Got another commuter hack to replace the A6

mannyo · #1 14th March 2016, 06:31 PM

With the A6 now gone, I have a replacement car for medium distance commuting distances.

The car chosen is a Volvo S60 2.4 D5 SE Diesel manual, 2003 vintage with 163K on the clock. One owner car, with good history although it currently needs a service.

Extras are thin on the ground, but it does have full leather and the upgraded premium sound system with Dolby Pro Logic surround sound. Auto dim interior and external mirrors, and the shopping bag holder thing in the boot.

Took a while getting used to manual gears, having not driven one for a few years now.. Seemed to find myself in the wrong gear a few times, LOL.

Sadly it has one issue, leaking fuel injector seals on two of the five cylinders.

These are the dealer pictures.

Conquistador · #2 14th March 2016, 07:14 PM

Looks like a nice honest car. Can't really go wrong with a big Volvo. How much did you give for that?

I was considering looking for a big old Volvo estate as a runaround and to have something suitable to transport my young sister to and from university up in Lancaster complete with all her belongings as it has usually involved two trips or two cars in the past

topgolfer1 · #3 14th March 2016, 07:17 PM

Is that golf course lane,by Airbus Filton per chance?

mannyo · #4 15th March 2016, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topgolfer1

Is that golf course lane,by Airbus Filton per chance?

it is indeed, must be the surrounding buildings.

RE: the fault, looks like the dealer is paying for it to be fixed locally to me (I Hope). They've asked me to get a quote to repair it from a local specialist and to forward it on.

I've found some aftermarket thing going on as well. There are two wires passing through the car interior towards the boot, and on the back bumper is a round patch in carbon effect that is covering something (no damage to bumper though). Not sure whats under that, but at some point I'll remove the side trim to see if those same wires are passing out into the bumper are. You can see the patch in the picture of the rear of the Volvo.

mannyo · #5 16th March 2016, 08:41 PM

Well, both the workshop and the garage I bought the car from have been talking to each other and the Volvo goes in next Wednesday. So far so good on that front, lets hope the injectors are not to difficult to remove given the amount of carbon etc. that may have built up around them.

Dave McB · #6 17th March 2016, 09:11 AM

Have to admit, I do love a ovlov

I have a 'pool car' that everyone I know has had a loan of.

Never lets me down and always goes well.

Cant bring myself to sell it.

mannyo · #7 24th March 2016, 08:05 AM

Volvo is currently in the workshop having the injectors sorted, however what started life as a couple of hundred pound job is increasing.

The dealership I purchased the car from have agreed to pickup some of the tab as long as I pay a contribution as well. I've got no problem doing this, the total bill is going to come in the high hundreds now instead. Given the price paid for the car I can see why the supplying garage are saying what they are because the fix is going to cost almost as much as I paid for it in the first place.

Essentially three out of five of the diesel injectors are seized in the head, two are very much stuck and its touch and go wether they can get them out without destroying them. Replacement injectors are about £150 each, and he can get those easily.

Apart from that the car is pretty good, drove 400 miles in it last weekend on less than 1/3rd tank of diesel. 70 litre tank, range remaining is showing as 700 miles.

mannyo · #8 9th April 2016, 08:53 PM

Here we are on the 9th April and the Volvo is still in the workshop.

They got the injectors out, took soaking the area in something to dissolve a lot of carbon and a puller but they were out. They pulled all five, two came out easily, and three needed to be pulled.

Then they needed to clean up a lot of mess of carbon and other crap from the injector bores and seats so they were spotless, otherwise they would just leak again. However Easter intervened, and lack of staff (small workshop) meant progress slowed somewhat.

They got it all back together last week, however it was apparent that there were still issues with the injectors. They were removed again, and sent away for testing and cleaning where needed.

Injectors were due back yesterday and they were really hoping to get the car back to me. However the injectors never arrived. Hopefully Monday I'll get it back, after almost 2.5 weeks.

mannyo · #9 22nd April 2016, 05:32 PM

Well I got the Volvo back 8 days ago, and have since covered 500 miles in it. She is now running well, not leaking diesel and in better shape. She is going in again next tuesday to have some work done on the front suspension, then its disks and pads on the front which I may do myself.

mannyo · #10 10th March 2017, 07:32 PM

Nearly 12 months later and I still have the Volvo for commuter duties, I've done 10K miles in it since buying it which included last years holiday in France.

Ovlov now has a new 12 month MOT to go with her 172K miles. Will shortly be due another service, but apart from the initial injector leaks, broken front spring and new disks and pads at the front its cost me almost nothing in maintenance. It needed some work for the MOT, a couple of drop links, ARB bushes at the back for the pass.