V70: Engine What is the longest surviving cam belt?!?!

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by V70greg

I suspect that not all cars went up and down the motor way like mine and the ones used for the school and shopping run were not lasting he 144k miles. Therefore, Volvo needed to drop the interval to the more general one of 90k meaning perfectly good belts from nearly exclusive motorway use are now being changed.

Only my guess though

Perhaps, but hard to see how you'd get up to 90k miles - even within the 10-year 'catch all' limit - just doing the school and shopping runs?

Volvo now include the VEA belt change as part of the 5-year service, based on the spurious logic that the 'annual' service interval is 18k miles. However mine had its service number 5 a few years ago while the quoted belt replacement interval was 144k miles (so was then a service number 8 task) therefore mine also slipped through the net. I was expecting my dealership to nag me about the 'missing' belt change at the last service (Feb '20) but they did not mention it... so I then asked and was told 'it's 144k/10 years', so there is some confusion!

[Tannaton]

You can see why the belt change is both age related and mileage, it’s a synthetic component and may perish.

Interesting also that someone mentioned Volvo reducing the mileage interval for cam belt changes on the VEA engine, you have to think that’s down to too many failures. I also remember read one of Clan’s posts where he said it have been reduced further for emergency service vehicles.

[Scooser]

My cam belt was changed at 10 years and 58k miles on my D5 V70. They showed me the used belt and it was like new.

[john493]

Originally Posted by Olaf Els

I suspect that the most significant cause of timing belt failure is failure of the auxiliary belt. Age; incorrect tension; bearings and apparently the alternator clutch all play their part. For peace of mind I've fitted a guard to my engine to help protect the timing belt from auxiliary belt failure.

I hope that somebody can explain the 'fifth cylinder stress' theory.

When you can get a genuine aux belt kit for less than £80 there's no reason to use pattern parts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-V...7/191787676959

Also the alternator free-wheel pulley for £31, an INA part which is the OE supplier:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Overrunni...72.m2749.l2649

Unfortunately it looks like, on the ph3 D5, you need to remove the alternator to change the pulley due to insufficient clearance to get the tool on the pulley. (on the ph2 with the eu4 D5 there was room to remove the pulley with the alternator in situ)

(When I bought my old Ph2 D5, luckily I noticed the aux belt was chafing on the timing belt cover - reason was someone had fitted a pattern aux belt which was the correct length but thinner that OE, hence the tensioner puller was out of position causing the chafing. Yet another example of pattern parts not of correct spec.)

[Ant B]

Originally Posted by V70greg

I would think it would be at customers request to not do the change rather than at customers request to do it... Imagine driving your Volvo out of the dealership having just done the 90k service and the belt goes, you walk back in and the service desk just shrug their shoulders and say you didn't ask for the cam belt to be changed.

Yep, I completely agree, but was told by the Volvo dealer who previously serviced my car that it was the opposite way round, i.e. customer had to actively request things like belt changes, spark plugs etc.! I would have assumed Volvo would want to maximise revenue and be recommending to all customers that these things be done, but apparently not.

I had my belts and pump changed a few weeks after I bought the car, when I found out it was overdue (on mileage, rather than time). In fact I've since had it done again (on mileage, at 108,000 miles) only 3-ish years later!

Originally Posted by V70greg

If I was in a position to own a dealership I would say the car needs to be serviced as per the recommended interval if the customer wants to save money and requests the belts not to be changed I would of course agree but make sure it was added as a note on the paper work that it was not changed at customers request.

Again, agree!

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Ant B

Yep, I completely agree, but was told by the Volvo dealer who previously serviced my car that it was the opposite way round, i.e. customer had to actively request things like belt changes, spark plugs etc.! I would have assumed Volvo would want to maximise revenue and be recommending to all customers that these things be done, but apparently not.

I had my belts and pump changed a few weeks after I bought the car, when I found out it was overdue (on mileage, rather than time). In fact I've since had it done again (on mileage, at 108,000 miles) only 3-ish years later!





Again, agree!

What kind of mileage are you doing per year?

Isn't the revised recommended cambelt replacement on the VEA engine every five years or 90k (Whichever comes first)? So if you replaced the belts (assuming the cam belt too), then it didn't need doing for another five years or 90k?

So by replacing it three or so years later, did you do the miles before the time (90k before five years)? If not, it was a bit early replacing it.