D
Group 177 General
Program Structure
This maintenance program has been based on the
progress in vehicle technology and increases in oil quality
to simplify the maintenance.
For simplified scheduling, the program has tied
maintenance 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 for basic service and 96,000 km (60,000 miles)
or 12 months for annual service, schedule can be used
with little change.
For further information concerning maintenance
scheduling, see service information in Group 1, “Oil and
Filter Change Intervals for Volvo Components,” publication
number 175-60, “Approved Oils Lists, Volvo Components”.
Advantages
A well-planned preventive maintenance program offers
the following advantages:
The lowest attainable maintenance cost.
Maximum vehicle uptime.
Better fuel economy.
Reduced road failures; greater dependability.
Increased customer confidence, better public relations.
Less possibility of accidents due to defective
equipment.
Fewer driver complaints.
Regardless of the planning and the details of the
maintenance 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 inspection”; 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.
Maintenance Form A service manual is issued detailing
the current inspection forms. Forms are created for
different users but all with the same references to this
document. When the inspection point is carried out,
check the box if the item is OK. If further work, such as
adjustment, repair, etc., needs to be performed, check
that box 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.
There are many time — and/or mileage-based — service
items that are not listed on the form. Look at the end of
this document for a listing of additional components that
may need to be serviced, depending on the mileage or
time since last service.
Maintenance Records
It is important to use the inspection form together with
other reports to come up with the best maintenance
program for a specific application. Use driver’s reports,
complaints, parts usage, repetitive failures, previous
repair orders, road failures, etc. to build a maintenance
picture of the customer operation.
Records should be collected over the lifetime of the
vehicle to form a permanent vehicle record file. The
vehicle file should be used to customize the operational
maintenance needs.
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 defective vehicle being in
service.
Note: The included Annual Service checklist is an
uncontrolled copy. The document may be updated
without notice.
Annual Inspection
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.
The ideal time to carry out the Annual inspection is right
before the hardest season, which means just before
winter in the cold weather climates or just before summer
in the hot weather climates.
All inspection points are to be carried out as verification
of function or condition. Any defects are noted on the
inspection form for later correction, if so ordered by the
vehicle owner.
Note: The standard repair time for performing the
Annual Service Preventive Maintenance is based on
inspection without repair or adjustment, and Oil and
Filter Change.
Other Inspection
There are additional service points that are carried out
at specific mileage or time intervals. These are not part
of the Preventive Maintenance Basic or Annual time.
They should be scheduled as an adjustment or repair
job carried out at the same time as their respective
Preventive Maintenance, and are listed in this document
as reminders only.
Note: For the majority of on-highway operators, the
24,000 km (15,000 miles) or 4 months for basic service,
and 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 12 months for annual
service, schedule can be used with little change.
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