Regularly Scheduled Maintenance???

[travljini]

So I'm a fairly new Volvo S-60 AWD owner, an '02 i purchased last year. I am used to driving old junkers most of my life, taking it down to Joe's garage for oil change, radiator flush and various sundry things like that for your typical low end american made car.

now that i'm driving a more complicated car, for lack of a better word, I'm not sure what to do with the car other than do what the dealer tells me.

The dealer (not where I bought the vehicle) has this exhaustive mileage list of "sche'd maintenance" i.e., 37,500, 45,000, 52,500, 60,000.

Do folks actually follow this plan? I feel like i'm gonna go broke continuing to comply with their "recommended" maintenance schedule.

Can any of you help me out with a resource where I can maintain my car (I want to keep it, say, for the next 15 years w/out getting suckered into exorbitant dealer costs?

[Viper_7]

If you plan to keep for 15 years etc..forget the dealers..find a good independant garage, easily half the costs for the same service - with original parts.

Those mileage quotes are also a little too often, depending on your driving/distance/stop start intervals etc...the indy will recommend a more "realistic" service scheduled...ie some sevices will simply be a fluid's change, not the full overhall that volvo do.

however....Volvo DO replace/upgrade components without your knowlege that the independant dealer may have no knowlege of..and thus miss.
thye do this after much research/servicing's..and life on the road...better to correct problems before the customer finds out than the customer coming in complaining about them later.

Give Volvo your VIN and you'd be suprised on the amound of work performed on the car - if done at volvo.

vipes

[JRL]

You can change the oil every 4 to 5K yourself but it should see a Volvo dealer every 7500 miles, if not at least for the 15K services.
These cars really do need retorquing of the suspension and the subframe every so oftn and they will take (software) upgrades.
You really have to do certain services or it most certainly will NOT make it for a long time.
If you want it to last, change the transmission fluid every 30K miles and make sure your breather system (PCV) is cleaned out every 60K at a minimum