I recently purchased a used 2007 Volvo V50 wagon. In it’s previous life it was a fleet vehicle for a Pharma company - so it was driven around by a bunch of sales people.
It’s been around 2 months since the purchase and the timing belt jumped due to a bad pully. I’m told this is a zero clearance engine and it now needs a re-build.
It’s a pricey repair but it’s at a reputable shop. The car is not under warranty so I think my only option is to pay for the repair - any thoughts?
BTW - I called Volvo North America and because I am the second owner and have no history with the vehicle I was told they wouldn’t even think of helping me with this.
2007 Volvo V50 w/ 70K
Oddly, Gates doesn’t list this as an interference engine.
However, if the engine is damaged the only options I can see are to rebuild it or try to find a used engine somewhere.
You’re right, this is going to be expensive.
Good luck.
Just out of curiosity, what’s the factory-recommended replacement interval for the timing belt?
Be there when the head is removed. If it’s really damaged you will know. That, or get a second opinion.
According to Volvo the timing belt is to be changed @ 120K - so I’m 50K shy of that. That is why it was recommended that I call Volvo NA for help.
Ouch!
Never hurts to ask…
I wanted to post a follow-up . Upon further inspection by my mechanic while I was present - the failed pulley was caused by the A/C compressor being pushed up, misaligning the belt which proceeded to warp and tear apart the pulley causing the timing belt to slip.
The compressor is the lowest point on the car and was pushed up by a curb/parking pier - there are marks in indicate contact on the plastic tray that sits under the engine. It’s still an expensive repair but my insurance will cover it.
This sounds like a design flaw to me - but it’s not a failure due to manufacturing. I wanted to post this to clear that up.
Thanks for the information. It really helps to understand how some things happen, and to know what to look for. I disagree with you that it’s not a failure due to manufacturing because what happened sounds very normal, and a risk the engineers should plan for when laying out the car. People do hit curbs and parking bumpers all the time.
I would replace the timing belt and bad pulley FIRST. THEN, perform a compression test to verify that there is engine damage. DO NOT PULL THE HEAD BASED ON GUESSWORK!!!
Yes, doing it this way will cost you a few more bucks if there IS engine damage, but it will save you big bucks if the engine is OK.
Again and again and again,You can avoid these horrors by avoiding cars with rubber timing belts!!
This car is three years old, and has only 70k on it, but the original warranty was already out when you bought it, or did not transfer with the sale or what? Was it someone from the company you bought it from, or was it you who bumped the curb? Was this a known condition when you bought it, or did you not take it to a shop for a mechancial eval before you purchased it? Seem to me there is pleanty of responsability to go around here.