Southwest Auto - Volvo Service

Southwest Auto Service Department

At Southwest Auto, we offer full services and repairs for your Volvo, Saab or other make. Our service department is staffed by trained repair technicians.

Service hours: M-F 8:30am – 6:00pm
Phone: (972) 488-2525
24–Hour Towing Service: (972) 423-4010

Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have my vehicle serviced at the dealer to keep my warranty valid?
No. You must maintain your vehicle as outlined in your maintenance booklet to keep your warranty valid. We perform the services, stamp your book and provide an itemized receipt for this purpose, exactly as required.

Why should I service my vehicle when it doesn’t need it?
Car manufacturers have spent millions of dollars studying the life expectancy of the parts in their vehicles. This is how they determine their warranty coverage. If they recommend replacing a part at a specific mileage, they have information to back it up.

Why should I use a Volvo Oil Filter?
Volvo’s unique design uses a rubber check valve to keep the oil in the engine, not in the oil pan. Therefore, your engine has instant oil pressure on initial start up when most engine wear occurs. This is one reason for Volvo’s legendary engine longevity.

Most Overlooked Service: Flame Trap!
We at Southwest Auto sincerely thank you for your tremendous response to our first newsletter. We received many comments about the service article pertaining to flame traps. Most owners had never heard of this part, nor did they understand its importance in preventing major repair costs.

What exactly is a "Flame Trap"? As part of the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system of your Volvo’s engine, a properly functioning flame trap is an essential element in reducing exhaust emissions. Serving the same function as a PCV valve on a domestic vehicle, a flame trap is used to vent hot oil gases under pressure from the engine crankcase to the intake system where they are burned with the normal fuel thereby lowering exhaust emissions (pollution). It also serves as a flame barrier (hence the name "flame trap") in the event of an intake backfire to prevent the oil vapors in the oil pan from igniting.

The flame trap itself is a corrugated brass screen or perforated plastic element, which are both serviceable. Failure to change the oil and oil filter on time can cause the flame trap element to become clogged as oil gases become heavier between oil changes.

When to Service the Flame Trap.
Volvo recommends servicing the flame trap every 15,000 miles for 1985 and older cars and 20,000 miles for 1986 and newer. Failure to do this $25 service on time will cause the element to become clogged and create excessive internal pressure in the engine! Among other things, this leads to premature failure of engine seals, massive oil leaks, and an unnecessary $500 repair bill!

Avoid unnecessary expenses — perform this service as part of an on-going preventive maintenance program.

Free Oil Change
For those Volvo owners who have cared for their Volvos through all those miles… mark your calendars. Volvo owners with 150,000, 200,000 and 300,000 miles or greater will receive a free oil change on the 150th, 200th, and 300th day of the year respectively.

Chill Out!
What you should know about your air conditioning system if you own a 1991 or older Volvo.

As of January 1996, production of Freon R-12 ceased in the United States. As a result, existing supplies of this chemical are depleting. R-12 is reaching astronomical prices. As bad as this may sound, there is a bright spot. As the price increases, it becomes cost effective to convert your A/C system. Call Service for pricing.

What is a Scheduled Service?
For most Volvos, the major scheduled services are at 30,000 and 50,000 mile intervals. These services begin with a detailed inspection of your Volvo from front to back. We inspect battery and charging system, all fluid levels, brakes, steering, exhaust, tire pressure as well as road testing and resetting the service reminder light. We pay particular attention to the components below.

The 30,000 mile interval service also includes replacement of engine oil and filter, engine coolant, spark plugs, air filter, and valve adjustment if applicable. Additionally, at the 60,000 mile interval, fuel filter, flame trap, and transmission fluid are replaced. The 50,000 mile internal service also includes replacement of the engine timing belt, front engine seals and flame trap.

For the newer model Volvos, consult your owner’s manual. You will find specified service intervals listing the maintenance required.

