When did you last have paid service for your Volvo

[volvolugnut]

We are very much a DIY group here on MVS. But there may be times you still take your Volvo to a dealer or independent for service. When was the last time you had service at a mechanic and what did they do for you? Why did you chose the business and were you satisfied?

For my self, last paid service was for a Mercedes to reset a transmission code. This was about 2016. I chose the independent mechanic because it was local and they confirmed they could reset the code on the phone. I did not have a scan tool that would reset the code. I had replaced the transmission electric circuit that was faulty. I was satisfied - it worked, But it cost about $60 for 5 minutes work.

volvolugnut

[TisMe]

I almost went to the dealer a few months ago to spend $80 on anaerobic sealer, does that count? I realized that despite how much of a hurry I was in to put my oil pan back on, the expedience was not worth the exorbitant fee.

Last year I went to a tire shop to have my new tires mounted and balanced nice guys, wheels haven't fallen off yet so they must know how to throw some weights.

Oh yeah, a couple years ago when I first got my wagon, I was in DC and my parking brake shoe delaminated and exploded. Super blessed to have been traveling at low speeds at the moment of detonation. Super carefully limped it a mile to the closest shop instead of leaving it in the road. Explained exactly what happened, and the owner looked me dead in the eye and says, "sounds like an ABS issue".
Decided to walk out the door, go to work, and Uber back the next day to remove the shrapnel myself in a dirty parking lot. Had no tools, world's worst tire iron, and got to bond with my car through the strength of nicely ugga-dugga'd Volvo lugnuts.

I went back into the shop during this and asked the same guy if he could lend me a proper tire iron. I was sweaty, brake dust on my gloveless hands, gravel falling off my elbows, and had my terrible tool in my hand to show him my plight. He looked me in the eye again and said, "we don't loan tools". At this point I realized the only good use for my tire iron, so I promptly left.

Later I flagged down one of his tow trucks leaving the parking lot and showed them my plight. They happily got out and removed the last lugs themselves. One of them had to stand on it with both feet and apply all his might. They refused to take any money. Absolute saints.

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Future prospects of taking my head to a machinist for a valve job, but everyone I called is booked up the wazoo. I was looking forward to taking a break, but I doubt I'll have the patience for their schedules and will likely do the rebuild myself.

[csh]

I'm mostly a DIY, but I live in a state that requires an annual safety inspection. At a minimum I have to go take my cars in for a safety inspection (and/or emissions testing) annually. Along with that I also don't do routine oil changes. Once you subtract out the cost of the oil and filter, it does not cost that much more t have someone else to do it plus it eliminates the hassle of disposing of the old oil. I did do a drain and fill on the transmission last year though. Other than that, a few years ago when replacing the front struts I decided to go ahead and replace the control arms too. Unfortunately the bolt for one of the control arms was rusted and seized in the sleeve for the bushing. I decided to stop fighting with it and took it too the shop and had them deal with the seized bolt and replace the control arm. Before that it was a ball joint that was found bad during a safety inspection and I decided to have them replace it just to have it done and out of the way. I'll have to admit that as I have gotten older I am now less inclined to wrench on my own cars. Plus the household budget isn't as tight as it used to be.

[abscate]

I still do all my own oil changes as the filters are FreeCP and I have a single oil I like in my chariots.

I’ve found it time saving doing it on my schedule, return from trip I’m pm, pop up on ramps, drain overnight, fill in morning.

I keep spare drain plugs and oil filter caps so I put the spares on and have the car back on the road in 5 minutes, then clean up the old oil for shipment to Alberta on the weekend.

Inspections, wheel alignments, and tires are the only paid service stops

[GlennG2759]

Ditto, Abscate. Admittedly half the work I’ve done to my V70, I would have not even attempted without the help and great expert advice from users on this forum. The only time I went to the dealer was to buy subframe bolts, crazy $10 a piece.

[Blacklab467]

I keep spare drain plugs and oil filter caps so I put the spares on and have the car back on the road in 5 minutes, then clean up the old oil for shipment to Alberta on the weekend.

That’s funny Abscate! At least one of you guys understands that we sell it to you at a steep discount, understanding that we will get some of it back when you’re done with it. A better use for it would be if you would drive it to Ottawa and dump it on the front door of the Parlaiment building!

[E1320]

I bought mine in January so nothing yet. I've done all my own oil changes on every car/truck and motorcycle I've owned since 1984. The only thing I won't do is exhaust work or something I need a lift for otherwise nobody touches my vehicles.

[kallekula]

Once i think. Needed a new key and a remote. Oh and I went for an airbag recall on my bmw once. Think I had another key made for a non-runner I bought.
So, three times in total.

[abscate]

I love the money saving of course, but am I right in sensing that lead times at shops are crazy? I was quoted three weeks lead time…for a State inspection. I’ve gotten quotes for jobs on three things in the last few years and didn’t even get a price, just asked when they could get me in. 3-6 weeks for big jobs.

I suspect most shops are just oil changes, brakes, struts, exhaust. Anything bigger and the bay time is too precious

[ignatz]

In Pa. we must get a state inspection and emissions test yearly. I'll do engine and transmission oil changes, plugs, filters, brakes, strut mounts and basic maintenance stuff. But leave the check engine codes, PCV, and timing belt stuff to my independent Volvo shop.
The lead times at my local indy Volvo guys is about 2 -3 weeks. If I would break down and have a car towed in, then they would try to fit it in when other people cancel appointments.
I buy my batteries at the Volvo dealer, and also got them to make a new key fob for our 05 S60 2.5t awd.
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