Quick question if I may

[IC]

Hi Fernando, service history is important and you were wise to check with Volvo to establish the provenance of the car. There are essential milestones when a car needs the cam belt and tensioner changed - these must be replaced at the appropriate times as failure can cause serious engine damage. If you look at this link for the earlier 850/V70/S70 cars you will get an idea of what is involved:
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/850_70_service.shtml

I do not currently have info on the latest V70's service schedule - I do know that the period for changing the cam belt has changed when engine specifications have changed over the years. Does the car not have a stamped service book? When a car is seviced by Volvo they should be able to provide you with a computer print out of the service record - even when the car is serviced at a different dealership because the information should be on a shared database.

Cars that spend most of their working life on the motorway tend to have engines that do not wear out so quickly as a car that spends its life stopping and starting and doing short trips, therefore a cat that may have done 80.000 motorway miles may be in much better condition that on that has done 45,000 miles of short journeys when the car never reaches optimum temperature.

Ask if he has the bills or any proof of service ? Sometimes a dealer mechanic does older cars on the side.

Has the franchise changed in Swindon or has the car had a private plate ? Just a thought, but in either case then their wouldnt be a record against the car.

If you think the vendor is spinning a yarn then walk away.

Thanks for the replies. The HPI check showed that there has been 1 previous owner and there has been no private numberplate on the car. I questioned about the service print out that you get telling you of any problems when you get a car serviced at a main dealer because he said that the A/C does not blow as cold as it could. I wanted to see this printout to see what the dealer said about it to find out if it was a simple regas or something bigger. He said that he has never had one of these. Could it be possible that the seller knows somone at his local dealership who could stamp the book in order to make the car look as though it has history?

[adieu]

I take it your talking about Swindon, Wiltshire as the dealer? If so ther have changed from a Fawcetts dealer to a Motorworld dealer in the last year or so. I have used both and have always been given some paper work relating to services etc.

Regards

Iain

[IC]

No message

I've seen a nice V70 T5 (new shape) which the seller says has full dealer service history. I contacted my local Volvo dealer (Kieth Price Abergaveny. The best) and asked them to confirm the history for me. Now the cqr has coverd 105,000 miles which isn't a problem for me but Volvo only have records of the car being serviced at a main dealer up to 59,000 miles. I raised this with the chap who is selling it and he told me that Swindon Volvo have serviced the car since he has had it. Once at 92,000 miles and then at 103,000 miles. So I called Swindon Volvo and they have no records of the car ever being serviced by them and also there appears to be 2 services missing (70k and 80K). He also told me that it has a pre wired radar detector built in to it which suggests to me that the car is driven hard. So my question is, Should I steer well clear of this car?

Perhaps it may be best to walk away from this one then. Oh well whats a bit of negative feed back on ebay to buying a dog of a car. Thanks for the input.

[adieu]

I'm sure you'll find another. Are you local to Swindon?

[imac]

> He also told me that it has a pre wired radar
>detector built in to it which suggests to me that the car is
>driven hard.

My car has a wired up radar detector in it, but she's never driven hard!

The previous owner was the wife of a certain football club chairman and the original owner was the chairman himself, so I very much doubt it has been 'thrashed' at all!

I wouldn't let a radar detector put you off, look as it as a bonus.

As for the service history, just ask the seller for the invoices for the services from Swindon Volvo. If he can't produce them, then I'd probably just leave this one and go on to the next, plenty more cars out there!

[cootuk]

so afaict you have won this in an Ebay auction?
If the seller has stated 'FVSH' then they should have the stamped service book to prove it. If they don't then I'd walk away as they could be telling porkies.
I would also check on the cambelt cover for the sticker that shows at what mileage it was changed.