02 XC70 - The repairs have started

[scot850]

Well it has continued.

With the awesome help of my mechanic buddy, the O2 sensors (the upstream was not registering a signal) have been swapped out for new Bosch ones. The badly corroded fuel filter was wrestled off also and a shiny new one fitted.

We are suspicious that the RHF wheel bearing is on the way out. Weird as there was no sign of an issue on previous test drives a month ago. I am hoping it is not the bearings but very noisy 12 year old hard as rock winter tires.

I have now flushed the brakes. I may have to revisit them as I think that my mechanic friend may be correct the bleed screws may be blocked. We will have to get 4 new ones I think and clean the seats with a small drill tip as he suggests.

I have fitted the 'new' 6 year old tires from our son's XC70 as we have fitted new tires to his car. We know the tires were quiet on his car, so if they are noisy on the 02 is is a bearing. Hopefully not!

Tomorrow I will dig the Vida computer on and connect it to reset the check light for the O2 sensors and see what else is still there if anything.

I then will take the car for a brief run to see if the wheel bearing(s) are noisy.

I have identified options for the suspension bushes the car needs. I am now just waiting to speak to the owner, and then see if we can get a Black Friday deal of any sort.

I hope to still have time to investigate the randomly moving passenger door mirror before the car returns to the owner on Monday.

Neil.

[jonesg]

to detect bearings i lift the wheel off the ground and rotate by hand, put your hand on the spring, if its rough the spring will amplify it.
or run it in drive and put a stethoscope on the knuckle.

did you try reading the o2 sensor outputs in vida.

[scot850]

To answer your questions. No to trying Vida to test the O2 output. Both my other testers shoed no voltage from the upstream sensor. So swapping it out at around 240,000 miles is no harm. But based on the muffler blackness I am fairly sure the o2 sensor was not working.

As to the wheel bearing testing. Unlike my 00 R, which had no obvious change in noise for either bearing when loading the bearings and weaving side to side, this car has a distinctive increase of noise in the RH bearing loading it on LH turns. I should test the support bearing as well on the RH bearing. I may see if I can pick up and aftermarket one as a spare so it can be fitted of needed. I am about to place the order for the wheel bearing bolts, axle bolts and bearing seals from Volvo as the SKF/Timekin bearings do not come with them, which for the price is disappointing. Got caught out with that with the 00 R bearings, even though SKF said they did come with them. They were wrong.

I also had a thread started on asking on why my Vida was not picking up any engine codes when both my other testers were. This is the thread here with the update and adding in the swapping of the RH door mirror with a good used one over the wayward aftermarket S/V70 smaller version.

viewtopic.php?p=654938#p654938

Car is ready to go back to the owner, but we need to discuss the wheel bearing situation. I'll also look at a Black Friday order for the front control arms and ball joints and the 2 rear bushes. I've read the thread on making your own extractor and install tool. I did initially consider buying the correct tool. AS we also have an XC70 as have a few others locally it may be a good purchase. That was until I found it consisted of 5!! parts totaling about $600 US. Yikes!! What a crazy price and overly complex tool.

Neil.

[Blacklab467]

I bought a couple FAG's on RockAuto when I did my fronts, seemed it was among the best brand for the best price. Unwokeness not intended if implied.

[vtl]

Yeah, SKF is hit (made in not India) or miss (made in India). Concur that FAG is better. My FAGs are 8 years / 82k miles old. IIRC in the "good" SKF box you get FAG, but memory can lie.

[scot850]

Growing up in the UK, I consider FAG=SKF=Timkin. Like everything that was when they were all made in Europe. SKF was the OE supplier in my early Volvo days.

I have looked for FAG bearings and will do some more. Unless there is a big price drop at FCP (Rock Auto don't carry FAG any more) they are pricey compared to the SKF from Rock Auto. The price from FCP Euro is the same in US$ to CDN$ respectively. They have a version that includes the 4 mounting bolts and the hub bolt at $175 US. I can buy the Timking/SKF bearing with Volvo bolts for less and cheaper shipping.

As money is very tight (not my money) their is another option for this and that is to go to the junkyard and take a shot at a RHF hub and axle and see if that can buy some time. That is a real big chance to take. I can also take a look at front control arms while there.

Neil.

[BlackBart]

Maybe not if it’s been sitting out in the weather (or the mud).

[scot850]

Went to the junkyard to have a look. Of the 6 XC70's in the 3 different yards, 1 had no control arms or axles, 3 had tears starting in them, 1 car had just been pulled. The one remaining had Volvo control arms on it. The rear bushes were just starting to show wear marks, so could be a possible. Fortunately, the junkyards here raise the cars on stands to try to keep the out of the dirt. Doesn't keep you out the dirt though!

The owner has decided I think to buy new Lemforders and ball-joints. FCP has a kit for this. Not cheap, but not totally terrible.
I'm hoping that next week FCP/IPD may have Black Friday sales. Even 10% will help a good amount. In fact is would cover the cost of a support bearing. I will look to ship to a US address and then a buddy will hopefully find time in the near future to bring them north for me.
We pay some tax in US for that, but shipping is free. Can't forget the trailing arm front bushes as well!!

I hoped Rock Auto might have a sale on too, but from what I have read you are lucky to get a 5% discount at best. I think I have a code for that I can share that is about to expire. Need to order the front wheel bearings.

Neil.

[BlackBart]

Neil, just curious, when do the repairs stop?


<EDIT> (mine never do...)

[scot850]

They never do!

Once you make the mistake of repairing a neglected car, it is like a stray cat, if you feed it, it keeps coming back for more food/attention!

Maybe it is just my poor repairing skills and diagnostics that the cars keep coming back?

Neil.