Keep in mind the timing belt should be done every 120k mile or 10 years, whichever comes first, so depending on how long ago the belt was put on it may be due for replacement by time. Along with the timing belt are the serpentine belts and tensioners. Those are known vulnerabilities that often kill engines when they fail because they get wrapped up in the timing drive and the timing belt jumps time.

Also at this age and mileage, the front suspension likely needs refreshed. New struts, mounts, bearings and complete lower control arms. I would do rear shocks while you're at it.

The CEM is in the passenger footwell. It is the only control module that communicates on the high speed and low speed networks, so there are like 5 large connectors that run to/through it. Must be why it is called the Central Electronic Module. The good news is it's easy to access. Maybe just record the faults stored now, clear them and drive it and see what comes back or if any issues present themselves.

 

Hey qaz,

Thanks for the feedback. The timing was done 60K miles ago I think I'll be ok until I get it back to road worthy and inspected. It's not going to be driven until it can be inspected which won't be until I get these electrical problems figured out and atleast do the brakes the rotors are really bad. You did answer one of the questions I was gonna ask which is why the timing is such a problem but that makes sense so that will be on the list of things to do and I'm sure it's not an easy task to do. As for the DTC's I initial scanned it and it had over 50 DTC's for stupid things mostly and some of them were for things this car doesnt even have like headlight sprayers. The 12 DTC's I listed were the ones that came back after but I really won't know for sure until I get some miles on it then see where I'm at. As for the CEM I kinda figured the best thing to do is pull the interior and check the harness then go from there.

 

Kind of a rare beast. I'd be thrilled if you could get it cleaned up and working properly again. I have faith!!

 

Hey Benjamin,

Thanks I don't know much about this car or any of them for that matter but I love the look of it. If it is a rarer version I wouldn't know I'm not even sure what it's actually referred as. I did do a little clean up on the front end (Not Pictured) just to see how the paint looked cleaned up a bit and it looks great after a good wash it should look really nice could prolly use a good buff to though lol. The body is nice no dents at all a few marks on the lower front bumper and smaller marks on the back bumper overall it's in great shape. It does run and drive I already drove it just to make sure it shifted and sounded ok about 2 miles only though. It sounds great starts right up so it's good starting point.

It's a work in progress needs a little love and labor and I'm all here for it. Maybe I will document everything I do as I go for everyone else to see and I'll probably need all the feedback I can get.

Cheers, MODZISTER

 

One of the first things to do is to change all fluids. Especially the transmission fluid, even though Volvo service bulletins imply that it isn't necessary. I've blown no less than four AW55-50 transmissions during last eight years, two of which mainly/partly due to old fluid.

As a sidenote, the P1 S40/V50 angle gear seems to like Redline Light Shockproof oil, which is a bit too slippery for P2 S60/V70/XC70 units. The transmission requires JWS 3309 or equivalent, make sure you steer clear of "regular" ATF.

 

Hey hq_,

What transmission does this have in it? It is an auto with manual shifting. I'm guessing from what you said it's an AW55. I was gonna do all the fluids anyway but wasn't even thinking I should do the transmission fluid I guess I should add that to the list aswell. This is considered a P1 model? I have alot to learn about this car it seems.

 

What transmission does this have in it? It is an auto with manual shifting. I'm guessing from what you said it's an AW55. I was gonna do all the fluids anyway but wasn't even thinking I should do the transmission fluid I guess I should add that to the list aswell. This is considered a P1 model? I have alot to learn about this car it seems.

This generation S40 is a P1, as are V50, C30 and C70-II. The "small" Volvos between 2004 and 2013. They share the Ford C1 platform with Ford Focus and Mazda 3, Volvo calls it the P1. The Aisin Warner AW55-50 is the AWD transmission on AWD P1:s and a number of other Volvos, a decent unit as long as the fluid is fresh, you keep power levels at around 400bhp or less and have your tuner limit the boost in 1st and 2nd gears if you're running an upgraded turbo. I run approximately 19psi unlimited on all gears on a big turbo XC70 hence the gearboxes are consumables; not really smart but, as they say, a small price to pay for a $#!%-hot manouver. That shed MOVES.

One of the AW55 major design flaws is that replacing the filter requires rather major disassembly, not just popping the trans oil pan.

Welcome to Swedespeed, these cars are curiously addictive so if stars are aligned just right, you'll be in for a wild ride.

