Underneath my Volvo s80 2010

[IAmTheWalrus]

OK so I managed to get some cheeky pics in when the car was in for an oil change, the guy there said there were a few issues he spotted and then quoted me £751 inc vat to amend.

These were for two budget tyres, geometry check (whatever that is), front and rear toe adjustment (why??), two premium brake discs (but with budge tyres?) and a sachs coil spring rear, within itself £148. £148 for a spring??

Anyway I think I will paint under the car in the summer for further rust prevention. The guy said though the car over all looked good.

Just need to resize my pics and can then upload.

[IAmTheWalrus]

[url]|https://thumbsnap.com
/Pz37RTGT[/url]

[sherman]

Full geometry setup would check that tgectyres are sitting correctly on the ground. Stops your tyres wearing unevenly.
The price doesnt sound too far off
100 per tyre roughly £200
Geometry £50
Any fixes for geometry (drop links etc) £50-100
Brakes £200
Spring £150

Also your exhaust looks nice and rusty.

[IAmTheWalrus]

sherman said:

Full geometry setup would check that tgectyres are sitting correctly on the ground. Stops your tyres wearing unevenly.
The price doesnt sound too far off
100 per tyre roughly £200
Geometry £50
Any fixes for geometry (drop links etc) £50-100
Brakes £200
Spring £150

Also your exhaust looks nice and rusty.

Yeah I noticed the exhaust, shame we can't paint that?

[IAmTheWalrus]

Does you think the spring is the reason the car feels like a roller coaster after going over a few bumps in succession? He didn't mention why, perhaps it was just rusty?

[DavidY]

IAmTheWalrus said:

Does you think the spring is the reason the car feels like a roller coaster after going over a few bumps in succession? He didn't mention why, perhaps it was just rusty?

Could be springs (especially if very tired) or shock absorbers, how many miles has the car done??

Is the height from the body work to the floor the same on both sides at the rear (without anyopne in teh car and on flat surface)?

If you push down (heavily) on the each rear corner does it take the same about of effort?

And what happens when you release your weight, does the car go back straightaway to the original position, or does it oscilate (several times)?

Usually these things should be replaced in pairs, otherwise you get an odd handling car.

Its a 12 year old car, its not going to be perfect, you just have to establish whats wrong and then work out the most cost effective way to remedy.

[E-bmw]

Get the geometry sorted as that could be why it needs 2 new tyres, replacements will last longer & find out what is the ACTUAL issue with the spring as it could be an MOT failure.

[Davie]

All seems pretty par for the course with a car of that age and mileage - though not sure I'd be opting for budget tyres, but each to their own. Geometry is a pretty crucial yet overlooked maintenance point be it after any suspension based work, to avoid crap handling or wearing tyres prematurely so given he's suggested a front and rear toe check / adjust may hint at issues there already. Brakes, they wear out... and springs can snap but as has been said, I'd be looking at the shocks too more so given previous posts regarding poor behaviour over undulating roads. As for painting rust, if done properly then yes... if done badly then no, leave it alone or you could just accelerate the issues.

[IAmTheWalrus]

Davie said:

All seems pretty par for the course with a car of that age and mileage - though not sure I'd be opting for budget tyres, but each to their own. Geometry is a pretty crucial yet overlooked maintenance point be it after any suspension based work, to avoid crap handling or wearing tyres prematurely so given he's suggested a front and rear toe check / adjust may hint at issues there already. Brakes, they wear out... and springs can snap but as has been said, I'd be looking at the shocks too more so given previous posts regarding poor behaviour over undulating roads. As for painting rust, if done properly then yes... if done badly then no, leave it alone or you could just accelerate the issues.

Thanks I will not be buying budget tyres.

What do you mean by painting properly, take it back to metal? I was thinking that be too much work, was thinking like kurust and then put something thick over the top?

[Davie]

Again, entirely your choice but based on how rusty it looks under there... I'm not convinced Kurust and then coating in something thick would be my preferred option as Kurust (and many other brands) have their limitations so I'd be looking to physically remove as much rust as possible first, then treat, prime and apply a top coat but any sort of new, localised repairs finished with the likes of the utter nasty garbage that is Waxoyl or similar would raise alarm bells for me as a buyer. Either do it right and coat the entire floor or leave it as is... it's not terminal rot, just surface corrosion and unless you're planning on keeping the car for years to come, is it worth the effort and / or expense to rectify?

[IAmTheWalrus]

Davie said:

Again, entirely your choice but based on how rusty it looks under there... I'm not convinced Kurust and then coating in something thick would be my preferred option as Kurust (and many other brands) have their limitations so I'd be looking to physically remove as much rust as possible first, then treat, prime and apply a top coat but any sort of new, localised repairs finished with the likes of the utter nasty garbage that is Waxoyl or similar would raise alarm bells for me as a buyer. Either do it right and coat the entire floor or leave it as is... it's not terminal rot, just surface corrosion and unless you're planning on keeping the car for years to come, is it worth the effort and / or expense to rectify?

Taking the parts off to remove the rust and repaint would be a huge job, no?

[Davie]

Yes, it would and hence why it's usually in to four figures to have it done professionally and DIY, I'd suggest a full weekend and lots of works and probably replacing worn out bits as they come of the car, plus the associated cleaning, treating and coating of the floor pan and / or any other rusty components... which is why, on something that isn't precious, I probably wouldn't even bother. But it's up to you as to how much effort / expense you want to invest and the standard of work you want to or need to achieve. It's much like painting your brake calipers... some people simply spray some cheap paint around, with overspray on the disc, hubs, brake lines, the cat... and others do it properly.