Most Common Volvo D5204T, D5204T2, D5204T5 Engine Problems

The D5204T engine is a 2-litre turbodiesel engine that Volvo produced from 2009 to 2013. The type of this engine is in-line, 5-cylinder. There are 4 valves per cylinder. The maximum engine power is 177 hp. with a torque of 400 Nm. This engine was mainly equipped with C70, C30, V50 and S40 cars.

Applicability of D5204T engine

• Volvo : C30 (2010-2013), C70 (2009-2013), S40 (2010-2012), V50 (2010-2012)

Advantages of ICE

• The D5204T engine has established itself as a fairly powerful and reliable engine. Among the main advantages, drivers note a good engine resource – with proper operation and timely maintenance, it can travel about 300,000 km without major repairs.
• A big plus is the presence of hydraulic lifters, thanks to which it is not necessary to manually adjust the valves. ICE is characterized by low consumption. In the combined drive, this figure is only 5.5 km per 100 km of run.
• The cylinder block and cylinder head are made of aluminium. The use of this material made it possible to obtain a reliable, but not too heavy unit.
• At the same time, the head seal is made of 5 layers of steel. This is done in order to match the piston height as accurately as possible. Also, this solution made it possible to eliminate deviations between the connecting rods and other elements.

Disadvantages and problems of the D5204T engine

Among the typical problems of the D5204T engine, motorists note the following characteristics:

• The use of low-quality oil can cause failure and tapping of hydraulic lifters;
• The throttle or USR valve gets dirty pretty quickly;
• If the ribbed belt is not replaced in time, then if it breaks, it can be pulled under the timing belt;
• In the fuel system, there may be problems with the injectors and the regulator valve in the rail.

Tuning Perspective

To add power to the D5204T engine, mechanics can offer the following solutions, applicable to almost all turbocharged engines:

• replacement of intake and exhaust systems;
• chip tuning;
• boost pressure adjustment.

Please note that such manipulations negatively affect the resource of the engine.

D5204T2 Engine

The D5204T2 engine is a 5-cylinder turbo diesel engine designed for use in passenger cars. The engine has a double camshaft, as well as a direct injection device and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system. The intake camshaft is supported by 7 bearings and the exhaust camshaft by 6.

20 internal combustion engine valves are arranged according to the cross-flow scheme. The cylinder head has 4 valves per cylinder. The gaps are adjusted automatically due to the presence of hydraulic compensators. Injectors mounted in the center of the combustion chambers are controlled by several pre-injection systems.

The engine lubrication system consists of the following elements:

• air and pressure reducing valves;
• oil pump;
• suction oil line;
• main oil channel.

Cast iron liners are built directly into the aluminum cylinder block, which has several baffles. The pistons are made of aluminum alloy, which includes silicon and graphite.

The Quick glow technology used in the D5204T2 engine is designed to accelerate the cold start of the internal combustion engine. The maximum power of the engine, which has a volume of 1984 cc, is 163 liters.

Applicability of D5204T2 engine

• Volvo : S60 (2010-2013), S80 (2009-2013), V60 (2010-2013), XC60 (2008-2013)

Disadvantages and problems of the D5204T2 engine

Volvo diesel engines are reliable and durable. However, the D5204T2 engine has some drawbacks associated with the malfunction of the plastic gears installed in the valve. A breakdown is observed when the damper is jammed, which fails when soot and soot accumulate.

In some cases, there are problems with starting the power unit caused by a breakdown of the fuel pressure regulator. If low-quality oil is poured into the engine, hydraulic lifters may fail. After that, power will drop and extraneous noise will appear at the stage of warming up the engine.

D5204T5 Engine

The D5204T5 turbocharged diesel engine was intended for use in Volvo passenger cars. In the period from 2007 to 2013, it was installed on Volvo S40 sedans, as well as on Volvo C30 hatchbacks.

Applicability of D5204T5 engine

• Volvo : C30 (2010-2013), C70 (2009-2013), S40 (2010-2012), V50 (2010-2012)

Description and main advantages For D5204T5 Engine

The volume of the D5204T5 engine is 1984 cm3, and its power is 150 hp. The basis of the engine is 5 cylinders arranged in a row, which account for 20 valves. It should also be noted that hydraulic devices are used here to adjust the clearances of these same valves.

And the D5204T5 engines are equipped with a DOHC timing belt (with two camshafts) and Garret brand turbines. Also, the features of this internal combustion engine include liquid cooling, common rail direct injection and the Quick glow-system system, which accelerates the cold start.

Separately, it is worth noting that this engine consumes fuel very modestly – usually less than 6 liters of “diesel” is used for 100 km.

Disadvantages and problems of the D5204T5 engine

The D5204T5 engines have a throttle valve and a gas recirculation valve. And, unfortunately, these parts here tend to clog in a very short time (which leads to a number of negative consequences).

In addition, the hydraulic lifters in the D5204T5 may start to work incorrectly after the first hundred thousand kilometers traveled. To avoid this, experts recommend using only good engine oil.

On top of that, there is evidence that injectors are not very reliable in this internal combustion engine. And it is better to periodically check their condition in a car service.

Tuning prospects For D5204T5 Engine

Chip tuning, that is, adjusting the software of the control unit, in the case of the D5204T5 engine, can give significant results. Power in this way can be increased from 150 to 175 hp. And the torque will rise from 350 to 408 Nm. These are quite real indicators, which are obtained as a result of measurements “before” and “after” on dynos in tuning services.

And in general, chip tuning allows the driver to experience literally new sensations when traveling, because the engine becomes more elastic and smoother (and it also begins to respond more quickly to pressing the accelerator, gear shifting, etc.).

It should also be added that each specific instance of the D5204T5 (and each car) requires an individual approach during chip tuning, and therefore only experienced craftsmen should apply for such a service.