 

Gotcha so I have a P1 with the AW55-50 so I'll deff change out the fluid cause I'm sure it was never done or it was done when they replaced the engine either way I'm gonna do it. I'm not planning on doing many upgrades if anything bigger front mount and charge pipes and intake besides that maybe boost gauge or something but that's it and that's down the road. I think I would have more problems finding parts I was looking and there is not much out there. I know a bigger front mount is a good upgrade but I couldn't find anything really. Parts are hard to come by it seems.

 

I know a bigger front mount is a good upgrade but I couldn't find anything really. Parts are hard to come by it seems.

While there aren't that many manufacturers of go-fast bits for these cars, it's not difficult to come up with a proven recipe with what's available. For example, I've gone with DO88 intercooler (their charge pipe kit is FWD only and requires modifications for AWD), Martelius turbo-back exhaust with a 3" downpipe and a 200 cell cat on the V50, which suffices for Hilton Stage2+ map. Easy and cost-effective +80bhp or more, until the stock turbo will be running out of breath after around 320bhp. OEM IC is tiny and the exhaust restrictive so freeing up these two restrictions works wonders.

Proper Stage 0 is the basis for everything. Making sure all fluids are fresh, nothing leaks, there are no error codes and no weak links that may give you problems down the road.

Good luck!

 

These cars are notorious for having severe negative rear camber. You may need to put on adjustable camber arms if you care about your tire life. Low on the totem pole - just something to be aware of.

It's suspicious to me they would replace the engine only to let it to sit for 2 years. Anyway, good luck with it.

Edit: How could I forget about the PCV? Make sure it's working properly.

 

If you knew my boss you would understand. He will buy a car drive it till the check engine light comes on and just buy another car and let the other one sit. That's what happens when you have more money then you know what to do with. He has 2 2012 Mercedes C300 awd sitting there and 2 suburus a few trucks he could just careless about them. He is not a maintence person and just doesn't have the time to bother with them. That's why the car sat then until I offered to buy it.

 

.
Excellent find! I really like the P1 S40 as they have excellent crash worthiness and are fun to drive. I'm supposing it will be similar to a C30.

We have the adjustable rear camber arm kit on our P1 08 C30 T5 2.0 M66. Going about 5 years and 30K miles. Although I did the 4 wheel alignment I do recommend a knowledgeable shop willing to make that fine adjustments for you. Be sure to get the before and after print out.

2009 Volvo S40 Rear Driver & Passenger Side Upper & Lower 4 Piece Control Arm Set TRQ PSA62119

Ford Mazda Volvo Rear Driver & Passenger Side 4 Piece Control Arm Set TRQ PSA62119

Order your 4 Piece Control Arm Set - today at 1AAuto.com. Up To 50% Off Prices EveryDay! Get Fast & Free Shipping On Premium Quality Parts. Shop Now & Save!

www.1aauto.com

You can pull the car into your garage if you think it's pretty flat. Get a 2 foot level and stand it upright, check bubble, close to the rear wheel. Do not touch the top or bottom of the tire. Measure the top rim lip vs the bottom. Made sure you don't see any obvious damage from a hard curb or else the measurement will be affected. If there is a difference of over 1/8" then you may want to consider the camber arm kit.

The S40 has a large metal structure for the back seat which acts as a chassis brace so do not flex as much as the P1 C30, so may not need a camber kit. If the car was in an area with smooth roads most of it's life and the driver did not drive it like it was a track car the chassis may not have flex too much?

The C30 is full without any structural support whereas the S40 has full back support in the entire rear seat area besides the rear deck for speakers. We do not have this brace however, it's just for reference.

Elevate Volvo C30 Rear Chassis Brace (FIXED Style)

Elevate Volvo C30 Rear Chassis Brace (FIXED Style)

Stiffens and strenghtens rear chassis Increased cornering ability Do-it-yourself installaion Combines with the Elevate Rear Sway Bar for excellent handling Made in USA from premium quality materials

www.elevatecars.com

.

.

 

.
FCP or IPD or a Volvo parts website will be your friend in terms of look at parts and pricing.
.
Another area to address is the Cooling System. These cars do not have a level sensor on the expansion tank so you will not get a low coolant level dash warming light except the needle pegging the red as it starts to overheat. The Expansion Tank will stress crack all over with age and the small in hose inlets can crack and break off.

The Octopus cooling hose is another very poor design and can cause a leak that you'll have a hard time finding as it's in the middle of the engine compartment.

