Help w/ Poor Throttle Response & Shifting - 2011 Volvo XC60 T6

[flopstar]

Hello,

I recently purchased a used 2011 Volvo XC60 T6 3.0L with a little over 100k miles. When I bought it, it was throwing a P0420 ("catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 1") and a P0101 code ("mass or volume air flow sensor 'A' circuit range/performance").

Additionally, the car has poor throttle response, struggles to accelerate (it does really poorly on hills), and shifts strangely. If I try to accelerate quickly, it will rev all the way up to 5-6000 RPM and I have to let off the pedal for it to shift up a gear. Sometimes, particularly after driving it for a while, it will struggle to move from a stop. It 'feels' like it doesn't 'know' what gear it 'wants' to be in and it takes a few seconds for it to shift and take off. Finally, sometimes the pedal stops responding to how hard I press it and is only 'on' or 'off'. The engine doesn't accelerate any faster if I put the pedal to the floor or if I press on it lightly.

I can't identify any other problems with the vehicle. It idles fine and sounds great when you're driving it, but it definitely isn't as fast as it sounds.

So far, I've taken out the MAF sensor, cleaned it with MAF sensor cleaner, cleared the codes, and drove it around for about 20 minutes. It felt maybe a bit better, but still suffered from all of the problems I described above. I did notice that the MAF sensor didn't appear to be an OEM part. It's a Ford part with part number 7G9N-12B579-AB-5040. Looking around online, it looks like some websites claim it is compatible and it looks close enough to the OEM part listed on Volvo's website, but I don't know either way.

I'm seeking advice on what to do next.

I've referenced this thread here (viewtopic.php?t=85239) and have a general list of parts I might try to replace, such as the following:
- O2 sensors
- Spark plugs & ignition coils
- PVC valve
- Catalytic converter
Some people have also mentioned getting a Volvo dealership to update the car's software, so I suppose I might give that a try as well.

However, I also would like to better understand what the problem might be before i just start buying parts and throwing them in the car. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[volvolugnut]

Do you have information on the service history of this car? It may need many repairs to perform to expectations.
Have you examined the spark plugs? They could be original with wide gaps.
Have you done a glove test ( cover the oil filler neck with a plastic glove or bag and see if it inflates)? This is an indicator the PVC system is clogged.
Find the transmission dip stick and check the fluid level and condition. It may be low or in poor condition. Check the level in park while idling.
Check the engine oil level and condition also.
Check the fuel pressure to see if it meets pressure specifications.
Read the short and long term fuel trim values and report back.
If you know nothing of the service record, change of the engine oil and filter, air filter, transmission fluid, and fuel filter would be good to get the maintenance started.
Hopefully you can do this service yourself. Otherwise, get a trusted VOLVO mechanic to evaluate the car, before you start replacing random parts.
volvolugnut

[flopstar]

Thanks for the response. I plan on doing the work myself if I can.

I'll respond to your questions in the order you asked them:
- I don't have any information on the service history.
- I've already ordered spark plugs and new ignition coils just for the sake of it. This is kind of when I realized I can't just replace parts as cheaply as when I worked on my old Ford Ranger.
- I have not done a glove test yet. Along with the transmission fluid check, I plan on doing this soon.
- The 2011 XC60 T6 doesn't have a transmission dipstick, as I learned today. I need to get under the car and check manually there.
- Engine oil level and condition is fine, nothing remarkable.

Concerning the fuel pressure and trims, I went ahead and got some readings with my OBD2 scanner. Here are my findings from a short driving session with about 5 minutes of idling:
- Fuel pressure averaged about 386 kPa
- Long term fuel trim values were negative the entire drive, averaged about -4.0%. Under load, it would jump to as high as -10-11%. I also see some really huge values greater than -80% a few times.
- Short term fuel trim averaged 1.4%. After I stopped idling it kind of just swung between about +10% to -10%.
- I also looked at the MAF sensor and it was about 4-5 g/s at idle, which is apparently perfectly fine according to another thread I found on here. During driving, it would go routinely into the 20-50 range.

Where can I find specifications on what the fuel pressure should be?

For the fuel filter, that part is apparently 'not serviceable' on this model. It's part of the fuel pump assembly and requires dropping the gas tank. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this, but that's what I've found today.

Finally, as a fun side note, the car died on me while I was driving it in a parking lot. The electronics stayed on, but the engine died. It immediately turned back on without a hitch. It was suggested that I get the alternator and battery tested, but they're both in good condition. The starter may apparently be bad, but I've never had an issue with it starting or even struggling to start.

[volvolugnut]

Thanks for making these tests. I am not well versed on your engine and transmission, but others here will be able to comment on your readings.
Continue your research and posting. Others will see this and respond.
volvolugnut

[flopstar]

I replaced the spark plugs and the ignition coils the other day with no real improvement. also the old plugs were in terrible condition. The previous owner replaced 2 of the 6 spark plugs but apparently didn't know that she needed to torque them down, so the cylinders those spark plugs were installed in were covered in scorch marks.

