Sorry to have to bother you about this but I am just getting nowhere. I have a 2004 Volvo S80 D5 (Artica variant) originally bought in Italy. I am in Scotland now, and I am about to leave the country for good - ideally by car - ideally by Jan 7.
I noticed a problem with the steering and a mechanic I took it to told me the steering rack needs to be changed. The long and short of it is that they could not source one anywhere in the UK, and asked me to source it. I contacted volvo with the chassis number and they told me that the original part was 8684258, which then underwent code changes to 8602826, then 3603459, then 36000011 (at which point it would need an additional part to remain compatible), and finally 3605281.
I could not find 8684258, but found a 8602826 rack on autodoc.com. Unfortunately the garage phoned me and said it is not compatible with my car, because my car has a Servotronic, and this rack is for cars without. Volvo on the other hand seems to think, by my VIN number, that the car shouldn't have one.
I do recall, however, that the day I was sold it in 2004, I had to wait for a further two days to collect it because the car had an issue with the steering system, and they were going to reinstall a different part. I don't know what exactly they put in there.
The garage recommends that I buy a JRP1048 rack from Autodoc.co.uk - however I am hesitant to do this because of the first one gone wrong, and further research on them shows that about 30% of all orders leave them a terrible rating feedback and accuse them of scamming customers in various ways.
To complicate matters, my car is of course left hand wheel, and UK standards are Right hand wheel.
In summary, I'm about to be made homeless (I terminated my flat lease as I was planning to leave the country), and without even a car to sleep in or go to my new job/life.
I have three options essentially:
trust this mechanic and gamble again with autodoc.co.uk - but if I get it wrong again I will run out of time before I have to leave.
take it to a volvo dealer at considerable expense, though I am not sure if that guarantees a better job.
Ditch/disown the car and most of my possessions and get to the continent by air. This would be highly undesirable as I do need a car once I get there.
Any advice would be really appreciated. Many thanks and happy festivities
