C70 Roof maintenance/service

[Andy c70]

Hi all,

Now that the weather is finally on the turn , it got me wondering if there is any maintenance I should be thinking about on the roof mechanism. Has anyone had any experience/advice on looking after the roof, lubrication ect.

Andy

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Andy c70

Hi all,

Now that the weather is finally on the turn , it got me wondering if there is any maintenance I should be thinking about on the roof mechanism. Has anyone had any experience/advice on looking after the roof, lubrication ect.

Andy

you can lubricate all the mechanical joints with a drop of oil but beware of it dripping down later on to the headlining .. More important is treating all the rubber seals with the special oil that Volvo sell for the job . it comes in a bottle with an application sponge , might be best to clean the rubber seals first with soap and water and let it dry for a day before applying the treatment .

[Sysyphus]

High temperature grease on the hinges etc...

Gummi Pflege on the seals

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Sysyphus

High temperature grease on the hinges etc...

Gummi Pflege on the seals

grease wont have any effect on the pivots except look unsightly,attract dirt and make an abrasive mix , oil will creep into the pivot joints where it is needed , grease just stays on the outside doing nothing regarding lubrication of the joint itself ..
a thin smear of grease is ok on sliding parts but use sparingly so that it is not visible as a dollop .

[Sysyphus]

Can’t help but wonder then why the Volvo pdf you refer to indicates 1161778 High temperature grease for just about every moving part. And at no point did I suggest ‘dollops’ of anything.

[zapcity1]

I follow the Volvo procedure (as attached by CLAN) as a guide, as this has worked well for me so far.

VIDA is useful to put the roof in the maintenance position as its awkward to reach all the seals. If you don't have VIDA, just stop the roof when it is about 3/4 open. Don't forget to complete the cycle when finished though.

I give the seals a thorough clean first with water/shampoo to remove all the dirt. Make sure you get under the folds in the seals as the dirt and grit gets trapped easily. Let them dry for an hour. Follow this with a wipedown with Isopropyl Alcohol - IPA (1161721 or alternative from local supplier), then treat with Gummi Pflege Rubber Care or 1161840. I do this twice year (spring & autumn).

Dupont Krytox GPL 105 (available from www.gbrtech.co.uk) is best for durability as Gummi Pflege doesn't last too long, but its expensive.

If this is the first time you've carried out the roof maintenance, you may want to remove as much of the previously applied grease as you can see, as on my car the previous owner (or servicing garage) had smeared it in on an inch thick!
I then use my own high temp grease (or 1161778) as instructed (but very, very sparingly!).

If you have time, I always do the seal cleaning process on all of the seals on the car (doors, boot etc.), plus check the drain holes near the rear windows when the boot is open.

If in doubt just use the Volvo recommended products and you can't go wrong.

Nice job to do when the weather is fine!

[Andy c70]

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge, fingers crossed for a dry day this weekend!

Andy

[iantowil]

I have to ask does anyone know why it has to be high temperature grease? I've done some work on various grease types for geared couplings and the only reason I can think of why the grease needs to be high temperature is the heat of the sun on the roof could start to make the grease to fluid and it could run. It surely can't be it's duty cycle. Any ideas anyone?

[Proghound]

Originally Posted by iantowil

I have to ask does anyone know why it has to be high temperature grease? I've done some work on various grease types for geared couplings and the only reason I can think of why the grease needs to be high temperature is the heat of the sun on the roof could start to make the grease to fluid and it could run. It surely can't be it's duty cycle. Any ideas anyone?

Certainly the reason for the Krytox stuff is because it's a perflouridated oil that's not harmful to the EPDM rubber seals. Maybe one of its other properties is high temperature resistance? It is expensive, but lasts for ages. I'm not even half-way down the little bottle I bought 5 years ago.

As for the moving parts, I used normal white lithium grease on the old C70 with no issues, and as of yet the new one seems to be well enough lubricated already.

[iantowil]

That makes sense. Thanks for the reply