Trouble starting & reduced engine performance

Thunderstruck · Post by **Thunderstruck** » 04 Feb 2018, 17:55

Hi I have a 2003 xc90 2.9l I have recently had trans rebuilt, water pump, thermostat housing and timing belt done after all of that I ended up with an oil leak bad one at that when it was finally fixed it ended up being the oil filter was loose so after it was tightened ( still leaks a little ) I drove off when I stopped the car and went to restart it I wouldn't start took me about 5 mins for it to crank over felt like it wasn't getting enough fuel and then reduced engine performance came up I had it scanned came up as exhaust camshaft position sensor so I changed that still trouble starting 2nd scan came up with crankshaft position sensor changed that still not fixed the reduced engine performance doesn't always stay on but have trouble every time to start I have to have my foot on the accelerator just to get it started I'm at wits ends and running out of money to pit into it just wondering if anyone has had same problems or could help with cause one mechanic seems to think that if my timing belt wasn't put on properly that could be causing the issue or that my cam solenoid could have been knocked but he can't even give me a price to look at it also one other thing my front struts continusially keep popping I have had them changed 3 times in 5 years and 18months of that the car wasn't driven ( saving for trans repair ) so if anyone knows a sure thing to help them not pop I would be so grateful as they are booked in next week to be replaced again

Thunderstruck · Post by **Thunderstruck** » 08 Feb 2018, 17:17

Update: I have put some injector cleaner through my fuel tank and has made it a lot easier to start and the reduced engine performance has now gone I still need to put my foot on accelerator to start but now starts within few seconds will be replacing injectors soon and will update after that

Oly850 · Post by **Oly850** » 10 Feb 2018, 01:34

I had an S80 with the same engine / transmission and had the same camshaft / crankshaft error codes when I was doing a top end rebuild and putting everything back together. Did you have that work done at a shop or did you do it yourself? I believe our engines only had variable valve timing via an oil pressure solenoid on the exhaust cam (rear), and as I recall the cam position sensor and the pressure solenoid are one unit on the passenger side of that cam. I had that cam somehow one tooth off position when I put the timing belt on and it ran just awful, resetting everything again and checking the cam teeth in particular was the key. Putting the timing belt on a 2.9L T6 is no picnic, but I've found that you have to start at the top and get the camshafts positioned right, get correct tension (flat belt) up top then move down to the crank gear and back up to the tensioner. One tooth off and the engine can't relate the crankshaft position to the cams and it'll run but poorly.

Thunderstruck · Post by **Thunderstruck** » 24 Feb 2018, 14:51

Thank you for that I have had all the work except easy things like the sensors done at mechanics but yes I fear that the timing belt has been put on incorrectly as my ex step father did it whom is a mechanic not a volvo mechanic though and we are pretty sure that he didn't lock the cams into position when he did it and I have had a few volvo specialist tell me they think that is the problem but can not even give me a price to fix it which is very annoying as funds are running low I have noticed since injector cleaner does start a little easier but still not instant and reduced engine performance comes and goes as it pleases the other day it wouldn't go off and car was running odd at traffic lights sitting there waiting could feel car reving a little higher could hear it to once turned car off and restarted went back to normal