Its pretty SOP to replace automatic tensioners in any interference design,
its maybe a $100 expense when compared to several thousand if the belt goes
south. A good way of finding out if this is common practice, is to call
around to other Volvo dealers and ask about the price of replacing a belt
and if they make a practice of replacing the tensioner when doing the
service. Then make a couple of calls to some Volvo specialists (not
dealers) and ask them the same thing. I'm betting the dealers don't change
the tensioner, while the specialists do. My mechanic (independent Euro car
specialist) does change the tensioners when doing a belt change.
Volvos have good models as well as bad models. So far my 1985 745 Turbo
with 4 speed manual and OD and 221K miles (original owner) has been
relatively inexpensive to maintain and is likely to be going for another
couple of hundred thousand more miles. I'm not sure that the 850 and V
series will be quite as reliable in the long term as the older, simpler
designs of the 240 and 74X series.
Jackson Zimmermann
'64 Sprite
'85 BMW 535i (the best car I have ever owned with more than 350k on the
clock and still going strong)
'85 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon (another keeper with 221K)
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/spridgets
|