How to take your summer vacation...instead of a $3000 repair bill!
The last thing we want to see is a customer’s Volvo towed into our shop due to a major component failure. These repair jobs are expensive, time consuming and inefficient as far as our shop flow is concerned not to mention budget busting as far as you are concerned. Almost all major component failures could have been avoided with some proactive parts replacement. These parts are relatively inexpensive when compared to component replacements. As a result, we have compiled the following list of parts we monitor that are known causes of expensive component failures.

How to take your summer vacation...instead of a $3000 repair bill!
The last thing we want to see is a customer’s Volvo towed into our shop due to a major component failure. These repair jobs are expensive, time consuming and inefficient as far as our shop flow is concerned not to mention budget busting as far as you are concerned. Almost all major component failures could have been avoided with some proactive parts replacement. These parts are relatively inexpensive when compared to component replacements. As a result, we have compiled the following list of parts we monitor that are known causes of expensive component failures.

Component Failure Table

Model: Most 4 Cylinders

Component: Flame Trap

Resulting Failure: Excessive crankcase pressure and failure of engine seals.

Preventive Cost To Repair: $35

Potential Cost of Failure: $500

Model: Most 4 Cylinders

Component: Timing Belt

Resulting Failure: Driver Stranded

Preventive Cost To Repair: $350 (8 valve engines)

Potential Cost of Failure: $350 + Inconvenience

Model: All

Component: Fuel Pump Relay

Resulting Failure: Driver Stranded.

Preventive Cost To Repair: $85

Potential Cost of Failure: Possible Danger and Inconvenience

Model: All

Component: Original Equipment Plastic Tank Radiators

Resulting Failure: Engine overheat and destruction

Preventive Cost To Repair: $344-$390

Potential Cost of Failure: $3,000+

Model: 240's

Component: Right Engine Mount (240)

Resulting Failure: Loss of oil pressure due to hole rubbed in oil filter.

Preventive Cost To Repair: $100

Potential Cost of Failure: $500 + Engine failure

Model: All

Component: Temp Gauge and/or Oil Pressure Warning Malfunction

Resulting Failure: Engine destruction due to driver not being alerted to problem.

Preventive Cost To Repair: $44 – $175

Potential Cost of Failure: $3,000+

Model: All Automatics

Component: Automatic Transmission Rear Bushing and Seal

Resulting Failure: Transmission failure

Preventive Cost To Repair: $260

Potential Cost of Failure: $1,000 – 1,750

Model: All

Component: Water Pump

Resulting Failure: Engine overheat and destruction.

Preventive Cost To Repair:225 (8 valve engine)

Potential Cost of Failure: $3,000+
*All above prices subject to change.

When Should I Change My Oil?
We have fielded many questions lately concerning oil quality and oil change intervals for Volvo 850 and 960 models. Even though the new car salesman stressed that these new generation Volvos were designed with extended service tolerance in mind — read the fine print.

The maintenance records booklet in your owner’s wallet recommends the use of 15W-40 oil changed on a 5,000 mile interval in severe driving conditions — i.e. high temperature and/or high-speed driving, extended periods of idling or low-speed operation, frequent short trips or driving in dusty or sandy areas — in other words, driving in Dallas Traffic!

We have had several late model 850 and 960 Volvos with lower miles towed into our facility because they would not start. Upon investigation we found that the oil had been changed on a 10,000 mile interval and the valves had become stuck open due to buildup on the valve stems. If you still insist on a 10,000 mile interval, we recommend the use of a synthetic or synthetic blend oil such as Valvoline Durablend.

Please also be aware the use of a Volvo Oil Filter is mandatory if you want to extract the maximum usable life from you investment. We have a comparison display available for your inspection in our office.

Tech Tip
For our do-it yourself Volvo Owners, we recommend the Haynes brand workshop manuals — 240 and 740/760 editions ($20.00 or less at Pep Boys). For the serious do-it yourselfer, the Robert Bentley 240 repair manual ($49.00) goes into more detail with factory specifications, etc. These manuals are available from the Volvo Club Of America or from our parts department.