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Splizwarf posted:So what's the deal with importing a car for road use that isn't sold in the US market? Wasn't there a big thing with imported Skylines getting taken off the streets for not meeting emissions standards last year? I wouldn't be that concerned about a European market car having many issues with import to the US, it'll just be costly. I see Euro market BMWs & Mercs out in LA a lot. (The Skylines in question were 90's cars from Australia typically and I believe the main reason they got yanked was because they had been imported semi-illegally with no taxing, and emissions was just the excuse.) And in a lot of cars, you need to hold the TCS button down for a few seconds to de-activate it, to avoid accidental pushing - so maybe your second push satisfied the time-held-down counter, Cakefool?
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Oct 1, 2010 19:54
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My S60 2.5T randomly shuts off when idling (not terribly often, maybe about once every few weeks) and I'm wondering what I can do about this? I know next to nothing about cars so I'd appreciate a dumbed-down version if at all possible
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Oct 2, 2010 20:42
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TheJeffers posted:Is this a 745 SE? Yep, that's a clone of my car in white, pretty hot poo poo 
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Oct 2, 2010 23:59
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Hello AI! I have a question about a problem with my Volvo that I was hoping you all could help with. Basic Info -1996 Volvo 850 (not turbo) -Don't know how many miles are on it; the odometer stopped working a while back. I would guess around 150K. -I keep the engine well-serviced, just got a tuneup in the spring. -The car is officially totaled. Someone hit me last year and I opted to fix it instead of getting a new car, so now the car is officially labeled scrap. All that to say if repairs get to a certain point, I will probably just buy another car. This morning when I was starting up the car, the engine began idling below its normal rpm, and kept fluctuating while making irregular idling sounds. When I actually drive the car, it seems to do fine. The problem is just when it is idling, or when I put it in neutral while coasting. The second time I started up the car today, the check engine light came on and has stayed on since then. Obviously the problem could be a number of things. My question is: do you think it is safe to wait until then end of the week to take it into a mechanic to read the codes and diagnose the problem, or would you take it in right away? I have no other transportation to and from work, so this would put me having to walk a really long distance. I would rather wait until the end of the week, but not if it is something that will completely gently caress up the engine if I let it continue. What do you think?
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Oct 3, 2010 18:46
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I know this is kind of general, but does anyone in here have experience with owning/maintaining a P1800? I'm looking to buy my Dad's 1800E and would love to hear more about people's experiences with the car.
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Oct 3, 2010 19:35
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haterade posted:My S60 2.5T randomly shuts off when idling (not terribly often, maybe about once every few weeks) and I'm wondering what I can do about this? I know next to nothing about cars so I'd appreciate a dumbed-down version if at all possible The year and mileage and transmission style will help, they used several engine management schemes over the nine or so years they made S60s. Can I Phaser You posted:Obviously the problem could be a number of things. My question is: do you think it is safe to wait until then end of the week to take it into a mechanic to read the codes and diagnose the problem, or would you take it in right away? I have no other transportation to and from work, so this would put me having to walk a really long distance. I would rather wait until the end of the week, but not if it is something that will completely gently caress up the engine if I let it continue. What do you think? JaundiceDave posted:I know this is kind of general, but does anyone in here have experience with owning/maintaining a P1800? I'm looking to buy my Dad's 1800E and would love to hear more about people's experiences with the car. 1800s are among the most reliable cars ever built, but an E model is going to have a lot of fuel injection parts that are expensive or even impossible to replace if and when they go bad. If you have some budget it'll run great for years. They're very easy to work on. The drivetrain is fundamentally identical to my 122 by the way, even more because I'm upgrading most of it to 1800 stuff! Heh. I recommend you cruise my project thread if you haven't seen it yet, it's on page 2 right now.
