My mom gave me her gently used Volvo S80 and I’m wondering if it’s worth it to fix a few things or just junk it. The State of California is offerring $1500 to junk it. Looks like it needs these things:
Heater Core = $1k
Timing = $1.25k
DSTC service light= Unknown.
Hissing sound from brake pedal. = possible Master booster brake needing replaced ??
From my experience, Volvos do not age well at all. The drivetrain is great and will run forever but all of the interior will begin to fall apart. The plastic that they use becomes extremely brittle and you will end up with a lot of small broken parts. A 2000 S80 is probably only going to be valued at about $2500.
“Timing = $1.25k”
Is that for timing belt replacement or timing chain replacement?
Either way, that quote is insanely expensive, but–then again–that is what one can usually expect with maintenance and repairs on Volvos.
In view of the car’s book value versus the currently known repair issues (plus the other repair issues that will inevitably crop-up over the next year or so), I would recommend getting rid of it.
Shame…some of those prices are a bit inflated. Be a perfect time to learn how to work on the car dont you think? How has heater core failed? Leaking? Or just no heat? Sometimes its not the core but just other parts of the system preventing heat in the cabin. T belt needs to be done on a schedule of time or miles and cannot be overlooked honestly. Service light can be whatever its trying to tell you at the moment.
It sounds like a nice ride…Hate to think you would junk a car with such a nice engine in it esp if it is gently used. That engine is a Gem really. Well built and powerful…and tuneable. The entire vehicle is nice actually… I would bend over semi backward to have that vee hickle…and you should too.
The salvage yard makes money hand over fist…from just these types of vehicles. Many fix the cars and sell them…or if they are really nice…fix n drive them. I wish I had a Salvage Yard Sometimes…I see the nicest cars in there with MINOR problems…Like this…all the time. Makes me upset. I would be a very wealthy guy if I had a Salvage Yard.
Blackbird
Take the 1500.00 and find something else. You could easily have twice as much in this car as it is worth.
I think it has a timing chain and it was supposed to be replaced at 10 years of 105k. So, I’m 6 years overdue. I think the heater core has a small leak behind the dash. I have to run the A/C at times to clear the fog on the windshield. The air coming out the vents is always heated even when it’s 40 degrees outside. Some liquid is under the driving mats in the front. I have to put about 10oz of coolant per month. The car is beautiful inside because it sat in the garage most of the time. I’m going to get a full estimate of repairs from Swedish Auto Tech, Inc. in San Diego on Tuesday. I’ll decide on what to do after seeing their estimate.
I would not worry about replacing the timing chain. With most cars, if the oil is changed regularly the chain will last the life of the car and I don’t consider a chain replacement a normal maintenance item to be done on a regular basis.
If the chain and/or tensioners ever start to fail you will hear it rattling.
OOF…just the name and location of the garage and I can tell you with a fair amount of accuracy…that you WILL NOT ENJOY the repair estimate numbers…
Shame I am not still living in Pacific Beach…I would help you out and enable you to keep this vehicle. IMHO…it is a nice vehicle. But I do my own repairs, so Im kind of immune to high repair estimates.
Blackbird
“I think it has a timing chain and it was supposed to be replaced at 10 years of 105k”
You need to KNOW whether it has a timing belt–which is very much overdue, or if it has a timing chain–which as ok4450 pointed out, it usually good for the lifetime of a well-maintained car.
Simply opening the glove compartment, taking out the mfr’s maintenance schedule, and seeing if it specifies a timing belt change will immediately clear-up the mystery. If there is no mention of a timing belt change, then the engine has a timing chain.
Yes, It has a timing belt. I checked another forum page and here is them comment: Where ever you go make sure they replace the belt and ALL idler bearings tensioners and even the water pump…if the pump is driven by the belt. When you do the belt it is IMPERATIVE to change out all of the items the belt rolls on… Those bearings and idler pulleys never ever get a break and they really shouldnt be asked to withstand the billions of extra revolutions a new belt will put them thru. In fact they can go at any moment and when one item goes…it takes everything else with it. It is foolish to not use a T-belt kit or similar when doing a T-belt job…thats what I do…
LOL… Guess who wrote that statement you just used above… Hehehe
Blackbird
Okay, it has a timing belt.
In light of that, two points arise:
How badly has the rest of the car been maintained if the timing belt replacement was deferred for 5-6 years? (or, in other words, what other big ticket items will be coming up in the very near future?)
If you are going to get these jobs performed on the car, then you need to find another mechanic whose prices are not so incredibly inflated. $1,200 for replacement of a timing belt is incredibly high.
Original belt? 16 yrs is pushing it
Thats not pushing… Its SHOVING…
Blackbird
“If there is no mention of a timing belt change, then the engine has a timing chain.”
Isn’t that false logic . . . ?
Just because the credit card company forgets to send you your bill, does NOT mean you don’t have to pay it . . . for example
There have been plenty of manufacturers that don’t have a replacement interval for their timing belts. They merely say to check them at x number of miles. And they don’t bother to mention an age at which to check.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there are manufacturers that don’t even mention the timing belt at all, in the owner’s manual or maintenance schedule
S80-T6 : you determined belt versus chain by looking at some online forum?
I submit that that is probably very unreliable. Look at the owners manual as VDCdriver stated. You can probably find it online.
The OP may be on the right track by having the repair place look at the vehicle and provide a repair list and cost estimates. That should allow the OP to make a decision. Personally I would not even consider putting the amount of money in this vehicle it is going to take.
Both 6 cyl motors, 2.8 and 2.9 use timing belts.
I believe the engine has a timing belt. I’m not doubting any of you guys about that
My point was that not mentioning a timing belt in the owner’s manual or service schedule does not in fact guarantee that the engine has a timing chain
Just like when the credit card company forgets to send your bill, it does not mean the payment is not due
good point db…
My 15 forester has a timing chain, I believe. I did a search of the users manual for the word “timing” and got zero results. In other words, “timing belt” or timing chain" are not mentioned in the manual at all.