S40 Mk II Diesel - How to Avoid Buying a Turkey?

Kintarō Hattori

Hey Folks,

Right the decision has been made. We're going to replace the Micra with an S40. Up until last night I was all set to replace it with a 1.8L petrol but after viewing several YouTube reviews they all say that the smart choice is to buy the diesel.

Thing is though, I'd be very nervous buying a diesel as opposed to the petrol. How do I go about buying a healthy diesel and not end up with one which has a dodgy DPF?

R.O.R

If going for a 1.6d, make sure the service schedule has been followed religously. If it hasn't been serviced on the button (every 20k or sooner) then it could cause issues.

The 2.0d (which is really the one to go for if budget and availabilty allow) is a bit more forgiving, but should also be serviced every 20k. From memory, only issue we've had with the 2.0d model is a CAT went on one, but it was over 200k at that stage.

johnnydeep

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hey Folks,

Right the decision has been made. We're going to replace the Micra with an S40. Up until last night I was all set to replace it with a 1.8L petrol but after viewing several YouTube reviews they all say that the smart choice is to buy the diesel.

Thing is though, I'd be very nervous buying a diesel as opposed to the petrol. How do I go about buying a healthy diesel and not end up with one which has a dodgy DPF?

the dpf really only gives issues with the type of driving. if you do lots of small slow journeys its going to give problems

Kintarō Hattori

johnnydeep wrote: »

the dpf really only gives issues with the type of driving. if you do lots of small slow journeys its going to give problems

Well the car is for herself, she'll be driving about 35km to work and 35k back. Of course, I've no way to tell what type of driving a potential seller was doing.

R.O.R

johnnydeep wrote: »

the dpf really only gives issues with the type of driving. if you do lots of small slow journeys its going to give problems

Unfortuantely, even if it's driven as a Diesel should be, but not serviced on time, the DPF will likely cr@p itself.

Happened to a Mazda 3 we had doing around 50,000 per year, but not serviced for 60k :eek:

Poulgorm

I have very bad experience with S40 1.6d. Bought new in 07. A mixture of short and long trips - car serviced by main Volvo dealer. That did not save me. Car functioned perfectly up to 90,000 km - just 3 years old at that stage.

When it hit the 90,000 km mark, just one thing after another went wrong. Spent almost €2,000 on it in the space of 4 months. As I was strongly advised that that was only the tip of the iceberg, I traded it in and went back to petrol.

Diesel - never again.

And don't tell me that I was unfortunate that I got a once-off lemon. Those modern diesels are throwaway. Worse than FIATs of the 1970s. At least they were cheap to fix.

Kintarō Hattori

Ah not what I need to hear as that's really set the cat amongst the pigeons. The whole DPF thing really has me thrown. I don't know whether to get a diesel of not? Would I be better off with a diesel Focus Mk II (ie a simpler car) or should I just look at getting a petrol instead- though not a petrol S40 as reports are that they are very thirsty.

thats not gone well

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ah not what I need to hear as that's really set the cat amongst the pigeons. The whole DPF thing really has me thrown. I don't know whether to get a diesel of not? Would I be better off with a diesel Focus Mk II (ie a simpler car) or should I just look at getting a petrol instead- though not a petrol S40 as reports are that they are very thirsty.

OP there is quite a large source of information on the UK forum
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=58http://

good discussion and opinions on the DPF, removal pros/cons etc.

Regarding fuel consumption, they are thirsty by relative terms but for hyper mile-ing you wouldn't buy a Volvo anyway.

Do some research before you knock it on the head.
they're alot nicer than most stuff in that segment IMO.

gonzo1

+1 for the UK Forums site above, excellent information above,

OP while it is a good idea to be aware of the potential DPF problem, you can still get the 2.0D version without one, what year do you intend getting?

I have a '06 2.0D with 115,000 miles up on it - no DPF thankfully, there is a way of telling using the chassis no.

mathepac

R.O.R wrote: »

... From memory, only issue we've had with the 2.0d model is a CAT went on one, but it was over 200k at that stage.

You don't need a CAT on a diesel-engined car. You could have just replaced it with a straight through pipe, like I have on mine and no problems with NCTs.

