Volvo V70 smoking issue

Wolf

Hi Guys, I have a 2001 V70 (petrol) that has an irregular smoking issue. One minute it will be driving along fine with a small amount of whitish smoke. But then if I stop at lights or change into reverse it smokes really badly.

It happens warm or cold and has done somewhere around 290000 kms. The previous owner told me he cooked the motor and replaced it with a second hand motor a couple of years back.

I bought the car June 2024 for comfortable monthly trips to Brisbane from Maryborough. At first it did not use any oil whatsoever but did use a little water and smoked small amounts when warm. On a couple of those trips it overheated from losing too much water, but after adding some coolant sealer it now does not use water any more. About two trips ago it started to use oil and the smoking got worse. I let it sit for a couple of weeks with zero usage and now suddenly the smoking has gotten really bad, but it is not consistent like it should be if it was rings/cracked head?

Could it have something to do with the transmission as it seems to smoke worse in reverse after driving for a bit? The tranny has been playing up for some time. It feels like it doesn't want to change into low gear even from a dead stop.

I added some Morey's oil additive once before and it seemed to slow down the smoking for a while. Today I added it again plus added some ring treatment. And added Lucas transmission treatment as well.

I didn't pay much for it ($1200) but would like to keep it going for as long as possible, as cheaply as possible because it's such a comfortable cruiser.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

ramrod

Really bad news I’m afraid

The overheating and loss of water problem is major.

Where is the water leaking from? If you have a blown cylinder head gasket which I believe you do, no amount of chemicals added to the system is going to fix it, they are designed to be a temporary fix to get you home. Not permanent.

The smoke (or steam) could be water that’s finding entrance into the cylinder and burning up with the fuel and air together.

A blown head gasket happens due to overheating, and coolant loss happens due to having a blown head gasket. So some time in the past either the radiator, a hose, expansion tank or water pump developed a leak which went unnoticed to the point it emptied the radiator and overheated and stressed the head gasket and now it’s no longer sealing.

This repair is more expensive than the value of the car and unfortunately makes it a write off

Wolf

ramrod I originally suspected either a head gasket or warped head. But would not the smoking be consistent in either case?

And why is it now using oil (almost half a litre for every hour or two travelled)?

ramrod

Pressure test the cooling system and it will tell you everything you need to know.

Excessive oil consumption could be due to a blocked PCV oil trap breather system and or worn piston rings or oil control rings

beez

Have you looked at the dip stick? This will tell you if the head gasket may be leaking water into the oil?

Kinda surprized that you would buy a car like that. Say no to engine replacement purchases, UNLESS they have it done by a credible volvo mechanic.

Wolf

beez There is no sign of water contacting the oil, either via dipstick or oil cap. However there is a LOT of pressure through the oil cap. I am fairly certain the PCV system is 100% blocked and when I get time I will fix it. Whether or not that is the only issue is the question.
As to buying "a car like that"… I was in desperate need of a comfy cruiser for monthly runs to Brisbane and back with very little to spend. I paid $1200 for it and it has done the trip over half a dozen times (and a lot of smaller trips) since then so even if I junk it, I am happy with the investment.

beez

Sorry I missed my point, if the dipstick is milky looking, its bad news and either a crack in the block or head gasket.