Volvo five-cylinder petrol (B5254)

inline-5 · turbocharged · petrol · 1991–2016

Also known as: b5254t, b5244s, b5234t, white block, t5 five-cylinder, 2.5t, modular five, b5244t, b5254t2, b5202s, b5254s, b5204t, b5204t5, b5234t3, b5254t12, b5204t9, b5234t7

The inline-five that defined Volvo for two decades, in the 850 and everything descended from it — the modular white block petrol family, sold at 2.0, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 litres and in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms. The diesel five of the same era is the D5244T, a different engine sharing the architecture.

An unusual configuration that gives the cars their characteristic sound and is the reason a five-cylinder misfire diagnosis has its own firing-order arithmetic.

The themes on the T5 are the PCV (crankcase ventilation) system — which blocks and pressurises the crankcase, pushing oil past seals — and the angle gear on all-wheel-drive cars. A T5 with oil leaks at several seals at once is usually one blocked PCV rather than several failed seals, and replacing the seals without clearing the ventilation repeats the job.

Cars fitted with this engine

12 generations, across 1 make. From the authored catalogue — an absent car means the catalogue has not reached it, not that the engine was never fitted.

Volvo

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