Cambelt Change in East Norfolk

[ChrisE]

I have a Oct 2011 (2012MY) XC90 which we have owned from new and has done 30000 miles which was mainly journeys of 20 miles or more. The car has always been kept in a heated garage.

It is clearly coming up to its 10 year anniversary which I understand Volvo suggests means new cambelt + auxilliary belt + idlers but not necessarily the water pump (which appears to be fine). Is this correct?

I am not sure how having the cambelt change impacts the service schedule so will anyone please recommend who I should get to do this work plus a service and MOT in East Norfolk and what is a realistic price for all the cambelt work + a full service + MOT so that I have a basis for comparison.

Thank you.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I have a Oct 2011 (2012MY) XC90 which we have owned from new and has done 30000 miles which was mainly journeys of 20 miles or more. The car has always been kept in a heated garage.

It is clearly coming up to its 10 year anniversary which I understand Volvo suggests means new cambelt + auxilliary belt + idlers but not necessarily the water pump (which appears to be fine). Is this correct?

I am not sure how having the cambelt change impacts the service schedule so will anyone please recommend who I should get to do this work plus a service and MOT in East Norfolk and what is a realistic price for all the cambelt work + a full service + MOT so that I have a basis for comparison.

Thank you.

This is general advice rather than model-specific but if you're coming up to the time interval for changing the timing belt then get it done regardless - chances are it's overdue for a service anyway.

Given the low mileage and the fact you've owned the car from new, i would suggest your nearest Volvo dealer which would probably be :

https://www.holdengroup.co.uk/volvo/

You imply the water pump "doesn't" need changing, if it's driven by the timing belt on your model then if fitting a new timing belt, the water pump needs changing. Two types of drive from the timing belt, one is on the toothed side, the other is purely friction from the flat side of the belt.
If it's tooth driven, should the pump fail and sieze it will strip teeth off the belt. If the water pump bearings fail causing the pulley to wobble, this will throw the belt off and this applies to whichever side of the belt drives the water pump. Given that the timing belt has to come off to change the water pump then it makes sense to change the water pump at the same time for many reasons.

No idea on cost i'm afraid but Holdens or any other Volvo dealer will be able to do all the work you want - timing belt change, service and MoT. Alternatively see if someone suggests a trusted independent speciliast, there was one in Norwich, this link goes to a page about them :

https://www.autoinsider.co.uk/local/41612/r-r-motors

R&R Motors, very knowledgeable on (certainly the older) Volvos. Alternatively in Attleborough :

https://www.volvoatwrights.co.uk/

Good luck with getting it sorted!

[Familyman 90]

Assuming you have a D5, water pumps are an almost unheard of failure. This is why many dealers and specialists recommend the pump is done every 2nd belt change.

Of course, nothing wrong with doing it anyway. However, while OE ones are very robust the aftermarket ones have a less than stellar record, so its better to continue with the original than pull it out and replace it with a pattern item. If you must do it, original is near on critical.

Ditto the aux drive belt. Pattern items have a reputation for failing and wiping out the timing belt as they go, which can write off the engine. As such, genuine belts are also a must.

Massively complex cars with a lot of quirks. It needs to be a dealer or an XC specialist - your run of the mill independent won't be up to the job. It's worth considering that Volvo give a lifetime warranty on genuine parts fitted by authorised agents, so while it may not be the cheapest option it could work out cheapest in the long run if something goes wrong.

Let us know how it goes.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I have a Oct 2011 (2012MY) XC90 which we have owned from new and has done 30000 miles which was mainly journeys of 20 miles or more. The car has always been kept in a heated garage.

It is clearly coming up to its 10 year anniversary which I understand Volvo suggests means new cambelt + auxilliary belt + idlers but not necessarily the water pump (which appears to be fine). Is this correct?

I am not sure how having the cambelt change impacts the service schedule so will anyone please recommend who I should get to do this work plus a service and MOT in East Norfolk and what is a realistic price for all the cambelt work + a full service + MOT so that I have a basis for comparison.

Thank you.

Prices do vary. Use genuine parts & not cheap aftermarket junk. The water pump can be left alone, so long as it spins freely & doesn’t leak.

