Merry Christmas!
The following has happened to me when driving our V70 SE this week….
Let me warn you that I do not know much about mechanics but internet searches have lead me to think the problems of our car may be timing belt related. And, the best I can figure out it seems that the Volvo V70 SE has an interference engine. Is this the case?
….. Sunday on a 2 mile drive notice that the exhaust was visible and was whitish in color. When I accelerated there seemed to more of the whitish stuff coming out the exhaust. I have not paid attention to the exhaust since Sunday morning, so I do not know if the exhaust is still visible.
….. Monday we drove to Belfast (130 miles a 3 hr trip from home) and back home and the car ran fine.
….. Tuesday morning as I approach a stop sign about 7 miles from home the car shuttered and vibrated and made a terrible noise. I pulled over and turned the engine off, got out and felt all the wheels to see if the brakes were hot, looked under the car to see if anything had broken loss and was hanging down. All seemed fine. When I turned it back it ran smooth. When I told my husband after I returned home he thought I may have applied the brakes too hard and caused something to happen in the ABS braking system. I do not believe I applied the brakes too hard. After I turned the car back on I continue to my destination (an organic dairy farm where I volunteer to help with calves) which is about 2 miles from the stop sign. The car ran fine. My return trip home Tuesday morning the car ran fine.
….. Tuesday evening I went back to the dairy farm (it was raining pretty hard so I had to drive around 40 or 45 mph. At about 5 miles from home the car started to vibrate a little and then stopped and ran fine.
….. Wednesday (yesterday) morning I headed off to the dairy barn and at about 5 miles from home the car began to shutter and vibrate for about three-quarter of a mile. I applied my brakes to pull in a driveway to turn around and return home, but once the brakes were applied the car ran fine so I went on to the barn. On my 9-mile return trip home the car ran fine.
….. Wednesday (yesterday afternoon) I went back to the dairy farm and at about 5 miles from home the car began to shutter and vibrate for about a three-quarters of a mile. I slowed down and I speeded up and the shuttering and vibration was worse than the day before and there was a high pitch noise. I applied my brakes to pull in a driveway to turn around and return home, but once the brakes were applied the car ran fine so I went on to the barn. On my return trip home (9 miles) at about 5 or 6 miles from the barn the car shuttered and vibrated pretty bad. I slowed down to around 40 and it continued, I speeded up to around 60 and it seemed worse. I called my husband to ask if I should stop the car or try to make it home. He told me to stop and check the emergency brake (he told me to engage it and release it). I did. And, the car ran fine all the way home. I felt the wheels when I got home and the right rear brake was warmer than the others which were perfectly cool.
….. Wednesday (last evening) my husband and I went to church about 2 miles from here for the Christmas eve service and my husband thought the car ran ran. I thought it was a little rough running (just a little) but he thinks I am imagining it.
….. I do not want us to drive the car until we can get it towed to the Volvo dealership which is 125 miles from where we live. My husband thinks I am overstating the problem.
The best research I can fine is that it may be a timing belt and if so with an interference engine this would spell disaster for a very good, well maintained car which has always been services by Volvo dealerships from the day it was new in 2000.
Help, please.
Thank you for reading this very long post.

 

Hi Vezelma, it appears that your car is a 2000 year model? There is some information that can help US help YOU...
1. How many miles are on the car?
2. Has the timing belt ever been replaced? Typically timing belts simply fail and destroy the motor all at once if neglected. No intermittent issues.
3. Is the car TURBO?
4. When was the car last tuned up? Spark plugs replaced?
5. Is the CEL on? If so, have you had the codes scanned? Most auto parts store do this for free as a customer service favor.

It really sounds like you have an intermittent misfire which can be cause by a few things. The likely cause with your vehicle is a failing ETM.

 

Hello rspi,

Thank you for responding to my post. You said…..

1. How many miles are on the car?
188,000+ a few miles

2. Has the timing belt ever been replaced?
It was replaced by the former owner at 90,000 or 100,000 miles. I plan to have the dealer replace it when I get the car to the dealer.

3. Is the car TURBO?
No

4. When was the car last tuned up? Spark plugs replaced?
Last March or April

5. Is the CEL on?
No the Check Engine Light is not on. In fact, none of the warning lights have comes on during the shuttering vibrating events.

It really sounds like you have an intermittent misfire which can be cause by a few things. The likely cause with your vehicle is a failing ETM.
Thank you. What is a failing ETM?

thank you for answering my post.

 

In 1999 Volvo went to a throttle wireless throttle body. Electronic throttle, called an ETM. These go bad a lot and when they do, they start idle and running issues. Most people have them replaced with a XemodeX unit. They say they have a different color label on them. They offer a lifetime warranty I believe. If you get one from the dealer, they give a 1 or 2 year warranty. That is the main complaint that people have that drive the NA cars built after '98.

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/vol...-module-fiasco

Electronic Throttle Module (ETM) for Volvoxemodex US | xemodex US