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ah not what I need to hear as that's really set the cat amongst the pigeons. The whole DPF thing really has me thrown. I don't know whether to get a diesel of not? Would I be better off with a diesel Focus Mk II (ie a simpler car) or should I just look at getting a petrol instead- though not a petrol S40 as reports are that they are very thirsty.

Why not just get a Prius MK II ? even buying one with 100,000 miles will not be a problem with a good service history.

Of course you'll hear the anti prius crowd spew all sorts of crap about it, but at the end of they day it's your money and you want a car that's reliable and gives very good fuel economy and will go for 300,000 miles and cost much less to get it there than a diesel.

After driving my sisters 308 HDI 90 hp, yesterday I realised that I'll never go back to diesel ever again.

The Prius now that I'm used to it is much smoother to drive and the power delivery is better non of that rush of power then gone you get in a diesel.

In fact the 2000 CRV 2.0L petrol is far better and nicer to drive also as it has a much broader power band, good low down torque and she really moves in the high revs if you want.

You also have the option of converting a decent petrol, After driving the CRV I really like that petrol engine.

I can get 31 mpg in the CRV so on LPG that would be almost like driving a 60 mpg diesel.

But whatever you choose 10,000 miles a year doesn't justify any diesel !

Diesel is not the only answer now.

And dare I offend the petrol heads by even mentioning electric, the cheapest of anything to fuel. You can get a Leaf from the U.K now for 17,000 Euro's with 3,000 miles as they are trying to shift them before the updated Leaf comes in 2 months.

Have a practically new leaf and spend very little on electricity, or buy older cars costing a lot to fuel, then maintenance and road tax.

Kintarō Hattori

Well I hadn't intended getting a diesel for economic reasons, simply that unknowingly to me the Petrol version is thirsty (something that'd not go down well with herself) and all praise in the reviews was heaped upon the diesel models.
I'd be looking at buying a 2005 model, with about 5k to spend on it. There's no reason in particular that we settled on the S40. We like the look of it, it's a fairly safe well made car and it's not overly large. It's something that shouldn't take much getting used too coming from her Micra K11.

Check out the Prius, it's got more room than the S40 and a much more practical boot.

A friend of mine has a 1.8 S40 and it's a nice drive. I would go with the petrol, it's a lot smoother.

Remember the difference between 35 and 45 mpg is only around 3 kms per litre.

You need to get an idea from those who own the 1.8 who can give an accurate mpg figure based on every tank and not on every trip, some people think that by resetting the trip computer before every journey gives a proper indication of their mpg.

Converting to LPG for only 45 miles a day may not be worth it either. As it would take around a year to pay back with only 10,000 miles a year. You would have to think how long you want to keep it.

But think about LPG you got a lot more options as there are loads of cheap good petrols lying around because of a 300 difference in road tax.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

.................
After driving my sisters 308 HDI 90 hp, yesterday I realised that I'll never go back to diesel ever again.

The Prius now that I'm used to it is much smoother to drive and the power delivery is better non of that rush of power then gone you get in a diesel.

In fact the 2000 CRV 2.0L petrol is far better and nicer to drive also But whatever you choose 10,000 miles a year doesn't justify any diesel !

....................

Are you really comparing a 90bhp 1.4 diesel to a 2.0l petrol ?

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

Are you really comparing a 90bhp 1.4 diesel to a 2.0l petrol ?

It's a 1.6 but I was making a point more than a direct comparison.

I'd even much prefer the CRV 2.0L to the A4 or Passat 130 TDI.

bazz26

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ah not what I need to hear as that's really set the cat amongst the pigeons. The whole DPF thing really has me thrown. I don't know whether to get a diesel of not? Would I be better off with a diesel Focus Mk II (ie a simpler car) or should I just look at getting a petrol instead- though not a petrol S40 as reports are that they are very thirsty.

The MkII S40 and MkII Focus are the same car underneath and use the same 1.6d engine so they will share the same problems. The lower powered 1.6 TDCi 90bhp engine in the Focus didn't come with a DPF.

BTW there are companies out there these days that can take out your DPF and have it cleaned back to almost new. There are also companies out there that can remove the DPF altogether and delete it from the car's ECU via software.

