XC90 AWD Repair

[Mixam]

Originally Posted by ianu

Yes this bill would have been a lot higher if a) they hadn't managed to seperate it and b) Volvo hadn't agreed to contribute to the cost. Obviously labour could end up being the biggest portion.
Obviously depending on age and mileage of what you buy even if it's out of Warranty as mine was it'd absolutely be worth challenging it to be a shared cost. In my case the Dealer was very good and the warranty rep at the dealer suggested that I speak to Volvo UK directly to plead my case as I was not satisfied with the original offer of a 30% contribution. I did - and I believe there was a further exchange between them and the dealer and they effectively switched the offer 70/30.
I suppose you pays your money and takes your chance - point here is you know it's a possibility - how you protect yourself from it depends on the car you buy, its history, distance from a Volvo warranty and/or your relationship from where you buy it.
Surely there must be a simple check a garage can do if they access to MOT 'brake test rollers' to see if it will pull itself out ?
I've seen the AWD system demonstrated on nothing more complicated than a free standing metal frame with 2 rollers on it (at a Volvo Freedom Drive and a Range Rover Experience drive) (I've seen them used for standing large cable drums on too) - if you can get 2 - you can pretty much prove any combination.
SO - yes potentially it's a big bill - if you protect against it - it could be a fairly small one - but it wouldn't stop me buying another one - I'd just know to look out for it.
Cheers
Ian.
PS Anyone know a chrome plating specialist - see other thread in General Topics.

Hi Ianu, what is the part number for the spline sleeve?

If I can get this I'll find a way of removing the sleeve.

[ianu]

Hello Mixam,
On the Invoice the part is listed as:
V31256008 'SLEEVE' - £85 Each

Plus these other bits listed:
V09143885 'DRIVE SHAFT' £12 Ea
V09143911 'SEALING RING' £11.40 Ea
V01161648 'TRANSMISSIO' - the rest is missing but could be fluid - £21.20
V00977101 'RETAINING RING' - 50p

The rest is labour and VAT

Hope this helps
Cheers
Ian.

[Mixam]

Originally Posted by ianu

Hello Mixam,
On the Invoice the part is listed as:
V31256008 'SLEEVE' - £85 Each

Plus these other bits listed:
V09143885 'DRIVE SHAFT' £12 Ea
V09143911 'SEALING RING' £11.40 Ea
V01161648 'TRANSMISSIO' - the rest is missing but could be fluid - £21.20
V00977101 'RETAINING RING' - 50p

The rest is labour and VAT

Hope this helps
Cheers
Ian.

Hi Ian, thanks for the info it will be very usefull. I went into Squires Midlands Volvo Specialist and we looked on the microfische and spotted the parts we needed. The sleeve as you state is only £85 (item 19 on the drawing). Which again begs the question, why do they usually charge for a complete Angle gear ass'y at £900 + fitting, or am I being grossly naive. I will try to take pics of the whole repair including the defective part/s with instructions of how we get the box and sleeve off the drive shaft. Mark also showed me an Angle gear ass'y he had taken apart and we could see that to have this unit fail it would either completely sieze and/or would make horrendous grinding noises. i.e. you would absolutely know about it failing. The ass'y is basically just two large heavy duty steel castle gears and probably won't fail for £200K. Unfortunately or Fortunately depending on your point of view, the connecting spline sleeve is made of tin!

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Mixam

Hi Ian, thanks for the info it will be very usefull. I went into Squires Midlands Volvo Specialist and we looked on the microfische and spotted the parts we needed. The sleeve as you state is only £85 (item 19 on the drawing). Which again begs the question, why do they usually charge for a complete Angle gear ass'y at £900 + fitting, or am I being grossly naive. I will try to take pics of the whole repair including the defective part/s with instructions of how we get the box and sleeve off the drive shaft. Mark also showed me an Angle gear ass'y he had taken apart and we could see that to have this unit fail it would either completely sieze and/or would make horrendous grinding noises. i.e. you would absolutely know about it failing. The ass'y is basically just two large heavy duty steel castle gears and probably won't fail for £200K. Unfortunately or Fortunately depending on your point of view, the connecting spline sleeve is made of tin!

