Are Pro parts Sweden and Uro Parts now considered the same?

[Ben850]

I had first posted in the parts forum because it would be appropriate, but mostly, I am disappointed in FCP Euro/Import, whatever they choose to call themselves.
Please read this post.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 32&t=65548

Hopefully I will not begin another rant.

Timing is everything.

Ordering parts before a holiday weekend if needed, is an unfortunate and badly timed proposition.

FCP had said they were not selling URO parts anymore.
What then would Pro Parts Sweden be?
I am a firm believer in "You get what you pay for".

It was indeed my fault for ordering anything less than OE Volvo. Right? (Wrong)

I deserve flawed, and inferior products because I cannot afford the ridiculous price (retail) of OE parts.
Right? (Not)

Not so, in my experience. Many reputable companies are producing upgraded quality replacement parts.
I also understand repackaging tactics between aftermarket brands. Sucker, be ware.

I am still venting on this because it has altered my weekend holiday plans just a bit.

I have another vehicle that runs, that I may use.
It has the same amount of cylinders.
Yay!
My '93 850 Sedan is running well with parts from many vendors, and largely from FCP.

You do learn something every day. Never stop paying attention.

I must add that FCP has been cooperative with me over the past three years or so. I can only attribute this to a rush to fill orders for a vacation weekend in the Hamptons.
Actually having URO send me crap from California. In their own URO box to close the books for the month.

I have made the mistake of buying cheap parts, and learned.

I often overspend these days on super quality, when quality will do.

Sub-quality is un acceptable at any price.

Just to reiterate, please view this.

Could not believe it.

Not even a consideration in my car.

Brand new, mandrel bent copper and brass, Meticulously soldered.

I have a nice weekend to enjoy with Music and friends. Another finely running car, and another needing more attention than the others. Keep rolling.

I will be O.K.

The '93 is the go-to. It is a "Near luxury" don't you know?

[abscate]

Confucius say, beware of Chinese who use umlauts.

Ben,..I have a set of Volvo OEM heater hoses in my parts kit I could get to you by Tuesday if that helps.

I think 93 and 99 share these parts??

[Ben850]

Confucius say, beware of Chinese who use umlauts.

Ben,..I have a set of Volvo OEM heater hoses in my parts kit I could get to you by Tuesday if that helps.

I think 93 and 99 share these parts??

PM me ASAP with price. Done deal no matter.

The hoses are for my '96 Turbo Wagon. they have the 90 degree downward bend at the firewall as pictured.

The '93 N/A has its original tired hoses as well so I will take them either way. It has become my trooper. Last winter through below zero snow storms, last summer through 100+ degree heat, and last week to whatever was needed.
I bought it a new set of used touring tires to keep it at the near luxury mode it is so comfortable in.

EDIT: Addition. FCP, I hope you guys still monitor these threads as you had a few years back.
Keep listening to your client base and you cannot go wrong.

[mecheng]

I thought,they were seperate companies. Pro parts make some ok stuff, I used their parking brake shoes from Italy.

If you want some insight into your rant: watch Death by China. It explains how Clinton signed a trade pact with China that created all this mess. I noticed some companies are finally getting the message that ppl want quality over a cheap price, but sadly I still think the flood gates are still open. I cherish some of my old tools for this reason.

I feel your pain

[Ozark Lee]

The sad thing is that it extends beyond Scan Tech, URO, Pro Parts Sweden. Even the "real deal" brands like Brembo have shifted much of the manufacturing to China. China is now getting too expensive so more and more will be coming from even lower cost countries like Vietnam.

When I was a kid, back in the '60s and early '70s, "Made in Japan" was synonymous with junk and to an extent it was deserved. There was some real crap coming out of Japan but there were some lingering wounds from WWII and the labor unions still wielded some legitimate power and the unions never missed any opportunity to bash Japan. My how things have changed. I think we will see a similar evolution with China.