Both of these options are cheaper than replacing the DPF with a new one.

Kintarō Hattori

OK I'll have to admit to being seriously confused. I don't know now what to do. The petrol isn't really an option anymore so that leaves me with a diesel which is potentially very troublesome if I get the buying process wrong.

Any suggestions?

bazz26

As already mentioned maybe look at a hybrid, a Prius or Civic IMA might be within budget.

useless

FWIW I ran a 1.8 petrol S40 (not the Flexifuel one, the 'normal' one) for 5 years. Mix of short trips around Dublin & fortnightly longer trips gave a consumption of about 32-35mpg.

Only major problem was the alternator went in it. I used to get the "Brake system service required" message every so often too but switching off the ignition cleared it.

Sobanek

useless wrote: »

FWIW I ran a 1.8 petrol S40 (not the Flexifuel one, the 'normal' one) for 5 years. Mix of short trips around Dublin & fortnightly longer trips gave a consumption of about 32-35mpg.

Only major problem was the alternator went in it. I used to get the "Brake system service required" message every so often too but switching off the ignition cleared it.

It seems to be a common problem with the brake/power steering message.

anthony4335

Toyota Auris diesel, or Kia cee'd diesel, would be my choice.

R.O.R

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volvo/S40/2.0-D-SE/201313214052514/advert?channel=CARS

2.0d with reasonable mileage that should be within budget for Cash. NO DPF to worry about, as long as the clutch feels OK and there are no warning lights on the dash it's the one to go for.

cadaliac

anthony4335 wrote: »

Toyota Auris diesel, or Kia cee'd diesel, would be my choice.

Why diesel? Mileage isn't high enough to warrant a diesel and very large repair bills if issues arise with DPF's or DMF's.
Any 2.0l petrol is going to be around the 30 mpg mark. A 1.6 will be better
Diesel is a false economy in my opinion.
The 1.6 diesels need (as previously mentioned) tender loving care when it comes to servicing and we Irish are a tad poor at this kind of thing. You can of course get a fully documented service history with a diesel car but unfortunately, these are quite rare as far as I have seen.
Well, when dealing with slightly older (more than 3 years) cars, the history tends to be non-dealer when the warranty runs out.
Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a non-dealer but sometimes the indy will use a cheaper oil and this can cause huge issues later on in a diesels lifespan.

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

OK I'll have to admit to being seriously confused. I don't know now what to do. The petrol isn't really an option anymore so that leaves me with a diesel which is potentially very troublesome if I get the buying process wrong.

Any suggestions?

Why is the petrol not an option ?

The difference would be about 3 kms per litre between the petrol and diesel, 35 mpg v 45 mpg.

So over 10,000 miles is it really worth paying more for the diesel ?

Kintarō Hattori

Hmn if she was getting around 35mpg from the petrol that wouldn't be too bad. I'm not convinced she's getting anymore than that from her Micra at the moment.

So 22 miles to work and 22 back on the motorway isn't enough to warrant a diesel? We're rather nifty when it comes to getting our car serviced- ask Nissan Doctor

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hmn if she was getting around 35mpg from the petrol that wouldn't be too bad. I'm not convinced she's getting anymore than that from her Micra at the moment.

So 22 miles to work and 22 back on the motorway isn't enough to warrant a diesel? We're rather nifty when it comes to getting our car serviced- ask Nissan Doctor

If I were you and really wanted to drop your costs, I would buy a Prius and it will give diesel economy or better if you want it. it's a decent size and automatic.

The prius is they are proven to be one of the most reliable cars in the world.

The prius MK II only has one belt and that's for the water pump, so oil and filters every 15,000 kms and sparks every 100,000 kms or so. Prius III has 0 belts of any kind.

gearbox oil every 160,000 kms.

There have been a few recalls, so check this, one for the break or accelerator, I can't remember. the steering and the water pumps.

Mine has not failed once in 75,000 kms that I've had it and it now has 145,000 total kms

Kintarō Hattori

I think I'd have to leave the Prius off the cards as all I can find in our budget on DoneDeal are automatic and she wants a manual. She's gotten quite fond of gear changes!

