Hi all,
Cross posted from Tech matters.
I've had my V70 since nearly new, always serviced at main dealers. Typically when the service light comes on (every 12, 000 miles) I've called the dealer and arranged a conveinent time. This means my services have typically been over the service interval miles (I would have done 13k miles by the time the service is done etc).
So my last service was the 84k service done at 90,500 miles.
This is a Diesal D5 163Bhp 2002 model engine.
I am now 102,500 and the service light is on, I called the dealer and was told the 96k service requires a cambelt change, and they couldn't fit in me in for a couple of weeks.
I queried why I hadn't been told about the cambelt, and why it wasn't done at the last service which was only 5k miles before the replacement mileage.
But as I've done about 7k over the mileage the cambelt should have been changed at I have been recommended not to drive the car unless required, which is a bit of a problem as I was planning on going away this weekend, and putting another 500 miles on it.
The car is 5 years old, and I'd be happy to go away except for this cambelt and Volvo telling me not to drive it. I asked if they could inspect the belt for wear etc, but they said doing that would be just as much work as replacing it.
So how much leeway is there in the recommended change interval for the cambelt?
Does it help if the car has a auto box?
Should I drive the car for the next few days?
Should I go away at the weekend and be 8k miles over the recommended change for the belt?
Durelli
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If you read HJ CBCB you will see he recommends the belt be done at 4 years or (I think) 60k miles as the tensioners have been known to snap.
Having said that, Volvo do say 8 years or 96k miles.
You could go away for the weekend and drive it up to the next service and nothing happen. On the otherhand, you could drive it, the belt snaps, Volvo will contribute nothing because they told you not to drive it, and end up with a bill for £5k for a new engine.
As Clint Eastwood once said: Do you feel lucky ?
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Volvo are doing the sensible thing - from their point of view, that is. The recommended interval is 96K, you've done more than 96K, so they're recommending you get the belt changed ASAP.
TBH, any manufacturer minded to do so would dismiss a claim for a contribution to the repair of a cambelt failure on the grounds that you were already 7,000 miles over the interval. The extra 500 miles resulting from your weekend away wouldn't make much difference.
I would expect there's a reasonable margin for error built into the recommended change interval, but while I'd consider using the car if it was mine I wouldn't leave changing the cambelt until the next service. But its your car and your decision!
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Is there a Volvo dealer where you are going for the weekend ?
Is it possible to book in with them and get the cambelt & service done there. You might even save a few £££'s if it's out in the sticks...
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How much of a gambling man are you:
- Do not gamble? Not possible for any local Volvo dealer to do this then hire a car. Cheaper than £5k
- Gambler - go on holiday and have it in on the prebooked date.
Personally I'd have had it done at 96k or earlier at a time that suited me. It seems your choice:
- Risk it's okay but possibly need new engine costing thousands
- Expensive equivalent hire car
It's not even a case of not driving any miles to a dealer at the other end - as far as any warranty goes as you're already over recommended miles for the cambelt by a wide margin.
Edited by rtj70 on 09/10/2007 at 18:23
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So how much leeway is there in the recommended change interval for the cambelt?
None - should be changed at the recommended mileage/time interval.
Does it help if the car has a auto box?
No.
Should I drive the car for the next few days?
I wouldn't!
Should I go away at the weekend and be 8k miles over the recommended change for the belt?
Definitely not!
I think the injection pump belt will be overdue for change too, and I'm almost certain the respective tensioners should also be replaced at the same time.
Extremely expensive if the timing belt breaks!
Ron
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Just my tuppenceworth.
Don't risk it Treat yourself to a completely different hire car just for the hell of it, this would be a perfect excuse.
And don't pay another penny to that dealership, very shoddy not to have informed you of the impending cambelt change, as they are in the wrong they should have had the car in pronto and lent you something tasty for free whilst being done.
If this had happened at a Lexus dealer somebody would be looking for a new job.
Vote with your feet
ttfn
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Does it have to be a Volvo dealer? These are simple to change - any reasonable mechanic should be able to do it in not much over an hour.
The chances of it going are very small - the set interval is deliberately conservative so you'll probably be OK. It is part of the service schedule and well know so the dealer has been pretty poor not doing it frankly.
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Is there an injection pump belt on this car? If memory serves me from the last time I saw one in bits the pump is driven directly off the cam on the right hand side of the engine.
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Does it have to be a Volvo dealer? These are simple to change - any reasonable mechanic should be able to do it in not much over an hour.
I disagree pd. Workshop time for Timing Belt is over 2 hours, and 1.5 hours for the Injection pump belt alone.
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What kind of life has the car had?
Cambelts suffer more from changes in temperature over time
-Being kept in a garage is good
-Being kept outside is bad
They suffer when the engine is started
-Long journeys (and fewer starts) are good
-Short journeys (and many starts) are bad
Driving the car hard is bad
Driving the car reasonably is good...
Put your ear to the cambelt cover - any funny noises at all? Squeaking, 'rubbing', rattling?
It is of course no guarantee, but if I were in your position, if I could say that the car has done mainly long journeys and not been ragged, and there were no funny noises, then I would probably risk it. If I couldn't say that, then I probably wouldn't.
It's a gamble at the end of the day and whatever action you take could end up going good or bad. How lucky do you feel. :)
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Thanks for all the replies.
The point in the car by car breakdown that HJ recommends changing after 60k miles or 4 years got my attention! Based on that I should have had it done 3.5 years ago!
I realise I am over the 96k miles, but I believe I am following the service schedule. I book the service when due, I used to do high mileage so could put 1k miles on between booking and attending the service. I am having my 96k mile service next week. But this cambelt thing is not good. I do think they should have mentioned it at my last service, and carried out the work at the last service or called me in for just the cambelt.
If I had known there was a big service coming up, I may have sold the car a few months ago and put the money towards a newer one.
As for the car, most of the 103k miles is motorway mileage, but the past couple of years have mostly been round town etc. I was doing nearly 40k a year, now doing about 10k / year. Car sits on the drive overnight, is rarely driven hard, no funny noises I have noticed with the bonnet down.
As for the cost, £600 at my favoured dealer, another dealer (who I don't like) will chanrge me 680 quid.
Overall, I will leave the car on the drive at the weekend.
I have told the dealer I'm not happy, but that fell on deaf ears.
Thanks for the help and advice.
Durelli
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Workshop book time may be 1.5-2.0 hours but I've seen it done on many occasions in about an hour. £600 is absurd if that is for the cambelt alone - if it includes the service it's not so bad. The parts cost about £120 from Eurocarparts and, even if you have to pay for 2 hours labour it shouldn't cost more than £200-£250 all in.
If that really is what your local dealer is charging I'd get them to just do the service and get somebody else to do the cambelt.
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