I just acquired another "unknown", "no-can-fix" '99 S70 GLT. Fault code stated that cylinder #2 was misfiring. Replaced all spark plugs and checked coil packs...all good. Couldn't find a compression reading from either #1 cylinder and less of one on #2. Performed a Cylinder Leakage Test on just cylinders #1 & 2. Cylinder #1 was fine at 8% leakage, but #2 was at 30% leakage with no detectable sound of air through the intake or the exhaust nor bubbles in the coolant. Upon removing the dipstick and putting a flame to the dipstick tube, there was no air escaping from there either. However, when I removed the Oil Filler Cap, the underside of it was a "milky brown" color suggesting coolant in the oil. I performed a 'backyard' type of valve job in teeing a vacuum hose to the intake manifold and allowing about a quart and a half of water to be sucked into the combustion chamber, yet NO White "Smoke" appeared from the tailpipe. The vacuum gauge was around 17-18, but 'ticking' down as though a valve was stuck or carboned up. I also performed the old "Dollar Bill" trick to the tailpipe, whereby I held the Dollar Bill to the tailpipe while it was running and the $1 Bill was sucked back up into the exhaust pipe denoting (usually valve-train problems), but for those of us "in-the-know", it means Engine Mechanical Problems and to let that Puppy go...if you're buying it as is.

(By the way, this was a successful way back in the old days of knocking the carbon off the valves and cleaning the combustion chamber of deposits...used transmission fluid as well but when catalytic converters came into play...it was strictly water.)(The Dollar Bill thing is as ancient as I am as well)

So, #2 Cylinder is Dead, timing belt is new, but since my nephew bought it used...he's been having to add oil ALL the time. His Mom, my sister, caught him one time at three quarts low! Today when I first looked at it, it was only one quart low and that was added prior to me hooking up my scanner. The unusual part about having to add oil all the time is that the car is White, yet there's no visible signs of burning oil around the valance surrounding the rear tailpipe.(?) I expect the Cylinder Head will have to be pulled and one of three scenarios will be found.

1. Blown Head-Gasket
2. Cracked Head (usually between the valves)
OR
3. Cracked Block

Has anyone ever run into this situation before insofar as a mechanical problem dealing with a blown head gasket (that only affects one cylinder?) or am I looking at a new cylinder head or possibly an engine? I'm too olde to do Engine work anymore, but want an idea if anyone has run into this problem before, or could at least give me an idea as to the cost of a new cylinder head or possibly a new engine. It has 195K on it and I pulled "Volvo®" spark plugs out of it this afternoon.

Cost-wise, what's the various scenarios going to cost to be repaired? Remember, the fuel and fire are fine and yes, I know, not too many people have a Cylinder Leakage Tester in their tool box anymore... So I'm looking at the cost of replacing the head-gasket, the cost of a new head or the cost of a new engine...Parts & Labor. (or have I over-looked anything?)

Thanx in Advance,

~Stillin~

 

I will bet a burnt valve.

 

That may very well be, but how does that account for the water in the oil or the lack of steam or blue smoke coming out the tailpipe? Insofar as the over-usage of oil, a burnt valve would have no affect on this and the tailpipe is clean. (?)

Anymore help in the cost of parts & labor in a head-gasket, a new cylinder head or the price of a new engine in case the block is cracked and once again...has anyone else had this sort of problem on their Volvo or know someone who has?

Much Thanks,

~Stillin~

 

Is all the oil like chocolate milk? Or just some on the oil cap?

 

It was just a "Milky-Brown" appearance only on the underside of the oil filler cap. The car was driven back to my parent's house (about two miles), and then my nephew (the owner) drove it all day Monday to and from the University of Richmond and his Lacrosse practice. It was then left at my parents house for me to further diagnose it. My father started it Tuesday morning for about ten minutes and then he took a look under the oil filler cap and it was normal once again.

When I dropped by Tuesday evening, we checked the underside of the oil filler cap and everything was within normal limits. I brought my tools and my Innova® Scanner and in hooking it up to check for codes after I had cleared them Sunday evening before my father drove the car home, I found a different DTC or fault code with the Check Engine light on again...similar to the PO302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected) to a PO300 or "Random Misfire Detected." The car was then started so I could run further tests on it from open-loop and in turning the key to start it without touching the accelerator pedal, it didn't start immediately, but took a light amount of pressure on the accelerator to start it. Once started cold, the Engine was running rougher than I had seen it run since first brought on board to see what was wrong with it, Yet after it warmed up...or possibly going into closed-loop, the visible shaking of the engine smoothed out even though I could hear a miss at the exhaust pipe.

