I am writing this post because there has kind of been a little debate lately about timing belts and the service intervals.
[/align]The post is to show why the timing belt should really be changed at about 70,000 miles instead of 105,000 like Volvo says it should be.
[/align]Also Make sure you replace the tensioner and idler pulleys as well.
[/align]I have some pics of belts I have replaced at work on cars.
[/align]I have the belts from a few of the different models the milage will vary between 70K and 80K. You will see how the belts crack at that milage.
[/align]I would not trust the belts like that on my own car. That's why I am making this post so that everyone is informed about the belts and what can happen if they break.
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[/align]I know not everyone has the money always to get the job done. I know how it is I have 4 kids and very little money. But the point I am trying to make is that it is better to pay between $700.00 to $800.00 or so. Rather than having to Junk the car or pay over $3000.00 to get the head rebuilt or replaced. Or maybe even more to have a new motor installed.
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[/align]I have my own theory on why they go bad faster on the 1999 and newer cars than on the older cars.
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[/align]I think it is because of how the timing covers are made.
[/align]The older cars all the heat that gets to the timing belt only comes from the front of the motor.
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[/align]The 1999 and newer cars the timing cover are different because of having the VVT valve in the cam cover. That allows all the heat from the top of the motor to access the timing belt and add more heat to that area causing the belt to go bad faster.
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[/align]On the 1993 to 1998 5 cylinders and 1994 to 1998 6 cylinders the timing belts could last a lot long but I wouldn't trust them either.
[/align]But that's my theory.
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[/align]Now onto the pictures the first batch will be the timing belt pictures with the model,year and milage that they were changed.
[/align]Then the last batch of pictures will be an idler and tensioner pulley from a S80.(Not as bad as I wanted for an example picture but will work.
[/align]Then finally a picture of an engine that had the belt break.
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[/align]This way everyone has an Idea of the entire situation.
[/align]Then you can make your own decisions from here.
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[/align]The first belt is from a 2000 S80 with 72,623 miles
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[/align]The second belt is from a 2003 S40 with 73,746 miles
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[/align]The last one is from a 2001 V70 with 82,700 miles
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[/align]
[/align]
[/align]Here is a tensioner if you look closely in one spot you will see where grease started coming out of the bearing.
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[/align]Here is the idler same here both sides were spinning grease out.
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[/align]If your serpentine belt looks like this replace it I have seen them break as well and get sucked into the engine and break the timing belt as well.
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[/align]So there is my post the pics might not be the best but should help some.
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Sorry here is the pics of the head and block.

 

Good info, thanks for the pics as well. Just curious to know what Volvo will do for an owner who has a failure which causes damage before the 105K mark..... Also, do you favor any other brand belts over OEM?

 

Volvo will do nothing.
We use Continental belts which are OEM.

 

Thanks for all this great info, Tech.

Yesterday while at the dealer I asked about timing belt replacement on our V-8 AWD XC-90 because we're at 60K miles. I had read thisthread last week and wanted to know if I should plan for this to be done in the near future on our Volvo.

The service manager informed me that the V-8 has a timing chain,not a timing belt, and the maintenance interval on it is correspondingly longer, at like 150K miles.

Just passing this along as information for the V-8 owners. If anyone knows different on this, please advise asap!

 

Hi Tech,

We just bought a 2005 Volvo XC90 5Cyl, 36K miles. (we were shopping for a nissan murano but we drove the volvo a falled in loved with it) after the fact, I talked to our mechanic and the first thing that I hear from him was "THAT WAS A MISTAKE, VOLVO WILL GIVE YOU A LOT OF TROUBLES" and the second thing he said was "IF YOU KEEP IT, MAKE SURE YOU CHANGE THAT TIMMING BELT ASAP" and he gave me an explanation just like the one posted on this forum... So I guess you agree to the second statement.. but how many other precautions should I take appart from a good schedule maintenance? I read different forums and encouter a lot of comments about transmition going bad @ 40K to 50K (apparently only on the T6) is that correct? (based on your experience)

Thanks

 

Im gonna put some of my input on this, I still work at a dealer, All rubber made products overtime will crack like that, especially in heat situations, however that belt WILLNOT break, the tensioners and water pump will fail before that belt breaks.

That is how i purchased my 99S70, the ORIGINAL purchaser of this car never did ANY maintence aside from oil change and tires, and plugs when it started missing, the tensioner finally broke at 206,000miles, the belt never did break. I have seen some situations were the tensioners fail around 90-100k and volvo paid for them. after all it is a recommendation, you also have a better chance of volvo helping if you do your maintainence at the dealer.

I dont recall ever seeing a belt brake, i've always seen something else give way chewing up the belt.

Also the 5cyl Turbo XC90's are due at 120k and the 6cyl at due at 105k

This is my opinion and does reflect any negativity tward anyone who thinks it should be done sooner..

 

is the T6 an interference engine? Odd for a charged engine to hit, never seen that. Please reply, I only havn't done mine because I am thinking it won't hit if it breaks. Thx,

 

Oh yes yours will hit if it breaks and it will cost about 3k to repair it.

