5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

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daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Fri Mar 25, 2016 3:36 pm

Hello. Actually this is a flimsy attempt at boosting my post count so I can attach photos to another thread, but still, geeks and die hard enthusiasts may find my ownership records interesting. I'll start adding some content today...

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Fri Mar 25, 2016 3:40 pm

To begin: Summary facts and figures

Volvo 480 Turbo in metallic blue. Built 1995 at the NedCar plant and registered in the Midlands at Hinkley.
Purchased February 2011 from a gent in Redcar (Northumbria territory).
Mileage at purchase: 115,000
Mileage now: 147,000

Summary: Great little car with more character and charm than many might have given credit. Who couldn't love pop-up headlights, more HVAC cabin vents than it has seats and more comprehensive instruments than a small plane?
Last edited by daveo2016 on Sat Mar 26, 2016 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Fri Mar 25, 2016 3:49 pm

Running costs over 5 years...

Bought for £800. Value now? About the same hopefully and possibly on the rise. Depreciation: Nope
Roadtax £800. Well that includes breaks for SORN whilst being rested and repaired which saved a little bit.
Insurance £600. Classic car policies love this little car.
Fuel £4,500. Averaging mid thirties mpg. She can do a shade over 40mpg driven sweetly.
Maintenance, repairs, MOT £5,800. Lots needed. Lots done. Lots still to do!

So in total Turbo 480 stands me at £11,700 and has given 30,000 miles service.

Cost per mile 36p

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Fri Mar 25, 2016 4:08 pm

Log of works 2011... £1,720 in the first year. Ouch!

Replace driver seat belt stay:£10
Replace driving lamps & DRLs:£16
Replace rear wiper blade:£5
Replace sparkplugs:£8
Clean PCV and replace valve:£5
Test vacuum – 20 Hg” (Warm):Nil
Brake pad condition report: Rear – 4mm remaining / Front – 5mm remaining:Nil
Replace MAF sensor:£10
Replace OSF indicator lens:£28
Replace idle air control valve:£10
MOT:£50
Test cold start sensor: COLD = 6.730 @ 2k ohm -- HOT = 0.543 @ 2k ohm:Nil
Replace coolant hoses:£80
Replace thermostat:£25
Replace HT leads:£10
Replace dizzy cap and rotor:£15
Change oil / filter:£35
Replace turbo waste-gate valve:£15
Replace gearbox fluid:£35
Replace Cambelt idler and tensioner:£295
Replace Auxiliary drive belt (2):£25
Replace coolant:£15
Replace intercooler top hose:£10
Replace CEM:£35
Forte Injector cleaner:£15
Remake rear lights wiring harness:Nil
Rustproof rear bumper and boot floor:Nil
Replace interior bulbs in dash:£26
Upholstered car mats:£67
Aircon regassed / pressure switch by-passed:£60
Replaced battery:£30
Replaced exhaust cat lambda:£520
Replace brake fluid:£50
Replace NSR caliper:£120
Tracking corrected:£30
Replace air filter:£15
Replace radiator fan sensor:£50

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:52 am

Log of works 2012...

By year two the essential repairs were sorted and I thought most of the preventative maintenance too. I mean with tyres, exhaust, belts, fluids and hoses all sorted and a clean ticket from the MOT man, it should be like cooking on gas? So easy motoring at last..?

Well possibly by degree. In 2012 the blue 480 travelled all over UK with me, on road trips to Fort William, Folkestone, Fordingbridge, F..k the clutch has gone. Ultimately however,with help from the RAC and Friction Services, we got her rolling again.

Maintenance in the second year came to a total of £1,150. More than double the kind of costs I'd been used to with the other fleet members. Even Volvo 960 CD with the new fangled three litre six seldom cost more than £700 to keep running in a year.

Replace reversing light switch:£60
Recondition clutch, new bearing and pressure spring:£470
Replaced gearbox oil:£35
Replaced lower engine mount:£65
Re-solder heater (VEM) circuit:Nil
Replace OSF wiper:£10
Welded door stay OSF:£130
Replace headlamp bulbs and hinge:£20
MOT:£50
Replaced CV boot gaiters:£90
Welding to wheel arches:£130
Replaced NSF spring:£60
Oil & filter change 125,000 miles:£25
Replaced OS hatch gas tube:£20
Last edited by daveo2016 on Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 1:02 am

Log of works 2013

Not so much to say this year. Dispirited following the friction burn the year previously. Disgruntled by a bodged repair by a local mechanic man which saw precious gearbox oil floating down a gutter in Birmingham. Declared SORN and spent much of the year licking wounds.