Photoshop

Deleted User wrote: »

If I were you and really wanted to drop your costs, I would buy a Prius and it will give diesel economy or better if you want it. it's a decent size and automatic.

The prius is they are proven to be one of the most reliable cars in the world.

The prius MK II only has one belt and that's for the water pump, so oil and filters every 15,000 kms and sparks every 100,000 kms or so. Prius III has 0 belts of any kind.

gearbox oil every 160,000 kms.

There have been a few recalls, so check this, one for the break or accelerator, I can't remember. the steering and the water pumps.

Mine has not failed once in 75,000 kms that I've had it and it now has 145,000 total kms

Do you have to ruin every thread with your Prius bull**** and how it's the best thing ever.

We get it!!

You love your Prius and have a massive hard on for an electric leaf :P

OP wants a diesel S40.

Which is a fine car and the 140bhp 2.0d would be a great drive.

Lovely looking car in R mode as well.

One of the best looking cars in it's class too.

Photoshop

Photoshop wrote: »

Do you have to ruin every thread with your Prius bull**** and how it's the best thing ever.

This isn't about you, so if you don't like what I say you can go else where.

I knew it wouldn't be long before these comments started.

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think I'd have to leave the Prius off the cards as all I can find in our budget on DoneDeal are automatic and she wants a manual. She's gotten quite fond of gear changes!

I've seen more than a few.

I get it you want a "diesel"

Photoshop

Deleted User wrote: »

This isn't about you, so if you don't like what I say you can go else where.

I knew it wouldn't be long before these comments started.

If you changed the record it wouldn't have to.

Photoshop

Photoshop wrote: »

If you changed the record it wouldn't have to.

If you don't like what you hear you can always listen to something else.

Kintarō Hattori

Deleted User wrote: »

I've seen more than a few.

I get it you want a "diesel"

Eh not sure if you're being a bit grumpy with me there- or am I picking you up wrong? I don't specifically want a diesel. I want to get an S40 as our second car, to get the missus out of the Micra. There's a world of cars out there and not being an expert we settled on the S40 because: it looks great, it's safe, it's practical for us and it's bang on our budget.

I wanted a petrol as I didn't want to worry about the DPF- economy wasn't a major consideration. However after looking at a few YouTube reviews they all state that the petrol is thirsty and the Diesel makes more sense so that's why I came on here- I was confused.

I'm not sure what she'd be getting from her Micra K11 ('99) in terms of economy as she's doing motorway driving. A poster above mentioned that the S40 could do 35mpg........ is that likely to be significantly less than the Micra?

cadaliac

I'd say, you wouldn't be too far off the micra in terms of mpg with the s40 . It will be less surley, but it is a bigger, safer more comfortable car.
Generally speaking Motorway driving doesn't suit a smaller car (high rpm etc). The s40 would be more relaxed at Motorway speeds. You would have to ask an owner for real mpg figures - on that UK Volvo site mentioned on page one would be a good start.

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Eh not sure if you're being a bit grumpy with me there- or am I picking you up wrong? I don't specifically want a diesel. I want to get an S40 as our second car, to get the missus out of the Micra. There's a world of cars out there and not being an expert we settled on the S40 because: it looks great, it's safe, it's practical for us and it's bang on our budget.

I wanted a petrol as I didn't want to worry about the DPF- economy wasn't a major consideration. However after looking at a few YouTube reviews they all state that the petrol is thirsty and the Diesel makes more sense so that's why I came on here- I was confused.

I'm not sure what she'd be getting from her Micra K11 ('99) in terms of economy as she's doing motorway driving. A poster above mentioned that the S40 could do 35mpg........ is that likely to be significantly less than the Micra?

The difference between a 48 mpg diesel and a 35 mpg petrol over 10,000 miles is exactly 540 Euro's.

If you get the 1.8 petrol you will pay more tax, if you get the 1.6 diesel you pay less, if you get the 2.0L diesel you pay the most tax.

So 540 Euro's - the difference in road tax.

The question is, will you get 35 mpg in the petrol or 48 in the diesel ?

I have driven the 1.8 S40 and it's a nice engine and far smoother than the diesel, it's got a decent bit of poke.

