240 General: Parts availability

[Suterman]

Volvo in Telford are very friendly and helpful but we all know that its not cheap.

The nearest GSF to me is a good hour into Brum, I used them once but its too far to go twice, once to pay/order and once to collect.

I try to get copycat parts if I can, but the place I go to get it wrong pretty much every time. I recently had to return a thermostat that was wrong, it wasn't even for a Volvo, it wouldn't fit in the boss in the head anyway, I got a replacement and it was the same wrong part again!! (I gave them an old volvo one to compare and said to come back to me when they get the right one)

Need some engine mounts and a gearbox mount too but these are Genuine Volvo parts only according to the shop that get it wrong (maybe they're wrong on this one too)

[Mike_Brace]

I have had quite a few problems with afetr market parts. For example I fitted Scantech strut top mounts. These lasted me less than a year and the warranty replacement one again under a year. The genuine Volvo one looks as good as the day I fitted it. Track rod ends from Euro Car Parts one failed the MOT the following year. B ottom ball joint - just over a year. Engine mounts again from ECP falling apart wihtin months. Volvo diesel ones fitted instead again still like new. Front wishbone bushes same story. Fan belts - problems getting a matched pair - Volvo ones come as a pair. Dizzy caps loosing central electrode, rotor arms failing. Leads that are either faulty or last about 5000 miles. Spark plugs would rate NGK and Bosch apart from Volvo but most others are a waste of time. Found Bilstein shocks last over 100,000 but many other makes nothing like as good. Brake pads - some makes don't last and produce a hell of a lot of dust unlike Volvo ones. Batteries have known Volvo ones last for 10-15 years but also found Bosch very good. Brake discs again vary very much in quality currently use ATE which seem to last.
With my mileage about 130,000 in 4 years it gives me a chance to evaluate the life of parts especially as the car has a very hard life, enthusiastic driving of back roads, towing a lot and many motorway miles. On some items I would say there is no problem with non genuine parts especially if the care has only light use or on a very limited budget. For me it is false economy as it ends up costing me more plus spending more time working on the car.
If there was the demand I am sure I could get some reasonable discount to pass on with things like the engine electrics - it would mean a little pre-plannng though.

Mike

[Suterman]

heh, My car has covered 10000 in the last five years, 7000 of that in the last 12 months.

[Paul240480]

Mike, I know you said to me that you 'swear' by OEM parts. Now that I understand that you are covering around 32.5K a YEAR in cars that are pushing, if not past 20 years old I understand the reasoning!

Most of us (me certainly) I guess are struggling to cover 6k in ours! So can get by with the odd copy-part here & there.

Yours certainly have a hard life when most cars of that age would be in some kind of 'retirement' or lesser marques on the 'great heap'!

Yours truly are 'testimony' to the quality of a true Volvo!

[honestjoe]

Its funny but the last time i went to halfords they had most of what i needed on the shelf..they supplied me the wrong rotor...no doubt in time it will inevitably get harder to just pop in and grab even the most simple of part...my main problem is getting tyres on demand...they always have to be ordered in and have even had to put crossply comercial tyres on the back..not ideal..(the shame).i wonder what that would do my fuel economy?...saying that these tyres will probably last for years!!...