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Oct 4, 2010 03:20
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This is one of my favorite Volvo-related images of all time: (From when Ford owned both and obviously took a lot of care in making sure the Aston Martin experience was a special one, heh. Yes, they just skinned a Volvo key fob and handed it off as a special item with your £200k car)
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Oct 4, 2010 21:12
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LloydDobler posted:Nobody here can guarantee the car isn't going to strand you. I'd at least get the code read ASAP so you have a direction. Often times things like that are something you can fix yourself right away like a basic vacuum leak. Try to get the code read.. I went ahead and took it in today and they told me that the codes told them that 3 cylinders were misfiring. They replaced the spark plugs, distributer cap, and did a fuel and air service. When I got there to pay, the guy told me "oh yeah we've got it running like a dream. Now because of the type of fuel cleaner we used, you may notice the check engine light come back on, but just give it awhile to get it through its system." 670 dollars later, as I'm turning out of the place, the check engine light comes back on and it still idles rough. Literally no difference. Any ideas?
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Oct 4, 2010 23:07
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Can I Phaser You posted:I went ahead and took it in today and they told me that the codes told them that 3 cylinders were misfiring. They replaced the spark plugs, distributer cap, and did a fuel and air service. I would take it back...check engine light is one thing until diagnostics run properly, but mechanically they should have fixed the problem.
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Oct 5, 2010 00:45
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Can I Phaser You posted:I went ahead and took it in today and they told me that the codes told them that 3 cylinders were misfiring. They replaced the spark plugs, distributer cap, and did a fuel and air service. They basically didn't know the cause but used it as an excuse to rape you on some routine maintenance, you could have said no right there, and why didn't you didn't turn right back in when the problem reoccurred? That's like a how-could-you-possibly-be-that-clueless horror story, or you have a lot of money to blow.
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Oct 5, 2010 01:46
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NOTinuyasha posted:They basically didn't know the cause but used it as an excuse to rape you on some routine maintenance, you could have said no right there, and why didn't you didn't turn right back in when the problem reoccurred? That's like a how-could-you-possibly-be-that-clueless horror story, or you have a lot of money to blow. Well I picked it up right when they closed, and I have to make arrangements for transportation ahead of time in order to plan on taking it in. If I had turned back in immediately, I would have had to take a taxi back home and then again to work in the morning. So my plan now is to drive it tomorrow and if it's still rough idling, plan to take it back on Wednesday morning. The long term plan is to replace it with another car, but I just need this one to last me a couple more months while I get a down payment together. Basically my main question is: how many potential issues could possibly be causing the cylinders to misfire? I don't want to keep taking it back to these assholes and it never get fixed. Even if they offer to make good and do something additional for no charge, it is a huge logistical pain for me. I would rather just write it off as hosed if that's the case. But if there are only a couple of other things it could be, I would consider taking it back or possibly taking it somewhere else.
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Oct 5, 2010 03:11
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The list of things it could be is intimidating, but the list of things it's likely to be is a lot shorter. Fuel treatment is a retarded solution unless they traced the problem to clogged injectors, which they should have told you about if it was the case. Replacing your air filter may have been on the to do list for regular maintenance but wouldn't cause a 3 cylinder misfire. Replacing the spark plugs is on the same to do list, and could cause your problem, but they wouldn't need to be replaced for diagnosis; they can just switch the plugs and see if the problem moves with the plug. The rotor and the cap, same list, and they're testable. What did they say the problem actually was diagnosed as? They're chucklefucks and you need to weigh the price of getting it done right someplace else against getting it done (possibly) right by these guys for free, because they haven't actually fixed it. The guy sold you a raft of poo poo about you needing to drive off a "residual check engine light", driving it off is part of his loving job, because his job in simple terms is to make the light go off. If it takes some drive cycles to work off the light, that's the last part of the repair. If he put some poo poo in your fuel that's causing the light to come on with a new code, that poo poo is probably wrecking your O2 sensors and your catalytic converter.