Actually Dauntless would be a fair name for little 480. Despite more than a few setbacks she's only once left me stranded and many times a prod or a squeeze at her vitals has got us home. Damage for the year: £110

Replace spark plugs:£10
Replace HT leads Bosch B885:£10
Replace drivers window runner:£90

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 1:59 am

Log of works 2014:

I thought by 2014 I'd learnt a few things about 480. But ever at the forefront of innovation, the 480 had some new tricks to teach me.

Number one: Don't lose your bearings. We made it to the Isle of Skye that summer. It's beautiful - I'll dig out some pics. We travelled to Applecross, Ullenhall and across most of the Highlands. By a whisker we got home again. It began on our last day in the Highlands. A faint whirring emerged. A subtle undertone, only really noticeable if coasting in complete radio silence. By the M6 southbound, that whirring had become a hum. Actually more than a hum. A prominent drone, not unlike several thousand angry mosquitoes obstinately making their home in the wheel well. Radio silence was definitely off the table - and a good job Jerry wasn't listening. By Birmingham a full blown percussion band was playing down there. It turned out we had remaining at the off-side-front corner: One axle; some bearing shell; and by some miracle a wheel. Bearings optional?

Lesson number two: Don't lose your grip. Now the wheels were once more turning freely, little 480 began to dance, literally so, and unfortunately led by the rear. Alas despite my best efforts, excessive wiggle at the back end does not always make for elegant progress. Successive attempts at returning her to pleasant and predictable habits included a set of quite expensive tyres, really expensive shocks, more bearings (once bitten and all that), and whilst down there some brake bits as well. Happily, the handling returned to excellent after the splurge and the ride was much more pliant also. As an added bonus we could also stop at will. However not so positive is our relationship with her mechanic, now akin to Wallet & Grommet: A Close Shave.

Lesson number three: Don't lose your head. Yes this is third year that cooling parts have been a major theme. I knew that 480 liked to try all the new accessories. She'd already had a radiator fan sensor from an OEM supplier in 2011, this suited for a while but soon became passe. She'd also had an identical rad fan sensor from the dealer in 2012, but well, would you want last years styles? So this year we went to town: New pumps, new sensor (made in Germany by the almighty Bosch), new thermostat and some pipes as well. No more blowing hot and cold on me 480, damn and gasket. It goes without saying of course that the third rad fan sensor is already kaputt. She's currently got her blades wired in with her pop ups. I suppose variety is the spice of life. Joking apart, if anyone knows how to keep the radiator fan sensor on active duty for more than a year at a time I'd love to know how.

Oh, it was £1,800 maintenance that year. I should never have started counting but it's like the lottery. Once you begin playing, to stop is to lose.

MOT @134,000: £50
Replace front shocks with Bilstein B4 :£195
OSF wheel bearing: £35
Replaced front brake calipers and brake fluid :£170
Replace front/rear pads: £80
Replaced rear shocks with Bilstein B4: £140
Replaced handbrake cables: £55
Replaced rear brake calipers: £240
Replace air filter: £15
Replace fog lights: £50
Replace sparkplugs: £10
2x Continental Premium Contact 5 - 195/55/15V fitted to rear: £150
Refurbed 2x alloy wheels: £30
Oil + filter: £30
Electric aerial: £30
Passenger side window mechanism + NSF wheel bearing @138,000: £160
Replace dizzy cap and rotor with Valeo turbo parts, greased battery, soldered earths: £30
Replace heater hoses, plus aux turbo water heater hose and thermostat: £45
Replace coolant, fan sensor and aux turbo pump: £80
Replaced starter motor: £160

User avatar
glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by glasgowjim » Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:04 pm

If you can fit it yourself just get a second hand unit For £10 including uk postage I can supply one.

daveo2016
480 Newbie
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:11 am

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by daveo2016 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:32 pm

Thank you Jim, that's a very kind offer. I've fitted two already so once more wouldn't break me. Do you have any insight into what causes them to fail so regularly?

David

balto8
Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480
Posts: 239
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:02 pm

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by balto8 » Sun Mar 27, 2016 9:45 pm

I'm not happy to say my turbo is the same kind of money black hole·. But theese stories help me understand I've chosen a shit money sewer "cool like cats" car and that's what it's going to be, period. Get used to your wife's face and keep spenses on the car reasonable.

I have spent already 850€ on my AC system counting 3 Vems, new compressor, various new tubes made expressly to fit a Ford dryer filter and the thing doesn't work yet. (the compressor died after two months, now it's the fight for the warranty compliance).
1991 480 Black Turbo
2012 Seat Exeo ST
2013 VW Polo TSI DSG

User avatar
glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: 5 years with a Turbo 480 - Geek Report

Post by glasgowjim » Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:31 pm

If you do your own repairs you should find its not too expensive . For me the running codst for petrol is the biggest expense. :badmood:

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