2004 XC70 Transfer Case sleeve replacement

probackpacker · Post by **probackpacker** » 31 Dec 2014, 12:09

My wife was concerned about some noises her car was making during turns. To make a long story somewhat shorter, we ended up at the Volvo dealership. We've never taken the car there before. They were very thorough and diagnosed several problems. The most expensive problem is that the transfer case sleeve is stripped and, as a result, the rear wheels don't drive. They quoted $2400 to replace the sleeve. Looking at some of the forum threads that seems a little high for just the sleeve. I double checked with the service manager if the $2400 included other repairs as well, and he said that it was just the for the sleeve replacement. (He said that the part was $700.) Is this a reasonable price for that repair?

Post by **JRL** » 31 Dec 2014, 17:49

Part is $150 or so retail with seals
Labor should not be more than 4 hours even at a dealer

probackpacker · Post by **probackpacker** » 02 Jan 2015, 13:35

I stopped by the dealership today to talk through the estimate. I spoke with the service manager, who seemed very reasonable. He held his ground on the estimate for replacing the sleeve though. The quote sheet shows the part cost at $699 plus 14 hours of labor. He told me that the sleeve was in-between the transfer case and transmission and they had to pull both to replace the part.

I did a quick search and found the sleeve on FCP Euro for just over $100 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... it-9495034). No doubt, the repair shop adds a significant up-charge. I've done a lot of work on my cars in the past and just recently replaced the struts and springs on this car. Unfortunately, I feel pretty certain that this repair is beyond my skill level. I just don't want throw away a couple grand on a repair that should cost much less. Should I bite the bullet and let the dealership fix it or try to find a shop that will do it for less? Any alternative recommendations?

Post by **precopster** » 02 Jan 2015, 14:53

If you feel confident enough to do struts and springs you may be competent enough to handle the sleeve repair.

While thinking about it you could download Vida and locate the sleeve replace procedure by using this link: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=55027

Also the shop repair times for this job may be listed in there. JRL has bought and sold literally hundreds of Volvos so he's pretty spot on for shop times. My advice is to find another dealer or an indie Volvo repairer who will work with your supplied parts.