Hello all, I am a first time Volvo owner and I own a 2005 Volvo S40 T5. I got the car at about 135,000 miles and I'm about to hit 140,000. I was told I should get my timing belts replaced when I got the car but I just haven't had the cash to do so. I am wondering how long I can keep driving without replacing the belt and some tips on how to reduce putting too much strain on it.

A separate issue I have is sometimes my car will feel like it's trying to change gears but can't for some reason. For example at about 2,500 rpm it will try and shift gears but instead I will decelerate and then accelerate causing the car to kind of lurch. The best way i can describe it is like it'a trying to shift into a higher gear but there isn't one so it does a literal hiccup. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

 

Volvo guidance is 10 years /100K miles so you car is due. The best way to avoid putting strain on the timing belt is to stop driving the car. If your belt goes (possibly due to a tensioner or idler binding up vs say the belt cracking and tearing), you are looking at a $1500-2000 engine repair for 10 bent exhaust valves, so don't wait too long.

In terms of the transmission odd shifting, it could be a range of things like a vaccuum leak, poor tune (are you on the original ignition coil packs?) or you may be low on transmission fluid (ie do a drain/fill if the fluid is brownish).

 

Anything past 140,000 miles is a crap shoot. You don't know how the previous owner treated the engine so it may be about to go or last a good long time. Again, you are gambling.

The best way to save cash is do this repair yourself. Ideally, you want to replace the belt, the tensioner, the idler pulley, and the water pump. You can get away without changing the water pump but if it goes you are looking at taking the belt off again to replace it. I just looked up a timing kit w/o water pump for $146 plus shipping. Kit with pump for $200 + shipping. For a 10+ year repair, that isn't bad.

 

I used to think that they apply some engineering margin into these recommendations. That changed when my Acura Integra had 101K miles and the timing belt snapped. The recommendation was to change it at 100K.

Fortunately it snapped when I was starting the car and the valves did not get bent.

 

These interference engines are not to be trifled with. My 2001 cost me 8 bent valves due to the leaking CVVT gear and my stupidity.

Back when Volvo had the 240 you could run that thing forever until the belt snapped and simply replace it. My neighbor ran his 240 with low oil pressure (disconnected the idiot light....) until the cam seized and the belt snapped. I cleaned it up, replaced the oil pump and timing belt and the dang thing fired right up. Not anymore.