College Student Volvo Repair Advice and Help?

[Escapekey29]

Hello All,
College student need some help, my 2008 Volvo S60 just hit 120,000 miles and took it to the dealer to be serviced. Usually not a huge fan of dealerships but my last two mechanics were using bad parts and one resold my wife’s car after he said the car was water damaged/ unsalvageable. I went to the dealership and got the quote below. I must admit I don’t know much about cars so any help or advice on things I could do myself or things to skip would be appreciated. Also, if anyone could give me the name of a trusted mechanic in the Tampa, Bradenton, or Sarasota area it would be greatly appreciated.


Estimate for repairs
OIl and filter change $59.95
Upgrade upper electronic module (UEM) software (first recommended repair for tire pressure system service required message) $116.00*
*NOTE: If fault returns may have dead battery in at least one tire pressure monitoring sensor (one in each tire, battery is not serviceable and sensor must be replaced). $180.00 each/installed.
Replacement of upper torque arm (bushing split) $164.00
Replacement of vacuum line at intake manifold (split, could lead to check engine light) $226.00
Replacement of front brake rotors (worn below minimum thinness, pads are like-new) $445.00*
*Special order. Would not be here until tomorrow.
Replacement of rear brake rotors (worn below minimum thinness, pads are like-new) $460.00
Replacement of front tires (worn to 3/32", close to unsafe) $138.60 each/installed (matching equipment-BF Goodrich) plus
4-wheel alignment (signs of uneven tire wear) $99.95
Replacement of front lower control arm front and rear bushings (torn) $915.00*
*NOTE: 4-wheel alignment required also.
A/C system service (freon leak from service valve, A/C may stop cooling efficiently very soon) $139.95
Power steering flush (poor fluid condition) $149.95
Coolant flush (poor fluid condition) $139.95

[cuhfs]

Wow - They saw you coming. Huge problem for young people... The mechanics know you don't know cars.
1.) Hopefully you can find an independent mechanic that can work with you to prioritize for you "nice to have" versus "must have" repairs. get a 2nd or 3rd opinion since they are talking about $3,100 in repairs and maint.
2.) Read the forum and maybe try to do some work yourself and learn to save yourself a ton of money over your lifetime. Who knows, maybe you'll even enjoy it once you have success. Start with oil change and a few other items and whittle away at the list. You can buy a lot of tools for $3100 the dealer will charge.

Good luck.

[oragex]

They always see you coming. You just find out that the main dealer is a sales person. When you bring an old car to them, be seated when reading the bill.

At 120k it's about time to replace the timing belt. This is a must and should not be delayed. No need to replace the water pump at this point.

Simply because a 120k miles car has wear on plenty of parts. Now what happens is that many times the dealer wants to replace a part that has some wear but it's still functional and will still be until the end of the life of the vehicle.

As above, read the forum. What most if not all of us do, is having some tools which are not expensive to purchase, probably under $300 for a starting kit if looking for specials. If DIY is not possible, asking on the forum to get solutions for a fix, then asking again which part brands are recommended, purchasing the parts on several online sites, and going with the part to a small honest independent garage (use local.google.com to find one), is the way to go. Ebay also sells tons of used and still in good condition parts for these cars. Almost all parts needed can be purchased online at a much lower price and there are brands that have the same quality as the parts from the main dealer because these are made by companies who furnish the original parts for Volvo (Lemforder, Sachs, Bosch)

Do not buy brake parts from Volvo, they are very expensive. Ask here which brake parts are of good quality. It is also useless to buy tires from the main dealer, any brand will do with the size specified for your car.

The a/c service I would wait to see if that's true. Rarely heard of such issue if ever. What goes wrong is a thermistor easy to replace that causes the air flow to diminish. But if it works well, I won't touch it.

You can do the power steering flush yourself, with $30 of fluid. Same for the coolant with $20 fluid.

Front control arms go bad but if the steering feeling is good on highway, don't rush. Usually we buy Lemforder parts (around $300 for both). The rear ones rarely go bad, they do wear but don't fail, it is useless to replace them.

I believe it's useless to pay for tire pressure sensor battery, and even less for their 'software upgrade' (pretty sure not needed).

[jonesg]

great advice, I would only add, find someone nearby who can show you how to do your own work.
For the price of the rear brakes you can buy all the tools you'll need, specially if you go to harbor freight.

I lived on siesta key, up here in the frozen solid north now or I'd help you out.

[precopster]

Brake rotors are CHEAP and the ONLY specialised knowledge you need is that you'll have to use a 15mm spanner to remove the caliper on the front, and if memory serves me right a 14mm spanner on the rear.

There are so many DIY videos for Volvo on You Tube by Robert about most of the items you list there. Also FCP Euro has a set of DIY videos as well as CHEAP parts for your car. Some cost-effective parts from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R9 ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Beck-Arnley-101- ... automotive
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DVCUSW/re ... YXIWFX0F89
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067UERWE/re ... 9ZDPM993NO
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I ... UTF8&psc=1

Vacuum hose: about $10 per yard
Wheel alignment: spend no more than $50 Rear wheel alignment is ONLY necessary on P2s when a rear suspension component is replaced
Coolant flush: Turkey baster and new coolant with Ethylene Glycol 50% content
Power steering flush: Turkey baster and new PS fluid. (read the owner's manual for specs of the fluid)

GET THE TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER/PULLEYS REPLACED AS THE FIRST ITEM

Find a mechanic who will work with you and your own parts. Explain you're on a college income.

[jbeebo]

Will reinforce the opinion to get the timing belt (and tensioner) fixed as number1 priority. But as you don't know too much about cars let me explain why.

This car has what's called an "interference engine". It means if the timing belt slips or breaks, the valves (in the cylinder head) will contact the pistons. This causes massive internal damage to the engine. It can be fixed but often the cost of repairing it is worth more than the car itself. If this happens you'll be scouring the junkyards and craigslist for an engine and swapping the whole thing. Not fun.

Hopefully that convinces you of the importance of the repair. Now the bad news. This is not a job for an inexperienced DIY. Specialty tools are needed, especially for the VVT engines. It's not a cheap maintenance item, but well worth the $$ vs the alternatives.

So how to find a good mechanic? I've had pretty good luck locating independent, honest mechs on Yelp.

For the rest of the smaller maintenance items (fluid flush & fill, brakes, vacuum hose, etc), talk to your neighbors, friends and family. For the price of beer, pizza and parts you'll have a win/win/win: build relationships with folks, learn something and get your car fixed up! Best of luck, we all had to start exactly where you are now. You'd be amazed how many repairs you'll be able to do if you're not afraid to get dirt under your fingernails.

[JRL]

Or sell it and buy a Camry!