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Oct 5, 2010 05:55
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Can I Phaser You posted:Basically my main question is: how many potential issues could possibly be causing the cylinders to misfire? I don't want to keep taking it back to these assholes and it never get fixed. Even if they offer to make good and do something additional for no charge, it is a huge logistical pain for me. I would rather just write it off as hosed if that's the case. But if there are only a couple of other things it could be, I would consider taking it back or possibly taking it somewhere else. Mass air sensor, oxygen sensor, crank position sensor, vacuum leak, plug wire rot, fuel filter, exhaust vales, plugged cat... it's a complicated car and everything outside the drivetrain is prone to failure, cylinder misfire is a lovely problem cause it could mean a ton of things. Unplug the MAF, that puts the 850 into limp mode, if it runs better, that narrows it down to sensors, probably, which is preety useful for a mechanic. Limp mode makes it run only marginally worse then normal so it'll either stay the same or get better. The MAF plug looks like this: http://volvospeed.com/Pics/repairpics/afterjune01/MAFtr.jpg Good luck with the 850, it's a nice car but it has a few problems, mine started stalling randomly a year ago and I spent hours in a junkyard and on the internet before finally fixing it. Edit: you said it idled bad? Try the idle air control valve, maybe get used one express shipped from ebay and see if that fixes it. You could also have the throttle body cleaned. NOTinuyasha fucked around with this message at 07:58 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 07:52
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I took another look under the hood, trying to figure out where some of the things were that you all suggested. I was about to try ordering the idle air control valve off ebay, when I noticed a broken hose. I don't know what the hose does, or if it has anything to do with the problem, but I'll post it anyway. If you're looking down, it's connected to the front top right of the engine. Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. Might this be it? E: Also, there is the possibility that they broke the hose either accidentally or intentionally while they were doing the maintenance on it yesterday. I didn't see this broken before, but I may have just not been looking closely enough...I just find it hard to believe that they could have missed a hose that is completely severed. Can I Phaser You fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 23:12
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Can I Phaser You posted:I took another look under the hood, trying to figure out where some of the things were that you all suggested. I was about to try ordering the idle air control valve off ebay, when I noticed a broken hose. I don't know what the hose does, or if it has anything to do with the problem, but I'll post it anyway. If you're looking down, it's connected to the front top right of the engine. Where's the other end? If that's connected to the intake manifold, which it looks like it is, then it's very likely that it is the cause of your lovely idle. Also if it's connected to your idle controller, then it's definitely the problem. Try starting the car while you just hold it in place (watch out for the fan or any other moving parts) and see if it solves the problem. If it does you can replace it yourself with screw-down hose clamps and a new piece of hose.
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Oct 5, 2010 23:53
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Yep, that was it. Took it back in to the shop today because I wanted them to see how obvious the problem was, and how they missed it. I was hoping they would refund part or all of my money. They put the new hose on for free, but I could have done that myself. 670 dollars for a 3 dollar problem....live and learn I guess. At least I won't need a tuneup for a while. Thanks for all y'all's help.
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Oct 6, 2010 17:25
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Can I Phaser You posted:Yep, that was it. Took it back in to the shop today because I wanted them to see how obvious the problem was, and how they missed it. I was hoping they would refund part or all of my money. They put the new hose on for free, but I could have done that myself. 670 dollars for a 3 dollar problem....live and learn I guess. At least I won't need a tuneup for a while. Thanks for all y'all's help. You should press harder. I'd be furious if I were in your shoes. Never mind the fact that $670 is rape for what you listed. But then again, that fury is what drives all of us to learn cars ourselves. Sorry you had to take such a hard hit, but I hope it motivates you to do more yourself. I mean, you can buy a whole lot of kick rear end tools for $670. Also look into replacing all the rest of your hoses (yourself), coolant and vacuum alike. If that's the state of one original hose, the rest aren't far behind. edit: A good compromise would be to make them refund the labor cost and you just pay for the parts they put on, because 100% of the labor was unnecessary and they hosed up, but they do have hard cost in the parts, and the parts will benefit you. Plus they make a monster markup on parts. LloydDobler fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Oct 6, 2010 |
