HELP! 98 S70 T5 - Lots of smoke!
 

Hey guys,

I just bought a 98' S70 T5 with about 240,000 KM on it (thats about 150,000 miles).

The problem with it is that it is blowing lots of smoke out the exhaust. The smoke is mostly a light color, kind of like white.

What is this issue likely to be?

Any good Volvo mechanics around Toronto?

Welcome me to the world of S70's, yay!

Thanks for any input.

RE: HELP! 98 S70 T5 - Lots of smoke!
 

Hi Benny, does the white smoke disappear after engine warms up? If so suspect bad valve guide seals. Could possibly be backed up PCV system somewhere. Any smoke out of the oil dipstick tube? Thats usually a good indicator of a pcv prob. Hope this helps some. GL

RE: HELP! 98 S70 T5 - Lots of smoke!
 

I would say clogged vent system.

Soooo, I'm reviving this post...

I know it's been about 2 years, but the car has been sitting around this whole time and I just got around to getting it fixed up now.

I picked up a used turbo from the scrap yard and had my mechanic swap it in. The problem has been reduced greatly, but there still is SOME smoke... not much, but still a little bit. Before the turbo swap there was a massive amount of smoke coming from the exhaust. I also had them replace the oil trap (the dealer said that's what Volvos use instead of a PCV). So at this point in time the engine runs smooth, but there is still a small amount of smoke from the exhaust. Any ideas guys?

Oh, I forgot to mention... there's also air pressure coming from the oil filler cap. I mean, when I remove the cap with the engine running, I can feel air blowing out through the opening.

You have a clogged PCV. If that problem is gone on long, you also may have a rear main seal that could be leaking. If you have average mechanical skills, 8 hours of free time, $150 for a PCV kit, and alot of patience, you can use some good online resources by people who have tackled this job and took the time to post some good instructions with great pictures. Or--you can pay someone else who may not have the same vested interest as you in doing the job right. I can't even imagine what a Dealer would charge? It is mostly labor--and taking alot of things apart and then putting them back together(hopefully the right way with no parts leftover.)

It is a very common problem and a terrible engineering design--probably a post engineering design to accomodate new rules with an established and proven engine. The idea was not bad, but the forward look to future maintenance of the system was almost gross negligence in that it creates a bigger problem in the long run, and quite costly if not caught early, when compared to the benefit in the short run.