Turbo or no turbo?

i am looking to buy a 2001 volvo v40 with a 4 cylinder turbo.i have never owned a turbo. how do i know if the turbo is working?

I can’t answer your question, but I wanted to be sure you realized that a ten-year-old Volvo, especially one with a turbo, will likely be a very expensive car to keep running.

thanks.i work at an auto parts store and do most car repairs myself. i can get most parts for it but i dont want something that ill have to work on all the time…thanks lion9car!

If it isn’t sucking oil and it’s boosting the pressure to spec, it’s working…at least at the moment. The problem I have with 10 year old turbos is that you have no way of knowing if it’ll start sucking oil next week. And whence goeth the seal also goeth your date money for the month.

How’s the price?

If the car is running smoothly and has strong power, the turbo is working. On a car this age turbo’s can and do go bad. In that case you are looking at about $2,000+ for a repair. This is not a good car to buy used at this age unless you are OK with about $2,000 to $3,000 a year for repairs and some downtime while it in the shop. Old Volvo’s are very expensive cars to repair and maintain, I’d look for another car.

ok…thanks.