A full service at an independent Volvo garage would be around £360 including parts, VAT & labour. The service would include the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, pollen filter & air filter. A dealership would probably be double that, or close to it.

The MOT is usually around £40-£50. That’s just a price for the MOT… obviously anything wrong would be separate & an additional charge.

Cam belt kit would be around £200-£250, plus the labour.

At an independent Volvo garage, you’d be looking around £600-£700 for a service, MOT & cam belt replacement. A dealership would be around £1,000+.

My suggestion would be to use an independent Volvo Specialist… they’d be much cheaper than a dealership & like the dealership, they’ll use genuine Volvo parts.

I can’t recommend any in your area, but hopefully someone knows of a good garage local to you.

A dealership is obviously capable of doing the work too, but you’ll be paying a lot more. If you want to save money, then dealerships are where you want to avoid for servicing/repairs.

Using an independent Volvo Specialist won’t affect your warranty if you have one & your service book will be stamped.

If full main dealer service history really matters to you, then fair enough... go to the dealership. Personally, what you’ll save by going to independent Volvo garages over dealerships far outweighs what extra you’ll get for your car come sale time.

[garethXC]

^ what he said. My Nov 2011 with 40k miles had its service and belts etc done by Tony @ IVS in letchworth, came in a shade under £600.

[ChrisE]

Thanks guys.

I have had 2 quotes.

The first was from my local Volvo dealer - Holden Norwich - and came in at just over £1000 including the full service etc. I am more than a little concerned that they are quoting 3 to 4 hours for the whole job (cambelt, auxulliary + full service) which is what it took Kings Halesworth to do just a big service.

The second was from R&R motors at £630 inc VAT. I am not sure if they have included everything that should be included. They have listed a cambelt kit at £140 and an auxilliary belt at £46 - both + VAT. I am not sure whether this includes all the idlers + other necessary bits.

I am waiting for a quote from Wrights at Attleborough.

I did not think that I needed to replace the water pump.

[robsterpaterson]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

Massively complex cars with a lot of quirks. It needs to be a dealer or an XC specialist - your run of the mill independent won't be up to the job. It's worth considering that Volvo give a lifetime warranty on genuine parts fitted by authorised agents, so while it may not be the cheapest option it could work out cheapest in the long run if something goes wrong.

Let us know how it goes.

Can you explain why only Volvo-trained people are capable of changing the belts? It's a belt/pulleys/tensioner the same as 95% of belt driven engines. You want to know complicated? Try the three belts to time a Rover V6....

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

Thanks guys.

I have had 2 quotes.

The first was from my local Volvo dealer - Holden Norwich - and came in at just over £1000 including the full service etc. I am more than a little concerned that they are quoting 3 to 4 hours for the whole job (cambelt, auxulliary + full service) which is what it took Kings Halesworth to do just a big service.

The second was from R&R motors at £630 inc VAT. I am not sure if they have included everything that should be included. They have listed a cambelt kit at £140 and an auxilliary belt at £46 - both + VAT. I am not sure whether this includes all the idlers + other necessary bits.

I am waiting for a quote from Wrights at Attleborough.

I did not think that I needed to replace the water pump.

It doesn’t take four hours to do a big service. That dealership is just taking the mick. Four hours to change a few filters?

You should also replace the aux belt tensioner. Your car is 10 years old, so this part should be replaced.

Best checking with them what’s included in the kit. Don’t forget the tensioner!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by robsterpaterson

Can you explain why only Volvo-trained people are capable of changing the belts? It's a belt/pulleys/tensioner the same as 95% of belt driven engines. You want to know complicated? Try the three belts to time a Rover V6....

........especially with no timng marks for reference and cam pulleys not keyed to the camshafts...........

Glad mines a C27 Honda under the bonnet of my V6 Rover!

[robsterpaterson]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

........especially with no timng marks for reference and cam pulleys not keyed to the camshafts...........

Glad mines a C27 Honda under the bonnet of my V6 Rover!

I liked my KV6 lump but it was a ridiculous arrangement for the timing - I actually bought the proper tools!