I am a newbie and no mechanic by any stretch. I have done some research here and spoken with two mechanics. Here is what I have learned FWIW:

----Car age is as important as mileage on the S60. Volvo suggests a new timing belt, tensioners, idler pulleys, oil seals and the water pump be replaced every 7 years regardless of mileage

----Run 10W-30 in the engine unless you live in a very cold climate

----I was quoted $1,300.00 for the timing belt job at one location. I have a former neighbor and friend who I trust due to knowing him for years that owns a mechanic shop. He will do the job for $810.00

----Finally, when buying a used car in this category (2002 S60 2.4)---i.e.: Saab, Mercedes, BMW, if you don't have service records, you will spend some money to make sure it is within spec. You may pay more for a care with nicer cosmetics but you will still have to spend the money for routine maintenance. I would rather pay less for a car with a few cosmetic issues that can be repaired with better mechanical qualities.

 

everyone has opinions on the grade of oil to use.
5/30 is fine for almost all climates. Mechanics don't have any special knowledge when it comes to the grade or type of oil used.

Most important for your timing belt change, is the type of parts you are using. Your mechanics may use aftermarket. Not good. A tensioner, belt, or idler pully that goes is death to the engine.

Water pumps rarely go on a Volvo. Every other belt change, if you get that far is fine.

Same with the cam seals.

Genuine Volvo parts are around $150 for the job, and the rest labor. You do the math on that one. 5/40 is generally accepted as the premier oil for this engine although I have never used it I may this summer. I have to clear out stashes of Pennzoil Plat 5/30.

I would be very curious as to comments from your mechanic about trans fluids used on this car. Usually a very spirited discussion.

 

Thanks for the insight.

 

Timing belt should be closer to $500.

 

I had a local Euro-Auto shop quote the timing belt on a S60 2.4t (good reputation, specializes in European autos and deal with a lot of Volvos). They use the Continental brand timing belt kit (belt, idler, tensioner) at $152 and they charge $85/hr. labor. He said it lists as a 2 1/2 hour job so $212.50 labor. Throw in "shop supplies" and its a $370 job plus tax.

 

Just had my 2.4T timing belt done last week.

Volvo Timing Kit $334.38
Labor 2.8 hours $246.40
Serpentine Belt $69.64
Shop Supplies $12.32

Total $662.74

If I needed a water pump It would have added $350 to that price. My local shop is SwedeOne Autowerks in Portland OR. I'm sure Ill continue working with these folks for a long time.

 

Wow! Looking at those prices makes me glad I'm able to do my own maintenance and repairs. Having just done the timing belt maintenance on my own '02 S60 (using the Conti kit w/ new idler and tension), my conscience wouldn't let me charge more then $350 (parts included) to do it for someone else. However, I don't have any overhead costs to contend with. Even so, I think Keniasteve is the only one here who isn't getting bent over.

Seriously, it took me about 2.5 hours to do, and it was the first timing belt I've EVER done! Next time I'll be able to do it in about an hour and a half.

 

Has anyone ever replaced a Factory radio with an aftermarket radio?
- I purchased the hardware (mounts, conversion cable, and antenna cable) to do this from Crutchfield.
- Now I am told that the steering wheel control interfaces on the market are not compatible with the 2003 Volvo S60.
- There is a posting that does not recommend I change the radio period, because it will cause other issues.

My only issue with the factory radio is the AM stations do not come in clearly. If I could fix this I would be happy with the factory radio.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.