How to Save Money on Volvo Maintenance
Archive for July, 2011
How Heat kills Your Car Battery:Get Your Volvo Battery Tested Today
Jul 26th
Did you know that high temperatures will kill your car battery.
Yes, it’s true. It’s July, and it’s hot as hell out there. Excuse my language, but I am just stating a fact. Temperatures have been hovering at 100 degrees Fahrenheit lately in the Washington DC Area and there is a direct relationship between cars being towed in and rising temperatures.
Most people believe that it’s the cold winter months that kills car batteries but that is not the case.The average life of a car battery is around three and a half years, but warmer climates and high temperatures will shorten your car’s battery lifespan. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, thus damaging the internal structure of the battery. Most people will not notice their car battery deteriorating until in winter when the battery will eventually die.
In winter, your weakend battery will not be able to crank your vehicle’s engine because the colder it gets, the thicker the engine oil gets, and the higher the viscosity of the engine oil. Therefore, the battery cannot provide the cranking power required to get the thick sticky oil to lubricate moving engine parts. During summer, that is not an issue because the engine oil is less viscous – flows easily.
In the case of extreme weather, such as hot climate conditions it is wise to be pro-active ang get your battery checked out.
Our service center can test your battery for you, and you don’t even need an appointment, just come on in — Express Service.
In an emergencgy — stuck on the highway or roadside — call Volvo Road Side Assistance: 1 800 638 6586 and get a tow to the nearest Volvo Dealership. And if you drive an older vehicle, then call AAA : 1800 222 4357
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Volvo Service Reminder Light – It’s Time For Regular Service
Jul 22nd
I get so many calls on the Volvo service reminder indicator (SRI) light, so I though a blog post will help shed some light on this thorny concern.
In the old days, after getting an oil change, we usually stuck a little sticker inside the windshield with the mileage or date for the next oil change or service interval — well not any longer my friends — windshield stickers are out, replaced by technolgy.
Nowadays, late model vehicles including Volvo’s have an automated system that serves as a service reminder. An on-board computer keeps track of the miles driven or by engine clock time — the computer turns on the Volvo service reminder light — when the next maintenance is due.
Volvo Mileage-based Maintenance Program vs Time- based Maintenance Program
For vehicles that get driven minimally — very low mileage cars — we recommended using time- based program instead of mileage-based program. So, if you bought a new Volvo on July 2010, then you would come in for the first free factory service (7,500 mile service) on July 2011, regardless of your actual mileage on the vehicle. And the next factory service would be on July 2012 for 15,000 mile service, and so on. But if you drive extensively, then follow the mileage-based program. Volvo pays for the free service only if you follow the Volvo service schedule. So, make sure your mileage falls within a range of 1500 miles, plus or minus the recommended Volvo factory service interval.
I have observed that with some volvo’s, the service reminder light may come on early, say 3000 miles or 5000 miles. When this happens, a new Volvo owner may get confused and call the service center, asking why the light came on so early and not at about 7,500 miles when he or she is due for the free Volvo factory scheduled maintenance.
The vehicles computers continualy analyze the way the vehicle is driven, and use this analysis to determine when a service is required.
Therefore, severe driving conditions, such as stop and go traffic, frequent short trips of less than 10 miles, and constant idling while in traffic will put a strain on the engine and as a result the engine will not be able to attain normal operating temperatures.
In addition, the cleaning properties or detergents in the engine oil wear down faster under severe driving conditions. Engine oil is thus unable to suspend dirt and oil contaminants, and when this happens you will need fresh oil.
So, if the light is proving unbearable to you, come in for a small service — intermediate service — which includes reseting the service reminder light, oil change and a safety check — checking out your tires, tire pressure and brakes – or simply ask for the Volvo service reminder light to be turned off for a small fee.
Volvo complimentary factory scheduled maintenance plan
Under the Safe and Secure Plan: New Volvo owners get a complimentary factory scheduled maintenance plan.
5 year Volvo Safe and Secure Plan:
- 5 year warranty
- 5 year wear and tear
- 5 year scheduled maintenance
- 5 year road side service
The plan means that Volvo pays for the first eight scheduled services at no charge on model year 2010 and 2011 vehicles.
Volvo Service schedule includes the following:
- 7,500 mile service
- 15,000 mile service
- 22,500 mile service
- 30,000 mile service
- 37,500 mile service
- 45,000 mile service
- 52,500 mile service
- 60,000 mile service
An interesting fact is that for 2012 Volvo models, the maintenance program covers only the first six scheduled services at no charge.
- 7,500 mile servive
- 15,000 mile service
- 22,500 mile service
- 30,000 mile service
- 37,500 mile service
- 45,000 mile service
Volvo factory scheduled maintence program does not include tire rotation and synthetic oil. You will have to pay out of pocket for a tire rotation and the dealership pitches in by upgrading your oil to Castrol Syntec Blend oil for FREE, yes FREE . Get here fast.
Going On A Road Trip? Get A Volvo Pre-Road Trip Safety Inspection
Jul 13th
Majority of our Volvo customers take road trips during the summer. And before embarking on that trip up north, down south or out west, please give the dealership a call. But please don’t schedule for a last minute appointment because we get very busy during the summer, and it’s best to schedule a few days before your trip. Some customers wait until the day before the trip to schedule an appointment and that is too late.
Customers want to be sure their car is safe to drive, and what they require is a combination of a safety check and an oil change, we call this a pre-trip safety inpection.
VOLVO PRE-TRIP SAFETY INSPECTION
- Oil and filter change
- Top up all fluids
- Check tires for wear (uneven tire wear indicates that your car may need a wheel alignment)
- Check tire pressure
- Check brake pads for wear
- Reset service light if on
In-addition the technician will also inspect your:
- Engine belts & hoses - make sure belts are tight and in good condition and hoses are not leaking.
- All Lights – Headlights, tail lights, brake lights and blinkers (turn signals).
- Windshield Wiper Blades – check for worn blades.
- Horn – make sure it’s nice and loud to warn off unsafe drivers.
- Inpect spare tire or donut - make sure it’s in good shape and properly inflated (please make sure you have a jack, first aid kit, emergency kit, flares, and if you have wheel locks make sure you have a key and a wrench to open the wheel nuts).
Keep an extra quart of oil and a gallon of water in your trunk; we use Castrol Syntech Blend 5W30 grade oil. This is just incase you get a low oil level indicator light, just top off the oil. And if you have a low coolant light you can simply add some water in an emergency. The standard recommendation is to use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. But never add coolant into a hot engine, wait for the car to cool down first, or risk getting burned by hot coolant.
A GPS unit can come in handy if you are in need of directions, we use Garmin GPS Units for our volvos. But make sure it is installed correctly to withstand a potential collision.
Lastly, review your Owners Manual for tips on how to change your tire and also recommended jacking points if you need to change a flat tire.
Tip
The Owners Manual is a great resource that is often neglected by our customers. On ocassion I get calls from customers asking me what grade oil to put in their volvo, or what is the correct gas for optimum performance and correct tire pressure for their tires. It’s all in the owners manual, so just take 5 minutes and review it, you might learn a thing or two.
