To Do A Dyno or Not

[Shawn Patterson]

The dealer down here, who had no dog in the hunt, was super nice (coulda been the uniform or the gun) and extremely helpful. Since it was 6 years ago, I do not recall the exact details but they advised the engine was well within tolerances and actually said it was a little on the high side of that for a truck with 500,000 miles. After hearing their opinion of the dyno, the conversation I had with the inspector from Truck Remarketing and the dealer, plus looking at the photographs from the dealer and the inspector I flew from Texas to Minnesota with cash in hand and drove it home.

 

I am in the middle of doing the exact same process... Denver Volvo had already done the dyno on the truck and my brother who was a heavy diesel mechanic and the local dealer gave it the thumbs up (89% horsepower at the wheels and blowback well within spec). Pictures online looked good and I asked for some additional closeups of areas that weren't clear. Truck Remarketing just finished the inspection this morning and I am wainting on the report. Called and spoke to the inspector to get the short story on the inspection and it sounds like there is nothing out of the ordinary for a truck with just under 500K miles. We'll most likely fly out next week to finish the deal and drive it home.

 

To the OP's question... I was looking at 2 other trucks in addition to this one and both of the other sellers were willing to do the dyno. We never got to the who would pay for it question but neither hesitated when I mentioned getting one done. For me, if a dealer wasn't willing to Dyno the truck then I wasn't interested in doing business with them. Sure, the dyno isn't a guarantee that something won't break, but IMHO I think it is a reasonable diagnostic tool and well worth the cost.

[Shawn Patterson]

I have been watching this topic with interest. We have a 2015 Sportchassis with a Cummins ISL 9. Rocky Mountain Cummins has s dyno service they offer in conjunction with annual service. They say they dyno the rig and check all engine parameters and adjust for maximum performance. We tow about 15k a year and felt it might be a good "investment" of about $400. The truck runs great and is getting about 9mpg when towing our 21000 lb fifth wheel. Should I save my money or dyno?? Thanks in Advance, Dick

 

Dick, I am pretty new to HDTs/MDTs but at 15K/Yr on a 2015, I would expect that the engine is just getting broken in on that truck... IMHO, If the truck is running well and you are doing the regular maintenance (as I am sure you are), I would save my money. If you are reading reports of other rigs pulling significantly higher mileage or felt that the performance had dropped off significantly then maybe I could see it.

[Bobi and Dick McKee]

Thanks for the input. I'll keep the $400 in my pocket. Dick

[Sculptor]

Had to rely on ecm read out and oil analysis and maintenance records.

I made a call on a truck I saw that was 500+ miles away. The sales guy said they just got the truck in, and had not done an assessment of it yet. So he couldn't answer questions. He asked me to call back in a couple of days.

So I started asking him noob questions about hiring someone to inspect the truck and have a dyno test done as suggested above. He said the newer trucks just get a readout and the dyno is not needed. I think the advice I read above would contradict that. (edited out the question)

A surveyor/inspector can be retained to do this footwork for me.

Should the company be local to the prospective truck? Can you recommend a company in southern Georgia or northern Florida?

[Pete Kildow]

Last Nov we found a truck that both of us wanted. I would not take it until it was checked out by my Mechanic and had the Dyno ran. Guy bought it before that was done. He left Jackson tn, made it to I-55 in southeast Mo. When the engine thought it was time to throw a rod through the side of the block. The Dyno would have found that. Now he did buy the truck at a price that allowed him to put a different 12,7 detroit in it. But still had $10,000 more in the truck when he was done.

At the time I was not happy we had let the truck slip away. But when I found out how far he made it. 1 hour 15 minutes down the road. I would have made it home and that was about it.

Pete

[Sculptor]

But when I found out how far he made it. 1 hour 15 minutes down the road. I would have made it home and that was about it.

Pete

Thanks for the reality check. Nice looking Kodiak!

