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2009 Volvo XC90

Comprehensive set of images showing a typical timing belt replacement job. As you can see, a lot of other parts had to be replaced, either because they or broken, or as part of maintenance. The vehicle had only 85K miles.

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Oil leaks around the camshaft actuator

ECU sockets. The control modules has to be removed to gain access to the timing belt

Passenger engine mount had to be unbolted to have better access to the water pump

A broken plastic fitting on the thermostat housing on a 2009 Volvo XC90

Another view of the timing belt area shows the oil and coolant leaks

Oil and coolant leaks in timing belt area.

Closeup of the leaking front camshaft seal

Oil leaks in the back of the engine pointing to leaking rear camshaft seals

New camshaft seals were installed

Closeup of the new front camshaft seal

Valve cover prior to spark plug removal

Engine block was cleaned before installing the new water pump

New water pump and tensioner were installed

New idler pulley

View of the crankshaft after the oil pump was removed

Old paper gasket on the oil pump shows oil leaks

Oil pump was removed, new paper gasket, oring and crankshaft seal were installed

Special tool to hold the camshafts in place

Font crankshaft sprocket with the belt installed

New timing belt was installed

View of the timing belt area after engine was cleaned and new parts were installed

New thermostat housing in the center. Notice the part is made of metal and only the small barb fitting is made of plastic. Guess what will fail first?

Defective master cylinder, pedal sinks to the floor

A used part was supplied by the customer, but it didn't fit. One reason not to buy your own parts

A new master cylinder was installed

Leak from the drive shaft axle seal

Defective drive axle

The defective drive axle

Brake pads were almost gone

Old pad vs new pad

Tie rods had to be replaced, too

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Tags: brake pads, Brakes, camshaft seals, crankshaft seal, drive axle, drive belts, Imports repair, Imports service, master cylinder, oil pump gasket, spark plugs, tie rods, timing belt, timing belt tensioner, Volvo repair, Volvo service, water pump

Mercedes flex disc repair

As an independent Asian and European repair shop located in Kenner, we deal mostly with Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, Volvo, as well as Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus, Jaguar. One of the most common problems found in European cars is that the rubber and plastic parts get degraded over time.
No matter what they (the manufacturers) say about new materials, plastic doesn’t belong on the cooling system. Repeated hot / cold cycles will eventually wear out the plastic, and the engine may be damaged beyond repair due to a cracked plastic housing or hose.
Pair this with a hot, humid climate (read New Orleans), and you have the recipe of a potential disaster. If you add some damage from oil leaks, the disaster becomes real.
Oil contamination accelerates the degraded plastic / rubber parts, causing an even earlier failure.
Vent hoses between the block and the valve covers, engine mounts, plastic water housings, and the flex discs are the main parts that are prone to damage.

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Cracked flex disc

A cracked breather hose

Damaged flex disc. If not replaced in time, the flex disc will get completely damaged

A broken plastic fitting on the thermostat housing on a 2009 Volvo XC90

Under normal circumstances, the parts are designed in such way that will get you through the warranty period, so what happens next will not be covered.
A good inspection during regular maintenance and replacing the parts while they are still intact can prevent potential major repairs.
Today we will talk about common problems with the flex disc found in Mercedes vehicles.
Although a damaged flex disc will not lead to a major engine or transmission failure, it affects the performance.
Typical symptoms include hesitation on acceleration, especially during a fast take-off. If left unchecked, the flex disc starts breaking up, and the broken rubber pieces, still hanging up, touch the under body, around the transmission area. The noises may be scary, however the transmission operation is not impaired, shifting is not affected. Also, there are no warning lights on the dashboard (check engine, etc).
You should bring the vehicle for a check up at once. Explain what noises you heard, and tell the shop that transmission was still shifting fine. By the time you get to the shop, all noises may be gone, if the hanging rubber pieces break off.
Some shops will try to sell you a full transmission rebuild, or replace. At Briskers, we provide free photo documentation on each repair, so this will not be the case. Ask the shop to provide some proof that your transmission needs replacement. Usually, a defective transmission will slip, or shift improperly, and it will trigger a Check Engine light on the dashboard. A diagnostic scan using the STAR will reveal certain transmission codes, along with other bogus codes. Insist on the photo documentation, or ask for the scan result. If the shop is reluctant to provide this information, you should probably bring the vehicle to a different shop.
Here are a few pictures showing different Mercedes vehicles having the same issue:

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Cracked flex disc