I guess I am less p*ssed off about the cheap aftermarket suppliers than I am about the counterfeits. When you buy Scan Tech you know you are buying, for the most part, crap. It is an honest value judgment. When you buy an "OEM manufacturer" part it should be made by the OEM manufacturer but what you get is a part that is of even lesser quality than one of the junk brands. Even some of the "reputable" suppliers are involved in that scam and they damn well know it. Obviously they don't care.

At this point, particularly given the convenience of having one of the lower priced internet dealerships just across town, I pretty much only buy blue box parts that I order online and pick up at the dealer parts counter - no freight and no tax. At least with a part that comes out of a blue box and comes straight out of an actual dealership I am reasonably confident that it is genuine.

I will likely move this thread but at least for the moment I'll let it run.

...Lee

[precopster]

I still have URO heater hoses from 4 years ago in wife's 850 and a set from 2 years ago in my 2000 V70.

The quality is undoubtedly not very good and has hardened prematurely more than I would like in both cases given the time fitted. Also I have had to retighten the clamps multiple times due to small coolant leaks as the so-called "rubber" contracts as it hardens. I didn't notice any obvious denting and poor solder job on any of mine.....obviously things may be slipping up there at the URO factory.
The quality of URO rubber parts has been discussed here on this forum for years but this is the first post specifically showing photos of the product.

Recently I've been ordering URO timing parts from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0066TGUKI/ref ... aub14JEQJF
The bearings used have been NTN or NSK so I have no issues with that. Also the manual (spring) tensioners from URO have a metal retaining lip on both sides of the bearing in case it should move; nice engineering.


Pro Parts Sweden I believe is the lowest common denominator in parts for Volvos. I've had to source a CV boot and some wiper blades (the local supplier either provided the wrong part or they weren't engineered to fit. The CV boot's plastic (I can't call it rubber) was almost as rigid as a packet of Tim Tam's inner lining tray. (see
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tam for further info) I managed to use only the clamps provided as I squeezed an 850 (Empi) boot I had in stock.

I agree with you wholeheartedly Ben, we shouldn't be given such inferior parts by companies who claim to pride their products so highly. The owners of these companies know however that there will always be somebody else out there willing to sell them, and that means potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue for them. In some cases URO is the only aftermarket company making the parts (especially the case with heater hoses for P80s and P2s) so they can't try another supplier. The point about URO is that the rubber parts are not quality items. Perhaps in Melbourne my cars can survive on them due to to the mild climate here (also in Europe in colder climates) however in the USA extremes in heat will bring them unstuck very quickly.

[dosbricks]

My new OE Genuine Volvo blue label front rotors part #31262092 were made in China.
Next time I will save money and get the ATEs if they are still making them in Italy.

As a FYI, I ask an fcp tech on the phone where the Bosch rotors are made and he went back and checked the boxes--rears from Italy, fronts from China. I guess this explains why the rears for an 850 are painted while the fronts are not. Go figure.

We all need to try to avoid China made stuff until they get a clue about integrity--which, at this point, could take quite a while.

[mecheng]

NTN and NSK do make good bearings, in my experience better than INA/FAG.

I don't believe China will get to Japan quality levels, they are more interested in copying than producing their own technology like Japan. Look at Japanese toys from the 50s, high quality and valued. i do believe China's quality will and has improved. Taiwan has better quality and I'm seeing more stuff made their over China.

Overall consumer selection determines which stuff gets made where. You have a say when you buy stuff

[precopster]

Interesting how Volvo Sweden tries to involve as many European countries as possible in the manufacture of their OE parts.....sort of like a good samaritan in the European car industry. Countries like Chekolslovakia, Belgium, Finland and Poland are but afew countries appearing on the "Made In" labels regularly.

When China begins to appear we all cringe, however if the Swedes still have any say in the direction of the company's profile internationally they will oversee the quality process with great care, but in the end only time will tell if this is happening.

[abscate]

Ben850 - urgent PM sent for address to get your address to ship today!!