Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

tension on the belt. Take off the old belt noting the routing and install a new one. Let go of the
tensioner and you are done. There is a revised belt that is longer and uses a new routing. The
new routing as the belt leaves the crank going CCW is: A/C to Alternator, back down and
around the idler, up around the power steering punp, down past the tensioner to the crank.
Checking the Belt. [John Shatzer] Just a cautionary note to check your serpentine belt for inside
edge fraying. Apparently when you begin to accrue higher mileage (in exess of 100K), the
tensioner begins to sag, it will cause rubbing along the inside edge (toward the engine) of the
belt surface. Replacement of the tensioner is called for. We've heard about at least one (rare)
instance of a broken serpentine finding it's way into the timing belt housing, and the rest, as they
say, is history. Belt Noise. [Dave Stevens] The usual source of screeching is the serpentine belt
travelling through misaligned pulleys caused by worn (crushed) rubber accessory mounting
bushings. Bushings are readily available and relatively cheap, even from Volvo. Poly bushings
are also available.
Alternator Belt Slips and Doesn’t Charge. [Inquiry:] My alternator belt is squeaking and the
alternator is not charging properly. [Response: Don Willson] Check the harmonic balancer for
the cause of squeeking. Paint a stripe from the hub to the rim. Run the car until you hear the
squeek. Look at the stripe, if it is displaced replace the harmonic balancer. The rubber insert
loosens and slips after a time.
B230 Series Engines:
Do I Have an Interference Engine? [Editor] An "interference" engine is one in which the tops of
the pistons and the valves may collide if the timing belt breaks or is misaligned. If you have an
interference engine, you MUST change your timing belt on schedule or else you risk very
expensive damage. You must also pay closer attention to the condition of the tensioners, pulley
bolts, and front seals: anything that can cause the belt to fail prematurely must be repaired
quickly. Not all Volvo engines are non-interference. [Colin Shepherd/Peter Milnes]
"Interference" Engines:
● B200 series (including E, F, G, FT, GT)
● B230E (high-compression B230 sold outside of North America)
● B204 series (including E, F, FT, GT)
● B234 series (including F, G)
● All B5XXX five-cylinder inline engines and 6XXX six-cylinder engines
The B230 series is non-interference with the exception of the B230E.