[Pete Kildow]

Thanks for the reality check. Nice looking Kodiak!

Thanks

[VegasFlyer]

We followed a similar process to what Big 5er went through by having the dealer take the truck to a nearby shop. We also used a national inspection company.

 

One thing for people dynoing a Volvo engine to take note of, they can not test blow by during a Dyno because Volvo has a closed system.

 

As said before, a Dyno is a simple measurement of multiple systems under calibrated conditions to show where an engine is in a performance envelope, compared to what the manufacture has established for that engine. The thought about a Dyno breaking anything that is weak, may be a bit of a stretch.

 

Pilots often do a similar check to aircraft, while flying, they call it "Power Check" or Engine Trend Monitoring.

[Jemstone]

I'd like to head for Alaska next year. However, the truck has had to be towed on two occasions and my wife has little faith in it. She is worried about a breakdown on the Alaska Highway leaving us stranded a couple of hundred miles from anywhere. It sounds like a dyno test might provide her with some peace of mind and turn up potential problems that can be handled before the trip. If the test runs $400 to $500 it will still cost less than half of a tow to a distant Volvo shop and the cost of repairs will be much less if made prior to the trip.

 

If anything breaks due to the dyno it can be fixed promptly. Anything that breaks during the test will surely have broken somewhere on the trip. I am jealous of all you folks who understand the mechanics of the trucks and can fix or modify almost anything. My skills are limited to supervising paint as it drys. I'm also becoming good at rating "driver's lounges" at the dealerships. A couple of truck posters on the walls, overstuffed sofas facing a TV tuned to a random channel. At the worst dealerships one can encounter mummies of ancient drivers still waiting for repairs.

 

Any other thoughts on finding lurking problems that the dyno won't disclose?

[rickeieio]

Our experience is that you won't find a Volvo dealer past Calgary, or in Alaska. In fact, the only dealers we found in that stretch was Kenworth, one in White Horse, another in Fairbanks (we bought parts at both places.). There might be one in Grand Prairie, Darryl would know.

 

That said, at worst, you might have to wait on a part. Mechanics up there are very good at repairing, rather than just swapping parts. If you're stuck, unload the car and explore. It's all part of the adventure.

[MrSeas]

A Dyno is not the "tell all"... small inexpensive parts in your air system can put you down just as quick. $ 400 can buy lots of fuel.... or peace of mind. Your call!

If you choose to use a HDT you owe yourself the favor of

learning how it operates and how to make some repairs.

It could keep you from being "stuck" somewhere that's not so friendly. A basic understanding of your truck and its various systems can go along way in making your travels and visits to the "fixer guys" a positive instead of a negative!

[Darryl&Rita]

Grande Prairie has a Mack/Volvo dealership/ both Paccar lines, International, and Western Star/Freightliner. Ft. St. John has Kenworth and Western Star. Fort Nelson is all independent repair shops. Once into the Yukon, KW is the only factory marque present, but again, there are several independent and chain repair shops.

I'd take the above advice and learn how to diagnose and repair one of these machines. Even an honest shop may stumble when a wide eyed innocent comes in, flush with the months fuel money, asking for a place to pile his loot. As far as watching paint dry, ask rickeieio about watching grass grow, and cigar smoke curl. I hear he has that skillset perfected.

[VegasFlyer]

I'd like to head for Alaska next year. However, the truck has had to be towed on two occasions and my wife has little faith in it. She is worried about a breakdown on the Alaska Highway leaving us stranded a couple of hundred miles from anywhere. It sounds like a dyno test might provide her with some peace of mind and turn up potential problems that can be handled before the trip. If the test runs $400 to $500 it will still cost less than half of a tow to a distant Volvo shop and the cost of repairs will be much less if made prior to the trip.

