that s80 is still on my mind..

Certainly having the timing checked and possibly adjusted (this is done electronically on this engine via an FCR) and having the injectors overhaulled would no go amiss. I would also check turbo boost pressure, and replace / adjust the wastegate actuator if its gone soft.

If performance is good with a healthy whistle from the turbo when on boost, its likely to be fine.

Its impossible to tell if the oxidation cat is working or not really- though it should be hotter than the pipe leading to it...

FCR time- though the dash should display the rough problem with ignition on, in the information 'window'.

As the other Tim says, they are prone to niggly problems with electronics and suspension, a good level of maintanance is really important to prevent large future bills!

Tim..

Have it checked out, but they are a smoky motor anyway

Yellow or red (it's a bicolour LED).

Yellow normally means blown bulb or low washer fluid. Red means reset something or take trip to dealer with credit card on standby. To find out why it's on press the "message" button on the end of the indicator stalk and it'll tell you in the little display.

Note they only have one fog light... the other side has all the bits but is blocked off. They do have four tail lamp bulbs though so make sure they're all working!

Oi! I'm THE Tim, you're the OTHER tim ;)

are you sure the timing can be adjusted electronically since it is not a common rail injection engine ? I thought the injectors opened mechanically at TDC due to the combustion pressure ?

I don't remember any noise from the turbo at all, I've never had a car with a turbo before. It seemed reasonably fast but even when I revved it up whilst parked I could not detect any turbo whine.. Is it possible for turbos to sieze up ?

cheers for that ;)

It's a shame that the seller seems to have lost interest in the car. but I'm wandering at what price it becomes worth the risks involved. There's only 2 or 3 months MOT on it BTW .

I suggest you go read up on diesel injection systems.

On this VAG engne, pump timing is adjusted via the computer, inconjuction with a dial gauge and some setting pins. It must be re-adjusted after a timing belt change.

Yes. But if it had seized the exhaust restriction + no boost would make for a very slow car. I expect the turbo is fine.

electronics

If its a dealer sale, then he should be more than willing to put it through the MOT and give 12months test as prt of the asking price. If not, he definately has reservations about the car, in which case, walk away.

Tim..

What! They (the manufacturers) are selling a car that costs upwards of

sounds like you can't even change the timing belt yourself then, but how does the computer control a mechanical pump ? I'll have a read up on it as you say ..

I've definiatly given up the idea of buying this car now !

Thanks

inconjuction

You can certainly replace the timing belt yourself, but will find that the injection pump itself is bolted to the engine in one place- no slots. As no two belts are the same the timing ends up slightly out.

There is an 'off set' adjustment via the FCR to bring the pump timing back to spec.

The ECU controls injection timing wholesale via a stepper motor within the pump. A second stepper motor controls the fuelling levels.

Tim..

IME unmodded turbos are silent.

Safety. The single hi-vis lamp on the offside leaves it clear that when the nearside lamp is on you are braking.

Your loss.. they're great cars.

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Yup.

Cobblers. They're too tight to fit two fog lights.

There's a minimum legal separation between brake lights and fog lights, _precisely_ to prevent that. Plus, of course, the compulsory third brake light on anything recent.

From The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

(d) Minimum separation distance between a rear fog lamp and a stop lamp-

(i) In the case of a rear fog lamp which does not share a common lamp body with a stop lamp:

A distance of 100 mm between the light-emitting surfaces of the lamps when viewed in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle

(ii) In the case of a rear fog lamp which shares a common lamp body with a stop lamp:

Nope, really, it's a safety thing. The reflector, cluster, socket etc is there but the hole is blanked off, a little bit of poking around with a knife or drill and insert a bulb and you're away.

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Bollocks.

I'm sure the marketing muppets *claim* it is, but - bollocks.

Yeah, because Volvo's safety claims are just marketing aren't they..`

On the whole, yes.

Back in the old days before 'safety features' were a selling point, Volvo's re-inforced tanks were genuinely safer than other makers vehicles.

These days, Renault appear to make cars that make groundbreaking safety advances (they've had record NCAP scores with a few vehicles now), Volvo just make re-badged Fords, which are no better than the class average on safety :-p

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Yes, they are. Well done.

They may have had some basis in fact with the PV, probably with the Amazon and possibly even with the 140/240 (although nowhere near as much as they claimed) - but these days? Absolutely.

The current range don't even have particularly good EuroNCAP scores.

S40 - 5* passenger, 2* ped, 4* child. S60 - 4* passenger, 2* ped S70 - 4* passenger, 2* ped XC90 - 5* passenger, 2* ped

Nothing much to write home about.

And no scores for the new C70 or the forthcoming new S80, because Volvo don't like the game so are taking their ball away...

Poor 'ickle Wolwo.

Some years ago I found an identical situation with a Mk1 Golf. It had only one rear fog light but the wiring was in place for two. A fragile (easily removed) bit of plastic was all that prevented it being used.

The only reason was to differentiate between that model and the next one up in the range which boasted double rear fogs.

Designing a car to pass some arbitary test standard (which I believe Renault do) does not necessarily make it safe. Volvo (at least used to) build safe cars. The two are not the same.