Horses have fled, turtle is back...

[Arianne]

Ok, we're back in business with full engine performance - hooray!

This time is was something called a temperature sensor on the inlet manifold (Plenum Sensor?). I am really not sure and I am struggling to keep up with the number of individual new components that the dealer is fitting progressively under the Volvo warranty!

However, the dealer continued to deliver their personal service. I was introduced to the Technician who had been working on the car today. He then offered to accompany me as I drove the car so that I could tell them whether I was satisfied with the engine's performance. It didn't take long - as soon as I pulled out from the dealership and drove up the road it was immediately obvious to me that the car's performance had been transformed - even with four winter rims in the back keeping the Technician and me company. Furthermore, the dealer's principal confirmed to me that he had also test driven it and confirmed the car is fine - that's John Cleland, two times BTCC winner. Our car has clocked up some miles today with the dealer and I can honestly say that I am glad that the dealership chose to do so.

I really hope that this brings this whole sorry saga to an end - I never want to see a turtle anywhere near my XC60 again. I feel a little bad that the local dealer has borne the brunt of my frustration since it's not their fault but Volvo UK / Sweden. But they're the face of Volvo and the only people available to talk with. There have been times when I genuinely wondered whether my local dealer might just walk away from this car (not sure whether that's allowed but we all know that businesses can give clients the cold-shoulder if they want to retreat from any further engagement). To be fair to Clelands, they never did - so all credit to them even though they did not actually supply the car from new.

Let's hope the great performance of our car is now permanent and not just the ten day wonder we experienced last time.

Regards,

Arianne.

[Spitfire4]

Here's hoping its cured and you can go on enjoying the car.

[wilbydoughboy]

I would get some written word that the problems you have suffered with the poor running of your car havent caused any long term problems that may occur once the car is out of warranty. I had similar problems with a Suzuki car but Suzuki accepted responsibility with problems that occcurred after the warranty had ended.

[MikeIOW]

Originally Posted by wilbydoughboy

I would get some written word that the problems you have suffered with the poor running of your car haven't caused any long term problems that may occur once the car is out of warranty. I had similar problems with a Suzuki car but Suzuki accepted responsibility with problems that occcurred after the warranty had ended.

Sound advice.....
Now I could be wrong, but I suspect Arianne will not be keeping this one beyond the warranty period.....only question being whether this is the final problem & he may be tempted with another Volvo, or whether he will leave the marque!!

[NigelDay]

Originally Posted by MikeIOW

Sound advice.....
Now I could be wrong, but I suspect Arianne will not be keeping this one beyond the warranty period.....only question being whether this is the final problem & he may be tempted with another Volvo, or whether he will leave the marque!!

Or he could take out the extended warranty to 5 years / 90k for a one-off £840.

[craigv60]

Originally Posted by Arianne

This time is was something called a temperature sensor on the inlet manifold (Plenum Sensor?)

Glad they seem to have got to the bottom of it. Most turbodiesels have an inlet air temp sensor somewhere near the manifold, often alongside the boost pressure sensor.

If the inlet temp at the manifold as 'seen' by the sensor is too high, it will trigger the ECU to reduce the turbo boost pressure to protect the engine, as it will think the engine's been running at high boost in very high ambient temperatures, which has overcome the intercooler's ability to reduce the charge air temperatures.

Unfortunately, duff sensors don't always throw an accurate fault code: they can still be working, but just giving incorrect information. Sometimes the only way to spot them is to do live logging of the sensor data.

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by NigelDay

Or he could take out the extended warranty to 5 years / 90k for a one-off £840.

Bloomin eck, that is expensive and only covers you to 90k miles! Most people will be over that inside 5 years.

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Ok, we're back in business with full engine performance - hooray!

This time is was something called a temperature sensor on the inlet manifold (Plenum Sensor?). I am really not sure and I am struggling to keep up with the number of individual new components that the dealer is fitting progressively under the Volvo warranty!

...

Excellent news but rather disappointing that it has taken this much time and poor diagnostics to work out what was wrong.

Imagine what the cost would be to you if you were not under warranty and they were changing parts willy nilly hoping to eventually cure the fault?

[xsaab]

Overall how many parts were faulty?
What parts were replaced?

Was the temperature sensor the sole cause of the problem?

Do Volvo technicians have access to a fault diagnosis data base, or is the Google search term for this thread going to be the way people can solve the problem.

In which case what would be the most sensible search term to have in this thread.

[MikeIOW]

Originally Posted by wimorrison

Excellent news but rather disappointing that it has taken this much time and poor diagnostics to work out what was wrong.

Imagine what the cost would be to you if you were not under warranty and they were changing parts willy nilly hoping to eventually cure the fault?

Some faults are like that. Obviously disappointing, but that is sometimes how it is.
I once had a Mitsubishi Colt Turbo (still one of my fav motors I have owned!) that developed an odd power fault that took about £500 worth of time alone to resolve.
Can't blame diagnostics when sometimes a sensor could send the wrong information: all the technician can do is follow a path of eliminating the most likely.

Here's hoping all is well now