Group 177 General Program Structure There are many time and/or mileage-based ser- vice items that are not listed on the form. Look at the end of this document for a listing of additional compo- nents that may need to be serviced, depending on the mileage or time since last service. This maintenance program has been based on the progress in vehicle technology and increases in oil qual- ity to simplify the maintenance. For simplified scheduling, the program has tied mainte- nance to logical time or mileage limits that make it easy to anticipate needed servicing. For the majority of on- highway operators, the 24,000 km (15,000 miles) or 4 months schedule can be used with little change.
Maintenance Records It is important to use the inspection form together with other reports to come up with the best maintenance pro- gram for a specific application. Use driver’s reports, complaints, parts usage, repetitive failures, previous re- pair orders, road failures, etc. to build a maintenance history. It is important that the scheduled intervals are followed as limits. Maintenance can be done before either 24,000 km (15,000 miles) have been reached or before 4 months are up but must be made at or before either the mileage or the time limit has been reached. Records should be collected over the lifetime of the vehi- cle to form a permanent vehicle record file.
The vehicle file should be used to customize the operational mainte- nance needs. For further information concerning component specifica- tions see service information in Group 1, “Oil and Filter Change Intervals for Volvo Components, All Models”, Publication Number 175–001, and any appropriate ven- dor literature. The “Driver Inspection Form” is also required by Federal law. The use of this inspection report makes the driver a part of the maintenance program and places direct responsibility on the driver to report problems that may come up during operation. When properly used, there should be no excuse for a de- fective vehicle being in service.
Advantages A well-planned preventive maintenance program offers the following advantages: The lowest attainable maintenance cost. Basic Inspection Maximum vehicle uptime. Better fuel economy. Note: The included Basic Service checklist is an original copy. The document can be updated without notice. Reduced road failures; greater dependability. Increased customer confidence, better public rela- tions. The Basic inspection is carried out at a maximum of 24,000 km (15,000 miles) or 4 months, whichever comes first. Less possibility of accidents due to defective equip- ment. All inspection points are to be carried out as verification of function or condition.
Any defects are noted on the in- spection form for later correction, if so ordered by the vehicle owner. Fewer driver complaints. Regardless of the planning and the details of the mainte- nance program, the success of the program hinges on the caliber of workmanship in performing the actual inspection. A major cause of failure is a “pencil inspec- tion;” that is, the mechanic checks off each operation as being OK without making the actual inspection. A “pencil inspection” defeats the purpose of the inspection, which is to detect an impending failure. Note:
The standard repair time for performing the Basic Service Preventive Maintenance is based on inspection and Oil and Filter Change, without repair or adjustment. Annual Inspection Maintenance Form The Annual inspection is carried out yearly in addition to a Basic inspection. This inspection is designed to open up components for inspection or using test equipment to record performance. A Service Manual is issued detailing the current inspec- tion forms. Forms are created for different users but all with the same references to this document. When the in- spection point is carried out, check the box if the item is OK.
If further work, such as adjustment, repair, etc., needs to be performed, record this information and go on with the next inspection point. Items noted as being faulty or in need of adjustment need to be shown to the customer and scheduled for repair. The ideal time to carry out the Annual inspection is right before the hardest season, which means just before win- ter in the cold weather climates and just before summer in the hot weather climates. For further information refer to “Annual Preventive Ser- vice Manual”, Publication Number 177–501. 4