My '01 V70 XC has a continuing problem where the idle momentarily surges every 20 seconds. The surge is a couple hundred RPM. It is disconcerting when I am coasting to a stop or braking. The surge causes the car to lurch forward. It feels very unsafe. I have gone to the Volvo dealer about it and the mechanic says he has the latest computer updates loaded and has no idea where to start. It has 106,000 miles and has always received scheduled dealer service. This has the low pressure turbo 5 cylinder engine.
Idle Surge every 20 seconds in '01 V70 XC
Jun 28, 2008
2 Replies
I found that as my AC Compressor was starting to seize its clutch would put a dragging load on the engine and then disengage, causing the engine to race a bit as it adjusted to the freed load.
I don't know how best to test this except to listen for the compressor engaging/disengaging while watching the tach.
Cheers, blurp
Thanks for the info. I will see if I can coordinate the surge with the AC switching. Shutting off the AC does seem to prevent it. Your explanation lets me know why it is much more pronounced than normal.
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