Latest on belts?

[daithevet]

My car is a 12 plate

It had aux and timing belts done at 45k miles in Dec 15 as a precaution because of a bit of a noise.

It's been service at main dealers every year and has just been done at 135k miles. I was a bit surprised that no belts were needed, I have asked them but haven't had a reply yet

I did ask my local indy and they said their computer said both belts were 120k interval.

I guess the sensible thing is just to change them, but the whole point of dealer servicing was to make sure the right belts and tensioners were used given that them seem to have a had a few variants...

What would you do?

[Tatsfield]

Firstly you do not say which engine you have! If you put your car spec, engine and year in your profile signature, it will always be displayed. Helps others to help you.

Assuming that your engine is a D5, the timing belt change interval is 108K which has not yet been reached but the aux beltwhich is only 54K has been exceeded. The aux belt changes are much more important than the main belt as any breakage of the aux belt can cause it to be dragged into the timing belt and that can derail the timing belt and wreck your engine.

Do not trust the people who have been advising you. They do not know that of which they talk! When belts are changed, associated tensioners must also be changed. All talk of how good the belts look is to be ignored. The aux belt is the Achilles heel of the D5 engine and although it appears to be of less significance than the main timing belt, it is the belt more likely to fail with possible disastrous effects on the timing belt.

These comments do not apply if you have another engine, but you do need to be clear on which engine the car has.

[daithevet]

Ah, that was a bit dull.. Yes, it's a D5 212

Thanks for the reply

Is there any danger of getting the wrong tensioner now? I suppose genuine parts is the best bet as long as they're not old stock on ebay

What's the proper interval for the air con belt? A while ago I expect as that's never been changed

[ferg55]

To clarify Tatsfield's good advice: the aux belt tensioner is the weak point, rather than the belt itself - the tensioner fails which leads to the aux belt snapping, which in turn leads to the entanglement scenario Tatsfield refers to.

[hora1]

Originally Posted by ferg55

To clarify Tatsfield's good advice: the aux belt tensioner is the weak point, rather than the belt itself - the tensioner fails which leads to the aux belt snapping, which in turn leads to the entanglement scenario Tatsfield refers to.

Ah. My indie just changed the belt I think...I better clarify

[ferg55]

Originally Posted by hora1

Ah. My indie just changed the belt I think...I better clarify

Oooohh, he's not a very good indy

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by daithevet

My car is a 12 plate

It had aux and timing belts done at 45k miles in Dec 15 as a precaution because of a bit of a noise.

It's been service at main dealers every year and has just been done at 135k miles. I was a bit surprised that no belts were needed, I have asked them but haven't had a reply yet

I did ask my local indy and they said their computer said both belts were 120k interval.

I guess the sensible thing is just to change them, but the whole point of dealer servicing was to make sure the right belts and tensioners were used given that them seem to have a had a few variants...

What would you do?

Sorry, but your indi doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. There’s no such thing as 120,000 mile intervals on any Volvo.

If you had the cam belt & aux belt replaced already in 2015 at 45,000 miles, then technically the cam belt isn’t due for another four years by time or 18,000 miles by mileage (cam belt interval is 10 years or 108k, whichever comes first). In your case, you’re going to hit the mileage cut off before time because you’ve done 90,000 miles since the work was done.

Technically, your cam belt isn’t due to be replaced until 2025 or 153,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Your aux belt is way overdue though, so that needs replacing urgently. As your car has over 108,000 miles on it, you should replace the aux belt tensioner too. If your car has an air con belt as well as an aux belt, then you might as well replace that too because it doesn’t cost much extra (approx £30).

For future reference, the belt intervals are;

Cam belt - 10 years or 108k (whichever comes first).
Aux belt - 5 years or 54,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Separate a/c belt (if your car has one) - Same as aux belt above, as it makes sense
Aux belt tensioner - 10 years or 108,000 miles (whichever comes first).

Use genuine Volvo parts. So to summarise, change your aux belt, aux belt tensioner & a/c belt (if your car has a separate belt purely for the a/c only). Your timing belt is okay, for now.

[ferg55]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Aux belt tensioner - 10 years or 108,000 miles (whichever comes first).

Are you sure? I thought the tensioner is to be replaced at the 54k because that is the part that fails, taking the aux belt with it. The aux belt is replaced at the same time, but only as a matter of course.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by ferg55

Are you sure? I thought the tensioner is to be replaced at the 54k because that is the part that fails, taking the aux belt with it. The aux belt is replaced at the same time, but only as a matter of course.

Yes. Volvo recommend replacing the aux belt tensioner at 10 years or 108k (whichever comes first). That’s why the cam belt service is so expensive if going to a dealer... its a major service (cam belt, aux belt, aux belt tensioner plus servicing if you’re getting the oil etc changed).

Of course, the tensioner isn’t an expensive part (£60 approx), so it makes sense to replace it every 5 years or 54k, but Volvo won’t (unless you ask them to). They’ll leave it until the major 10 year/108k service.

[ferg55]

Now I'm confused - it's well documented that the tensioner is the part that fails (or more specifically, any original fitment tensioner which is pre-latest spec). I think Volvo's 108k interval for the tensioner must be on the assumption that you have had the latest spec tensioner fitted already? I haven't a schedule to hand, but I would guess the instruction is to replace the original tensioner at or before 54k miles with the latest spec part, then let it go to 108k and replace with the belt (because you could have had the tensioner replaced initially at a low mileage as I think some were done under recall regardless of mileage?) and then 108k intervals thereafter. It wouldn't make sense for Volvo to let an original go to 108k given the known issues, but I stand to be corrected