170,500 Miles - MOT And Engine Mount

Summary

• MOT - bit of a hassle this time due to an 'SRS-Airbag Service Urgent' warning message on the dash in need of fixing.
• Top Engine Mount

MOT
Had a bit of hassle getting MOT this time. Car passed apart from one item - the MIL light was on with the accompanying message "SRS-AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT". Now to be honest, this message has been on ever since I bought the car; one of those things I kept meaning to get around to investigating, but didn't. The car passed M.O.T. last year with this warning message but this year (well from January 2012), new ruling means that it is an MOT failure to have any warning lights present on the instrument panel. So I had to get it sorted before I could get my MOT.

169,250 Miles

New rears pads fitted; caliper sliders greased.

Note, the rear caliper pistons push in, not wind in like some rear calipers. Other than being unable to remove the locking wheel bolts and having to go to local tyre garage to get them off, it was a reasonably easy quick job. Without the fuss of the bolts, it would be about 20 mins per side.

154,000 Miles

New Windscreen

Had something flick up and hit the windscreen a few weeks ago. It contacted just under the n/s windscreen wiper blade, which I think is why it got cracked as the blade stopped it going anywhere, as I think otherwise it may have just glanced off. It was very loud so it was a surprise when the crack appeared.

Pain in the **** but at least I was covered by insurance, so only a small excess to pay to get it replaced.

Before

After

Nice man from Autoglass came to my work and fitted it in about half an hour.

152,442 Miles

Replaced the N/S ball joint.

Whilst there I also replaced both ARB droplinks and also front brake pads.

Guide: Volvo V70 D5 Auxiliary Belt, Idler and Tensioner Replacement

150,250 Miles

Whilst driving the other night, there was a noise of something clunking and rattling its way loose from the engine bay and the tell-tale sound of something being deposited on the road. Accompanying this was the loss of power steering, the battery light coming on and a message on the computer saying 'Electrical System Service Required'.

Without even looking it was obvious that a idler or tensioner had given up and disintegrated and left the vehicle, leaving me without alternator, A/C or power steering drive.

VERY luckily, it had not taken the timing belt out, which I have heard it can do on this car by getting snarled up. I managed to drive home without stopping. Steering was very heavy and I turned the lights out to minimise battery drain. Luckily, being a diesel, there's not a huge drain on the battery whilst driving.

Remains of idler

When I stopped, I had a look and the belt was just sitting in its normal position except it was just standing off all the pulleys, as it had of course lost its tension. There was nothing except the central hub of the bearing and bolt left where the idler was.

Fitted new belt, tensioner and idler the following day. See the little guide here.

149,791 Miles

Finally got round to having new tyres fitted; just as well, as the rear off-side was in a bad way. The tread was good (very good in fact) but the inner wall had almost a 100% circumferential crack in the outer skin.

I opted for Bridgestone Potenza RE050 tyres, which I ordered from and arranged fitting through Black Circles. As of writing, one day later, they certainly make a huge difference. Lovely, smooth, precise feeling is restored....well almost.