I have a 1998 V70 XC AWD wagon with the 2.4ltr turbocharged engine. The car has done 150,000 miles and is well maintained. Recently, we have experienced significant oil use/loss (+/-a quart per 1000 miles) but with no sign of oil being burnt and no oil being visible on the underside of the vehicle. I and a local mechanic thought the problem might be a blockage in the turbo that was resulting in oil being forced through the turbo, but we checked and cleaned the lines and the problem still persists. The car runs perfectly and there is no sign of any blue smoke from the exhaust and no sign of oil in the coolant or vice-versa. There is a very slight oil weep at the cam bearings, but nothing like the amount being lost overall. It has been suggested that the leak might be inside the turbo and that we should replace it, but that is a big cost when we are not really sure what the problem is. I have decided to do a cylinder compression test to check if the piston rings are OK, before focusing on the turbo. It should be noted that the oil trap was replaced only 16 months ago.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong with our car? And what should the compression readings on this model be? Can you give me upper and lower figures so that I know the range for normal compression? Lastly, if we do have to get a new turbo, can anyone recommend where to get a good used or rebuilt unit at a reasonable price?

Thank-you for any help you can provide.

 

How long have you owned the car?

What kind or oil are you using? Brand/type/weight?

Compression for the turbo cars should be between 156 and 184.

 

Hello rspi - NAPA 10-30 now and 10-40 in winter. We have also intermittently used Auto Zone same weight/spec. When I first noticed this problem, I happened to check the oil level between a month or two after an oil change sometime before I would have normally checked it, because I was under the hood anyway. While the oil light had not been on (and it does work), the oil level was off the stick and turned-out to be almost three quarts down. I do not know why the oil light did not come on, and, of course, if it had, I would have checked the oil immediately. Luckily, during that period of very low oil, the car was not driven hard, or any further than usual. So, the low oil level was because of this strange oil use, not the other way round. If it helps, there is no sign of coolant in the oil, and no 'whipped' oil under or around the filler/cap.

Thanks for any input.

 

How long have you owned the car?

 

Oh yea, where are you located? It seems that your oil weight useage is backwards.

 

Yes, I'm sorry, I meant to say that we use 10w-30 now, in Winter - Maine coast - and 10w-40 in summer. We've had the car 3.5 years. 121,000 miles when we bought it, 154,000 now.

 

Yes, get the compression checked and go from there. I think it's either going by a cylinder or through the turbo. Is there oil in the exhaust?

 

No, no oil in the exhaust, and none in the coolant either, but there is obviously back pressure in the engine, as I have found oil under the spark plug cover, which has been pushed past the seal of the filler cap and has run down under the cover. I'm thinking I have a PCV valve/EGR issue, preventing the engine from breathing properly and causing back pressure. Will check the compression Sunday, in slightly warmer weather.

 

Ouch!!! PCV is important. Need to get that taken care of like yesterday. When you said that it has been VERY WELL MAINTAINED, I assumed that it would have included the PCV system. A clogged PCV system will force oil out anywhere it can.

Do you have any CEL's?

You may want to read this thread, it applies to your car as well.
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-s-v70s-9266/

 

PCV system was replaced by apparent Volvo specialist in fall 2010, and the car only done 10-12,000 miles since then. I know that in that time blockages could have re-occured, but with regular servicing and careful driving, I wouldn't consider this to be normal, especially considering the lengthy and potentially expensive process involved in replacing the PCV system. I think that the mechanic we used, who we later found was not as good as he made out, may have skimped by not replacing the tubes etc between the oil trap and manifold and air intake. Maybe my issue is with them. What is a CEL (sorry)? Thanks for your time.

 

CEL = Check Engine Light. If you have a lit CEL in the dash cluster, you need to get the codes read and go from there. You can write them down or search them here.

If you think you'll own this car for longer than 2 more years, you may want to get yourself a code reader. Saves a lot of time and money.