9th Aug 2005, 11:57
I finally parted with the Volvo some months ago. The engine was in a very bad way and a bloke gave me £200 to take it away. Sadly missed, since I didn't have the money at the time to get the engine rebuilt (quoted about £1500?).
After a considerable gap in time and now a better paid job, I've recently purchased a Nissan Serena 2.3 DGX. I'll keep you posted as to progress in the appropriate section of this site.
26th Sep 2009, 17:31
I have a 740 TD. All the above comments are right on the money. Vacuum pump knock is common, as is electrical faults. If not maintained, the engine can self destruct at quite low mileages, and it's important NOT to thrash it when cold.
The rear two glow plugs are an absolute swine of a job, but necessary in winter. However, stay on top of it and they can do 500,000 miles.
13th Feb 2004, 05:30
Updates from Norman Hart (owner).
At about 160,000 miles...
Rear camshaft seal was replaced. This cured the oil leak at the rear of the engine.
The fuel pump seals were replaced in order to stop fuel being drawn down into the fuel tank while being parked for more than 30+ minutes. This cured poor starting and improved fuel economy to around 37 - 39 mpg!
Dashboard warning lights failure. Although tricky to diagnose, I managed to bypass the breaks in the circuits with bits of wire. All the warning lights function correctly now.
At around 190,000 miles...
Road incident caused severe damage to steering sub-frame. Total repairs came to just under £400. Paid through fully comp insurance after threatening insurers with legal action!
Clutch cylinders now need refurbishing.
Engine is no longer giving its best, with psi compression figures of 400, 380, 395, 380, 260, 340 - all pressures should exceed 400 psi. The engine now needs more on the throttle and is now only returning 31 - 34 mpg. Estimated cost of rebuild is around £1,000 if all goes well! This kind of wear, after just over 60,000 miles (it was rebuilt at 127,000 miles when I bought the car), leaves me undecided as to repair or sell and move on to something else. I'll keep you posted either way.
Many thanks, Norman Hart.