240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

[PButler111]

Since I'm finally in the same room with the list of things my "new" car needs
done, let me throw it out there, FYI. If you recall (and why would you?) my
mechanics say the car needs $1250 of work done to bring it up to snuff. Here's
the list:

--Oil change
--Tune up
--Transmission service
--Clean throttle body
--Replace wrong timing belt with correct one
--Replace drive belts
--Cooling flush with thermostat

In addition, they think it should have new tires before winter. One problem
that's not included above that I'm not going to worry about until next year is
the air conditioning. The AC is fully charged, but it's only blowing coolish.
My mechanic thinks there might be some overlapping going on between the AC and
heating that's causing the problem. Since we're cruising into cool weather
here, and since I'm already laying out a lot of money for the other repairs,
I'm going to leave that as a project for the spring.

Does that all sound about right?

Thanks again,
Patricia

 

[Steve n Holly]

Since I'm finally in the same room with the list of things my "new" car needs
done, let me throw it out there, FYI. If you recall (and why would you?) my
mechanics say the car needs $1250 of work done to bring it up to snuff. Here's
the list:

--Oil change 25
--Tune up 400 tops
--Transmission service 100-150
--Clean throttle body 60-100
--Replace wrong timing belt with correct one ~3-400
--Replace drive belts

as part of timing belt job-40-50

--Cooling flush with thermostat 75

1200 sounds right

In addition, they think it should have new tires before winter.

suggest this one--
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...7SR4BT70S&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes

say 250 for tires and 50 for the mounting and balance, and 50-75 for an
alignment
350-375

One problem

that's not included above that I'm not going to worry about until next year is
the air conditioning. The AC is fully charged, but it's only blowing coolish.
My mechanic thinks there might be some overlapping going on between the AC and
heating that's causing the problem. Since we're cruising into cool weather
here, and since I'm already laying out a lot of money for the other repairs,
I'm going to leave that as a project for the spring.

Does that all sound about right?

Thanks again,
Patricia

sounds good to me

 

[james of tucson]

--Replace wrong timing belt with correct one

I don't care what the previous owner claims, if I acquire a used Volvo,
it's getting: Timing Belt, Seal, Water Pump, and a Radiator, if it has
any plastic on it. Hoses and drive belts. Battery. Plug wires. IPD
Sway Bars.

In addition, they think it should have new tires before winter.

Judgement call. I will always put a set of Michelin X-Radials on any
car I drive. Michelin tires have saved my life more than once.

The AC is fully charged, but it's only blowing coolish.

There is a well-known problem in many years, the A/C control unit has
various issues. If you're sure the pressure is good in the AC system,
(and you're sure you are sure), then it is possible that there is a
grounding problem, or even, a cold solder on the control circuit. Best
solution? Replace it with a later one. Costs about $300, ouch, but
there it is. Problem exists on many, many, many Volvos.

Blower motor blows strong right? Reason I ask, it takes an act of
congress to change it. True for every model of Volvo, ever. They put
the motor in, then build the car around it, literally.

Does that all sound about right?

Yeah! It sounds like you got a good deal. The stuff that's being
suggested by your mechanic is pretty standard for any used car. On a
Volvo, there are a couple of specific things, I'll risk repeating here:

1. Plastic radiators. Some models for the US market had plastic
radiators. Bad for the second owner. Get rid of it. Get a new
thermostat and hoses while you're swapping this for an all-metal one.

2. Timing belt. Bite the bullet. Change the belt. While the mechanic
has it apart, replace the front seal and the water pump. This
maintenance is the difference between a car that dies after 100,000
miles, and the car that lasts forever. (Well, besides rust and bad
driving).

3. IPD sway bars. The stock suspension is not bad, but it's so much
better if you beef it up with these.


Enjoy your car.

 

[PButler111]

Subject: Re: 240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

From: james of tucson [email protected]
Date: 9/7/2004 5:54 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: <[email protected]>



I don't care what the previous owner claims, if I acquire a used Volvo,
it's getting: Timing Belt, Seal, Water Pump, and a Radiator, if it has
any plastic on it. Hoses and drive belts. Battery. Plug wires. IPD
Sway Bars.


Judgement call. I will always put a set of Michelin X-Radials on any
car I drive. Michelin tires have saved my life more than once.


