coming from the alternator.

 

Replacement sourced and fitted - which was a twat of a job as there just wasn’t quite enough room to birth it out of its cubbyhole... but got there by taking out the headlight, loosening the radiator and having 4 hands on the job.

 

Normal service resumed, which is really very very nice as it’s out working all weekend. Waiting for yodel was a nerve wracking couple of hours.

[scdan4]

On the O/S/F of the engine is a bracket with alternator, power steering pump and aircon compressor, which has become the bracket of shitty doom.

 

Alternator went first, replacement put on, all good until

 

"The steering feels funny and its idling lumpy". The steering did indeed feel funny, as the pump had given up and was attempting to jam once a revolution, causing the rough running by having a good go at stalling the engine back through the ancillary belt.(which, along with its tensioner was being given a really good workout - think it was lashing the sprung loaded tensioner full back as it jammed.)

 

New steering pump, again in a hurry, as in needed today / tomorrow. No one in or near Swindon had one. No one in UK could be found for next day, and all were pricey. However a cheerful chappy in Estonia managed to get it to me by the next morning for less than a 100 quid. Baffles physics as well as logic that one but I was pleased he managed it.

 

power steering fixed, all good. Until

 

"The aircons given up". I'm not normally one for fixing aircon but there is a inde specialist just a few units down so it was handed over to them and a new compressor fitted. Which There is no way I would have bothered with but given the summer we then had, an absolute godsend given the thing is like a greenhouse. With the new compressor the dual zone climate works a lot better as well. Ah (well worn) luxuary.

 

Here's the thing. Every thing on that bracket died within 6 months of each other. Alternator got quite hot and caught fire a bit, but only a little bit and can't see it doing the aircon compressor cos that's underneath and heat goes up, and it really wasn't on fire long enough to damage the rest as far as I can see. Just seems a bit fucky.

 

[Aside: Here's the other thing. "It's broken down loads and costs to repair, is it worth getting a lease pikey pickup?". Alternator fixed for £50. Power steering (paid a man) all done for less than £250. Aircon (paid a man) all done for £250. No, it'a not worth getting a lease to pay that, and more, every month.]

 

Then there was a complaint.

 

"I have no idea how fast i'm going at night, I hate it". The final bulb in the dash had given up. Read up on it, easy job but BE CAREFUL OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. Ok, no probs. I'm quite scared of airbags and have little experience, so will tread very carefully, warning headed.

 

Battery disconnected (cos of the airbag) dash top loosened very very carefully (cos of the passenger airbag there is restricted access / sliding apparently, gotta be careful of the airbag, slide it off and away, don't catch it on the airbag...

 

 

eh?

 

 

I have no idea if its missing or never fitted, but reassembly was a lot quicker than removal for once!

 

Access gained, four unhappy bad boys replaced.

 

 

 

One happy wife gained. And she's right, it's much nice being able to see the needles at night, they glow and everything!

 

Anyway, back to work

 

[scdan4]

Filled up in Calais. Then drove to Oostende and back, then to swindon with a few laps thrown in, then Swansea, with laps, then back to swindon...

 

Still had enough fuel left to run down to Salisbury and back, with some to spare. Parsimonious ovolv.

 

Rewarded with new wipers, a rainex session, new nightbreakers and a lovely winter stock of apple flavoured screenwash. Good car.

[scdan4]

Now, as any fool knows, the distance to the moon is 238,000 miles. I was planning on celebrating when the ovlov of lov* finally creaked to that distance, but we're only showing 228k, so some time to go.

 

Except that, as I learnt the other day, 238,000 miles is the average distance from the moon. The closest the moon gets is 221,500 miles. The purple throbber* has done more than that, so I can honestly say it's made it to the moon with its indicated 228,000. 

 

Except that, that is indicated, as in recorded, miles. The persistant ABS problem meant the clocks didn't work so well for a while (quite a while actually, ahem, was busy etc). Thats thats some more miles. Definately lunar. 

 

So needs a service, needs the belts doing. Needs the gearbox flushing. And a few other bits.

