Is it the car or is it the mechanic??

radelwurst · Post by **radelwurst** » 29 Dec 2015, 12:28

I bought a 2006 XC90 T6 (European version) this summer and seem to have problem after problem. Currently the radiator fan runs so loud like it thinks it's an airplane and is trying to take-off. It does this while I drive and for a few minutes after I shut off the car. It's cold where I am (between 35 - 50 ish now) so I'm not using the A/C. I try to run the heat, but am not getting any warm air. This all started after I had to replace the engine oil cooler. Oil was getting into the coolant (thank god not the other way around). New oil cooler seemed to fix it.

Car has ~58,000 miles on it. I usually only drive short distances in the city. When I bought it I knew the front springs/suspension and CV joints needed to be replaced. Also replaced some bushings and rack and pinion while at it since the mechanic said to (not a Volvo cert. mechanic from what I can tell, but the only one I could use). Once that was all done, the oil cooler problem started the day after I got the car back. I found out later the last oil cooler was only 6 months old - the car is on it's third oil cooler now. The radiator has been replaced twice according to the place that has done all the work on the car the last 5 years.

So my question is two part: 1) anything I can do with the noisy engine fan? Is this loud noise usual? Something I should be concerned about? 2) Is the mechanic horrible and just using my car to get some practice on Volvos but messing mine up? Just seems fishy that as soon as I get something fixed on it, a new problems pops up.

Appreciate any answers. Thanks!

Post by **gstallons** » 30 Dec 2015, 04:14

Does the radiator fan come on as soon as ( or sometimes after) the car starts up ?
It sounds like you need a new car or a new mechanic . Where are you located & are there any other Volvo owners that can give you advice on where their vehicles repaired ?

radelwurst · Post by **radelwurst** » 30 Dec 2015, 11:14

The fans comes on after about 3-5 minutes of driving. The car doesn't overheat, stays normally at the half mark, but I noticed that if idling at a light it can go up to 3/4 on the temp gauge. Then it returns to 1/2.

I'm a bit stuck in that I paid probably too much for it (without knowing all the issue it had; the previous owner says he didn't have the issues), and now have sunk $3000 in parts and labor. I currently live in Amman, Jordan, working for the US Embassy, so we have a contracted garage that we go through for car repairs. I may be able to take it directly to whatever dealership in Amman has Volvos (I think there is only one). Luckily labor is cheap here, but I don't want to put too much more money into a car that keeps breaking. I repaired smaller things on a an old VW Jetta and old Ford Escort in the past, but don't have access to larger tools or a car parts store.

Thanks for the reply!

Post by **gstallons** » 30 Dec 2015, 16:16

I assume the engine coolant is full ? My vehicle runs in the center of the temp. scale . I have not noticed my cooling fans making that much noise. Have you checked for missing blades and does the noise sound like it is the left or right side fan ?

Post by **oragex** » 31 Dec 2015, 09:03

If the car heats to the 3/4 mark at idle, you have a cooling issue. Could be a stuck closed thermostat (they fail at 10 years old but usually they fail open).

Could also be the water pump but it's very unusual at such low miles. Unless it was already replaced with a cheap aftermarket part.

As for the mechanic no one can tell for sure, now the repairs he has done on the vehicle are suspicious. Front suspension and CV joints is suspect at 60000 miles, and the steering rack is even more suspicious. Police also have contracted garages and they range from good to shady. There is a good chance your garage is questionable. Finding a good mechanic is not easy and a main Volvo dealer garage is no guarantee it's honest or competent. We read quite often about main dealers doing needless and very costly repair. The best approach would be to ask on forums first when a garage recommends a repair.

stinger04038 · Post by **stinger04038** » 01 Jan 2016, 19:17

You got ripped off I'd say, sell it asap before you dump another 3 grand into it, those are notorious for problem after problem, research what happens to the transmissions in that model. A little research first saves a lot of money later, I realize it's too late for that now and feel bad for you, but cut your losses and run.

radelwurst · Post by **radelwurst** » 04 Jan 2016, 10:55

Yeah, my wife bought the car before I got to take a look at it or drive it. She already feels bad enough, so I don't want to make her feel even worse but we are getting close to reaching the line. The car already had the transmission replaced according to the previous owner. It's just outside the year range (03-05) that had the really bad issues from what I understand. Either way I by chance found another mechanic who said he'd take a look at for me. If it's a cooling problem I wonder if the previous owner went cheap when replacing the radiator, but the garage who did the oil cooler work and radiator flush didn't mention anything (not that I trust them now anyway).

I noticed that I also have excessive moisture inside the car on the windows ever since the fan noise started. It's been a cold wet week here, but it's getting annoying having to wipe the interior glass to be able to see (it's as wet as what you would expect the exterior to be in fog).

I'll get my other car back tomorrow and see what the new mechanic thinks.

Thanks for the replies!

Post by **xHeart** » 04 Jan 2016, 12:31

Neither the car, nor the mechanic.
Never buy a used car that is off warranty period, unless you are a DIYer -- fix-it yourself guy.

Heating and cooling is mother of all systems. If neglected it will fry the engine in no time.
None of the items mentioned would fail before 100,000 miles if the maintenance was done as recommended.

Assuming worst, I will start with:
- change thermostat
- change temperature sensor
- change coolant - use Volvo coolant
- check hoses for leaks

..next time replace all fluids - transmission, engine, PS, brake. Tune up!

Post by **cn90** » 04 Jan 2016, 13:07

The T6 was a trouble-some car to start with. Mostly with the GM transmission.
Most used car dealers here refuse to sell T6 models!

- The T6 engine itself is a good engine as long as one takes care of the timing belt etc.
- The transmission, since it was replaced by the previous owner, then you are good for another 60K miles or so.

The thermostat: get the real stuff by Wahler.

Procedure is below:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 10&t=61343

radelwurst · Post by **radelwurst** » 05 Jan 2016, 12:02

When I mentioned the issue to the new mechanic his first thought was thermostat as well (+1 for him vs the old one). When I had the new oil cooler put in I specifically asked them to get the Volvo coolant, having read it might make a difference. What I noticed too was that they were using a different oil (5w40 I think) than what the Volvo specified (5w30 by the sticker near the engine), so I had them put the 5w30 in. Not getting any codes which I guess is good at least. I'll see how much those parts are. I just did the same thing (thermostat, temp sensor, coolant) on my VW so at least I know what I am looking at. I'm a somewhat new to cars DIYer (the VW being my first real diy job), but with limited access to things.

Thanks!