Repairing an Old Volvo Comes at a Cost

With my cosmetic trim appointments mostly completed, I figured it would be best to take care of some preventative maintenance and some mechanical issues I had known about. 

The first was the brakes. While the brakes were functional, they needed some good work. The 240 is a non ABS car (except for 1993 models), so they use a brake proportioning valve in place of ABS. My old valve was leaky, so I needed to get it replaced. I ordered one from IPD, as the shop I was planning on bringing the 240 to noted that I would have to source the part myself. I had ordered the part previously, so I scheduled my appointment to bring the car in. The garage, which specialized in Swedish cars, was very much understaffed and back logged with clients, said it would probably be a little bit until they could look at my car. Eventually, a few weeks later, on June 13, I brought it in for its appointment. 

A week goes by, and no word on the car, so I call to check on the car. They told me I should pick it up, but no work had been done. It would be another week until they could look at it. So, I brought the 240 home, and waited a week, then brought it back. When I did, they promised work would get done as prompt as possible. This is where things started to go a little south.

The shop called a few days later with some rather concerning news. Apparently my valve that I had supplied had a leaky washer, and they would need to perform the entire repair all over again, which essentially meant that I had to pay for the repair twice. Yikes. However, if they were able to fix the washer with a new one, they'd be able to save me some money. I agreed on the chance that they could do it, so I waited patiently in anticipation for what the fate of my brake valve would be. 

Well, after two days of patiently (and anxiously) waiting, they called back, and... it was a success! The shop was able to fix the washer, and stop the leak coming from the valve. Although, at an $800 expense, this did come at a hefty cost. Fortunately, I had the money saved, so it wasn't a terrible loss. 

Next, it was time for the timing belt. which is where the rose colored glasses started to wear off. 

I brought the 240 to a different shop, this time one that would take my car in at a reasonable time, and have it out in less than week. My grandfather had an old 940 sedan, and he would bring his to this shop, so I knew they were familiar with Volvo products. They agreed to take it in and service the belt. They told me the cost of the repair and labor up front, so I knew what I would be paying. I would also get a courtesy inspection, and they would let me know their findings.

I had brought the 240 in on a Tuesday, and two days later, that Thursday, I recieved a call from the shop, but they didn't have great news. It turns out the 240 needed a lot of brake work done, as the front rotors were very warped. To make matters a bit worse, the previous shop had bled the brakes incorrectly, so there was about 4% air in the lines. The drive belt, which controls the power steering, water, and other mechanical pumps, needed to be replaced, as it was only a matter of time before things would become serious. I agreed to have that fixed, which would add about $300 to my total. 

Bit by bit, the 240 will be brought back to great mechanical shape. Repairs I don't feel comfortable doing myself will be brought to a shop, but others will be done myself. The next big thing on the list of repairs is the rotors, which I plan to do myself, as after trolling forums, it doesn't seem to be that bad of a repair job in terms of difficulty. After that, maybe I'll consider fixing the loose head light bracket. I already need a new hood hinge at the time of writing this, but I'm excited to get my hands dirty. Until next time, folks!