Yes, posts from American mechanics said if the angle gears were failing you would definatly hear them.

The new sleeve shown is made from very high quality steel according to the sweedspeed forum metal analyse.

Roy

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

Yes, posts from American mechanics said if the angle gears were failing you would definatly hear them.

The new sleeve shown is made from very high quality steel according to the sweedspeed forum metal analyse.

Roy

Roy, what ever you have read about other cases let me say that my XC 90made no grinding or any other warning noises what so ever!!
I've had failure - you haven't.

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Beeman

Roy, what ever you have read about other cases let me say that my XC 90made no grinding or any other warning noises what so ever!!
I've had failure - you haven't.

Beeman did you get photos of the failed bevel gear, or did you take the dealers word for it? From what I've heard it's common for the Haldax box to be replaced (because it's cheaper for the dealer? an easier job?) when it's the splined sleeve that's failed and that dosn't make a noise when it does.

The Americans have lot more experience with AWD failure and repair than us from what I've seen on the net. Of course if you drive round with the radio blasting I could see you might not hear it.

All the best.

Roy

[RoyMacDonald]

What I forgot to add last night was that the Haldax transfer box developing an oil leak is a known issue afecting a small no of boxes. Volvo have issued a technical note on sealing it. Checking the box for leaks is definatly on the service list.

If a leak went unoticed for some reason, this would cause the box to fail when it had lost most of it's oil. I think that would lead to the kind of failure Clan mentioned seeing. I'd expect to be able hear the difference between a transfer box with oil in it, and one without though.

I do weekly check all the fluids, tyre pressures, underneath for leaks etc. Every day when I'm on long distance journeys. I'm old school though.

Roy

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

Beeman did you get photos of the failed bevel gear, or did you take the dealers word for it? From what I've heard it's common for the Haldax box to be replaced (because it's cheaper for the dealer? an easier job?) when it's the splined sleeve that's failed and that dosn't make a noise when it does.

The Americans have lot more experience with AWD failure and repair than us from what I've seen on the net. Of course if you drive round with the radio blasting I could see you might not hear it.

All the best.

Roy

Roy, not only are you 'all-knowing' but you must be 'all-seeing' if you can perceive the setting of the volume control of my sound system.
Why not presume that I and everyone who travel in my XC 90 are profoundly deaf - you presume everything else except that there is a problem with some of Volvo's AWDs.

[RoyMacDonald]

Commenting on the noise cars make when they go wrong remided me of the time some friends had been out for the evening and set off for the 30 mille journey to their home out in the country. All the way they kept hearing a strange squealing noise coming from the rear transmission. It was cold and dark so they kept on driving hoping they'd get home OK. They did but when they stopped they still heard the noise coming from he car. So they went and got a torch and looked underneath and saw a tiny terrified kitten sitting on top of the rear axel mewing pitifully.

They had no idea where she came from so they kept her for the rest of her life, and called her Axel.

All the best.

Roy

[pauljoz]

A friends early 2003 XC90 has just had the works after 119000km.

Reported as Angle gear splines worn away.

K9495034 Sleeve 327AUD
K1161748 Grease 14AUD
K36000340 Angle Gear 2030AUD
K31259380 Transmission 85AUD

plus labour 200AUD

Costs not too bad - in the range reported here allowing for exchange rate.
Codes don't match those here so not sure if newer sleeve used here.

This car has straight history with one owner. No after sales service / no contributions from volvo for failure of a product that is clearly not of merchantable quality.

Dealer took a month to diagnose and repair (the product of the ford PAC experiment that saw a VW dealer take on PAC brands - the expereinced dealer lost the business and retained their mechanics and the nearest alternative is 900 km away. Big winner has been the local BMW dealer - though theres also the story about full turbo replacements on new X's under warranty).

I am encouraging a letter be written to Volvo with reference to the statutory warranty provisons of the Australian trade practices act.

Any Australian owners here been through this yet?