 

I just wanted to pass along my comments and thoughts on the XC90 and maintenance issues.
first of all, I have had no problems with our 2004 model. It runs like a champ, getting between 25 and 28 miles per gallon depending on load and driving style at the time. The car has the 5 cylinder, single turbo. Always used Mobil 1 5W-30 and now use the Extended service Mobil 1 and I will change oil at the maximum interval suggested by Volvo.
The car has about 55k miles on it now and drives great. I will wait for the recommended mileage interval as suggested in the owners manual for the timing belt changeout as I have great faith in the Volvo products, workmanship, and quality.
Back in the 90s, I think that Volvo had gone downhill some and they were paying a price for it. Now, Volvo has come back to have a great product.
I believe that if you take care of any automobile built in the last ten years, you will have a product that will last a very long time, longer than you want it to.

 

Good luck with that. Also what it doesn't say in the manual is that the tensioner and idler is reccomended to be replaced at 80K.

 

I have great faith in the Volvo products, workmanship, and quality.


hmmm, "great faith in Volvo product, quality and workmanship"??? I have been a tech for over 20 years and I own an 04 XC90. WHAT QUALITY??? The tranny? The transfer case? The wheel bearings? Explain please!
Thanks for the answer about the tbelt Tech, I replaced it last week. Looks a little scary at first but I've done it in 2 and 1/2 hrs, goes quick actually. Now I feel much better...
p.s. what a dumb place for a thermostat...

 

Yes very dumb Did you have the pleasure of having the motor with the hose from the coolant bottle to the front of the engine/thermostat housing?

 

Thanks for the information.

As you know I started a thread about changing the timing belt……should have looked a little further to find this one. I’m still looking for the procedure and or my disc!.

Couldn’t help reading about the water pump? Don’t tell me they designed the water pump/impeller inside the block? If so…….Shouldn’t all that be changed while it’s apart for the timing belt?

Also, I bought a used XC90 T6 and have read were some owners have been having problems with the transmission. Obviously, that’s not a good thing! Volvo made a business decision to equip that model with an “American Made Transmission�. Like any other car manufacture their trying to survive in this economy. There’s nothing you can do about it. Question I have…… is there any thing that I can do to extend the transmission life besides changing the oil and filter which I have already done?
I use synthetic oils in everything!

Just a comment after reading a lot of different threads!

I grew up in Southern California and got to see various walks of life and it became amusing to me how some people treat their European cars like it’s a human thing of sorts. Sometimes better then they treat their children……….and that’s too bad.

A car is a mechanical thing. It’s going to wear out over time and break. Preventive maintenance is a way of life and some mechanical things require more attention. My dad taught me the importance of changing engine oil, because over time it has to overcome thermal, mechanical, and chemical break down. Depending on how hard you drive the car (lead foot) you might need to change the oil way before the manufactures suggested interval to prevent metal to metal wear. He also used to add marvel mystery oil in with the coolant because it lubricated the water pump!……..I also do that.

Anywho, People are funny especially the ones with money. They get what they want in life then complain about it because it isn’t perfect.

Sorry about the rambling….!

Recap…..Water pump change?
Transmission suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

 

You might want to do it to be safe. Yes there is a like cone shaped receiver in the block for the impellers for the water pump to go into.

I would just keep changing the oil every 20K in the transmission to try to keep it going longer.

 

Can anyone else verify this information? I have just purchased a 2005 XC90 with the V8 engine and would like to know for sure. It does appear to me that there is a timing chain that can be seen through the oil cap. Without disassembling the engine or having a repair manual, I can not be sure.

Does anyone have a hard copy of the belt changing procedures? If you have done this yourself, would you mind posting some of the key steps or things to know when changing the belt yourself?

On my other vehicles I tend to replace belts and idlers at around 100,000 miles to avoid problems. I have never had anything fail sooner than that, but bearings and belts start to get worn at that mileage in my experience. If the belt on the V8 is also the timing belt, I will certainly change it even sooner to prevent possible catastrophic engine failure.

 

Hello i'm new to the forum and i've been searching for information on my 07 xc90 with 3.2 . Anybody knows if it's a belt or a chain and info for the change intervals. also is it a interference engine or non interference.

cheers

thanks in advance

 

Also - be sure to replace the thermastat housing with t-belt replacement. Evidently it is easy to damage when replacing t-belt. I replaced t-belt at 122k but the guy cracked the thermastat housing, coolant leaked onto the belt and the belt nearly snapped - caught it just in time.

 

how difficult is it to change a timing belt on a 04 xc90 t6

 

It is tight to work in the area but not horrible.

 

That just shows you how cheap Volvo parts are. A tensioner should NEVER go out or a pully for that matter. I have serios issues with my P.O.S XC90 that nobody can figure out. The dealer just wants cash and doesnt give 2 cents about your car, just the sale of a new one. I have 256000 miles on my chevy tahoe and not one problem from it.