Seeking Advice for 2005 Volvo S60 Issues: Black Smoke, Check Engine Light, Power Loss, and Increased Fuel Consumption

Hey there, I get your troubles. I've had something quite close to that with my 2007 Volvo V70, pretty much a big brother to your S60. Despite my limited car expertise, I managed to pull through. The machine was giving me a lot of the same issues you're experiencing at the moment. Turned out the DPF was heavily overloaded. It took me googling a ton and visiting my local workshop to figure this out. The squad at the workshop are real deal, they diagnosed it right away and got down to business. Paid them 1325 Euro and they had it running smooth as a kitten in a jiffy. On another note, can you provide more info on your S60? Like how many miles it's done and when was the last service? It'd help a lot if we had more to play with. Best of luck with it.

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Hey, thanks for the swift response! The journey's been quite rough for the old gal and me, I have 99879 km on her right now and the last service was done three months back. Thanks for sharing about your experience with your V70, I might have to hit up a solid workshop around here for a full diagnosis. Shelling out 1325 Euro hurts, but smoother rides are definitely worth it. Cheers!

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No worries, happy to help out a fellow Volvo enthusiast! Your mileage isn't tremendously high for a model of this age, which is a good sign. Still, these symptoms can definitely put a damper on the driving experience. From what I've learned from my own experience and a lot of time spent in Volvo forums, several components could be causing these issues, but the DPF overload would be my first suspect given your situation. If you haven't already, try running a full diagnostic with an OBD scanner. It might point you in the right direction before you spend big bucks at a workshop. I bought mine online for about 40 Euro, it saved me quite a bit of guesswork. Definitely check out your local workshops and let them get a good look at it, it's worth it. When I took my V70 in, the guys there also suggested a total fluid replacement along with the DPF service. Maybe that's something to consider as well. Doing these might hurt the wallet a bit now, but it'll certainly save you from even pricier repairs in the long run. And trust me, there's nothing quite like the drive once she's all fixed and firing on all cylinders again. Keep us posted and good luck!

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Thanks for the handy advice! Looks like I've got some homework to do. I'll definitely check out an OBD scanner, 40 Euro sounds like a bargain if it can help me out. I'll also keep in mind about the total fluid replacement tip when I take my car to a local workshop. I agree, better to shell out now than face heftier bills later, not to mention her purring smoothly again will be a huge relief. I'll keep you posted on the progress! Thanks again and wish me luck!

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