General: Is it worth fixing?

[Wagon Sailor]

You bought it two weeks ago and have since found that it's not what you thought you were buying. It's thus probably not what the dealer said he was selling.
Take it back; get a full refund; start again elsewhere.

[Familyman 90]

Originally Posted by ltec

I dont care what manufacturer it is. When I get paid a few hours labour to stand over a job, that would cost thousands if it goes wrong, ill be changing the pump or I wouldn't take on the job.

Volvo are so confident of the pumps integrity they only recommend it be replaced every 2nd belt change. Despite everyone being quick to moan when their Volvo goes wrong, no one on this forum has complained that they/their dealer did as Volvo advised and they lived to regret it with regards to this issue.

If they get it done at a dealer, and follow manufacturers guidance and it all goes wrong then the people that gave that guidance are liable. That being the case, where are all the people that have had it go wrong and claimed against Volvo over this?

Thar being the case, what evidence do you have that you know better than the manufacturer? Why waste customers money and add to landfill over something that the people that made the car says is not necessary?

[ltec]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

Volvo are so confident of the pumps integrity they only recommend it be replaced every 2nd belt change. Despite everyone being quick to moan when their Volvo goes wrong, no one on this forum has complained that they/their dealer did as Volvo advised and they lived to regret it with regards to this issue.

If they get it done at a dealer, and follow manufacturers guidance and it all goes wrong then the people that gave that guidance are liable. That being the case, where are all the people that have had it go wrong and claimed against Volvo over this?

Thar being the case, what evidence do you have that you know better than the manufacturer? Why waste customers money and add to landfill over something that the people that made the car says is not necessary?

Is this the same manufacturer that says the transmission oil doesn't need changed?
Really? Volvo are liable. If after a timing belt change the pump goes 9 years later then volvo would stand over it.
Your having a laugh.
Doesn't make sense to change every bearing but leave 1.
The waterpumps are recycled as they worth money they are not filling up land fills and its not wasting customers money. If you want to save money stay away from the main stealer. And stop paying stupid prices for genuine parts coz it comes in volvo box. An skf pump and timing belt kit comes to ,£100. And your looking to save £30 on a waterpump but your willing to pay stupid prices for the same brands coz it says volvo on it. Gates, skf, INA etc make the parts for the dealers, then the dealers double the price.

[Tannaton]

The OP has bought exactly the sort of car that I love to buy.... neglected, lots of issues, teetering on the scrap it/fix it line.

The enjoyment and satisfaction of restoring that car to full working and good order is immense (for a sad old engineer like me anyway), and you will likely (but not always) and up with something properly sorted and at lower cost than buying a nice one - assuming you have the knowledge and tools to do all the repairs yourself.

However, that only really works out if you are planning on keeping the car a long time as you will never be able to recover the lost service history and on that basis, my personal opinion is the car would have been worth ~ £3k, £3.5k max if the bodywork and interior was mint.

Now that said, it was a straight swap out, so best to think about it in terms of what the PX car was like...

[Kev0607]

A few sums…

£4,800 purchase price

Its worth £5,700, according to AutoTrader (questionable)

That leaves you £900 “in pocket”, in theory (not counted yet)

£2,500 to fix the vehicle

= £7,300 (Purchase price plus repair cost).

-£900 “in pocket” figure, as you paid below the going rate = £6,400

£6,400 - £5,700 (true value) = £700

Doesn’t sound so bad…

However, I don’t believe the figure quoted as being the value of the vehicle by AutoTrader is correct. I think that figure would be correct if the vehicle was in very good condition in all aspects, so these sums aren’t exactly accurate in that sense.

I still think you’ll be well out of pocket fixing this car. Its probably worth £4k maximum as is… I don’t think its worth fixing, unless you’re keeping the car for many years. In doing so, you’ll hopefully have a solid motor that doesn’t cost much to run for years to come. Come sale time though, you’ll never recoup that cost to fix it… Another words, don’t be thinking you’ll get £2,500 extra for it in due course because you won’t.

It depends how much you value the vehicle. I think this car was sold because it needed so much work doing to it because the previous owner just let things pile up. If you love it, can see its potential & are happy to keep it on the road for many years, then I can see why you’d dive in & get the repairs done. Otherwise, its pointless.

Personally, I wouldn’t bother fixing it. Get a refund & find something in better condition. Not to sound rude, but you went the wrong way with this. You should have got all the inspections done before buying the car. You’ve bought it & then found out that it would cost £2,500 to fix after you bought it.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by ltec

I dont care what manufacturer it is. When I get paid a few hours labour to stand over a job, that would cost thousands if it goes wrong, ill be changing the pump or I wouldn't take on the job.

well as long as you use a volvo water pump , But don't ever use another cheap make or you will be liable for an engine sooner or later , don't you have liability insurance? ... 👍

[ltec]

Originally Posted by Clan

well as long as you use a volvo water pump , But don't ever use another cheap make or you will be liable for an engine sooner or later , don't you have liability insurance? ... 👍

No I don't use genuine. I use top brands at reasonable prices. Skf is as good a quality as you get and well trusted. Never had a failure or comeback or leak later down the line. You get reasonably priced quality top brands that make original for the manufacturers and then you get overpriced good quality as in the same but double coz it says volvo. Just common sense really.
An xc90 really isn't that special you know. There is know extra special requirements needed from the timing belt or pump just coz its a volvo.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by ltec

No I don't use genuine. I use top brands at reasonable prices. Skf is as good a quality as you get and well trusted. Never had a failure or comeback or leak later down the line. You get reasonably priced quality top brands that make original for the manufacturers and then you get overpriced good quality as in the same but double coz it says volvo. Just common sense really.
An xc90 really isn't that special you know. There is know extra special requirements needed from the timing belt or pump just coz its a volvo.

You need to know about how good volvo quality is , and what happens when you fit non genuine water pumps ! The only ones that fail are the non genuine ones . I don't know what your experience is but mine is 47 years on vovlo .
as long as the water pump spins freely and quietly and has no leak leave well alone . There should be a touch of play in the bearing this enables the belt a certain degree of self aligning on the pulley .

[ltec]

I didn't say volvo wasn't good quality. I said its overpriced. If a part half the price does exactly the same job, then its money wasted.
What's your experience in fitting quality aftermarket waterpumps. Coz I've also fitted them all my life. I've never heard of any of the top brand waterpumps fail ever regardless of whether its on a volvo or not.

[Familyman 90]

Sadly even the brands with SKF or Timken bearings are not in the same league for longevity. No aftermarket item has proven comparable to the OE water pump.

And we all know the problems that supposedly quality belts can cause on the D5...

Volvo parts also have a lifetime warranty if fitted at a dealer - now that may not be cheap, but in the long run it's liable to be money very well spent indeed.