- 12/17/2014
- 2 Min Read
- By: Anthony Peacock
Why Every DIY'er Can Benefit From a Good Mechanic
Getting into the car DIY world means there are going to be some tough times and occasionally some serious road blocks. Having someone local or at least reliable to call on for help and advice is huge. I got myself into a few situations that my independent Volvo mechanic was able to quickly and cheaply get me out of.
Squeak & Sever
The first I want to share regards my faulty shock mount. For quite a while I was chasing down the solution to an error code involving a sensor in my '98 S70 T5's gas tank. The shoe finally dropped when it was up for NYS inspection and the shops would no longer accept the CEL bulb being removed. Taking the car to the dealer yielded a hefty $950.00 quote for removing the tank and replacing the sensor in question. In comes my (now favorite) mechanic. After sharing what was going on he commented that he had never replaced the sensor in question and that the cause may be something else.
He found that the passenger side shock mount had broken free just enough to rub through a wire causing the car to throw the resulting code. Perhaps the S70 stereo is a bit too nice if it drowned out the noise for that long...
$280 for a new shock mount + labor and I was on my way with one less squeak and one less code in my system.
Cool advice
Getting good A/C in a Volvo can come at a premium. With multiple failure points in this system, blowing nothing but hot air is pretty common. While trying to recharge my AC system I could not get the compressor to engage and take in new refrigerant. Then comes a quick trip to the shop where my mechanic grabbed his home made set of jumpers and manually engaged it via the firewall-mounted low pressure switch, confirming everything was fine. Turns out I was not using the valve properly on the A/C hose, oops. There was thankfully no charge for this quick check up and it then allowed me to get the A/C recharged for about $30 versus the standard shop price of $90-$120.
Knowing When I'm Beaten
DIY can be a lot of fun and even rewarding, especially to your wallet. But, there can be occasions when it gets out of hand. Replacing the PCV system on a Volvo with the elongated intake plenum shouldn't be that hard and frankly could have been made easier in a number of ways. After a fair amount of time putting my car back together, everything apart from one bolt was back in place. On a '99+, there is a tricky banjo bolt fitting that sits under the manifold, and it not-so-conveniently sits a finger's width away from the alternator. This banjo bolt requires a copper washer on either side of the breather hose and holding them there is nearly impossible. The bolt needs to re-enter the manifold at about a 10 or 15 degree angle and with normal sized hands I feel it is impossible.
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I spent a good 5-6 hours trying to re-fit just this once piece. I tried really what I thought was everything, taking off the manifold and trying to bend the pipe to fit and even buying ratcheting wrenches to get it spinning from above. Nothing worked and I was forced to call for help. $40 and a AAA tow truck ride later my mechanic had it back in. Sadly I could not get the process as to how it was done but I imagine if you do it for long enough there is a trick or two to be learned.
To make a long story short, when replacing this vehicle's PCV system plan on dismounting the alternator and it should make it substantially easier. Or, install removable worm gear clamps on these small coolant lines to avoid having to remove this banjo bolt in the future.
Volvos need love
A good relationship and perhaps even friendship with my mechanic has been paramount to my Volvo ownership. It's reinforced how much love these cars take and how much people love them. An honest mechanic that knows about Volvos can save tons of money in the long run and make Volvo ownership somewhat affordable among other European marques.
Anthony Peacock is a small business owner and Volvo DIY enthusiast. He is an experienced videographer and editor with a long running reputation for owning and promoting Volvo cars and their many excellent qualities.