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Oct 6, 2010 18:36
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LloydDobler posted:Never mind the fact that $670 is rape for what you listed. No kidding. I did pretty much the same service on my 850 for a little over $100 I think, and it took overall about an hour or two because I took my time. There is no way $570 for parts markup and labor is anywhere near sane on any car unless it's some V6 or V8 with completely inaccessible plugs. If you just got a tuneup in the spring, I would say that 100% of what they did was completely unnecessary. Usually a tuneup consists of plugs, wires, cap/rotor, belts, filters and an oil change. Unless you drive a hell of a lot there is no way any of that would be up for replacement already (except maybe the oil change). Please tell me for that price they didn't just do plugs, cap, air/fuel service and that it actually includes all spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, ignition coil, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, etc... because if they didn't do any of that you got raped hard. Seriously. Like $50 worth of parts and 30 minutes of labor hard. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Oct 6, 2010 |
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Oct 6, 2010 19:00
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LloydDobler posted:You should press harder. I'd be furious if I were in your shoes. I asked to speak with the manager, and told him that I wanted at least a partial refund. He wouldn't do it. I told him I was going to report him to the BBB and comment negatively on the google page for his business (that's how I found out about the shop anyway--on google. I'm new to the area. Now I am thinking that all the good comments are probably bullshit he wrote on there himself) quote:Also look into replacing all the rest of your hoses (yourself), coolant and vacuum alike. If that's the state of one original hose, the rest aren't far behind. Yes, this is definitely something I'm gonna do. This whole nightmare was a wake up call, not only to the fact that I need to learn more about do-it-yourself auto repair, but also to the fact that the hoses in my car are in terrible condition. One of them in particular (the one that makes the fan cut on when the car is stationary and the engine gets hot---don't know the technical term for it) looks like it is about to rip open. CornHolio posted:Please tell me for that price they didn't just do plugs, cap, air/fuel service Ha, that's exactly what they did. It's itemized on the bill. No wires, no rotor. Edit: In case anyone else lives in Charlotte, this is the place. Note all the bullshit reviews on there (except for the one I just wrote). I mean, who says poo poo like "As a South Charlotte stay at home Mom I have to tell all you Ballantyne Moms. YOU MUST GO TO Carolina Tire. My kids never want to leave. Between the free popcorn and the cool kids playroom (clean toys, clean room) and the clean bathrooms," I loving saw their waiting area. It's okay. But if I were a kid I would hate it. Who cares about a popcorn machine? I just have this feeling that the owner goes on there and writes fake reviews, especially considering that he has a big sign at the front desk that says "check out our rating on google!" Can I Phaser You fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Oct 6, 2010 |
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Oct 6, 2010 22:47
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Use the Mechan-X Files on Cartalk.com or Yelp to find a less dishonest mechanic next time. Sorry about your rape. Glass half full option: Pretend you leased a car for a month, but then didn't have to do the next 35 months, and move on with your life $23,450 richer (plus interest!)
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Oct 6, 2010 23:00
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LloydDobler posted:The year and mileage and transmission style will help, they used several engine management schemes over the nine or so years they made S60s. It's a 2004 and I don't know the mileage off the top of my head but it's pretty high.
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Oct 6, 2010 23:56
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I'm not an expert but the general impression I've gotten is that 850s are solid cars that tend to suffer nightmarish electrical problems that typical mechanics aren't too great at diagnosing. Every visible wire on my 850 is cracking and splits at touch, every time I move something with a wire I end up wrapping it in electrical tape. All the rubber vacuums look lovely too. Too bad. I tried to get a stalling problem fixed but I was very clear that I needed a solid diagnosis, the first mechanic drove it for a few days and gave it back with the honest excuse that he'd have no choice but to rape me since he had no idea, the second Volvo guy wanted to put in a junk crankshaft sensor and ECU from parts cars on his lot, we agreed I'd only pay for parts if the fix didn't work, I left the car in his care for him to drive around, it acted up (and eventually wouldn't start at all) paid $130 for what amounted to days of labor.