The plastic T connectors are two halves glued together as a pressure fitting for the 3 hoses. They should have just used 3 hose clamps. Had I known I would have just removed the split at the glued seams plastic coupler and hose clamped each and be done. I had cut the hose for easier removal then discover the design after removing it.
.
Upper Radiator Hose Auto Transmission - P1 S40 V50 C30 C70

Upper Radiator Hose Auto Transmission - P1 S40 V50 C30 C70

>Volvo 30723082 51 dr p1 sn t5 24i 2dr 3dr 4dr 5dr awd c30 c70 fwd me9 non s40 v50 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 auto aw55 conv door hose denso hatch sedan turbo upper volvo wagon 120334 aw5551 aw555x b5244s4 b5244s7 b5254t3 b5254t7 genuine 30723082 radiator transmission

www.ipdusa.com

The entire tank will have stress cracks overtime and those inlets also. No level sensor!

Coolant Reservoir Expansion Tank - P1 C30 C70 S40 V50

Coolant Reservoir Expansion Tank - P1 C30 C70 S40 V50

>Volvo 30776151 51 dr p1 sn t5 24i 2dr 3dr 4dr 5dr awd c30 c70 fwd m56 m66 me9 non s40 v50 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 aw55 conv door tank denso hatch sedan turbo volvo wagon 120143 aw5551 aw555x b5244s4 b5244s7 b5254t3 b5254t7 coolant genuine 30776151 expansion reservoir

www.ipdusa.com

.

 

Thank for the info brother. My Dodge Dart has a similar setup and is notorious for also breaking I changed it out for a silicone version after I had to change out the thermostat. This is all great information though so far. I'm bringing this car home any day now and I'm gonna start getting into it but first the interior needs cleaned and I mean cleaned it's really really bad. I'll have to show some pics of it after I drive it home cause it's almost unbelieveable lol.

 

.
If you need tires consider going up one size and to the Atlas Force UHP (Ultra High Performance Tires). We install Michelin high performance 215/45/18 standard sized tires on the C30 and they lasted under 30K miles in 5 years and was getting harsh with use. We did not drive the car hard at all. It was assigned to my Son and he loves it and knows it will be his after graduating college. Got so he didn't want me to drive it as he thought I wasn't careful and easy enough on the car!

The Atlas made the car handle better, much quieter besides more solid road feel. We did up size to 225/45/18 which is not much larger. The ratings are extremely high for the 18". We purchased from Walmart and had it shipped to our home then took them to Discount Tire and they matched the price of Walmart installation. We also opted to buy Discounts Non-Prorated Free Full Replacement Road Hazard Warranty so future rotation and balancing beside flat repair are all free. We do this with all our cars whether the tires were new or purchased from Discount. Of course it's not cost effective if the tires are worn. We purchase 3 used cars in recent years and all 3 had almost new performance tires so we purchased their warranty and for the rotation and balancing.

If the standard is 205/50/17 go up to 215/50/17. The difference is marginal but ride comfort, handling and longevity will improve and increase.

2009 Volvo S40 - Wheel & Tire Sizes, PCD, Offset and Rims specs

Wheel size, PCD, offset, and other specifications such as bolt pattern, thread size (THD), center bore (CB), trim levels for 2009 Volvo S40. Wheel and tire fitment data. Original equipment and alternative options.

www.wheel-size.com

Tire Size Comparison

Tire size comparison the easy way. Use our tire size comparison calculator to compare diameter, width, sidewall, circumference and revolutions per mile.

tiresize.com

Price at Walmart may vary if they are listing for another vendor to sell the same tire. The number of reviews will be the same. It was easier for returns in case of problems so we purchased through Walmart. The number of reviews and ratings on our 225/45/18 are extremely high. Speed and load ratings are also very high 95Y XL!

Atlas Force UHP UHP 215/50R17 95W XL Passenger Tire

http://goto.walmart.com/c/404739/56...ww.walmart.com/ip/Atlas-Force-UHP-UHP-215-50R17-95W-XL-Passenger-Tire/268717082

Atlas Force UHP UHP 225/45R18 95Y XL Passenger Tire

http://goto.walmart.com/c/404739/56...HP-UHP-225-45R18-95Y-XL-Passenger-Tire/287423142?classType=REGULAR&from=/search

.

 

I do know this car has the wrong size tires on it I was going to ask what size is supposed to be on it but my boss told me it there the wrong size. It currently has 215/60R/17. Whether that's a good or bad i do not know. I know nothing about these cars and the car I bought. Thanks for the info I'll have to keep these saved because I am deff getting new tires on it.

 

.
I've never live in an area where we see real snow so can't be of any help.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=2009+volvo+s40+awd+in+snow

.
S40 AWD with snow tires.

.

 

I brought the car home finally and have spent hours cleaning it and I'm not even done yet but it's starting to look really good. I will make a new post with updated pictures and a video of this car running if I can post that. I drove it the other day and it drives pretty darn good for sitting so long.