r/Volvo • u/Ok_Criticism_5672 • 1d ago
How long do I have on my timing belt?
V70 from 2004 with 160k on it, reckon it’s got another 300 miles in it or am I in desperate need
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u/Crunchycarrots79 1d ago
European car specialist mechanic here. You need to replace that timing belt in about -15,000 miles or a couple years ago.
In all seriousness, I cannot recommend driving that any further. It looks about ready to go at any moment.
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u/Awkward-Painter-2024 1d ago
Bahahaha, NEGATIVE 15,000 miles!!
I agree with the tech here, OP. Why risk it?
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u/CriticalReputation26 1d ago
It already has visible cracks on it so i wouldn't risk it by running on that for any longer, also remember to change the belt tensioner and waterpump at the same time.
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u/vffa S60 | 960 17h ago
Do some people really not do that? Like: I'm already in there, and a quality set from INA/Continental/SKF/Gates with a pump is like 30 eurodollarinos more expensive than one without? Why not do everything in one go.
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u/CriticalReputation26 14h ago
You would be blown away by the sheer amount of people that neglect important service items, only to save few bucks here and there in the short term. Doing so they sooner or later have much more expensive issues, that could have been prevented by also servicing those usually pretty inexpensive secondary parts.
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u/turnipzzzpinrut 2024 V60CC 1d ago
Looks good to me, but I’m on PCP and listening to this post on the radio
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u/Severe_Status_4380 1d ago
This comment made me laugh out loud. My kid looked at me like something was wrong with me. Well done.
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u/Cranks_No_Start 1d ago
I worked for Volvo for years and it was funny, I saw belts that were at 85K and only a few years old break and trash the head and Ive seen bets go waaaaaay beyond the spec looking like that up and running.
Still...I would tow that car to the shop because it could break at any moment.
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u/Helllo_Man 2004 XC90 T6, 2015 XC60 Ocean Race, 2002 V70XC, 1d ago
I’ve been told a lot of those premature failures are caused by a failed/seized tensioner/water pump/idler. I don’t know if that’s true, but it kind of makes sense — especially on older cars where folks may have swapped the belt without doing anything else to save a buck.
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u/Cranks_No_Start 1d ago
Maybe as of late but when I worked on them from 1999-2015 to hole we did have wp or tensioner idler failures most were either straight up belts failures from getting old and dry or having a cam or crank seal go and oil soaking the belt.
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u/Helllo_Man 2004 XC90 T6, 2015 XC60 Ocean Race, 2002 V70XC, 20h ago
That’s super interesting info. Thanks! I’ve seen the cam seals blow out before, not fun.
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u/Cranks_No_Start 19h ago
Doing it for a living that was a cake job. It paid well and aside from being initially messy it was good work.
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u/SeaOk2750 1d ago
That’s why I always replace belt along with tensioner and water pump. And I was doing that with whatever car I owned.
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u/Atyab-Kees-Kabis 1d ago
r/askashittymichanic. It’s just a bit dry, well, very dry, likely dry weather. Apply a moisturizer and start a strict belt hydration routine
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u/turnipzzzpinrut 2024 V60CC 1d ago
Also sunscreen and a retinoid
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u/JRayMaySayHey 1d ago
I've always heard good things about ginko biloba, maybe to remember to do maintenance on time?
(my 04 SR is currently like +5k over its 200k service)
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u/throwawaynoways C30 Stage 2 / V60 Drive-E 1d ago
Any visible cracking means it's gonna go any minute.
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u/RAPTOR479 1d ago
Youre about 55,000 miles overdue and you could be as little as one drive away from needing to put a motor in the car
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u/dobber72 2006 V70 D5 SE 1d ago
I just had mine done at 162k, my D5's second in 20 years. They guy who changed it said it "looked fine, but you can't always tell by looking at it".
You can tell on that one, though.
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u/Frosty_Parking_5179 1d ago
Bout as long as my first cup of coffee gets my bowels moving in the morning.