What was strange as the car was going into closed loop was that in me just standing behind the vehicle to observe and unusual discharge from the tailpipe, I could smell raw gas which also caused my eyes to immediately start burning when I was eight to ten feet away from the tailpipe. Then a Sulfur Dioxide or rotten egg smell was coming out of the tailpipe as well. The tailpipe was still sucking a Dollar Bill back up the exhaust at idle with a pattern to the miss. I recorded Live Readings of 20 frames (manually, instead of by DTC Trigger) to upload it to my computer when I got home. I was somewhat perplexed and have literally losing sleep in not being able to diagnose the engine problem. In re-thinking everything that was performed, I realized that the "milky-brown substance" that was on the bottom of the oil filler cap had disappeared and the only time it showed up was AFTER I teed into the Intake manifold and put the 48 oz. of water through the engine to hopefully knock any carbon off of the valves.

I had numerous appointments and worked all of last night, so as of now, I'm in a state of pass-out. This next part will probably not make senser...at least to me , but in trying to rationalize that since no water came out of the exhaust when attempting to clear the carbon off the valves, I then thought that should you be correct in this being a burnt valve, then when I put water through the Intake and an exhaust valve possibly being burnt, then the mixture of air, gas and water was going into the 5 cylinders. Since the fuel and air could have been ignited, that left me with how the water got to the bottom of the oil filler cap. I'm not thinking clearly now due to sleep deprivation, but could it be that the water went up through the "burnt valve(s)" passed the Valve seals only to end up in the oil? When I thought of 48 ounces of water being in the oil, my father was going to raise the vehicle up on ramps and let it sit overnight before dropping the "tainted oil" out of the head, block and crankcase. I told my father to get a cup ready for I wanted him to catch the first amount of oil(?) coming out to ascertain whether it came out as coolant or water since oil would be on top of the water, therefore the first thing that would expel from the oil pan after removing the drain plug would be the 48 ounces of water I allowed to flow through the intake on Sunday. Last night I stopped by and he showed me the cup of the first catch from the oil pan and it seemed to be normal oil without any water noticeable. It was a little thin though but all the oil was drained from the car and filled back up with fresh oil.

I believe I stated that on Sunday when I ran the compression test, that I felt my Mac® Tool Compression Tester may have been defective so I purchased a new one last evening to repeat and record the readings on all five cylinders twice. Once normally and the second with 20 cc's of oil to check the piston rings as well. (Remember I said that the car has been "burning/losing" a substantial amount of oil before this Driveability problem arose).

My question now is (since I have no service manual for this vehicle), what would be the appropriate pressure per cylinder in this 2.4 L Engine? I can determine if one or more is outside the parameters of 10%, yet have no idea as to what "the book" states as being normal. Hep me...Hep me!

My father is waiting for me to remain awake enough to do this test again, yet since I feel the "cheese has slid off my cracker", as it were...what other things should I be aware of in a standard dry/wet compression test? (once I get some sleep, I'll be able to figure it out myself, yet my spoiled rotten nephew is bitchin' & complaining so much that I cannot fore-go the compression test until tomorrow.

Lastly, has anyone here ever had or knows someone who is having the problems that have occurred with this Engine and what would be the most cost effective strategy to go with should it be a cracked head, burnt valve, blown head-gasket or a cracked block. Am I missing something in trying to diagnose this car that perhaps one of you may be able to help me with.

Respectfully Submitted,

~Polio Clyde~ (~Stillin~)

 

The water you sucked in all burned out.
If he does alot of short trips then once in a while there will be a little sludge like that under the cap only.(Usually happens in Northern climates)

Did you do the compression test totally cold?

I do not have the specs in front of me but anywhere from 180 to 210-220 is good compression numbers.

I have seen these cars with a burnt valve run really crappy cold and when they warm up it is like the problem is not there anymore.

 

Did a Compression Test both dry and wet and #2 Cylinder has NO Compression either way. Performed a Cylinder Leakage Test and the air leakage is coming out of the dipstick tube. On the "wet" Compression Test, all cylinders came up dramatically after putting 20 cc's of oil in each cylinder so the rings are shot, number two cylinder is dead and I can't find a re-manufactured B5254T Engine anywhere...any Ideas???

Other than that, I still am trying to determine whether the profuse loss of oil is from a crack in the Turbo Charger ($780 Retail) for I'll have to add that into the cost of Engine Replacement.

This Thread is Dead as is the Engine.

 

What were the compression numbers?