There is a well-known problem in many years, the A/C control unit has
various issues. If you're sure the pressure is good in the AC system,
(and you're sure you are sure), then it is possible that there is a
grounding problem, or even, a cold solder on the control circuit. Best
solution? Replace it with a later one. Costs about $300, ouch, but
there it is. Problem exists on many, many, many Volvos.

Blower motor blows strong right? Reason I ask, it takes an act of
congress to change it. True for every model of Volvo, ever. They put
the motor in, then build the car around it, literally.


Yeah! It sounds like you got a good deal. The stuff that's being
suggested by your mechanic is pretty standard for any used car. On a
Volvo, there are a couple of specific things, I'll risk repeating here:

1. Plastic radiators. Some models for the US market had plastic
radiators. Bad for the second owner. Get rid of it. Get a new
thermostat and hoses while you're swapping this for an all-metal one.

2. Timing belt. Bite the bullet. Change the belt. While the mechanic
has it apart, replace the front seal and the water pump. This
maintenance is the difference between a car that dies after 100,000
miles, and the car that lasts forever. (Well, besides rust and bad
driving).

3. IPD sway bars. The stock suspension is not bad, but it's so much
better if you beef it up with these.


Enjoy your car.

Thanks. They are replacing the timing belt and the drive belts and the
thermostat. Yes, the blower is strong (and I'm aware of the problems they can
have, having experienced it on a previous 240). The AC I won't worry about
until spring. The car currently has 190,000 miles on it, and still seems to be
going very strong. I ordered seat covers for the front today as well. There's
nothing wrong with the seats currently, but I'd like to keep them that way. I
was able to get a pair of custom made covers quite inexpensively, so I figured,
why not? Let the covers take the wear and tear of my backside rather than the
nice leather.

Thanks everyone for your input. You've reassured me that this time I made a
good deal.

 

[James Sweet]

Since I'm finally in the same room with the list of things my "new" car needs
done, let me throw it out there, FYI. If you recall (and why would you?) my
mechanics say the car needs $1250 of work done to bring it up to snuff. Here's
the list:

--Oil change
--Tune up
--Transmission service
--Clean throttle body
--Replace wrong timing belt with correct one
--Replace drive belts
--Cooling flush with thermostat

Sounds like about 5x what it would cost me to do it all myself but then the
mechanics have to eat and pay for the shop overhead as well.

 

[James Sweet]

Blower motor blows strong right? Reason I ask, it takes an act of
congress to change it. True for every model of Volvo, ever. They put
the motor in, then build the car around it, literally.

Not every model Volvo, in the 700 series cars a blower motor replacement is
actually very easy, shouldn't take more than an hour even the first time
around. The 240 though is a rather involved job.

 

[PButler111]

Subject: Re: 240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

From: "James Sweet" [email protected]
Date: 9/7/2004 9:05 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: <WNt%c.9079$x12.5555@trnddc05>





Sounds like about 5x what it would cost me to do it all myself but then the
mechanics have to eat and pay for the shop overhead as well.

Yes, well, you could put me and all those Shakespeare typing monkeys in a fully
outfitted garage with that car and give us from here until all eternity and
together we'd still never be able to make a start on accomplishing these fixes,
so I guess I'd have to say the mechanics are well worth their $85 an hour.

 

[Handywired]

--Oil change

--Tune up
--Transmission service
--Clean throttle body
--Replace wrong timing belt with correct one
--Replace drive belts
--Cooling flush with thermostat

$1250?!?! That had better be one heck of a tuneup! I meant with all new
sensors (air mass especially, ASK THEM), new cap, plugs, wires, roors, etc.

Oil change $25 at any quickie place;
tranny service sounds scary but is a drain and replace filter most likely, a
$100 job tops;
Throttle body, I dunno;
belts, including timing belt, is a $150 job
cooling flush is a $60 job;

So that's a... what... $900 dollar tuneup? Like I said, that had better be one
"major" tuneup, with all the frills. If it is, that's not exorbinant but does
seem a little high. What you are describing strikes me as $900 worth of work,
total, at my local shop, max.

-jeff

 

[PButler111]

Subject: Re: 240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

From: [email protected] (Handywired)
Date: 9/8/2004 1:41 AM Central Daylight Time


$1250?!?! That had better be one heck of a tuneup! I meant with all new
sensors (air mass especially, ASK THEM), new cap, plugs, wires, roors, etc.