If anything breaks due to the dyno it can be fixed promptly. Anything that breaks during the test will surely have broken somewhere on the trip. I am jealous of all you folks who understand the mechanics of the trucks and can fix or modify almost anything. My skills are limited to supervising paint as it drys. I'm also becoming good at rating "driver's lounges" at the dealerships. A couple of truck posters on the walls, overstuffed sofas facing a TV tuned to a random channel. At the worst dealerships one can encounter mummies of ancient drivers still waiting for repairs.

Any other thoughts on finding lurking problems that the dyno won't disclose?

I agree with Mr. seas.

 

We did a pre-buy Dyno, though I would not look to a Dyno test to give you peace of mind for a truck you already own. A thorough inspection by a competent mechanic experienced with your particular make and model truck, coupled with a good oil analysis program will tell you a lot more. Folks do it for a pre-buy because you can't usually get a seller to give you an oil sample, run the truck for 1,000 miles and give you another.

 

As said above, the Dyno gives you a snapshot of what the truck will actually do, compared to what it should do for the given drivetrain.

 

We did run a Dyno on a truck we had owned for a few years once, as a diagnostic test because the truck could not pull a hill anywhere like it had prior and everything we checked seem to be okay. The Dyno showed that the fuel flow was restricted and we wound up finding a pencil had been sucked into the main tank inlet.

[jeffw]

I'd like to head for Alaska next year. However, the truck has had to be towed on two occasions and my wife has little faith in it. She is worried about a breakdown on the Alaska Highway leaving us stranded a couple of hundred miles from anywhere. It sounds like a dyno test might provide her with some peace of mind and turn up potential problems that can be handled before the trip. If the test runs $400 to $500 it will still cost less than half of a tow to a distant Volvo shop and the cost of repairs will be much less if made prior to the trip.

 

Do you have a roadside assistance plan (like Good Sam)? That would certainly give you something to lean on in case of a problem.

A friend of mine that trailers horses turned me on to USRider's Roadside service plan. They specialize in roadside service for folks that are hauling horses, but service all vehicles. They will tow up to 100 miles for free, or do up to $200 of 'free' labor roadside to get the truck going again.

 

They've got a referral deal going now...if you join you and I both get an extra month for free.

 

http://www.usrider.org/faq

https://usrider.org/AccountManager/PromotionLink.aspx?PromotionCode=MR4161310938

[rickeieio]

<<As far as watching paint dry, ask rickeieio about watching grass grow, and cigar smoke curl. I hear he has that skillset perfected.>>

 

Well, I did have the opportunity to smoke a cigar as I pondered our dilemma on the Alaska Highway. A hundred miles to the nearest cell signal, with a truck that's dead in the water. Caused by a coolant fitting that was improperly installed, likely when the truck was new. No VIS or dyno run would have ever caught that one.

[Jemstone]

Mr. Seas, while I have a general understanding of my truck and a detailed understanding of my emissions system, especially the DPF and its issues, I do not have the physical ability to tackle truck maintenance or repair jobs. I'm 72 and quite lucky to be above ground, as I have fought cancer for 23 years, slowly loosing organs I used to think were essential. I have a daily energy budget and I try to spend my energy on those things I must take care of and on those things that I greatly enjoy.

 

While I'm a lousy mechanic, I'm a good driver and enjoy the abilities of the Volvo in mountainous country. Driving the truck is not taxing and towing with it is vastly better than with a smaller vehicle. My backing skills are pretty good, thanks to a number of older parks with challenging backin sites.

 

For all of the Volvo's positive attributes, without the ability to communicate with the computer the repairs an independent shop can make are limited. That's my concern regarding the Alaska Highway. My last issue was the transmission refusing to go into Drive. I called a number of shops, all of whom told me it had to go to a Volvo dealer. Without the right software one cannot talk with the transmission or engine.

 

In terms of roadside assistance, I do have the Good Sam service. They have paid out over $1,800 in two breakdowns in which I needed to be towed during the last year. No arguments or problems. I just hope they don't decide I'm cursed and cancel my service.