I am looking for some advice or experience from anyone else who might have had this problem.
I had my 52 reg. V70 D5 service 4 weeks ago, and mentioned (and had documented) a whining noise coming from the engine that was related to engine revs not roadspeed, and asked for this to be diagnosed and fixed during the service.
The service was a big one and cost over £1500 all in from the local volvo dealer, and they advised that the whining noise could be coming from the power steering pump as the fluid level had been low due to a leak which I advised them about and which was also fixed during the service. I had been topping up the power steering fluid prior to the service to make sure that is did not go too low.
On 18th July, less than 4 weeks after the major service a pulley wheel bearing gave way on the alternator / ancilliaries belt. No doubt this was the cause of the whining (which had not gone away). As the wheel failed, the belt snagged it and cracked the engine casing where it was mounted, the belt then snapped and smashed through the cam belt cover and tangled in the timing belt stripping the teeth from the belt.
The car was recovered by the RAC to the same Volvo dealer who have diagnosed the damage to the engine.
I have pointed out to them that the failure of the pulley wheel bearing is due to them not carrying out the service corectly and diagnosing the cause of the whining noise, but they are unwilling to accept that.
No doubt the replacement engine that is looming will cost more than the value of the car, but I cannot afford a new car and bought this one to last me 10 years plus. Its is imaculate and dealer serviced with 126,000 on the clock and nothing else wrong with it.
Where do I stand legally? To me the dealer is fully responsible for this damage having not carried out the service correctly and diagnosing and replacing the failing bearing. I authorised all the other work they recommended for the service, so they have no excuse to say I would not have authorised the work.
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4 weeks after a service the engine blows - you will never win a claim Vs the garage!
Scrappy for a replacement engine is the only route.
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"4 weeks after a service the engine blows - you will never win a claim Vs the garage!"
I'm with you on that... they will say they repaired in good faith, and you never reported whine still present. If it's a main dealer, they will quote you for a new engine at several k£ - get it out of there and round to a back street garage for fitment of a 2nd hand engine as FB says - still the thick end of a grand I expect though....
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If the whine/unusual noise was still present after the service what made you think the garage had diagnosed the fault.
To continue using a car making unusual noises is a recipe for disaster.
As the noise was still present i think it would have been a good idea to return to garage and tell them its still there.
After all no technician is able to diagnose a fault straight away and this problem would not have been evident without dismantling.
Noises and faults can often be the end result of several issues and often is a process of elimination.
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This failure is happening increasingly often to D5 owners. Given the disaster above (which I agree chances are practically nil of getting dealer to pay for it), other D5 owner's should seriously consider early belt changes (both timing and ancillary) including pulleys.
Maybe every 60k or so.
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if i was Poggy9 i would see a solicitor
he has documented proof that he took the car in for a particular fault that garage failed to diagnose,its hardly difficult to remove a belt and check for play in idler wheels especially when they relieved him of £1500 and did the pump
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OB, I have to disagree, i know on a few occasions you hear of this happening, but not increasingly so. Considering the 000's of D5 engines out there its not that common. I don't read about it hardly at all on this or any of the volvo forums that i frequently use.
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Fair enough, take your chances. I know if I still had my D5, I'd be getting it done early!
It does only seem to be on cars at least 5-6 years old, so it might be a while before we find out how bad it can get... D5s didn't get really popular until about 2004..
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Hi,
Sorry to hear about your engine failure. However, If i'd had my car serviced and reported said fault, been relieved of circa £1500 and the noise was still there, why didn't you take it back. The only person to blame for the failure i'm afraid, is you. You continued to drive it knowing the whine was still there.....
However the engine may not be terminal. You've not said if all the valves are bent as its stripped the timing belt teeth. If not, it might be wise to get a small independent garage to look at the cracked block. If its a cast iron block then these can be easily and in most cases successfully arc welded using the proper rods - I know, I've repaired a number myself.
Hope this helps
Robin the Technician
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IIRC D5s are all alloy block and head. Chances are it's cheapest and easiest to replace with a re-con unit.
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I've read somewhere recently that volvo have a scheme running to avoid the scrapping of 'older' cars.
Might be called 'breakage' or something like that. I got the impression that volvo are loosing their reputation as a maker of long lasting cars because so many faults are now so expensive that they will write the cars off.
Ask around.
(my v70 seems to have continuous faults - all fairly trivial but expensive and irritating. I'll not be having another volvo)
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What on earth did they do for £1500 its half what the cars worth trade..
Edited by Andy Bairsto on 22/07/2009 at 08:59
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Where do you stand legally?
"the dealer advised that the whining noise could be coming from the power steering pump as the fluid level had been low due to a leak which I advised them about and which was also fixed during the service"
"On 18th July, less than 4 weeks after the major service a pulley wheel bearing gave way on the alternator / ancilliaries belt. No doubt this was the cause of the whining (which had not gone away)."
Nowhere. They tried to fix the fault - and fixed a known fault. The whining continued. You did: nothing.
Hard luck. Your fault.
£1500 for a service? You are having a laugh..?
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