XC60 Auxiliary Belt - Replacement date changed by Volvo!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by scbamber

Very surprised to see you get that done at the 5th service, scbamber - you say your miles were only 45k - are you *certain* it was done? Sounds very odd for a dealer to do that sort of thing so out of kilter with requirements!

Yes, I am absolutely certain. The paper invoice says "Carry out 90k service incl Aux belt and tensioner". The aux belt is very obviously brand new and a Volvo original, and the tensioner and the two bolts are similarly brand new. My mileage is 45k.

No wonder I signed on for 3 years' further servicing, including any software upgrades, the next three MOTs, and courtesy car for each service. The plan is the dealer's plan (ie not a Volvo plan), underwritten, contractual and can be passed on to cover another car bought from the dealer. The cost is set at today's prices so won't rise, and is paid in monthly instalments over 30 months to cover the 36 months. It is almost £200 less than their current servicing prices and MOT prices (I checked), and their charges can only rise. The dealer has always been helpful and straightforward.

Strictly that is wrong .

you are in for the 5th year / 90,000 mile service .

The Aux Belt and tensioner still remains at 144000 miles or 10 years which ever comes first

The cam belt is 90000 MILES or 10 years which ever comes first .
so you don't need that for a long time yet ..

You need to educate the service manager so other people don't get their aux belt and tensioner changed way too soon.

( The 5 cylinder Diesel still needs it's Aux belt only changed every 54000 MILES )

[Zebster]

This thread has confused aux belts with cam belts, as well as VEA engines with 5-cylinder engines! Even the title is misleading, as I'm pretty sure the OP meant to refer to the cambelt?

[SLO76]

I bought a 45,000 mile 2014 XC60 D5 from a Volvo main dealer recently. When I got the car home and scrutinised the full service history I noticed “no belts fitted” written by their service advisor on the book at its last (6yr) service. I then called the service dept to ask what the recommended belt interval was, to which they replied 6yrs.

I then suggested that they must have forgotten to have done the job as I had just picked the car up the day before. After a quick confab with her gaffer she announced that it was actually 10yrs or 108,000 miles! Ok, that’s the figure I was working off when I bought the car but where has this 6yr figure been pulled from? Someone is blatantly lying, either to drum up costly and unnecessary work or to avoid having to pay for a job they should’ve done on an approved used car. It seems that if I’m paying they recommend 6yrs but if they’re paying it’s 10yrs, go figure...

My car will now be maintained by a trusted local independent instead of this dishonest main dealer. But what is the opinion on here? Is it 6yrs or 10?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SLO76

I bought a 45,000 mile 2014 XC60 D5 from a Volvo main dealer recently. When I got the car home and scrutinised the full service history I noticed “no belts fitted” written by their service advisor on the book at its last (6yr) service. I then called the service dept to ask what the recommended belt interval was, to which they replied 6yrs.

I then suggested that they must have forgotten to have done the job as I had just picked the car up the day before. After a quick confab with her gaffer she announced that it was actually 10yrs or 108,000 miles! Ok, that’s the figure I was working off when I bought the car but where has this 6yr figure been pulled from? Someone is blatantly lying, either to drum up costly and unnecessary work or to avoid having to pay for a job they should’ve done on an approved used car. It seems that if I’m paying they recommend 6yrs but if they’re paying it’s 10yrs, go figure...

My car will now be maintained by a trusted local independent instead of this dishonest main dealer. But what is the opinion on here? Is it 6yrs or 10?

Its pretty common , untrained people not really interested in finding out the correct details , someone must have verbaly told them the 6 year figure and they took it as the truth , where as when they go on the service advisers course , it is all gone into in great detail ,

if you do 18000 miles a year , the 108000 mile service coincides with the cambelt change ... ( 6 x 18000 = 108000 ) that's how their brain works ..

The official details have always been 108000 miles or 10 years which ever comes first .. This correct details or any updates to this is always correct in VIDA which is updated daily ... they open your cars individual detailed sheet from VIDA which they give you .