 

Like a transmission fluid cooler, as the current set up is cooler in radiator, and thats probably lunar as well. Assuming this car is a keeper lets avoid the possibility of coolant atf soup.

 

 

I tried to make it fit vertially alongside the radiator for ages - as that would have meant minimal fucking about with hoses, I nearly got there,

 

 

but despite making up a variety of brackets, i just couldn't get it to sit right, so it ended up in a far more sensible place, tucked under the front by the fog light

 

 

but as I now needed to make extendy atf hoses, and I didn't have anything to do that with, I moved on.

 

Egr off the inlet manifold, and boy is it oily. Yuck.

 

 

Resigned myself to having to remove the whoel inlet manifold for a jolly good wash, but...

 

 

happily it looks as if its not swimming. Decided to leave it. Bigger fish to fry. Pulled this out the pile of new bits 

 

 

and put it back together*

 

 

Replace the the rinky dink little lightbulb behind the time in the clocks

 

 

Dropped in a hose along the scuttle that follows the loom from the bay to the cabin, cutting little cut outs in the grommits and sealing with a dab o' structural silicon.

 

 

Replaced grotty old vacuum hoses with nice new black silicone ones, removed the junk of the egr system and blocked off the hoses left by it in the inlet and brake vacuum circuit, tidied everything back

 

 

Hack the centre vent to pieces and fast set epoxy in a white circle

 

 

Cut and glue the flappy bits to try and make it look a bit less gash. Fail. (Incidentally, v70 vent plastics are unnecessarily thick and strong)

 

 

Hmmm. to the (really really in need of a clear out and rationalisation) works dregs cupboard.

 

 

And then into the booth of emphasyma

 

 

And then I looked at the clock. Time to go. Ah. 

 

I threw the car back together as fast as I could, and by the time I had done that the paint had flashed off so I gingerly connected the pipe and shoved the vent and gauge in the hole and quickly got off home to get the kiddie. This rush meant no real finish photos apart from this one illegally snapped while proceeding at breakneck speed...

 

 

which cleverly shows fuck all. Hey ho. It is registering boost, and seems to be working sensibly, but hard to tell over the 2 miles home

 

But it looks ok IMHO. The engine light is on - that'll be the egr as in my haste to fuck off I just left the electrical connection dangling. I'll shove a paperclip in to short it next play session and see if that turns it off. I don't know when the next play session is, but there is still plenty in my pile of new parts, so there will be more.

 

 

[sutty2006]

She still lives! HALLELUJAH!!!!

[fordperv]

I'm happy to see the swedish purple throbber is still alive and kicking

[scdan4]

Today the fairies of fortune smiled and not only did I manage to blag the afternoon off, but I also managed to blag the afternoon on our neighbours lift. Happy daze.

 

 

Managed to tease the exhaust front section off, the nuts to the turbo were breaker bar tight, but one of them is hidden underneath the exhaust pipe curve so you cant get a socket to it. tight down behind the engine under the turbo theres not a lot of room either and no better access from underneath. Managed it by fixing a stubby spanner onto it and then holding a 3 ft drift onto the spanner then getting someone to twat the drift with a lump hammer. Even then it were reluctant.

 

but eventually

 

 

popped it up onto the bench to see if anything was blocking it

 

 

and there was. shit loads of stuff, so i rodded it out. vigorously.

 

 

All that crap in the box was stuck in that pipe. Thats not going to make it go well.

 

All back together and as soon as the last bolt was tight I was evicted. Dropped it out the unit and gave it a hard rev in neutral. Some crap came out.

 

 

And drove it home. And, as far as you can tell in 2 miles in traffic, it's a bit peppier. 

 

 

[shedenvy]

Serious horn for one of these.  Are you planning the EVRY mod also?

[scdan4]

Nope. Got a ronbox waiting in the pile of new stuff.

[Minimad5]

If you are on Facebook, p.m me your name, and I will add you to a Volvo group.

