9 replies to this topic

[DaveO]

Anyone have opinions or experience with plugging the intercooler weep hole which on high mileage turbo 850s tends to drip more oil than one might like?
I've often wondered why only 850s had these as older, newer turbo Volvos don't nor do other car companies with turbo engines.
Might anything bad happen if plugged with a screw to stop the seapage?

[the underlørd]

if you're using "too much" oil.. and you plug the hole.. you'd just be sticking a band aid on a cut artery.. .02.

[DaveO]

This car is new to me but it's not using excessive oil and has a new turbo, replaced before I got the car. I've worked on many 850s over the years and have seen that most of these weep holes seap oil, especially when the mileage gets higher. The only way that there'd be excessive oil in an intercooler is from a bad front turbo oil seal so in my case, that's not possible (it being new).

[RussB]

This car is new to me but it's not using excessive oil and has a new turbo, replaced before I got the car. I've worked on many 850s over the years and have seen that most of these weep holes seap oil, especially when the mileage gets higher. The only way that there'd be excessive oil in an intercooler is from a bad front turbo oil seal so in my case, that's not possible (it being new).

worn rings (blow-by) and/or clogged PCV system will dump excessive oil into the intercooler

[DaveO]

On my car, the PCV system is not restricted (blew through it) and it's not using excessive oil either. I've worked on Volvos for many years and if one removes the front air guide on ANY turbo 850, you'll see where oil has been seaping out from that weep hole and some seapage there is considered to be normal. It usually collects in accumulated sand that gets in the air guide, soaking it up and eventually drips slighly from the area by the lower intercooler hose which always appears to be oily.

So....as to my original question here, no one here then knows why only 850s (perhaps X70s too) have weep-holes whereas NO other turbo powered cars by Volvo and other makes that I've seen have that?
The way I see it, the 850 turbo intercooler system is the exact same (operation wise) as what's on my older 740T which has no intercooler weep-hole. Turbo 200's, 700's, 900's don't have those and newer turbo Volvos also do not have weep-holes anymore. Volvo dropped that idea, possibly due to customer complaints about the oil seapage (which was common).

Does anyone here know why one shouldn't plug that weep hole (assuming that there's not a problem with excessive oil reaching the intercooler)?

[garbergtsi]

why are you asking for opinions when you already have your own and its telling you to plug it.

plug it up.

[RussB]

So....as to my original question here, no one here then knows why only 850s (perhaps X70s too) have weep-holes whereas NO other turbo powered cars by Volvo and other makes that I've seen have that?

My Son's '91 940T had a weep hole in the bottom of the intercooler...

[garbergtsi]

if you have been working on volvos forever, maybe you would know about the service bulletin regarding this problem...

SB2260002

[DaveO]

if you have been working on volvos forever, maybe you would know about the service bulletin regarding this problem...

SB2260002

As for the old TNN on Volvos "solution", I DO know about that and doing that makes the oil leak WORSE. One drills a larger hole, adds a brass fitting with a larger opening but has a higher center. Each car that I've seen that attempt done to, the customer returned and the final repair was to plug that hole. Never saw any car return with an oil related issue since.


I've never known any 700/900 to have a weep hole and we have two, '86 and '90. My '86 has a drain plug on the bottom of its intercooler.