von dutchoven
06-04-2015, 02:47 PM
This started a couple of weeks ago when my wife's 2001 xc70 (213k) had a dead battery. She had been listening to the radio while she was waiting for my daughter to finish her gymnastics training (3hrs). She calls 3a's and get's a jump. No big deal because the tow truck driver also has a Volvo so he knows where everything is and she is on her way. Jump to a couple of days ago when she tells me the car is still hard to start and could we switch cars so I could get a better idea of what's going on. Sure thing. Yesterday I go to leave for work and am horrified by the noise the car made when starting and it angrily stalls right away. The noise was similar to when the battery doesn't quite have enough of a charge but louder and changes to a whirring noise after the engine fires. Ok that kind of makes sense since the battery had died before. I check the serpentine belt before trying to start the car again and it looks pretty old so I think maybe that is the problem. Start the car and same noise, give it some gas to keep it from stalling and it continues to make the whirring noise for 5 - 10 seconds. I keep giving it some gas until I know it won't stall. It hunts a little but once warm seems to idle ok. I drive to work and it drives fine although stumbles when accelerating from stop signs. I get to work turn off the car and start it again, same noise, so it does it hot or cold. On the way home I notice that when cruising at 1500rpm the throttle hunts. ETM?. No CEL but i check for codes anyway. Nothing stored. I pick up a new belt and some spark plugs.
This morning same thing... noise, wants to stall, ok when warm, hesitates at stop signs... but then going down hill with the heater and fan on it starts whirring and when I turn at the bottom of the hill it dies. Coast to a stop. Start it and same noise. Now it seems to run a little rougher even when warm. I decide to play hooky and work on the car. I put on the new serpentine belt, checked fluids and topped off what was needed, looked and listened for vacuum leaks (didn't find anything). when I changed the plugs I came to find that the oil cap is bad and had leaked oil under the plastic engine cover. There is oil all over under the cover but none on top of the cover. Cleaned it all up and put in new plugs. Start it up and no real difference. Same start up noise. Still wants to stall until warm. Still stumbles. Is this all related or do I have multiple problems? ETM and starter? I haven't checked the PCV yet, I guess I should do that but will that make it stall? it didn't the last time I changed it. I don't know what a bad starter sounds like in this car.
I guess the last thing I should mention is that with 213k on this car I don't really wan to spend too much money on it.
John
2001 xc70 - 213k (her's)
2005 xc70 - 78k (was his but now her's)
1976 Mercedes 240d - 280k
1973 VW Bettle - 135k
1969 VW Bus - a crap load of k's
This morning same thing... noise, wants to stall, ok when warm, hesitates at stop signs... but then going down hill with the heater and fan on it starts whirring and when I turn at the bottom of the hill it dies. Coast to a stop. Start it and same noise. Now it seems to run a little rougher even when warm. I decide to play hooky and work on the car. I put on the new serpentine belt, checked fluids and topped off what was needed, looked and listened for vacuum leaks (didn't find anything). when I changed the plugs I came to find that the oil cap is bad and had leaked oil under the plastic engine cover. There is oil all over under the cover but none on top of the cover. Cleaned it all up and put in new plugs. Start it up and no real difference. Same start up noise. Still wants to stall until warm. Still stumbles. Is this all related or do I have multiple problems? ETM and starter? I haven't checked the PCV yet, I guess I should do that but will that make it stall? it didn't the last time I changed it. I don't know what a bad starter sounds like in this car.
I guess the last thing I should mention is that with 213k on this car I don't really wan to spend too much money on it.
John
2001 xc70 - 213k (her's)
2005 xc70 - 78k (was his but now her's)
1976 Mercedes 240d - 280k
1973 VW Bettle - 135k
1969 VW Bus - a crap load of k's