Don't go down the tuning box route, have it remapped (yes ECU out job)

 

My 855 is also D5252t, sadly it looks hanging compared to your lovely V70.

If you ever see a boost hose knocking around (the top one you took off to clean out) , let me know, mine is split

[scdan4]

Don’t be fooled, the pics flatter it, it’s defo a 10 yarder.

 

Going to fit the box as already have it, it was half the price of an Martin smith remap and is a Internet forum recommended type.. There’s an auto gearbox to consider as well and it will stay a daily driver. If all goes well I’ll get a manual one and reach further.

 

Not on faceache, but am scouring for parts so will keep an eye out. There’s a purple one and a blue 2.5d being broken on fleabay at the moment if that helps.

 

What I’m after is a pair of 302mm caliper carriers for reasonable money. New skandix for 75 Euro each delivered or used Volvo 100 quid + p&p is the best I’ve found. Eeep.

[forddeliveryboy]

Great to see some good work going on, it reminds me to change the Dexron as well as engine oil. We're at a similar mileage, I'm impressed with how these old barges continue on with so little needed.

 

The 850/V70 seems a bit of the odd one out in Volvo's model history, a half way house between the old rectangular rwd buses and the curvaceous 21st century models. The suspension regularly irritates but I forgive it, the rest is just so good. Perfectly suited to Britain's roads.

[scdan4]

Have had a chance to do a few miles in it in the past couple of days, and things have changed for the better.

 

It’s less wheezy, more freely revving and just feels perkier which is nice and the boost gauge seems to work sensibly despite its rather long and convoluted feed pipe, which is also nice. But the bestest bit is the complete lack of smog behind when you boot it. Before it was a proper james bond smoke screen, which while occasionally cool* in a rolling coal way was generally embarrassing. I’m sure it’s not neutragena clean back there but the clag is noticeable by its absence.

 

I’ve managed to find reasonably priced brakes (as long as they turn up and are as promised etc, god of counted chickens and all that.) which is also a good thing.

 

My atf change is waiting on the hose bits to be delivered. They’re now about as overdue as the fluid change.

 

Suspension is on the list, but needs saving up for!

[scdan4]

I’ve lost the mondeo thread, as it’s not been updated since I bought the car. It’s a mondeo. The mundane, unexceptional, I don’t see any point writing about it, and there would be little point reading it.

It’s ace. It really is. Comfy and quiet. Lots of toys. I’ve always fitted a ford. The engine is a silky smooth peach, and will pull happily from 1000rpm, so once rolling just choose between 3rd or 4th for town and leave it. Very relaxing, very grown up. There’ll be no cabin nvh difference between 3rd and 4th though, nor indeed 2nd or 5th, engine is smooth all the way to past the red line.

Roll over the start at 20mph in 3rd, (like joining a motorway slip road say), apply throttle and it goes, slowly at first, about the same as everything else, as the revs rise over 3 k it’s getting much stronger and as 4 k comes up it’s a genuine, strong, prolonged shove in the back. 

Space for forth? Don’t mind if I do. More hard shove in the back and it climbs through 4th in as swift, measured and constant way as it did 3rd. And will keep pulling through to 6.5k, even though the redline is 6. 

All of this is good but you’re now showing 140, and that’s go straight to gaol territory. Which is a shame as it’s proper addictive.

grow up and join the German saloon lane. Leave it in 6th. 70, 60, 90, 60, 90 no fuss. Calm, quiet. No fuss.

it manages to have a bit of character by moosing hard when cold. A resonant vibration exists in the inlet that sounds like moose constantly braying(? ... donkeys bray, horses neigh, but what do moose do?) loudly, for a good couple of minutes until it gets some heat into it. People look. The note changes with throttle. Very tuneful. TADTS, Ford will sell you an “anti-moosing pipe” which changes the resonant frequency of the inlet, but I like it.

All of which means I was a touch disappointed this morning.

 

Bloke was a decent fellow who left a note which actually had his details on it. It’s creased around an internal rib and now the boot doesn’t open or shut properly. Write off for sure.

 

bah.