S60: General Brake pads and disk

[Bontboy]

Car is late 2017 done 23000 miles. Just had a mechanic say the pads were looking worn, but looks like plenty of depth on them to me, Volvo say
25000 miles + for a pad change - so what would you expect to be charged
for a front pad change and is it worth getting the disks done at the same time, they don't look worn.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Bontboy

Car is late 2017 done 23000 miles. Just had a mechanic say the pads were looking worn, but looks like plenty of depth on them to me, Volvo say
25000 miles + for a pad change - so what would you expect to be charged
for a front pad change and is it worth getting the disks done at the same time, they don't look worn.

The dealership will charge more, as their labour rates are higher. You’d be better going to an independent specialist, or a garage of your choice. Brakes aren’t rocket science, so there’s no need for a dealer to do them. Brake discs & pads aren’t covered by warranty either, so it won’t affect your warranty getting them done elsewhere.

If discs are fine, then you don’t need to change them. Although, looks are deceiving… you need to check they aren’t lipped or pitted & measure the thickness to determine that. The same applies to the pads, have a proper look at them… there’s no point changing them for the sake of it.

Discs & pads from a dealer would be around £300 (parts). Labour would be around £200-£250 (dealership rates). I reckon you’d be looking at £500-£600 at a dealership for discs & pads (front).

Pads alone would probably be £80 & an hour to fit them. Dealers change around £140 per hour nowadays, so a guess would be £220 for pads including fitment.

These are approximate prices & using genuine Volvo parts****

[Bob Meadows]

Above-sound advice:~
If you can't check the condition yourself for whatever reason then also go elsewhere (some will do it for free) but again remember these people are in it to make money or dip their hand into your wallet!

Find a descent garage- they do exist- keep your hard earned money!
Bob.

[Fika]

Also confirming Kevs numbers, I'm a cheapskate and do it myself.

[Ian21401]

Have a look yourself and measure them then compare against the vehicle spec.

[Kev0607]

A point I forgot to mention is you can get Volvo parts from Ebay at trade price, much cheaper than Volvo themselves charge.

If you search volvopartstrade on Ebay, a store will come up which happens to be Mill Volvo in Newcastle (main dealer). For example, Lookers wanted £305 for front discs & pads for my car. I enquired on Ebay (send your reg via message on there) & a member of staff gets back to you either same day or the following. Anyway, they (Mill Volvo) quoted £185 for front discs & pads (genuine Volvo) if I purchased from their Ebay store… That’s quite a saving. You can also ring them if you want, but the key thing to remember is they sell genuine parts at trade price. So £305 vs £185 for the same parts…

You could save yourself even more if you fit the pads yourself, but you do need some basic equipment like a jack, jack stands & a decent set of sockets to do it.

Buy genuine parts if possible. I fitted Pagid discs on my car & they warped in less than two years… no heavy braking done either (they’re just junk). You’d be better offer paying extra & getting quality genuine parts, as you don’t want to have to do the job twice like I did. Lesson learned for me in that respect.

Food for thought as they say.

[Familyman 90]

Use good quality discs and pads - OE, Lockheed, ATE, etc.

Volvo put their trousers on one leg at a time like anyone else, and aren't the only people capable of manufacturing decent gear. Indeed, ATE are one of the OE braking component suppliers to Volvo for the S60...

Definitely steer clear of cheap stuff like Pagid, Apec, Eicher, etc. You will find there are plenty of parts available that meet or exceed OE standards for much less cash if you do your homework.

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

A point I forgot to mention is you can get Volvo parts from Ebay at trade price, much cheaper than Volvo themselves charge.
...

As Bontboy is in Swansea he could try FRF using the forum code and pop round and pick the parts up, if he's up for doing it himself.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by DaveNP

As Bontboy is in Swansea he could try FRF using the forum code and pop round and pick the parts up, if he's up for doing it himself.

Good point Dave.

Bontboy, try calling FRF Swansea & get a quote for pads (or discs & pads). Quote “C3” when you call for the forum discount.

**If you’re doing the job yourself that is.

[Bontboy]

I wish I could do it myself - and while there was a time when I stripped down and rebuilt my Austin Avenger 1500CL engine (in Haynes I trust), those days are long gone now. Strictly hands off these days - these new D6 engines you can't even dip the oil (so I was told by the guy who serviced my S60 yesterday). Didn't need brakes doing in the end - I thought there was enough depth on there for another year. Thanks for the advice guys.