Opinions wanted: Do I go through with this repair?

[matthew1]

WCW you can do this. We can help.

Matthew,
New motto for MVS?
"You can do this. We can help."

volvolugnut

It's already the motto for Home Depot or Lowes, I forget which.

[volvolugnut]

WCW you can do this. We can help.

Matthew,
New motto for MVS?
"You can do this. We can help."

volvolugnut

It's already the motto for Home Depot or Lowes, I forget which.

It must be a good motto, if others are using it.
volvolugnut

[cn90]

The problem with older items such as cars, houses etc.
- The houses are often > $100K, so ppl put in effort/money to fix.
- Once the car value drops below < $1,000, the desire to fix is less.

But some of these older cars are valued < $1,000 simply bc of the age (how many years old).
So KBB car value (done for insurance purposes) is NOT the same as "how much is it worth for you" kind of thing.

So, if the car is still functional and you think you can get some 5-10 more yrs out of it then
I think you should fix it. Most of car repair cost is from labor charges.

BTW,
- FCPEuro sells timing belt kit (Conti) for $90-$100 range.
- The VVT Hub (9497786) is about ~ $260 normally, but $210 when on sale at Volvo dealer.
Just wait for the sale. You ONLY need to replace the Exh Hub, they usually wear out at 140K or so.
The Int Hub lasts a loooong time bc it is rarely activated.
- WP (Ainsi) is about $60.
- Replace the cam seals (Corteco) x2 too.
Good investment bc it keeps the car from junk yard.

Still cheaper than a new car payment.

In the US, we live in such wasteful culture that we trash items too soon.
In Europe, esp Eastern Europe, they fix all of these problems.

PS: O.P., if you can find someone from this forum near you, you may want to tackle this with that person.

[abscate]

I bet the hubs are find and you just gave a leaky cam seal

[cn90]

Actually the VVT hub after 140K miles have so much play that even with a brand new cam seal it leaks anyway.
I documented in the DIY.

This is why after 140K, replace only the Exhaust VVT Hub (no need to replace the Intake VVT Hub).

[xHeart]

You have a better Volvo, so keep it.
I would repair with future outlook; a piecemeal fix would burden your pocketbook. Here is my experience of 2001 V70XC - 200,000 Miles Makeover viewtopic.php?t=92790.

It is running great; my next milesstone is 400,000km with refreshed EVAP system.

[erikv11]

I’ve not seen any bad vvt hubs yet, in our three p2 cars. Odometers read 180k,180k, 205k. No cam seal leaks either. The hubs don’t just suddenly wear out at 140k, that would be an early failure in my experience. Checking the hub for play is the key, then decide if it needs replacement.

Since you paid relatively little for the car, I’d certainly consider fixing it. These are not end of life failures for the car, just routine maintenance. But there’s more to come such as the struts etc - as stated, if you have to pay a shop for everything then you may want to move on. Get something less fun To drive with better longevity eg a Toyota of the same or earlier vintage.

[abscate]

If you are driving the average 12000 miles a year, budget $2400 a year for paid repairs. This job consumes less than half of that at reasonable rates, so it’s a go from me.

Note the value of the car is immaterial in this.

You can DIY for a lot less of course.

[erikv11]

... Note the value of the car is immaterial in this.

For sure, any car will cost money to maintain and keep on the road. Given that you have to buy a car just to "get in" as it were, the purchase price (although not the value per se) of the car is also relevant to the decision.

You can't get a base hit (or strike out!) if you're not in the game.

[vtl]

I bought my 2005 in 2012 for $12000 with 80k miles and put north of $25000 in parts in 10 years and 150k miles. No gas, no oil, no tires, just parts and some mods. I'd say at least 1/3 of that was not really mandatory, but the rest was really needed. Engine and transmission rebuild was another $6000, and it keeps ticking, something is always wrong with it. Your $17000 is assuring I'm not too far off. I actually had another 05 XC70 I got as a chassis donor to replace mine that I crashed, it had basically the same set of issues. 02 V70 I had prior had perhaps even more issues per square inch. I found many bugs I fixed in V70 to be fixed by Volvo on an 05.

I'd say, this car is good up to 150k miles, maybe a bit more. Then it starts to fall apart. Pretty much everything would require a rebuild or replacement. If you rely on that car for your day to day duties - jump out. If you have something other to drive, and you can wrench, and you have time to spare - keep it. Modern cars are often even worse, less durable, harder to work on, more expensive, Volvo including.