Not really sure what to do next, but I'm going to order a new MAF sensor and hope that makes a difference, since the MAF error code keeps returning while the catalytic converter error code has not returned. I'm also gonna see if I can't get a knock-off DICE unit and use VIDA, since, if I understand it correctly, VIDA comes with separate diagnostic tools as well as repair guidelines/instructions.

I attempted to drive the car on the highway, but it struggled to break 60 mph and shifted terribly. It's quite hilly around here and every time I had to go up hill, I'd lose 10-15 mph. It was pretty awful. When I finally had enough and pulled off the road and into a parking lot, the car died right as I pulled in and flashed a "low battery" warning. It started right back up without issue. I took country roads back home with a lower speed limit and the car felt like it performed much better. Whatever the problem is, it feels like the longer I drive it and the higher average speed I drive at, the worse it gets.

Any help would be appreciated.

[AVOIT17]

The symptoms you are describing does point towards a plugged-up Catalytic Converter.

I would get a container of 'Cataclean' and use it this way. Wait until the fuel tank light comes on, which mean you have about 2 gallons of fuel in the gas tank. Warm the engine to its normal operating temperature. Pour 250ml - 125ml per gallon of fuel - of Cataclean (I do it carefully
with engine running). Take the car for a drive for a continuous 30 minutes. That is it! Hope you observe a difference.

If it does improve your problem, I would do it again, and again, and again before every fill-up. until I am done with the cataclean 3Liter container.

https://www.amazon.com/Cataclean-120018 ... 751&sr=8-1

I am not saying that a plugged-up catalytic converter is the cause for sure - neither that cataclean can always fix a plug cat. But no matter what you should run this product through your cat a couple of times a year. I do this with my cars because replacing Cats on Volvos and most modern cars is very expensive.
So it is a good place to start diagnosing the problem. And of course - even if cataclean does not cure the issue with your XC60 - it does not mean that the problem is not a plugged-up cat.

[MoVolvos]

.
Your car is in the range of years with the piston ring oil consumption problem. I almost purchased a 2010 XC60 in the 100K range but owner told me it's starting to consume oil.

Several people here on MVS have had good results with the lacquer thinner, with one able to pass CA Smog Test that stumped him for sometime. Also, first check your battery to make sure it's in good shape and not causing low voltage glitches.
.

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He said 6 cylinder engine but non-turbos. Not sure about turbo cars.
.

.

[AVOIT17]

Flopstar XC60 has a 3.0Turbo engine - these engines NEVER had problematic piston rings. It is the non-turbo 3.2 that had bad rings from 2009 to 2012.

[MoVolvos]

Flopstar XC60 has a 3.0Turbo engine - these engines NEVER had problematic piston rings. It is the non-turbo 3.2 that had bad rings from 2009 to 2012.

.
There are years that were bad so it went to the level of Class Action.

https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2022 ... ings.shtml

The T6 never grew to a level of Class Action as everyone were selling them off like the one I was looking at. After asking many questions the owner finally said the car started to consume a little oil at around 100K miles.

Volvo back in the day were also more customer service friendly by replacing engines, so not enough consumer up in arms to make the T6 on the radar for the oil consumption problem, let alone a recall.

My suggestions to the OP and hope it's just a little blowby.

1) Clean the ETM and see if the car drives better.
2) Do the Scotty Kilmer Lacquer Thinner cleaning regardless.
3) Change to Rotella T6 5W40 or 15W40 as it's summer so no issues with the higher weight oil.
4) Clear the code and see how long or if the code(s) return. It only take a little bit of inefficiency to trigger the P0420 code.

https://www.lemonlaw.com/blog/volvo-oil ... n-problem/

#19 Tim says:

January 10th, 2015 at 6:45 am

I have a 2011 Volvo XC60 T6 that experienced the oil consumption issue at 40k miles. The dealership replaced the pistons and rings. Now it has happened again at just shy of 60k miles (just before the warranty expired). Volvo has authorized the dealership to replace the engine. I am concerned the same will happen with the new engine so I asked Volvo to extend the warranty to 100k miles. Have you seen them do this for other customers? I am really concerned with keeping this car with risk of further engine problems out of warranty but am worried the trade in value will take a hit due to the history of the car. Any other suggestions would are welcome.
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#23 Paul says:

April 7th, 2015 at 10:29 am

I bought a new 2013 Xc70 T6 in 2014. Oil level warning light came on at about 8500 miles. After diagnosing the problem, and a 6- month wait the dealer has re-sealed the camshaft cover. Only 2 months and 4K miles later the oil level warning light came on again. This time the dealer told that volvo has decided to replace the engine. That’s probably the best outcome.
.

[scot850]

The 2013 XC60 T6 AWD I have helped my mechanic friend swap the trans out on has 300,000km on it (so about 190,000 miles). Still running well. Maybe being a slightly later model it is less prone to the issues? The owners wife drives it and does a lot of highway miles so maybe that makes a difference?

I recall in the early years the turbo motors would occasionally seized and were replaced by Volvo. Part of the reason I have kept away from the newer cars, as I was also aware of the oil burning issue. But several models and even the P2's can have this issue.

Neil.