We have a 98 Volvo v70 with 98K miles and we take very good care of her. We go to the same mechanic who is excellent, if overpriced. We recently had a full service top to bottom when an check engine light came on. They winterized in addition to “checking all the belts”.
A day after, and $700 poorer, we were driving on the LIE when the car just died. After (luckily) coasting to the shoulder and getting the car towed to a dealer in NYC, we were told that the timing belt had broken causing the valves to be ruined and the engine would have to be rebuilt. We had this towed to our trusty mechanic, who fixed it by rebuilding 1/2 of the engine and now wants to charge us $4000. Should he have forseen the problem or is it just “one of those freak things”? What is his responsibility? We dont know who to believe.
It is not possible to predict when a timing belt will break, and a visual examination is usually not very helpful either. That is why the belt should be replaced according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, which should be sitting in your glove compartment. So, take a look and see what the recommended interval for replacement is, bearing in mind that there are guidelines according to both elapsed time and odometer mileage.
If the belt should have been replaced prior to 10 years (very likely!) or prior to 98K (also a possibility), I have to state that it is YOUR responsibility to keep up with the maintenance of your car. Mechanics only perform the service procedures that the car owner requests.
There is no such thing as checking a timing belt. Their replacement interval is by age or mileage whichever first. Its likely well overdue by age.
Your mechanic should have informed but overlooked for whatever reason. In the end though its YOUR responsibility to read the maintenance schedule of your owners manual and make sure its kept up.
You have certain responsibilities when it comes to a car. When you buy a car it should always come with an owner’s manual. In there it will list all the maintenance items that need to be done. Timing belts are listed along with the time or miles when they should be replaced. Likely yours was past due. No one can look at a timing belt and know how much life is remaining so having someone look things over will not catch that one. You need to follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. It is always a good idea to read the whole owner’s manual and keep track of stuff. You often will find features the car has you did not know about.
I don’t know what the Volvo recommends for that engine, but I would guess you were over the limit. If not, sorry but it does not happen often, but it does happen that they break early.
In any case this was your responsibility unless your mechanic had told you that he was taking care of everything and it was past due. It would be foolish for a mechanic to make the claim.
Sorry, but that is the way it is.
When you have work done in NYC it will cost a lot. His responsibility is to fix it and bill the heck out of you. That’s about the extent of it. You would have paid about $3000 anyway. Your owner’s manual will tell you about when timing belts should be changed. Some should be changed at 60,000 miles. Some at 100,000 miles and some makers figure that there isn’t a recommended interval because they think their cars will be junked by then.
Thank you all for you helpful responses to a city-boy car novice!
I believe the timing belt was changed about 10,000 miles ago. The mechanic informed us that it needed to be changed according to the mfg.s guidelines. We may not be the most informed, but we are responsible and take care to do what we must to keep the car in good shape. For that, we depend on a mechanic who we trust. That being said, it still defies credulity to have a recently changed belt just break causing that kind of damage–esecially so soon after a full service. Is is possible that, while adjusting the other belts and servicing, the mechanic inadvertently did something that caused this? Could we blame Volvo for a faulty belt? If it is just bad luck, we will accept it. The book value for the car is around $6K but it is excellent and safe, if only marginaly reliable…
Thanks again everyone!
A good indy shop (esp if AAA backed) or dealer would warranty the timing belt change 1yr/12000 miles including incidentals.
Full service has nothing to do with it breaking or not. You did the right thing 10k miles ago however either install was bad, belt was defective or belt was never replaced but billed so. The last of not changed but brother paid for happened to my brother by a VW dealer according to another VW dealer left to pick up pieces and repair his engine under VW warranty.
Thank you all for you helpful responses to a city-boy car novice!
I believe the timing belt was changed about 10,000 miles ago. The mechanic informed us that it needed to be changed according to the mfg.s guidelines. We may not be the most informed, but we are responsible and take care to do what we must to keep the car in good shape. For that, we depend on a mechanic who we trust. That being said, it still defies credulity to have a recently changed belt just break causing that kind of damage–esecially so soon after a full service. Is is possible that, while adjusting the other belts and servicing, the mechanic inadvertently did something that caused this? Could we blame Volvo for a faulty belt? If it is just bad luck, we will accept it. The book value for the car is around $6K but it is excellent and safe, if only marginaly reliable…
Thanks again everyone!
One thing the owners manual may not specify in its timing belt replacement schedule is to also replace the idler pulley, automatic tensioner, and water pump if driven off the timing belt. This may add additional $100.00 or more to the job, but is definitely cheap insurance.
One thing the owners manual may not specify in its timing belt replacement schedule is to also replace the timing belt idler pulley, automatic tensioner, and water pump if driven off the timing belt. This may add additional $100.00 or more to the job, but is definitely cheap insurance. Any one of those items may have been the cause of the new belt failure
Click here and check post of 1-6-08; 1:00:32 PM.http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/21/682412.page This the same car as your?s. I think timing belts stink.
If the belt broke after only 10k miles then chances are that something caused it. The odds of getting a defective belt is as close to zero as it can get IMHO.
A careful examination of the belt remnants may reveal something. We do not know the condition of any idler/tensioner pulleys, etc. but if those were not replaced at the same time as the belt then it’s possible that one of those went bad and this snapped the belt.
Tensioner/idler pulleys should always be replaced with the timing belt or you run the risk of something like this happening. It’s Murphy’s Law, and thank the Lord for timing chains. 