[1800ES Gary]

My wife's 2019 XC40 R Polestar has 23,000 mi. Over the last couple weeks it began running funny and making squeaky noises from engine on fight side. It sounde similar to a bad bearing in the idler pulley. Shortly after this noise started the rpm began to surge when stopped at stop signs or lights and the emission fault light came on the dash.

The problem was corrected yesterday at our local dealer. They replaced the oil trap, part # 32140004. Volvo website says this part may need to be changed at 100,000 mi. A search on the topic on the internet pointed to this being a regular issue on the older Volvos all the way back to late 240 models. I found it kind of strange that this issue would crop up on the XC40 with so few miles. This has not been an issue on any other Volvos I have owned with many more miles than the XC40.

 

[bdalameda]

Yes the oil trap basically takes the place of a PCV valve. These are common replacements on Volvos as well as many other make of cars. Usually these tend to get plugged up after about 60K miles or more. More likely to have issues if the car is driven for very short runs without allowing to get fully warmed up. This causes sludging up of the trap. Overfilling the crankcase oil can also create issues with the oil traps. If the oil trap plugs it will cause a squealing sound and also build up excessive crankcase pressure that can cause oil leaks and seal or gasket failures. A properly operating oil trap will cause a slightly negative pressure in the crankcase which will prevent oil leaks or seal leaks. If you drive short distances mostly I would advise changing the oil more regularly than the Volvo recommended service intervals to prevent this from happening.

 

[Rod]

I've had this problem and in very cold temps it can freeze over. That causes the exhaust to back up and emit a massive plume of white smoke. It happened twice this winter. Volvo blames it on my driving habits. I understand that to a point, but I've had other cars and never had this problem. My wife drives her car less than I drive the XC40 and she's never had this problem. None of my friends have had this problem. None of my friends have ever heard of this problem. But I'm more conscious of it now and use remote start to let the car warm up for 10-15 minutes in very cold weather before embarking on my 6-minute commute to work. I otherwise love the car.