Please help xc90 making strange intermittent sound

[Mbull]

Can anyone please help me I have recently bought an 09 xc90 d5 manual. On the way home the engine warning light came on and we lost a bit of power (not limp mode) after looking under the bonnet we found the swirl arm to have come off we put it back on and carried on. Everything seemed fine. Later that day whilst driving engine lost power again and started making a strange dumping sort of sound. After looking at things wrong we have now changed the inter cooler, the turbo boost valve, the swirl arm, the top engine mount and cleaned the turbo with revive. Car run ok for a little while but then lost power again and made the strange sound when I put my foot down. We took the car for the codes to be cleared at a garage they could read the codes but not clear them. It's looking like a dealer only job. Has anyone on here got any idea what else could b wrong before I shell out volvo prices??

[pmjg66]

Mbull said:

We took the car for the codes to be cleared at a garage they could read the codes but not clear them. It's looking like a dealer only job. Has anyone on here got any idea what else could b wrong before I shell out volvo prices??

What did the codes say ?

[Mbull]

We took it to volvo who cleared all codes took it for a test drive and the car did the same thing they read the codes again and they said turbo overboost they said it is sticking veins and we need a new turbo at 1300 pound. We are taking it to a volvo specialist in Barnsley tomorrow ( not a dealer ) and hopefully he will be able to tell us more. It's looking like an expensive job though.

[morgrp]

Mbull said:

We took it to volvo who cleared all codes took it for a test drive and the car did the same thing they read the codes again and they said turbo overboost they said it is sticking veins and we need a new turbo at 1300 pound. We are taking it to a volvo specialist in Barnsley tomorrow ( not a dealer ) and hopefully he will be able to tell us more. It's looking like an expensive job though.

Common fault on VAG variable veins and often caused by piddling around at low speeds and running on ste fuel - namely low quality supermarket diesel - Depending on how badly sooted up it is they can sometimes be cured (I have cured some customers cars prob around 70% of the ones i've seen).

My advice would be run a decent diesel cleaner through it (http://www.dieselrhino.co.uk/DR_Prod_Desc.pdf) -

shove some decent fuel in it and drive it like you stole it and really work the turbo hard. What is happening is because the veins are sticking its giving you a massive slug of boost at low revs which upsets the ECU by causing it go out of parameter - On VAGS you can simply shut of and restart the car whilst driving to take it out of limp mode (not recommended on autos) -
The other option is to try the Ed China recommended Terra clean - I have little experience of this so would be interested in the results.

If it can't be easily cured, before shelling out on a new turbo - contact a turbo specialist for a rebuild price (probably cheaper) and/or a second hand turbo from a dead car.

Its not a massive failure by any means and the car can still be run its just annoying when it keeps playing up

I've run a Variable vein VAG TDI for a year or so now and had no problems what-so-ever - I run it on quality fuel and the car gets a good hard thrash at least once a week - I swear most diesel problems (namely turbo probs, DPF probs and injector probs) are all caused by eco-miser driving techniques and poor quality supermarket diesel.

One final thing - If you try a fuel additive/cleaner, do make sure it is suitable for your car