If it costs 3,000 extra for the diesel the payback will be 5.5 years. and you will probably get a diesel with far more miles than the petrol. And you got the risks of the usual diesel failures.

So if it took me 5.5 years to pay back the difference I would certainly choose the smoother more refined petrol any day over the diesel.

Kintarō Hattori

In terms of equipment is there anything I should be looking out for? The Micra was about as basic as you could get- there isn't even any electric windows!

I know I'd like to get a model with leather, I think all have electric windows. Did heated seats come as standard or was that an option? Anything else?

ratracer

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

In terms of equipment is there anything I should be looking out for? The Micra was about as basic as you could get- there isn't even any electric windows!

I know I'd like to get a model with leather, I think all have electric windows. Did heated seats come as standard or was that an option? Anything else?

Hi OP I bought a 1.8SE model S40 brand new in 2005 and kept it for six years, changing it in 2011 for a 1.6 diesel focus.
I loved the S40, it had full leather, full electric windows, climate control, cruise control etc. I used to get 30-32 mpg out of it. Very comfortable car, smooth on the road, and enough power on the road. I think I had done about 130k km in it. Had to replace an abs sensor which was costly Indy garage done it for €650 iirc. Had no other major issues with the car tho.
The focus does about 50-52mpg, but its diesel, its sluggish, its nowhere near as comfy as the Volvo, granted it was a lower spec car, but I'd love to have the Volvo back. Don't think I'd buy diesel again. In 2011 i got €4k for the trade in, it sold for €5k. Great car for the money.

bazz26

There were 4 trim levels in the S40 range.

S - rare base model comes with 16" alloy wheels, electric windows allround, electric heated door mirrors, digital climate control with air conditioning, cd player.

R-Design - added two tone half leather seats, cruise control, multi-functional steering wheel, sports speedo and rev counter, chrome exterior door mirrors, R-Design style 17" alloy wheels and rear boot spoiler.

SE - most common model comes with cruise control, leather seats, premium stereo with cd changer, multi-fuction steering wheel, 17" alloy wheels, front fog lights, colour coded exterior door protection strips, auto headlights, auto wipers, auto dipping rear view interior mirror, wallnut or titanium effect dashboard, perimeter alarm.

SE-LUX - added electric front heated seats with memory setting, integrated bluetooth, xenon headlights with washer jets.

There was also a Winter pack which was a optional extra on all but the SE-LUX model which added bi-xenon headlights and heated seats.

harg90

johnnydeep wrote: »

the dpf really only gives issues with the type of driving. if you do lots of small slow journeys its going to give problems

not entirerly true, you also have to take into acount what oil you use.

Kintarō Hattori

Many thanks for that bazz- that's very helpful information and really gives me a great idea of what to look out for.

bazz26

I had a 2006 S40 1.6d SE for 2 years and had to replace the DPF.

Common problems with the S40 include the ABS/Traction Control modul which can through up an "Anti-skid urgent service needed" warning message on the dashboard. Electrics can be iffy, the stereo system can act up on them and is very expensive to replace. Make sure you get two keys as a replacement key is a main dealer only job and costs over €200 to replace and recode. Suspension is soft on them, they can go through control arm bushings, tyres are not cheap as they have a less than common size. Try and avoid main dealers for servicing or parts are Volvo dealers really do know how to charge.

On the petrol models the 1.6 and 1.8 litre engines are Ford engines from the Focus and Mondeo which are reliable enough, common problem on the petrol models is with the alternator which the Focus suffers from the same problem too. FFV or flex-fuel versions were only available for a short time when there was a reduction in VRT by the Government and bioethanol fuel was available. Nobody sells bioethanol anymore but the FFV will still run on regular unleaded but it is a thirsty engine which was ok when bioethanol was available alot cheaper than regular unleaded years ago. Best avoid these if fuel economy is important unless you are getting one dirt cheap.

Over all they are a well built, comfortable car but they are not without their problems and while they share alot with the Ford Focus some parts can be expensive to replace.

R.O.R

My good lady had a V50 1.8i for 7 years and absolutley loved it. Bought used as a 2 year old with 24,000km on, and traded in with around 120,000km.

