Burned Valve Database DATA ONLY or a P0455 code will be set

[E Showell]

Ease up on the throttle in those hills.

[PeteB]

Is there any official Volvo position on these failures?
Or from Bosch since they do the computer, any other cars using the same
engine management having similar problems?

[bmdubya1198]

Ease up on the throttle in those hills.

That sucks, that's where I have the most fun! I need to stop "lugging" my car. Heavy throttle in second gear makes the car feel VERY sluggish even though it's obviously revving hard. I really need a tune once I grab a 16t and blue injectors.

[rspi]

Received my Volvo valve stem seals today from Lilse. Two days.

I really credit leaking valve stem seals for most of these failures.

[PeteB]

Robert, I had Alfa Romeo's back in the 70's and the very early ones had no valve
stem seals, I don't really think that is it. It is possible that if the seals are bad,
then also the guide clearances are wide and then the valves don't seat as well
leading to leaks and then burned valves.
They were all NA and they all had Sodium cooled exhaust valves.

[mrbrian200]

PeteB's theory makes more sense to me.

[cn90]

Just joined the Cylinder #3 burned valve club!

a) Year = 1998
b) Model = S70 GLT
c) Mileage Total = 186K miles
d) Mileage under your ownership = 41K miles (bought it at 145K)
e) Octane Gas you typically use = Usually 89-91. Burned valve happened when my kid drove on highway after filling with Octane 87.
f) Supplier of Gas = Too many different gas stations.

g) Driving Cycle (% city/ % hwy) = 50-50
h) Driving Behaviour (average, passive, aggressive) = conservative, never passed 4000 rpm.
i) Typical Load in Vehicle: single occupant, or multiple occupant = 2 people.
j) Location and Typical driving weather = 4-season with snow.
k) Does the car have leaky valve guides (ie: blue smoke at start up) = No blue smoke but car drinks 1 qt/1000 miles, so I assumed it had a leaky valve seal issue.

l) What kind of oil do you use = synthetic since purchase.
m) Describe in detail how it happened: (ie: ambient temperature, throttle input, load, etc.) = highway at 60-70mph, after filling with Octane 87.
n) How many valves burned and which Cylinder = #3 Exhaust Valve.
o)What brand coolant do you use, when was it last changed = Prestone Green.
p) What did you do with engine = Don't know yet. Probably leave it alone as "Grocery Getter". Whenever I have time, might fix it or donate to refugee families.

[mecheng]

Updated Pareto analysis, thanks to all that listed their data. Please try to answer all the questions as it creates a complete picture.

Interesting to note that most failures were with aftermarket coolant as the Volvo coolant has been reportedly designed to reduce hot spots in the engine due to turbo charging. Also interesting to note that none were with aggressive driving owners as the valves apparently rotate over 3000 rpm and therefore may clean the deposits. I occasionally run the car in 3rd gear at highway speed for a minute or two for this very reason!

Need more data to draw conclusions, so keep them coming.

[June]

Updated Pareto analysis, thanks to all that listed their data. Please try to answer all the questions as it creates a complete picture.

Interesting to note that most failures were with aftermarket coolant as the Volvo coolant has been reportedly designed to reduce hot spots in the engine due to turbo charging. Also interesting to note that none were with aggressive driving owners as the valves apparently rotate over 3000 rpm and therefore may clean the deposits. I occasionally run the car in 3rd gear at highway speed for a minute or two for this very reason!

Need more data to draw conclusions, so keep them coming.

I wanted to add what my Volvo dealer told me when my 1998 V70 was a couple years old and had hard cold morning start problems. Oh it was a 2.3 hpt auto equipped car. It also in conjunction with the hard starts also had rough idle in gear almost like a misfire. Car under full warranty at time Volvo dealer told me 5 cylinders engines have problems with deposit forming on valves and causes seating problem causing the problems I experienced.

I was instructed by my Volvo dealer service to reseat and remove deposits from the valves to run the car in second on the highway rpm at 5000 for five minutes without interruption and ac off.

Then the valves would reseat. It worked like a charm and the car would idle smoothly and start right up cold for a while.

I noticed car needed it every six months or so. I did a lot of one mile trips per day with that car. I would think it would cause extreme heat and pressure incinerate any deposits during those five minutes.

I have done it to every Volvo since as preventive maintenance about every six months and never had a rough idle or hard cold start or any sort of valve trouble. June

[bmdubya1198]

Updated Pareto analysis, thanks to all that listed their data. Please try to answer all the questions as it creates a complete picture.

Interesting to note that most failures were with aftermarket coolant as the Volvo coolant has been reportedly designed to reduce hot spots in the engine due to turbo charging. Also interesting to note that none were with aggressive driving owners as the valves apparently rotate over 3000 rpm and therefore may clean the deposits. I occasionally run the car in 3rd gear at highway speed for a minute or two for this very reason!

Need more data to draw conclusions, so keep them coming.

I wanted to add what my Volvo dealer told me when Mt 1998 V70 was a couple years old and had hard morning start problems. Oh it was a 2.3 hpt auto equipped car. It also in conjunction with the hard starts also had rough idle in gear. Car under full warranty at time Volvo dealer told me 5 cylinders engines have problems with deposit forming on valves and causes seating problem causing the problems I experienced.

In order to receive seat the valves to run the car in second on the highway rpm at 5000 for five minutes without interruption and the valves would reseat. I noticed car needed it every six months or so. I have done it to every Volvo since and never had a rough idle or hard cold start or any sort of valve trouble. June

Interesting notes. Hopefully I won't have anything to worry about, because I have all the checks on the list as far as common things NOT associated with burnt valves... I drive more aggressively, engine is over 4k RPM almost daily, I run Zerex G-05 coolant, which seems to be very close in quality and chemistry to Volvo blue coolant, and I only run 93 octane Top Tier fuel, using either Lucas fuel treatment or Techron at least monthly.