Hi there,

Just purchased a 2001 S40 1.9 T in Canada. The car has 157k but is in pretty good shape. Some corrosion and rust but that's a given for any 7+ year car in this climate.

It needs quite a bit for certification.
- All new breaks and rotors.
- 2 outer tire rods.
- Brake lines.
- Rear ram bar completely rusted.
- New muffler.

Test drive was okay - it ran well and I made sure to check for all the issues I have read about here when researching the car. No misfires, idles fine, electronics all work other then the radio code which i don't have.

One thing I did notice is that the accelerator pedal is quite heavy, is this normal? Didn't want to go throttle wide open because of the shot brakes but it wasn't as jumpy as I thought it would be. Is this normal? I've been driving for 4 years, do not have any technical hands on experience with cars and this is my first used car I've bought so explanations with references would help so much...

How can I make sure the turbo is operational? Does the car run without the turbo?

Cabin noise was pretty loud. Is this normal for the model?

Is there a default radio unlock code or does every vehicle have a different one?

Not sure if the previous owner has used Premium or Regular unleaded, is there any problem if these are switched between?

Any quick mods I can make for better performance while not breaking the bank on this old car that's only meant to last me a year or two?


Thanks everyone and big hello from Canada.

 

Welcome to the Forum!

I have a 2001 and it's a fine little car. It should not be loud in the cabin though. Maybe tire roar? Some tires are just noisy. Some are downright loud. A good set of quality tires will be quiet. Maybe you have snow tires?

The car will run without the turbo but less power. You should get a check engine light if the car is not making the proper commanded boost.

The throttle cable spring is pretty stout. Much harder to push than my 2005 with the electronic throttle. You get use to it. You can always disconnect it and drip some oil down the cable shaft.

I replaced the stock radio long ago with one that has an iPod connector. Don't need to remember no stinking codes!

Premium or regular both should work fine. The car has an air/air intercooler and generally accepts regular without issue. If it knocks under boost you may just have to keep your foot out of it. If you can't afford premium then you can't afford to go fast? I don't know.

No quick mods on this one. You can go with a bigger turbo, ECM changes, etc but it's not quick and nothing is cheap.