When she was using it for mainly motorway work the fuel consumption was around 7.2 (from the On board computer). Shot up to around 8.7 when she was only doing short trips.

Had the alternator replaced (twice, first was a recon unit that didn't last long). Thankfully didn't ever get the Anti Skid Service warning. The car decided that it didn't want to recognise any of the keys, on the day it was due to be traded in (think it was throwing a hissy fit!) so had to be recovered to the dealership for fixing - around €300 for that. It's a relatively common issue.

Apart from my experience, I think Bazz has covered everything else - except the Winter Pack didn't have to have the Xenon's - there were 2 packs, Winter and Winter BIX. Winter was just the heated seats and washer jets, BIX added the Xenon's.

For the price of them, and the standard specification, you won't find much else to compare it to. If the V50 is in price range, have a look at that too. Same specificaiton & economy as the S40, but with a more useable boot and it does hold it's value better than the saloon.

R.O.R

R.O.R wrote: »

When she was using it for mainly motorway work the fuel consumption was around 7.2 (from the On board computer). Shot up to around 8.7 when she was only doing short trips.

Do you know what your tank mpg was ?

7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town is pretty much meaningless.

See if you get 7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town, that give no idea what you average per tank .

Resetting the trip computer before every trip won't give an accurate indication of your mpg.

The 1.8 Focus is thirsty enough considering I can get 30 mpg in the CRV 2.0L 150 hp.

Anyone know the real tank mpg in the turbo versions ?

cadaliac

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you know what your tank mpg was ?

7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town is pretty much meaningless.

See if you get 7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town, that give no idea what you average per tank .

How is it meaningless?
He gave you the l/100km figure in both instances of average driving. Unless the person is doing exactly the same mileage every week on the exactly same roads, the tank mpg will differ every week/month.
He said 39.23mpg on the motorway and 32.45mpg in town.

R.O.R

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you know what your tank mpg was ?

7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town is pretty much meaningless.

See if you get 7.2 on the motorway and 8.7 in town, that give no idea what you average per tank .

Resetting the trip computer before every trip won't give an accurate indication of your mpg.

7.2 was an average over about 2 years of mainly motorway work while she was commuting from Drogheda to Whitehall. 8.7 is the average for a further 2 years when she was either driving 6km down to the road to park and catch the coach, or driving to the shops / her mothers, while on maternity leave.

Don't bother with tank averages as they are pretty much meaningless as one tank could be burnt in a long trip (900km over to the UK and back in the V70) or from pottering around town doing feck all (550 ish in the V70).

Now - do you want to explain how much better a Prius would have been as an overall choice?

R.O.R

R.O.R wrote: »

7.2 was an average over about 2 years of mainly motorway work while she was commuting from Drogheda to Whitehall. 8.7 is the average for a further 2 years when she was either driving 6km down to the road to park and catch the coach, or driving to the shops / her mothers, while on maternity leave.

Don't bother with tank averages as they are pretty much meaningless as one tank could be burnt in a long trip (900km over to the UK and back in the V70) or from pottering around town doing feck all (550 ish in the V70).

Now - do you want to explain how much better a Prius would have been as an overall choice?

Tank average matters if you want to know what you are spending per tank, but the overall life mpg is what really matters.

The prius does far better, does that bother you ?

R.O.R

Deleted User wrote: »

Tank average matters if you want to know what you are spending per tank, but the overall life mpg is what really matters.

The prius does far better, does that bother you ?

Why does it matter what you are spending per tank. That will vary depending on fuel costs.

I really couldn't give a sh1te about the Prius. The boot is no where big enough for our requirements, nor is is big enough, comfortable enough or powerful enough for my requirements.

R.O.R

R.O.R wrote: »

I really couldn't give a sh1te about the Prius.

Did I ask you to care about the Prius ?

R.O.R

Deleted User wrote: »

Did I ask you to care about the Prius ?

Deleted User wrote: »

The prius does far better, does that bother you ?

Yes, by the looks of it.

R.O.R

R.O.R wrote: »

Yes, by the looks of it.

I'm not going to keep it going ................ :pac: