Volvo Penta IPS · Authorised dealer · Melbourne
Volvo Penta IPS service, engines and pods together.
From IPS350 to IPS1350, twin, triple or quad. Serviced to Volvo Penta’s schedule by an authorised dealer, with a clear rundown of what’s urgent and what can wait.
- Authorised Volvo Penta dealer
- Servicing Melbourne boats since 1995
- VODIA dealer diagnostics
- Berth or hardstand, across Port Phillip Bay
Your setup
Which IPS do you have?
IPS pods are matched to engine size, and the smaller and larger pods service a little differently. Pick yours to see what we look after.
IPS350 to IPS650 pair the pod with a four-cylinder D4 or a six-cylinder D6. On these pods the oil is changed with the boat lifted, so pod work is planned around a haul-out and the engines are done at the berth where possible.
- Engine oil and filters, genuine Volvo Penta
- Fuel filters, water trap and bleed
- Seawater pump impeller
- IPS oil and filter change, boat lifted
- Transom, lower-gear and cooler anodes
- Pod cooling water cock and intake grille
- Propellers, shaft seals and exhaust plate
- VODIA fault-log read and system check
Twin installations
Every engine and pod, one visit.
IPS is built for two or more engines, and Volvo Penta designs it as one system: engines, pods and EVC controls working together, plus joystick and Dynamic Positioning where fitted. We service it that way, every engine and every pod in the same visit.
- Every engine and pod serviced in one visit, keeping the installation on one schedule
- VODIA across engines, pods, the EVC system, helm stations and joystick (where fitted)
- A separate record for each engine and pod
- Lifts for pod oil, propellers and anodes planned with your yard
What you get
You’ll know exactly where your engines and pods stand.
Every service ends with a plain-English rundown. Each item is marked done, keep an eye on, or needs attention, so you can see what’s urgent and what can wait. Anything beyond the service is quoted first.
- A separate record for each engine and pod
- Kept for your warranty and resale history
- What’s due next, so you can plan lifts around the season
Servicing and your Volvo Penta warranty
Volvo Penta’s leisure warranty expects your engines and drives to be maintained to the operator’s manual, with records kept, and excludes faults caused by non-genuine parts or by repair work done outside Volvo Penta’s authorised network. On older D4 and D6 IPS engines, Volvo Penta’s Extended Protection for leisure boats also required every scheduled service to be done by an authorised dealer or workshop. Your warranty documents set out the terms for your boat. We service to the schedule with genuine parts and record every visit. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to these terms.
Service rundown
Twin D11 · IPS900 · 1,100 hours
- Done
Engine oil and filters
- Done
Fuel filters and water trap
- Done
Seawater pump impellers
Replaced as scheduled.
- Done
Pod oil and filters
Golden brown, no sign of water. Sensors recalibrated.
- Done
Pod and transom anodes
Renewed during the lift.
- Keep an eye on
Propeller shaft seals
Due at 1,200 hours. Plan for the next lift.
- Done
EVC and joystick
No active faults. Joystick checked at both helms.
- Needs attention
Port propellers
Nick in the front propeller. Quoted to replace.
Something not right?
Signs your IPS wants attention.
Many problems give a warning first. If you’ve noticed one of these, it’s worth a look before it turns into a lost weekend.
Grey or milky pod oil, or a water-in-oil alarm
Water is getting into the pod, often past a propeller shaft seal. Volvo Penta’s advice is to have the drive checked by a workshop, so get it looked at before the gears suffer.
You’ve touched bottom or hit something
Volvo Penta’s advice is to run slowly or be towed in, then have the pods and propellers inspected out of the water. A damaged propeller left on risks serious damage to the pod.
A coolant temperature alarm
The engine reduces power. On IPS the engine’s seawater comes in through the pod, so a fouled pod intake is on the list alongside a blocked seawater filter, a failed impeller and a faulty thermostat.
A steering warning, or steering feels limited
IPS steers electronically. On D4/D6 pods, Volvo Penta’s first check for a steering self-test fault is the pod oil level. For limited steering, its advice is to use another helm station if you can and have it checked.
A corrosion protection (ACP) warning
On boats with Volvo Penta’s optional Active Corrosion Protection, the system warns when a pod is under- or over-protected, or its status is unknown. Volvo Penta’s advice is to contact a workshop. The ACP unit has its own back-up anode, which still needs replacing when about a third has worn away.