Oil change $25 at any quickie place;

I don't take my car to "quickie" places. It's worth the extra $18 for me to
have the oil change done by a mechanic I know and trust who knows my car and
specializes in imports.

tranny service sounds scary but is a drain and replace filter most likely, a
$100 job tops;

$188 actually.

Throttle body, I dunno;

Cleaning the throttle body is included in the full tuneup, which is $298.

belts, including timing belt, is a $150 job
$374.

cooling flush is a $60 job;

With thermostate, $135.

So that's a... what... $900 dollar tuneup? Like I said, that had better be
one
"major" tuneup, with all the frills. If it is, that's not exorbinant but
does
seem a little high. What you are describing strikes me as $900 worth of
work,
total, at my local shop, max.

-jeff

and if I needed pelvic exam, I'm fairly confident that I could get any number
of men to put on a white coat and give me a look-see for far cheaper than my
gynecologist. But I'm probably not going to do that. When it comes to things
that are important to me, I'd prefer to pay the going rate of my trusted
specilist rather than cheap out and probably run into problems later.

 

[Daniel]

trip. I



Oil pressure and oil changes are two completely different things, you could
change your oil every 500 miles (every 4000 is plenty if you use good
filters) and if you lose pressure due to a faulty pump, bad seal, leak, etc)
the engine will still cook in short order. At the very least make sure the
idiot light comes on when you first turn on the key.





Depends very much on the climate, I've seen them get grody after 5-6 years
but usually they last 10-12, longer if the car has been garaged. Sunlight
contains a lot of UV which degrades plastic.

Is there a way to remove the UV absorbed (oxidation) that seems caked
from with in the lens, I tryed it and it somewhat worked, problem being
I had dificulity sealing the lens back to housing they or it began to
leak moisture inside it which then distorts the light beams?

Dan

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

Thanks. They are replacing the timing belt and the drive belts and the
thermostat.

Replace the water pump as well, since they won't charge
you twice for taking the front of the engine apart.

 

[PButler111]

Subject: Re: 240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

From: Joseph Oberlander [email protected]
Date: 9/9/2004 12:10 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: <[email protected]>




Replace the water pump as well, since they won't charge
you twice for taking the front of the engine apart.

Funny you should say that! They called yesterday and said that normally when
they're doing some of the other stuff they also do the water pump, seals, and
tensioner. It's going to cost an extra $390, but will be cheaper to do it now
than to wait until there's a problem. I swallowed hard and said, in a sheep's
voice, "Okay."

 

[Steve n Holly]

I don't take my car to "quickie" places. It's worth the extra $18 for me to
have the oil change done by a mechanic I know and trust who knows my car and
specializes in imports.


$188 actually.


Cleaning the throttle body is included in the full tuneup, which is $298.


With thermostate, $135.


and if I needed pelvic exam, I'm fairly confident that I could get any number
of men to put on a white coat and give me a look-see for far cheaper than my
gynecologist. But I'm probably not going to do that. When it comes to things
that are important to me, I'd prefer to pay the going rate of my trusted
specilist rather than cheap out and probably run into problems later.

You are aware that playing doctor isn't just for kids, don't you?

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

Funny you should say that! They called yesterday and said that normally when
they're doing some of the other stuff they also do the water pump, seals, and
tensioner. It's going to cost an extra $390, but will be cheaper to do it now
than to wait until there's a problem. I swallowed hard and said, in a sheep's
voice, "Okay."

$390 is a bit steep, actually. Make sure it's not a cheap no-name
water pump.

 

[PButler111]

Subject: Re: 240 Worth It? Opinions Wanted!

From: Joseph Oberlander [email protected]
Date: 9/9/2004 11:16 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: <[email protected]>




$390 is a bit steep, actually. Make sure it's not a cheap no-name
water pump.

These guys don't do cheap, no-name. I picked up the car last night. They
quoted me $1640 for all the work, but ended up charging me only a little over
$1300. For the last minute water pump, etc., stuff, they ended up only charging
me for parts, no labor. This is why I like taking the car to folks I have a
relationship with.

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

These guys don't do cheap, no-name. I picked up the car last night. They
quoted me $1640 for all the work, but ended up charging me only a little over
$1300. For the last minute water pump, etc., stuff, they ended up only charging
me for parts, no labor. This is why I like taking the car to folks I have a
relationship with.

Nice find there.