New member and volvo owner here so forgive me. I have our wagon in the shop again within 3 days of a head gasket repair. Problem is this, cylinder #4 mis-fire code, coolant was needing to be re-filled every week. Volvo shop in town found water in top of #4 cylinder (bolts were also a bit loose around #4 too), so they took the head off, sent it out to be checked and put everything back together with all new parts and etc. Car ran fine for a few days, but now it's currently back in the shop with the same exact problem. Shop is scratching their head because according to the head shop, everything was fine and passed pressure check and etc. They are thinking maybe a casting flaw in the head??? They are all standing by their work and not going to re-charge me for parts and labor, but they are thinking a new head is the best fix (at which I understandably will pay for). My concern is maybe this engine has a fatal flaw somewhere? Block problem maybe, but the water leak into cylinder #4 comes from the top (head). How they found the "slight" leak was a pressure test which didn't loose presure until hours later since the leak was so small, it basically slowly lost pressure and leaked into #4 overnight (thus the #4 misfire code coming up). These guys are the only volvo shop in town and that's all they work on, I trust them cause they have never done me wrong, but they are scratching their heads about this problem and I'm concerned maybe I should dump this car?. Any thoughts, known issues, etc.? Oh yeah, approx. 114k on the car.

 

Have them check the water jackets really good for cracks around the top of the piston.
Have seen a couple crack before.

 

I'll mention it to them this week and see what they find. In the meantime they are tracking down a "good" used head to switch out with. I'm hoping this fixes the problem.

 

Also maybe the block is warped.
I have never seen this problem before I wish I could see the car!!
Is there any way you can get some good pics of the Head and the block. Maybe some closeups?

 

Ouch! That's my fear is that maybe the block somehow is flawed. Only the problem of the #4 cylinder fouling has only recently occurred, hence the check engine light and the first visit to the shop two weeks ago. It never overheated or "blew" the head gasket, I just knew things weren't right and got it into the shop. So I don't see how the block could have now, after 100k+ miles just now "warped" or some other problem. But then again, these guys are totally at a loss as to the problem. It's on stand by till they find a head so they can keep their shop clear and switch it out asap and get it back to me since they are charging me nothing but the head cost. I'll mention these things to them (I'm sure they must have thought these things too) and see what the find when the tear it apart again. By the way, ball park figure on a new or used head? $400 to $600?

 

It all depends on milage of the car.

I would say that might be about right.

 

Turns out these guys got a line on an used engine with approx. 95k on it (which is about 30k less than mine) that they are willing to buy and switch out the engines for a bit more than what the head would have cost. These guys are still very interested in my engine problems and plan on going through the whole thing piece by piece once they swap em' out so they can find what the problem is/ was. Hopefully problem solved on my part (and it runs for another 100k which would be great), although a spendy problem solved to say the least. If your still curious Tech, I'll post back their findings once I know. Won't be for about a week 1/2 at least. Thanks for your input.

 

Yes please let me know what they found.
I was racking Brain all day trying to figure out how and where it would leak from.

 

Talked to the shop today, turns out, when they took it apart again, they themselves found a crack in the head where it was leaking from. Needless to say, I'm pretty pissed off with the head shop as well is the volvo shop is too. They are in some serious discussions about making some kind of refund and work refund to remedy this fiasco. Oh well, I took a gamble on a newer engine or a head, I wish I would have went with the head (but with my luck it would have been beyond that), but at least we know what the problem was and the volvo shop is going to off set as much as they can with everything that went on. Thanks for your input Tech.

 

I think you are better off replacing the whole engine. Especially with one with 95K less miles on it. Sounds like you are taking it to a good shop.

 

Glad they found the leak!!!

I hope it all works out good for you.

 

So far it's good. I'm hopeful that it's all behind me now and that this major work will pay off in the long run as in no more major problems for many many miles. Shop was really great, they put in over 20 hrs of work that they pretty much ate to stand behind their work (and the screw up from their head shop guys). They are making the head shop eat their time in future work sent their way.Remove old and installnewer engine, new heater core, new smog pump, misc. fluids and gaskets (oil pan, motor seals, etc), water pump, timing belt, misc. diagnosis, all for $2,100. I hated to have to do it, butI felt itwas quite a deal based upon all their time and effort that I wasn't charged for. Volvos aren't the most commonvehicle in So. Oregon where I reside, so I think they realize their customer base is limited and very important to keep, plus they are all around pretty good and honest guys.

 

Oh, quick question to you Tech, I've had a very small leak of oil coming from the area underneath the front bumper/ radiator area just about even with the and close to the inside of the front driver's side tire. It appears to be dripping onto the black plastic cover that is underneath the radiator so I can't see up where it is actually coming from unless I remove this plastic cover. Being oil, and the area it's coming from, I have no idea what could be leaking up front there? This occurred with the older motor, and is still occurring with the newer one recently installed, so I'm guessing it is something attached to the engine (not the actual engine). Any ideas where this leak maybe coming from/ what to check?

 

If it's draining from the plastic air diverter under the radiator it could be oil draining from the intercooler or you could have a leaking oil cooler o-ring going into the radiator.

 

Hmmm. Well what does that mean in terms of ability to fix it myself, or a shop fix? Is that plastic air diverter simple to remove to allow access to the areas you're talking about?

 

The intercoolers have a small hole in the bottom to allow oil that accumulates to drain out rather than be pushed through the intake. Usually on higher milage cars there will be an accretion of oil on the diverter but nothing dripping, it does more to collect and hold dirt than anything. If it is the oil cooler line or o-rings or the hose itself is leaking you'll see a dripping that would usually be on the passenger side. Dripping from the right front would usually be the tranny cooler lines where they go into the radiator on the drivers side or the solenoid cover gasket, or power steering fluid from the rack boot.

 

The Air guide is only held in with 2 screws.
I would look at the cooler lines and the bottom of the intercooler.