59 Reg C30 2l petrol 78k on clock

[lordbasil]

Hi chaps/chappesses

After a bit of advice.

Bought the above approx 6 weeks ago & got a question about fuel consumption.

Only done 120 miles on a full tank this last week and fuel guage down to half full. Had a message pop up on dash a week & half ago saying engine power reduced but it disappeared after turning ignition off & back on.

Also exhaust fumes seen as though it's running rich.

Also I don't appear to have much power/zip in 1st 3 gears when travelling uphill.

Clutch/gear selection seems fine & smooth.

Any one any suggestions?

Also, how quick should THIS 2l petrol car go? I've had Golf GTI's (2l petrol) before and at the moment my C30 doesn't come as close

[Welton]

Generally the 2.0 Petrol engine is reported as being 'fairly economical' on here and power is usually plenty enough.

It sounds like something is not quite right, probably the reason it entered the market but rest assured this engine is good, I'm sure it won't be anything too bad - perhaps a sensor not reading properly and affecting performance.

Best place to start is a garage with Volvo-specific diagnostics (VIDA system) or even a main dealer but be prepared to be charged for the investigation work and then the repair.

To be honest when it comes to petrol engine sensors and components to do with the fueling and emissions you are always best to use genuine Volvo parts as these will maintain the original fuel economy compared to aftermarket/pattern parts.

[T5R92011]

+1 on getting a diagnostic done.

However I think you can solve this one with a cheap generic scan tool from amazon etc for £20 or so. Cheaper than paying for a dealer diagnostic and I suspect it'll be fine for finding the issue.

The 2.0-litre engine isn't massively complex and is found within Volvos, Fords and Mazda's of the same era, so there should be plenty of info available for it at this stage.

And it's a relatively easy engine to work on to replace bits so a decent indie mechanic should be able to sort it without huge cost.

In terms of performance, the engine shouldn't feel slow. It needs to be revved out get the maximum power, but it still has sufficient torque when driven at lower RPM. It's a decent engine for moving a C30 around at a comfortable pace.

If you are comparing it to the old MK4 Golf GTI 2.0-litre petrol, well the 2.0-litre C30 is 2 seconds faster to 60mph (8.8 vs 10.2 seconds) which is significant and you would feel the difference especially higher up the rev range.

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by lordbasil

Hi chaps/chappesses

After a bit of advice.

Bought the above approx 6 weeks ago & got a question about fuel consumption.

Only done 120 miles on a full tank this last week and fuel guage down to half full. Had a message pop up on dash a week & half ago saying engine power reduced but it disappeared after turning ignition off & back on.

Also exhaust fumes seen as though it's running rich.

Also I don't appear to have much power/zip in 1st 3 gears when travelling uphill.

Clutch/gear selection seems fine & smooth.

Any one any suggestions?

Also, how quick should THIS 2l petrol car go? I've had Golf GTI's (2l petrol) before and at the moment my C30 doesn't come as close

the power only comes in, noticably above 4500 revs. Because of the power delivery you get less power below this and the car will not feel 'quick' power delivery is very linear.

Rev it above 4.5k and it should feel fast. Mine does.

If the tank wasn't 'brimmed' but had enough to show needle at or 'near' full, then 120 miles to 'show' half way on fuel gauge doesn't necessarily show a problem. With spirited driving 250-300 from a tank is to be expected, the tank is not big. If you drive like a granny, a brimmed tank 'may' get you 400 miles.. this would 55mph motorway cruising.

Ive noticed now it's cold, its clear the exhaust system retains moisture a fair bit, so don't be fooled by condensation/steam making the car look like it's running rich.

Get it diagnosed, and/or do a double tank fill and calculate fuel economy yourself and ignore the guages.


edit.... any engine warnings... check age of battery and CEM connections before spending money anywhere else. A battery going bad, or a loose connection accounts for most intermittent warnings on these cars IME.