I've always been a leak-free man - but it takes a lot of work. Especially on vehicles with six-digit mileage. While the Volvo Whiteblock is one of the longest lasting engine designs out there, it still relies on rubber seals to keep its lifeblood within the engine. If you're finding that your dipstick can't quite stay on "F," here's a few places to check for leaks.
Camshaft Seals
The 4, 5, and 6-cyilnder whiteblock engines used from 1993-present have four camshaft seals in the cylinder head. As these age, they become brittle and shrink, often causing dribbles of oil to spill out. On turbocharged engines, this effect is exacerbated by increased crankcase pressure under boost that can be further worsened by a clogged PCV system.
The seals used differ by vehicle, but the concept is generally the same. I recommend going OEM on these - you'll never have to do the job twice unless your car lasts another ten years.
Oil Cap Seal
This is one of the most overlooked seals, but it can create an oily mess that rarely gets repaired on used Volvos I've seen for sale. Not once have I encountered a Volvo with a clean upper cylinder head, because shops don't tend to care about this quick and easy maintenance item.
The oil cap seal made a mess of this cam cover.
In my experience, they tend to start seeping oil after every 2-3 oil changes (8-10,000mi), but I haven't tried a Genuine Volvo seal yet, which may last a little longer. In any case, an original 15 year old seal will be completely hardened and brittle, so anything is an improvement at that point. Installation is easy, just slip it over the two prongs under the oil cap and you're done.
Rear Main Seal
More of a rarity, but reality for the unlucky ones, the rear main crankshaft seal is a Volvo horror story if you don't have the time or patience to replace it. I've seen these fail anywhere from 130,000mi to 230,000mi, and when they go, they usually start an oil spill reminiscent of the Exxon-Valdez.
If you notice copious amounts of oil dripping out of the gap between your engine and transmission, the rear main seal is usually the culprit. Plan on a full transmission removal & replacement to gain access to this seal, and always always always use Genuine parts.
About the Author: Alex Fiehl
Alex is FCP's Blog Editor and an IT technician from Endwell, NY. He has over 8 years of experience working on a wide array of import makes, but lately is partial to Volvo . For some reason he just purchased a Volkswagen, and is excited to see what breaks first.