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by SLO76

I bought a 45,000 mile 2014 XC60 D5 from a Volvo main dealer recently. When I got the car home and scrutinised the full service history I noticed “no belts fitted” written by their service advisor on the book at its last (6yr) service. I then called the service dept to ask what the recommended belt interval was, to which they replied 6yrs.

I then suggested that they must have forgotten to have done the job as I had just picked the car up the day before. After a quick confab with her gaffer she announced that it was actually 10yrs or 108,000 miles! Ok, that’s the figure I was working off when I bought the car but where has this 6yr figure been pulled from? Someone is blatantly lying, either to drum up costly and unnecessary work or to avoid having to pay for a job they should’ve done on an approved used car. It seems that if I’m paying they recommend 6yrs but if they’re paying it’s 10yrs, go figure...

My car will now be maintained by a trusted local independent instead of this dishonest main dealer. But what is the opinion on here? Is it 6yrs or 10?

At an 'average expectation' of 18k miles per annum, it is a logical assumption for Volvo that at the 6th service the car will have done 108k miles. No doubt some owners do have this done for 'peace of mind' (a laughable phrase used by idiots IMHO) but they're wasting their money. The 'underpinning' in terms of time is 10 years.

You have the older 5-cylinder engine, not the the VEA engine which this thread originally related to... however there's a very similar issue with the VEA in that it now has a 90k mile cambelt interval and by the same logic it is seen to 'fall due' at the 5th service, even though timewise it's also good for 10 years.

EDIT - I took so long to construct my reply that I now see that Clan has covered most of what I said!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Zebster

At an 'average expectation' of 18k miles per annum, it is a logical assumption for Volvo that at the 6th service the car will have done 108k miles. No doubt some owners do have this done for 'peace of mind' (a laughable phrase used by idiots IMHO) but they're wasting their money. The 'underpinning' in terms of time is 10 years.

You have the older 5-cylinder engine, not the the VEA engine which this thread originally related to... however there's a very similar issue with the VEA in that it now has a 90k mile cambelt interval and by the same logic it is seen to 'fall due' at the 5th service, even though timewise it's also good for 10 years.

EDIT - I took so long to construct my reply that I now see that Clan has covered most of what I said!

Regarding the 90,000 revised interval , it was something to do with the emergency services volvos , there were never any problems with normal road cars ...in fact i've changed a few at 144000 miles ... belt still as new .. they don't crack being the highest quality kevlar reinforced belt.

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Clan

Regarding the 90,000 revised interval , it was something to do with the emergency services volvos , there were never any problems with normal road cars ...in fact i've changed a few at 144000 miles ... belt still as new .. they don't crack being the highest quality kevlar reinforced belt.

I'm now at 87k miles on the original cambelt but I'm not panicking about the likelihood of going over 90k before the next service in 12 months time.

I find it odd that the replacement interval was slashed from 144k to 90k for all VEAs, especially as - like you say - they aren't reports of failures. And I don't really understand why an emergency vehicle would need a shorter interval anyway?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Zebster

I'm now at 87k miles on the original cambelt but I'm not panicking about the likelihood of going over 90k before the next service in 12 months time.

I find it odd that the replacement interval was slashed from 144k to 90k for all VEAs, especially as - like you say - they aren't reports of failures. And I don't really understand why an emergency vehicle would need a shorter interval anyway?

well the engines are constantly accelerating and decelerating 24 hours a day which loads the belt , and some of the situations they get themselves in no one could Imagine .

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Clan

well the engines are constantly accelerating and decelerating 24 hours a day which loads the belt , and some of the situations they get themselves in no one could Imagine .

But you'd think the diesel belt would have an easy life compared to one on a petrol model, given the lower maximum RPM, so less strain and fewer rotations!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Zebster

But you'd think the diesel belt would have an easy life compared to one on a petrol model, given the lower maximum RPM, so less strain and fewer rotations!

not at all , the diesel belts have a hard life and the lower the rpm the higher the loads .
The diesel crankshaft at low rpm turns in a series of uneven jerks with each power stoke so the cambelt is constantly tugged ... that's why they have a crank pulley vibration damper on the end of the crankshaft to minimise these tugs ..