I got into my 2002 S40 today and when I started it up the car started shaking and dropping idle speeds. As I sat there in the parking lot, the car continually dipped to about half of it's normal idle speed, and each time it dropped idle speed, the car started to shake pretty bad for about a second. Then the shaking stopped and the idle jumped back to normal. It did that anywhere from 5 or 6 to 15 times per minute.

I took a chance and drove it home and it didn't do it too bad during driving, but at stop lights with the brakes on it did it also, just like when it was in park. When I got home, I went out a few hours later and started it up again. It did the same thing, but after I turned it off and back on again, the shaking stopped and the check engine light came on. Now that light is on but the car doesn't shake. It does seem to sound like it takes more pressure on the gas pedal now to get the rpm up.

Any idea what could be causing this? I'm not great with cars and currently I'm not sure if it's safe enough to drive to my Volvo repair center. I'd like to have the check engine light checked, but I also don't have AAA and can't really afford a tow to Volvo as I will need all the money I have in case the repair is expensive. If it's too expensive I may have to give up on the car, as it has other issues (oil leaks in engine and all over timing belt which needs to be replaced, transmission failed once and was rebuilt, squeaking aux belt, broken springs, and ball joint is loose, and the climate control module is shot, plus a bad/noisy wiper arm).

And what would this car be worth right now with all this taken into consideration? I'm guessing not much.

 

I hope you got a REALLY good price! I'm afraid that ALL of the problems you are seeing are expensive. You might want to have a trusted local mechanic look at the car and work up a repair budget, to balance against the value of the car after you've given it new life.

Before I drove the car any more, I would pull the spark plugs to check for oil fouling, though you need to ***read up*** before even doing that.

MF

 

Sadly, I got royally screwed when I bought this horrible car. I paid just over $5,000 for it about a year and a half ago. I took it for a long test drive and took it to Pepboys to have it checked out before I bought it and they said it was in good condition.The dealer said the timing belt was just replaced around 10,000 miles ago so I wouldn't need to worry about it. That was true, but shortly after buying the car some oil leaks must have sprung up because now the timing belt is soaked with oil so it needs to be replaced. The transmission failed on me 3 months after I bought the car, and I paid around $500 for a mechanic to repair it. It ran for a year and then the transmission threw up another code this winter. That's when I got it checked out by Volvo and they gave me this laundry list of all the problems. Now the shaking started happening yesterday with the check engine light again.

I'm guessing this car is worth next to nothing at this point, and I have no money for another car now. My old car was totalled and I spend the insurance check from the other driver on this Volvo, along with some money from my girlfriend to help pay the difference. At this point I don't know what to do. I was hoping to sell it on Craig's List to a fixer-upper who knows what they're doing and might pay something for it, but with this new issue, I can't even put it on Craig's List in this condition. I wouldn't sell this thing without letting any potential buyer know just what they were getting into.

 

OUCH. That's painful to read. It still might be worth it to have a look at the plugs:

Write Up: 2.4i Engine Spark Plug Change (MY2005)

That (or, once you've opened up access to the plugs, perhaps a compression test) will give you a read on the internal wear on the engine. The oil leak can be a camshaft seal, which is within DIY fixable range.

The 2002 ought to be similar. You might also want a local non-dealer have another look at the car to work up a must-do-before-it's-sold list. Dealers can go overboard at times.

 

That's not a bad idea. I'd like to find out what I need to spend to get this fixed up well enough that I can sell it, but honestly, I get the feeling it's not worth spending anything on this car at this point. I'd probably need to spend quite a lot just to sell it - I'd need to fix the springs for sure, plus the timing belt and oil leaks, plus whatever the new problem is with the shaking. I'd probably spend more than I would get back. And I just don't have enough money for these repairs.

 

I'm not sure I would give up on that car just yet but only if you are willing to pick up some DIY skills. As a start I would be inclined to take the idle control valve out andw clean it with throttle body cleaner. Very easy job. I would also get the codes read to see what you are up against. I'm assuming the check engineclight is on? If you are not inclined to do some of this troubleshooting yourself get rid of that car. Oil on the belt may mean that you have a bad vvt gear. Not the end of the world but will cost you the labour of another timing belt job plus a vvt gear. Alternately it could be the cam seal but there again the labour will be that of a timing belt job. Where are you located?

 

My 02 S40 does the same thing. I replaced plugs, coil packs, cleaned the mass air flow sensor, and changed the fuel pressure regulator last summer. It did help the issue but its back now and only when the motor is hot after driving. Don't remember what code was tripped but it was related to a single coil pack. 1st and 4th cylinder sound right? I still need to try changing out the plug wires.

JDiehl

 

The plastic on the part that fits down over the spark plug will get small hairline cracks that allow the spark to jump to the head causing your misfire. I've read of one person using JB Weld to repair the cracks with success. Never tried it myself. Given the price of coils and wires I will try it next time as my coils always ohmmed within spec.

Please realize that oil on the timing belt comes from the CVVT gear (little plunger thingy). A leaky oil seal on the cam will drip oil down the face of the engine but it won't get on the timing belt.

Here is a pic of mine that leaked:



Here is the plunger removed. It's the o-ring that leaks:

 

I dont mean to jump in
I have the same issue with the engine idling. I just changed coilpacks, wires and plugs (they had 90K on them). I still cant get the car to idle. It starts ok.

Where is the idle control valve located? - Im going to clean it next

Thanks

jpjm

 

It is fastened to the manifold underneath the plastic cover for the throttle body. If you are going to take it off you may want to splurge on a new gasket ($3).

 

The first couple of steps in this guide will provide you with some guidance for cleaning the icv.

Guide: replacing PCV/ oil seperator system - Volvo Owners Club Forum