Do I really need new spring seats for my 2001 XC70?

jbach · Post by **jbach** » 09 Mar 2010, 13:52

I just took my 2001 XC70 (60,000 miles) in for inspection at the dealer here in Manhattan... It's a weekend car and I drive it about 6,000 miles a year... very lightly. The dealer calls me back and says I need new spring seats installed for $660!!! First off, I didn't complain about anything or notice/hear/feel anything problematic with the front end or steering, yet they managed to find this problem after having the car for a couple hours???! My wife seems to recall a squeaky/whiny/chirpy noise occasionally on turns however. I'm sure I believe the dealer... probably because they also suggested replacing my old battery, which is about 3 years old for a meer $330 (parts & labor)!

Can someone give me the staight facts about spring seats and when they need replacing, HELP please???? Thanks!

Post by **matthew1** » 09 Mar 2010, 13:59

I've never read that decayed spring seats cause problems beyond squeaking and groaning.

$330 battery? Hoo boy.

jbach · Post by **jbach** » 09 Mar 2010, 14:15

Matthew,

I meant to say that "I'm NOT sure I believe the dealer"... what do you think I should I do?

Post by **jblackburn** » 09 Mar 2010, 14:51

Stupid dealers.

Run away. Take the car somewhere else, a decent indy mechanic or even a garage that works on anything will be able to fix these for you. The spring seats are easy enough to check. Grab the top of the strut towers under the hood, and try to turn the seats with your hand. If they spin around more than 1/2" in either direction, they're bad. If they separate from the body of the car if you bounce the fender with your own weight, they're bad. But it's not $660 to replace them. The parts themselves are about $40 from a dealer, and I was able to replace my own in about 45 minutes once I set to it just by renting a spring compressor. Of course, you'll need to have an alignment done afterwards, so that's another $60 you really can't save yourself.

And $330 for a battery after 3 years? Go to Advance and have them run a battery test on it. Any good battery will last 5 years or more - mine's 6 and still got through the winter. If you've got under 350CCA left, then yes, it needs to be replaced. Interstate or Diehards will work just fine though - no need to go with the Volvo batteries. With a little bit of rummaging, you can even fit the next size class up, offering more cranking amps for winter, in the trunk area with no problem.

Post by **matthew1** » 09 Mar 2010, 14:59

jbach wrote:Matthew,

I meant to say that "I'm NOT sure I believe the dealer"... what do you think I should I do?

I know. I'm saying that you can probably drive the car forever if you don't mind the noises. Probably. I'm not a a tech, just some guy on the internet.

Post by **OEMVolvoParts** » 09 Mar 2010, 15:55

You don't want to drive around for a long time with bad spring seats, it will start to cause problems with other components, like the support plates and struts. The price they are charging is very steep, I'm glad you are doing your research.

I just want to emphasize one thing, not all dealers are created equal. I will use doctor's as an analogy. If you get diagnosed from a doctor and are not sure about what they say. Do you curse the doctor? Or go and get a second opinion? Maybe the first doctor you saw was crooked and was going to over-charge you for work you did not need. Just because that first doctor was crooked, does that then mean all doctor's are crooked? I do not think so, buyer beware. Again, I'm glad you are doing your reasearch.

They all represent Volvo as a retailer and that is about all they have in common. They can charge whatever rate/price they think they can get away with, parts and service. I'm not defending this dealer at all. They deserve to have people like the OP go somewhere else with their money. Eventually you start taking better care of your customers or you go under. It's that simple.

Post by **jblackburn** » 09 Mar 2010, 16:43

The only dealer I have ever trusted was the Acura dealer in Greensboro, NC. They have always been honest with us, and we have bought 3 cars from them, 2 new and 1 pre-owned. Sure, it was a 50-mile drive every time one of the cars needed service, but it was worth it, and they'd gladly give you a free loaner car to do some errands for the day. Coincidentally, Chris Daughtry used to work in the service department there before he went off to American Idol and became famous.

The Chrysler, Ford, and Volvo dealers around my area are all out to get you for everything you're worth. They wanted $350 to change the spark plugs in my sister's Escape, and the Chrysler dealer only creates new problems every time my parents took either of their cars to have something fixed. The Volvo dealer went out of business because they were next to the BMW and dealer, and stuck-up.

jbach · Post by **jbach** » 10 Mar 2010, 15:11

Thanks guys. I really appreciate ALL the advice. The only reason I took it to the dealer is that I believe they're the only ones who are able to turn off the "Servise" light that came on after 60,000 miles. Going to pick up the car now. This weekend I'll sort out the battery at Advance or Pep Boys and get a second opinion on the spring seats from them and a local mechanic.

Post by **JRL** » 10 Mar 2010, 17:24

A proper battery should cost you no moe than 125 or so
Living in NYC you may possibly need spring seats at 60K
Take a wrench on the nut on the top of the strut.
If you can turn it more than 1/8th of the way around, you most probably need them
If you can turn it more than 90 degress, you definitely do (need them).
The other way is to get a prybar, pry up the corner of the rubber on the spring seat and visually SEE if it's cracked.

Love those NYC prices, Who is this Martin Volvo in Manhattan?