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Oct 7, 2010 00:23
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Can I Phaser You posted:One of them in particular (the one that makes the fan cut on when the car is stationary and the engine gets hot---don't know the technical term for it) looks like it is about to rip open. I think this should be a couple wires in a cable sheath rather than a hose, so while it shouldn't look too badly hosed it's okay if there's a seam.  I'm glad to hear your car is running nicely again, however it was you had to get there.
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Oct 7, 2010 00:48
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Can I Phaser You posted:In case anyone else lives in Charlotte Tip for future mechanic planning: If the word "Tire" is in the shop name, they will rip you off. It's almost a law. Try this one next time. http://www.cartalk.com/ct/mechx/shop.jsp?id=12991 Or find another one from the list. http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/find.html
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Oct 7, 2010 01:02
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haterade posted:It's a 2004 and I don't know the mileage off the top of my head but it's pretty high. That's a tough one to diagnose but there aren't any chronic issues that cause that, at least none that I'm aware of, so it's going to be a matter of either swapping parts to test for the problem, or waiting until the problem gets worse. If you want to be proactive, you can ask a shop with VIDA (which is Volvo's proprietary software interface) or a Volvo dealer to check for any stored codes that might give you a hint. It's likely just one of the engine sensors on its way out, like the mass air flow (MAF) sensor, or the manifold pressure sensor, or the intake air temp sensor. If you've never had the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system serviced, it might be time to do that. Or, you might just need the throttle body cleaned. I'd follow the links above that were posted for Can I Phaser You and see if you can find a reputable Volvo shop near you. They'll probably charge a fortune but if they're linked there they should be worth it. Can I Phaser You posted:Edit: In case anyone else lives in Charlotte, this is the place. Note all the bullshit reviews on there (except for the one I just wrote). I voted your review up. Did you use a credit card? Some cards take customer satisfaction seriously, and you might get away with doing a chargeback and letting the shop fight it out with them. But that's a bit serious, not sure how the tire shop would attack back. But yeah, never have a tire shop do mechanic work, and as you dive in yourself, definitely come here if you have any problems, we'll try to help you as best we can over the internet. LloydDobler fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Oct 7, 2010 |
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Oct 7, 2010 03:32
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LloydDobler posted:That's a tough one to diagnose but there aren't any chronic issues that cause that, at least none that I'm aware of, so it's going to be a matter of either swapping parts to test for the problem, or waiting until the problem gets worse. If you want to be proactive, you can ask a shop with VIDA (which is Volvo's proprietary software interface) or a Volvo dealer to check for any stored codes that might give you a hint. Ok thanks
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Oct 8, 2010 17:03
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LloydDobler posted:I voted your review up. I just checked back and there have been three positive reviews posted on there within the past week! After a new one had not been posted since July. Yeah, they definitely pad their google page with fake reviews. All of them include some form of praise for "Jim" the owner. Mine will be conveniently bumped off the front page after a couple more fake ones. I have a loving vendetta against this place now. I wish there was some way to get Google to punish them for posting fake reviews.
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Oct 10, 2010 20:14
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Can I Phaser You posted:I just checked back and there have been three positive reviews posted on there within the past week! After a new one had not been posted since July. Yeah, they definitely pad their google page with fake reviews. All of them include some form of praise for "Jim" the owner. Mine will be conveniently bumped off the front page after a couple more fake ones. Bottom of the page "report a problem"
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Oct 10, 2010 23:34
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It's now got a response from Jim the Owner saying your bad review is just bitter competitors. I voted your review up. I'd definitely report it to Google, otherwise their entire rating system seems a bit too easily gamed if this is all you have to do.
