My first few weeks of Volvo ownership have been interesting to say the least,
I had driven 200 miles in it when I got a sudden reduced engine performance message on the dash and terrible driving while I had to drive it 100 miles home. I bought a breakers MM ETM while my car had a Bosch, and my local garage's OBDC reader could not differentiate between a problem with the pedal sensor and the ETM itself, with hindsight my money is on the pedal sensor but I bought both from a parts dealer and the mechanic fitted them both and the car works so I can't complain. The next problem to suddenly develop is the Aircon Compressor, it has seized so much that the engine will stall on starting unless I give it some gas, after which it is fine. The previous owner said the AC needed regassing, and I was ok with that, but as I always made sure the AC was off in the short time I've owned the car, I didn't expect the darned thing to seize so badly so quickly. I can buy a breaker part so that's no biggie, but can it be stripped and repaired? I also had to rebuild the DIM but that is what I do.

 

You can't directly keep the air conditioner off all the time using driver controls. So in the meantime, unplug the power from the compressor. If it's still creating a drag when unplugged, it's the bearing on the pulley, and the compressor itself may be fine.

 

I am probably showing a lot of my ignorance here, I normally buy a Haynes manual for every car I own, but I couldn't find Volvo in their online list, let alone the S60. The squeal is from the cubic shaped box at the very top of the Serpentine pulley, my mechanic says this is the Aircon compressor but what do I know? If the fuse is pulled then the startup squeal ceases but the dashboard throws up a Reduced Engine Performance message which has to be cleared. Thanks for your reply!

 

Thats the power steering pump

 

I recommend put the fuse in but unplug the compressor.

 

I forgot to mention that my car has the two liter 4 cylinder engine, maybe the T5's ancilliaries are arranged differently, must admit I couldn't see any electrical connection to the cubical module which I would have expected for the A/C clutch, but could the PS pump seize up badly enough and so suddenly that the engine will stall on startup without a good bootful of gas, the PS feels fine afterwards.

 

I was very busy lately and didn't get round to unplugging the A/C compressor, that was a mistake. I made a 2 mile trip to the Supermarket and re-cycled some bottles with the engine running, and smoke began pouring from the engine bay, it was the compressor, very hot and smoking like a chimney. I did some shopping to let it cool down. Pulled the connector and drove home, engine doesn't stall on startup anymore. Definitely need a new compressor.

 

I had made an appointment to drop the Volvo off to my mechanic this morning to replace the Aircon compressor or find a shorter belt that would run the car without it. Unfortunately the serpentine belt sheared, and caused the timing belt to jump off the cams and the engine top end is ****ed or not at all well, I bought the car for €1100 and it will cost me that to fix it now, I didn't expect that a few weeks ago and the quandary is do I let it go and scrap the car, or bite the bullet and get it fully done properly, my instinct is for the latter just out of stubbornness, apart from the cost of the vehicle, there is road tax and insurance costs that have been paid, if anyone ever says the Aircon has no gas in it but that's ok, walk away, I should have.