Won’t reach full rpm
Usual suspects include a fouled hull, pods or propellers, blocked fuel filters, water in the fuel and the air supply. A stored fault code often narrows it down.
Timing
Book around the boating season.
A little planning means the boat is ready on the first good weekend, not the third.
78%
of maritime incidents reported in Victoria in 2024–25 were vessel breakdowns, most of them engine failure or running out of fuel.
Source: Safe Transport VictoriaAugust to October
Pre-season service
Book before the rush. November to Easter is our busiest period, so a service in late winter or early spring has the boat ready for the first good weekend.
Book a pre-season serviceNovember to Easter
On the water
Peak boating, and our busiest months. If an alarm won’t clear or something doesn’t feel right mid-season, call us.
Easter to July
Bigger jobs
The best time for higher-hour services, pod work and haul-outs, with the least boating missed.
Who you're dealing with
An authorised Volvo Penta dealer, looking after Melbourne boats since 1995.
Our technicians bring Volvo Penta’s VODIA diagnostics and genuine IPS service parts to your berth, and bigger jobs come back to our Spotswood workshop.
- Authorised Volvo Penta dealer
- Factory-trained technicians
- Genuine Volvo Penta parts on the shelf
- Also authorised for Yanmar and Twin Disc, and a ZF Marine Service Point
Every IPS, old and new
The IPS number is a performance class rather than the engine’s horsepower, so an IPS1350 is a 1,000 hp D13. IPS pod drives arrived in 2005 on the D4 and D6, the big D11 pods followed in 2009, then the D13 pods in 2010. Several numbers sit on more than one engine, so check the full designation on the engine plate when you book.
IPS is fitted, as standard or as an option, to boats like the Riviera 395 and 445 SUV (D6), 4600 and 4800 Sport Yacht and 465 and 505 SUV (D8), 5400 and 6000 Sport Yacht and 50 Sports Motor Yacht (D11), and the 585 SUV, 58 Sports Motor Yacht, 6800 Sport Yacht and Belize 66 (D13). Some models have been built with more than one engine size, so check the engine plate.
Questions
What IPS owners ask us
How much does an IPS service cost?
It depends on your engines, how many pods you have, and what’s due on the schedule for each. We confirm all of that and give you a clear quote before any work starts. If a lift is needed, we plan it with your yard.
Can you service IPS at my berth?
Partly. Engine servicing, checks and VODIA diagnostics are done at the berth where possible, and on the D8, D11 and D13 pods much of the oil can be changed from inside the boat. Propellers, anodes and shaft seals, and the pod oil change on D4 and D6 IPS, need the boat out of the water, so we plan those around a haul-out.
How often do IPS pods need servicing?
On older D4/D6 IPS, Volvo Penta’s schedule has the pod oil, filter and anodes changed every 400 hours or 12 months, and the propeller shaft seals replaced at 1,200 hours. The IPS1050/1200 schedule follows the same 400 and 1,200-hour pattern. Newer units have their own interval, and the engines have a schedule of their own, so we work to both for your boat.
Will servicing with you keep my Volvo Penta warranty valid?
Volvo Penta’s leisure warranty expects maintenance to your operator’s manual with records kept, and excludes damage from non-genuine parts or repairs outside its authorised network. As an authorised Volvo Penta dealer we service to the schedule with genuine parts and record every visit.
Which IPS do I have?
The IPS number tells you the performance class, not the engine. Some numbers have been used on more than one: an IPS400 can be a four-cylinder D4 or a six-cylinder D6, an IPS800 a D8 or a D11, and an IPS900 a D11 or a commercial D13. Send us the full product designation from the engine plate and we’ll know exactly what you have.
Do you look after joystick and Dynamic Positioning?
Yes, where fitted. Joystick docking and Dynamic Positioning are optional extras on IPS, run through the EVC system. We check them with VODIA as part of the service, at every helm station they’re fitted to.
I have triple IPS. Can you do them all at once?
Yes. We service every engine and pod in the same visit and keep a separate record for each, so the whole installation stays on one schedule.
How do I book?
Use the booking form at the top of this page or call (03) 9399 5888. We aim to reply within 1 business day.
Ready when the weather is.
Tell us about your IPS boat and where it’s berthed, and we’ll take it from there.