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Oct 11, 2010 20:08
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I have a funny steering question, 1999 V70 2.5tdi: If I brake with my hands off the wheel the car brakes in a straight line but the wheel turns slightly to the right, then with increased braking pressure, back to the centre. If I brake with my hands on the wheel & resist this turning the car veers left slightly, then back to the centre. The discs & pads look pretty good, worn but plenty of life left. The tyres are pretty recent & evenly worn, equally inflated. There's no judder or veering with any other driving behaviour. There's equal resistance turning left or right when not braking. If it just pulled to one side I'd just replace the brakes, but the self-centering thing is a bit odd. It's also been tracked by someone I trust & still does it. cakesmith handyman fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Oct 11, 2010 |
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Oct 11, 2010 21:25
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Ether Frenzy posted:It's now got a response from Jim the Owner saying your bad review is just bitter competitors. I voted your review up. Edit: The guy called me and gave me a refund. Hell yes 
Can I Phaser You fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Oct 12, 2010 |
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Oct 11, 2010 22:09
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Cakefool posted:I have a funny steering question, 1999 V70 2.5tdi: One caliper is grabbing sooner rather than harder. When you get the pedal down further the force equals out and the wheel centers for the same reason it centers itself when you come out of a turn. drat Splizwarf fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Oct 12, 2010 |
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Oct 11, 2010 23:56
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Splizwarf posted:One caliper is grabbing sooner rather than harder. When you get the pedal down further the force equals out and the wheel centers for the same reason it centers itself when you come out of a turn. Cakefool is in the UK, IIRC.
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Oct 12, 2010 01:37
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Did the XC of the same era have a diesel option in the US?
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drat, I mislabeled him mentally as one of the goons within 200 miles of me.  e: <-- Virginia, USA
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Oct 12, 2010 02:35
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Splizwarf posted:One caliper is grabbing sooner rather than harder. When you get the pedal down further the force equals out and the wheel centers for the same reason it centers itself when you come out of a turn. Obvious when someone says it, thanks. I'll get in there with a mallet at some point. Also, this thing has an Audi 2.5tdi, the D5252T, it's heavy but nice & torquey. Funny thing, there's no Haynes manual for this engine in either Audi or Volvo cars.
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Oct 12, 2010 19:14
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The heater core in my 245 must be going out-when I turned on the defroster tonight, the windshield fogged up instantly with a persistent, kinda greasy condensation, and the car was permeated with a rather unpleasant smell. Of course, it decides to do this right as it starts getting cold here. 
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Oct 15, 2010 01:34
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This looks like a job for http://cleanflametrap.com/heater_core/! and a guy with a minimum of ten free hours, I am so sorry
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Oct 15, 2010 01:43
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82Daion posted:The heater core in my 245 must be going out-when I turned on the defroster tonight, the windshield fogged up instantly with a persistent, kinda greasy condensation, and the car was permeated with a rather unpleasant smell. Probably one of the most hated repairs in all of the Volvo world...condolences man...though once you get it fixed, it will be roaring like the flames of hell like all good Volvo heaters do. *I think I have to get the AC/Heater/Motor in my V70 fixed soon =(
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Oct 15, 2010 01:58
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82Daion posted:The heater core in my 245 must be going out-when I turned on the defroster tonight, the windshield fogged up instantly with a persistent, kinda greasy condensation, and the car was permeated with a rather unpleasant smell. I think Group A on Turbobricks found a way to replace the heater core in about two or three hours but it requires cutting into the firewall and he said he's done it dozens of times. Your two options are to either grin and bear it and say that you've done the most painful job since Mr. Hands or buy another Volvo. 
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Oct 15, 2010 03:55
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To be fair, the job doesn't look hard per se, or painful, just really time consuming. I'd do it at the drop of a hat but I have a lot of free time thanks to being almost out of work. Bring it to my house, I'm in Virginia. Also, look at that set of instructions and think about how much project creep you could let in. You could redo the whole drat wiring harness while it's opened up, there'll never be a better time. New dash, new instrument panel, clean all the vent piping thoroughly, grease anything that moves under the dash like the steering column and the pedals, rust removal and protection on the inside of the firewall and the front sides of the cabin, clean and dielectric up all the wiring connections, reset the brake and or/clutch position sensor so your cruise control works again, replace all the vacuum lines in the cabin, etc. A fella could have fun for days.
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Oct 15, 2010 15:38
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