V70: Engine Overheating

[bryanh]

Last Summer returning from Spain my V70AWD overheated on a long fairly steep hill on the A75 autoroute in France.
The external temperature was 30+ and I was towing a caravan.
The vehicle is auto-gearbox, has done 130,000 miles, is 11 years old and, as far as I know, still has the original radiator and pipes etc.
It had just been serviced and afterwards the (main) dealer said there had been no issues reported with the cooling system.
It was the first time I had experienced overheating - including when towing. What do folks think about a rad-flush?

[V70greg]

Hi,

Thermostat would be my first check, although a coolant change may work out cheaper so a good first place to go.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by V70greg

Hi,

Thermostat would be my first check, although a coolant change may work out cheaper so a good first place to go.

radiator problems or the leaves blocking it between condenser and radiator , when you stop is the fan on full speed and what is it blowing over the engine? It should be very hot air . What does the gauge show ?

[bryanh]

There is no gauge on the V70. All that happens is you get a first message 'engine running hot, slow down' and then a second message ' engine running hot, stop'.
When I stopped I could hear the fan running. On the aside of the A75 half way up a major winding hill I wasn't inclined to get out. So I dson't know whether it was blowing hot air. I simply sat and waited till the message disappeared then another ten minutes... restarted the vehicle and carried on up the hill. It happened a second time. I repeated the process and this time got to the top. After that, the temperature outside dropped to below 30 (it's cooler up on the Massif Central) and I carried on through France to Calais and home with no further problems.
I had no problems on a subsequent tow in the UK but we have no motorway inclines to match that from the Mediterranean plain up onto the Masssif.

[Whyman]

As Clan says check the radiator first. Could just be leaves and bugs that have accumulated over the years blocking part of the radiator or even small stones that can bend over some of the fins to reduce air flow.

The fact that it sorted itself out suggests that there is not really a problem just the Volvo software protecting the engine to prevent a major fault.

If I am going on a long journey with the van I always check the front of the radiator and remove any leaves and bugs that I can see and get at.

[V70greg]

Originally Posted by bryanh

There is no gauge on the V70. All that happens is you get a first message 'engine running hot, slow down' and then a second message ' engine running hot, stop'.
When I stopped I could hear the fan running. On the aside of the A75 half way up a major winding hill I wasn't inclined to get out. So I dson't know whether it was blowing hot air. I simply sat and waited till the message disappeared then another ten minutes... restarted the vehicle and carried on up the hill. It happened a second time. I repeated the process and this time got to the top. After that, the temperature outside dropped to below 30 (it's cooler up on the Massif Central) and I carried on through France to Calais and home with no further problems.
I had no problems on a subsequent tow in the UK but we have no motorway inclines to match that from the Mediterranean plain up onto the Masssif.

Not sure what altitude you were at but could that have been the cause? lack of air + other issues as mentioned (slow speed, heavy tow, possibly slightly blocked radiator).

I really like my Volvo... this is my first however, I have a strong dislike of the fact there is no temp gauge and there is no oil dipstick. Both give you an understanding of what is happening inside the engine and very useful.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by V70greg

Not sure what altitude you were at but could that have been the cause? lack of air + other issues as mentioned (slow speed, heavy tow, possibly slightly blocked radiator).

I really like my Volvo... this is my first however, I have a strong dislike of the fact there is no temp gauge and there is no oil dipstick. Both give you an understanding of what is happening inside the engine and very useful.

the control system is much better at monitoring temperature than you , and you soon notice the message which gives plenty of warning . It sounds as if the radiator cooling capacity is reduced . First thought is the radiator core .. but it would be interesting to know hot hot the air was that the fan was blowing out . With a blocked radiator it would be luke warm , with a fully functioning radiator it would be too hot to hold your hand there for long .

[V70greg]

Originally Posted by Clan

the control system is much better at monitoring temperature than you , and you soon notice the message which gives plenty of warning . It sounds as if the radiator cooling capacity is reduced . First thought is the radiator core .. but it would be interesting to know hot hot the air was that the fan was blowing out . With a blocked radiator it would be luke warm , with a fully functioning radiator it would be too hot to hold your hand there for long .

Not wanting to go off subject or trying to be argumentative:

A temp gauge can show steady increase therefore slow down or pull over and wait; or sudden increase, something serious has happened stop immediately; a warning light doesn't give a technically aware driver any indication of what is happening.

I don't see a reason why you cannot have both, for example if there are leaves and stone blocking his radiator like you suggest he may see the normal operating temperature slowly creeping up over time. Instead of just a warning light when it is too late.

This is just a money saving option from Volvo, same as the touch screens which all manufactures are using now, same as spare wheel to space saver to tyre slime.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by V70greg

Not wanting to go off subject or trying to be argumentative:

A temp gauge can show steady increase therefore slow down or pull over and wait; or sudden increase, something serious has happened stop immediately; a warning light doesn't give a technically aware driver any indication of what is happening.

I don't see a reason why you cannot have both, for example if there are leaves and stone blocking his radiator like you suggest he may see the normal operating temperature slowly creeping up over time. Instead of just a warning light when it is too late.

This is just a money saving option from Volvo, same as the touch screens which all manufactures are using now, same as spare wheel to space saver to tyre slime.

I agree with Clan in that the system is very good at monitoring things and letting you know when action is needed, also a message on the dash and a "bong" is much more likely to be noticed by your average driver than a gradual increase in the reading of what is likely the smallest gauge on the cluster.

However... I also agree that to not have a temperature gauge as well is an unnecessary and risky omission as not having it prevents even the slightly experienced among us to diagnose issues from observed patterns and behaviors. Being able to read the gauge would probably help the OP diagnose whether he had an issue with a compromised cooling system (i.e. leaves blocking airflow) or early stages of a head gasket failure, or maybe a thermostat problem.

It is possible to have both - the S40/V50 platform did, and you knew if the heater output dropped slightly whilst the gauge went up a notch (but no warning) you likely had a head gasket issue.

[cheshired5]

Just use an ELM327 dongle and an app like Torque Pro.
You can monitor exact coolant temperature and set a warning alarm at whatever temperature you feel is appropriate.

I'm sure the Volvo system warns at the correct time but that correct time may be a time where it's inconvenient or downright dangerous to pull over so having readily accessible live data and greater forewarning will always be useful.