Leaking Steering Fluid - dreadful quote!

Max

Hi all,

My sweeties 1998 C70 with (now) 61,000kms on clock is leaking steering fluid.
The chaps who advertise "Euro cars don't really cost more to repair with us".. just charged us well over $1000 for a new timing belt and kit. ( I've asked my sweetheart not to tell me the full price).
Today they looked at the underside and quoted over $2000 to fix the leak.
Is there some way out of this? What is an "Indie" mechanic?
Cheers all .. and hope youse all have a Merry Christmas.

Max.
ps. anyone want a cheap new Bosch timing belt?

VolvoDeger

Get the rack out and reconditioned no way would it be $2000

deleted_user_2040

Indy mechanic means an independent mechanic that is not the volvo dealership workshop

Philia_Bear

@Max
Where r u based in Australia

$1k for a timing belt and wp is reasonable but not if it was like $1500
Sounds like your being ripped off

Max

Bear, we're at Woy Woy and Gosford region NSW.
I bought a Bosch belt for it. It only has 61,000kms on it and felt the idler and pulleys etc would not be worn - just run in.
A full Gates kit + water pump is $325 delivered.

jamesinc

Once off the car, racks only cost up to maybe $300 to have reconditioned. If the chrome plating on the rack piston has started flaking (rust-related), it can cost a further $200-$300 to have the piston stripped, polished, and re-plated.

Adding labour and conservative quoting, I can see it being $1000, but $2000 is crazy.

You could always see if someone has a second-hand rack available, and have that one sent to a shop to be rebuilt, then you take your car and your fresh steering rack to your local indie mechanic (any mechanic who can also do wheel alignments should be fine) and have them swap the racks over.

Edit: of course, "they looked at the underside" is a bit vague - did they give you an itemised list of costs? Maybe there is more to it than just a leaky rack?

Max

Thanks James,
When we had the car in last week for the belt, he hosed down the rack area which was o'course dirty from the leak and road grime.
Taking it back today he could see where the leak was coming from.
He said it'll have to come off and he'll un-mantle it and perhaps not be $2000 but perhaps could be more!
I just can't figger out how he can get away with there being too much wrong with it with only 61K kms on it. It's had an easy life and been looked after and so much like a new car.
When I got it, there was a leak from the heater core. I bought a new core and was gonna install it but it rained and I'm 67 and can't climb under dash boards like I used to. So I took it to the Volvo 'specialist' around the corner. He charged me four hours ($400) and $50 for the red water.
Will discuss it more wi' me darling tomorrow.
Thanks for your thoughts.

jamesinc

There just isn't that much of anything going on inside a rack on a '98 C70 to warrant such a huge repair bill. If it's leaking, it's either going to be the seals or the piston itself having rust on it (most common if one of the rack boots has split open and gone unnoticed).

Ask your guy if the rebuild includes all new hardware, i.e. new tie rods, tie rod ends, and boots.

timbo

The steering rack replacement on these can look daunting to someone who hasn't worked on them much. He may have assumed he would need to drop the entire subframe.
Also he may be quoting based on a genuine volvo steering rack ($800) as opposed to a reconditioned one.
If you get an itemised quote for parts and labour it will be easier to advise where you can save some money

Philia_Bear

Max;125509 wroteThanks James,
When we had the car in last week for the belt, he hosed down the rack area which was o'course dirty from the leak and road grime.
Taking it back today he could see where the leak was coming from.
He said it'll have to come off and he'll un-mantle it and perhaps not be $2000 but perhaps could be more!
I just can't figger out how he can get away with there being too much wrong with it with only 61K kms on it. It's had an easy life and been looked after and so much like a new car.
When I got it, there was a leak from the heater core. I bought a new core and was gonna install it but it rained and I'm 67 and can't climb under dash boards like I used to. So I took it to the Volvo 'specialist' around the corner. He charged me four hours ($400) and $50 for the red water.
Will discuss it more wi' me darling tomorrow.
Thanks for your thoughts.

WTF.... heater core is MAX 90min even if you need to replace the bulkhead as well

long effing drive... but taking the car to Joe at Lupica Motors in morebank is going to well save you a shite ton of money if you cant do the work yourself

Max

Once again, thanks for all your advice.
Since it's my Sweety's car and it's steering andshe is now traveling long distances we figgered we'd 'let him have it'. He did say it mightn;t cost as much as $2000 - but on my previous experiences they've never under-quoted.
Having only ~61K kms on clock and being a $100 000 car when new I can only think it's the seals that've gone. ( I bought it for $6000 wi 46K on clock),
I'll keep the Lupica Motors name at hand B. I figger the way the mechanics are charging like Doctors and Lawyers it'd be worth it to travel there.
Here's a picture of my garage/workshop.
Cheers to all
again and hope ever-one has a jolly good Christmas.

Max

$3000 to Volvo 'Specialists'.
Car now has new timing belt and pulleys and water pump.
60,000kms old Steering rack replaced ( from which wreckers I wonder).
And a new spot on my Sweety's floor.
It's booked in for 3rd of Jan. They say it's coolant overflow.
We'll see.
Anyways, case closed til then and we wish youse all a Merry Christmas

Vee_Que

Looks like coolant to me.

Age is a bigger factor and to not change the idler and tensioner is a big risk dye to the sheer age of the car at this point. But your money!

Ex850R

Reconditioned racks are not hard to get? Why a used, ie, problem one no matter how low mileage, age is the factor... Oh well.

Philia_Bear

Vee_Que;126485 wroteLooks like coolant to me.

Age is a bigger factor and to not change the idler and tensioner is a big risk dye to the sheer age of the car at this point. But your money!

This, all of this...