Hi, need some group advice on a used 2002 V70 XC I'm looking at buying. I test drove it today after it hadn't been driven in 5 months. Battery was dead so had to jump start it. It idled perfectly when started. It has 199999 miles on it. The owner had bought it from another person a year ago as a spare car. Says it was well maintained by the previous owner (who he trusted).

I checked the timing belt and it looks like it is brand new. When I checked the codes the first time using an OBDC reader (don't have a VICE system yet) I got:

Engine:
P014 “Cam Position Activator B, Bank 1, Timing Over Advance",
P0573 "Brake Switch A circuit high"

SRS: 44, 84
ABS: 103, 65, 147

I cleared them all and took it for a test drive. Immediately I noticed the car had a real hard time accelerating. It seems it wasn't shifting gears well. It would just rev up to 4000-5000 RPM and not shift until I took my foot off the gas and then it would shift (sometimes hard). I had a hard time getting it to accelerate and it wouldn't go over 60-65 mph.

So we returned and turned the car off. I checked the codes again and the P014 was pending but the CEL wasn't on. I turned the car on again and it ran very rough and was idling very roughly. The owner immediately said he thought it was the timing as he "could hear it out the tail pipe".

The car body and interior is good, it has new tires, and the price is $1200. It needs new brakes/rotors for all wheels. I won't pay that much as there is too much risk the car needs too many parts. I don't mind turning a wrench but I'm concerned it's an expensive fix as I have no idea what causes this rough idle and no acceleration. The owner says it didn't do that before they parked it. I did the glove on the oil cap test and it has suction (good PCV). I checked the oil and it was clean. I checked the coolant and it was green. I checked the transmission fluid and it was properly filled and clean. After the test drive the coolant tank had gone up 2-3" but it is 95F outside today.

I didn't pull the plugs and didn't do a compression check.

My first thought is the timing belt is off. Looking at the belt it looks brand new and has all the white print still clearly on it.

I've looked at similar forum threads and it seems it could the timing is off (I can fix that if that's the case very easily), but then troubleshooting gets murky very quickly.

Questions:
1. If I get a VICE system will it help me troubleshoot/fix better than just a standard OBDC reader?
2. Anybody have a troubleshooting guide that would let me figure out what's wrong? My big fear is the transmission is dying and I'd be better off with another vehicle. Pending feedback from the Volvo experts in this forum, I was thinking of offering $400 for the car.

 

1. yes VIDA will read more details than the standard OBD2 reader and give you more insights but a proper VIDA DICE is not a cheap set up and the internet specials on the software are usually theftware with no guarantees to work. You can get a limited time license however. VIDA has the advantage of being able to reach all the ABS and SRS codes as well.

2. Not sure how you get from an idle / power issue to worring about the transmission. Your P0014 is saying your exhaust cam timing is off. These cars have a variable valve timing gear which is driven by oil pressure. Its possible the cam position sensor is bad but most often its the VVT gear is gummed up internally. Some people have had some success with a Seafoam treatment but more likely the components are tarnished and sticking and needs replacement. Another possible cause is the VVT gear timing is a notch off. This usually happens right after a shop does a timing belt replacement and didn't quite rotate the gear into the correct position.

 

Thanks. I think I will take a chance and offer $400. If it is a minor fix and not the transmission. I read a lot overnight and I think I’ll start with the timing belt and check the VVT solenoids. I’ll also get the DICE system for long term maintenance. The guy swears the car ran before so maybe sitting for 5 months just gummed something up.

 

It's been 9 months now and the car was a great buy. The timing was not set properly. I do seem to have an oil leak somewhere but have put 12000 miles on it.

 

I'd check your PCV - oil leaks can be a sign the oil separator or block ports are clogged and its time for some maintenance before it pushes out front cam seal or worse, a main seal.

 

Check and clean your electronic throttle module. The sensor gets foulded out occasionally especially on turbo cars. Be sure to replace the gasket if it doesnt seal correctly and make sure you are careful with the plug and use some dielectric grease on it.

 

Check and clean your electronic throttle module. The sensor gets foulded out occasionally especially on turbo cars. Be sure to replace the gasket if it doesnt seal correctly and make sure you are careful with the plug and use some dielectric grease on it.
The code is never usually for the module but instead for something else that is operating incorrectly because of it.