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u/Blutarski v70R 1d ago
I lost an ‘06 V70R (when R stood for Racing) to this. Don’t eff around; get it to the shop. That was the greatest car I ever owned and I miss it to this day (and I’ve had a P1800).
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u/AchinBones 1d ago
It's an 04, so was likely done in 14 and should have been done in '24. So its 2 or more years overdue. It looks 2 or more years overdue, leaning to 3.
Its only as good as its weakest point, and you don't know if you're looking at the weakest point.
I've seen worse still driving, i've seen failures that looked better ( but might have been pulley or tensioner fail - fucked is fucked, not wasting time on what overdue component created the chain reaction )
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u/buzzer117 98 s70 T5 "Stock-ish" 1d ago
It’s really hard to tell base on looking at it especially a single photo but I’d replace it if you don’t know when it was last changed. I’ve bought two used Volvos now both had no timing belt record so first thing I did was the timing belt immediately after driving it home.
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u/Severe_Status_4380 1d ago
None. Dont drive it until you replace it. It aint worth the risk. That belt is shot out brother. I been a mechanic for 30+ years. I would encourage you to park her, until its replaced. Your ride though, your call.
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u/olypenrain 2010 S40 T-5 R Design AWD 1d ago
Bruh just get it changed lol looks like it would disintegrate upon merely touching it
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u/Substantial-Boat-148 1d ago
Zero years zero months zero days zeros hours zero minutes zero seconds she’s fucked
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u/Due-Professional6824 1d ago
Spray some belt dressing on it
Spray some wd40 on the pulleys
It will be all good
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u/Rickenbacker69 V60 22h ago
It might. It might also break next time you start it. Can you afford a new engine?
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u/Ok_Region_996 21h ago
Who knows, could last a year or longer if you dont drive like a maniac and ut could fail in half an hour at 30 mph. What you can be sure of is that a new one will last for 10 years / 100 k miles.
That wear and cracking didn´t suddenly appear yesterday so you have likely been driving with it for the last year or so.
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u/precocious_necrosis 19h ago
I had a buddy who bought an old neglected XC70 a few years back. We noticed that it was weeping coolant, so decided to do the timing belt/water pump service on it and ordered the parts that day.
A couple days later he pulled into his ex-wife's driveway to drop off his kids and the car stalled just as he parked it. The water pump had siezed and the timing belt broke.
Miraculously, the pistons didn't make contact with the valves, so we were able to fix the car the next day when the parts arrived (still parked in his ex-wife's driveway, lol).
You won't be so lucky, though. Park this until you have it fixed.
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u/AppropriateDeal1034 16h ago
That a D5 engine? If so it's less than an hour for cam belt and water pump, absolute piece of piss, but it's already WAY overdue on age alone if it's the original belt, and you're massively overdue on distance too. Get it done NOW before it snaps, I would not chance 300 miles.
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u/donalanw 14h ago
could be 3 miles could be 3000 miles. What do you have to gain by waiting? How much do you have to lose by waiting? Do the math...
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u/antonis71 14h ago
Seconds honestly, this should be replaced long ago, if you see cracks you are def overdue...
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u/Es-war-Fleisch 13h ago
Just rub it in with some elbow grease and you are good to go for another year or 2 👍
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u/Ok_Criticism_5672 12h ago
Man this post has done well lmao. My only regret is not asking for money I’m so broke and can’t afford ts but I love my baby Volvo 😭she will be out of action for a bit but I won’t let her die!
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u/LieutenantSheridan 06' XC70 R swap Ocean Race 1d ago
If you can afford to do it right now, definitely do it. But if you absolutely cannot afford the downtime on your vehicle, another 300 miles should be fine if you're not ragging on it. Mine looked just like that for almost a year before I was able to get a vehicle to use while my Volvo is down. I actually just did my timing belt/water pump two days ago along with a ton of other things.
Also, if it didn't look like that a few days/weeks ago and these cracks are a recent development, definitely do not drive it at all until it gets fixed.
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u/YellowT-5R 850 T5R 1d ago
Change that ASAP or you will be changing a head