Volvo Penta Aquamatic · Authorised dealer · Melbourne
Volvo Penta sterndrive service, from bellows to props.
SX, DPS, DPH, DPR or DPI, petrol or diesel. Serviced to Volvo Penta’s schedule by an authorised dealer, with drive work planned around your haul-out.
- Authorised Volvo Penta dealer
- Servicing Melbourne boats since 1995
- Petrol and diesel Aquamatic drives
- Drive work planned with your yard
Your setup
Which Aquamatic leg do you have?
Volvo Penta has built several families of Aquamatic leg, and each has its own service points. The type is on the drive plate. Pick yours to see what we look after.
The DPI is the current Aquamatic leg for the D4 and D6, introduced in 2019. It has a hydraulic clutch for smooth, quiet shifting and electronic steering as standard, so it gets checked with VODIA as well as by eye.
- Drive oil change on the DPI’s schedule
- U-joint and exhaust bellows inspection
- Duoprop propellers, seals and shaft splines
- Drive anodes, plus the ACP system (where fitted)
- Electronic steering and power trim checks
- Joystick and docking functions (where fitted)
- VODIA fault-log read and system check
- Engine service in the same visit
What you get
You’ll know exactly where your drive stands.
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 drive and engine
- Bellows renewals logged, so the next one isn’t missed
- What’s due next, so you can plan your haul-out
Servicing and your Volvo Penta warranty
Volvo Penta’s leisure warranty expects your engine and drive 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 packages, Volvo Penta’s Extended Protection for leisure boats also required scheduled services to be done by an authorised dealer or workshop. Your warranty documents set out the terms for your drive. 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
V8 petrol · DPS sterndrive · 310 hours
- Done
Drive oil
Changed. Golden brown, no sign of water.
- Done
U-joint and exhaust bellows
Renewed on the two-year schedule.
- Keep an eye on
U-joints, splines and gimbal bearing
Slight roughness in the gimbal bearing. Recheck at the next service.
- Done
Anodes and ground braids
Anodes renewed. Braids secure.
- Done
Power trim and steering
Fluid levels and operation checked.
- Done
Propellers and shaft splines
Splines cleaned and greased.
- Needs attention
Port trim cylinder
Seal weeping. Quoted to reseal.
- Done
Engine oil, filters and impeller
Engine serviced in the same visit.
Something not right?
Signs your sterndrive 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 drive oil
Healthy drive oil is golden brown. Grey, light or cloudy oil means water is getting in, and Volvo Penta points to the propeller shaft seal as one possible cause. Get it checked before the gears and bearings suffer.
A “Water in bellows” message
Drives with a bellows sensor raise this alarm when water gets inside the bellows. Volvo Penta’s instruction is to inspect the bellows, which is done with the boat out of the water.
The drive won’t trim, or creeps down
Volvo Penta’s power trim is a closed-centre hydraulic system that doesn’t need routine fluid checks, so a change in how it behaves is the cue to check the fluid level and look for a leaking cylinder or hose.
Vibration after hitting something
The kick-up only protects the drive going forward. After a knock, Volvo Penta’s advice is to check the drive and propeller, and on twins the tie bar, and to lift the boat if there’s vibration. A damaged tie bar must never be straightened or welded.
Hard or clunky shifting
The shift cable and mechanism wear over time, and Volvo Penta’s schedule inspects them and renews the cable at set hours. On EVC drives a “Check transmission” message can point to a shift fault.
“Cannot Start, Trim Too High”
On EVC sterndrive packages this means the drive is tilted too high, or there’s a possible fault with the trim sender. If trimming down doesn’t clear it, the sender is worth checking.
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 bellows renewal, drive 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 genuine Volvo Penta drive parts to the boat, at the berth or on the hardstand, and bigger drive 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 Aquamatic leg, old and new
The drive and the transom shield each carry a plate with the full designation, for example DPH-D or DPS-A. Early D4 and D6 paperwork calls the DPH simply DP, and older D3s list the DPS as DP-S.
Volvo Penta sterndrives are fitted, as standard or as an option, to boats like the Victorian-built Whittley SL 22 (V6 petrol, SX), Whittley SL 25 and CR 2600, the Beneteau Gran Turismo 40 and Jeanneau Leader 40 (twin D4 or D6 Duoprops), and the Princess V39 (twin D6). Many were also built with other engines or drives, so check the plates.
Questions
What sterndrive owners ask us
How much does a sterndrive service cost?
It depends on the drive type, whether you have one or two, what’s due on the schedule (a bellows year is a bigger job than a check-only year), and whether the boat is already out of the water. We confirm all of that and give you a clear quote before any work starts.
Can you service my sterndrive in the water?
Some of it. Engine servicing and some drive checks can be done at the berth, but Volvo Penta has the bellows inspected with the boat out of the water, and bellows renewal and propeller work happen on the hardstand. We plan that part with your yard, ideally at your annual haul-out.
How often should the bellows be replaced?
It depends on the drive and its generation. Volvo Penta’s petrol SX and DPS schedules replace the U-joint and exhaust bellows every second year. On D4 and D6 drives built before 2019, the U-joint bellows are inspected every year and replaced every second year. D3 drives are replaced every two to four years depending on their schedule, and the DPI has its own interval. We check what applies to yours.
What does grey or milky drive oil mean?
Water is getting into the drive. Healthy Aquamatic drive oil is golden brown, and grey, light or cloudy oil means water, often past a propeller shaft seal. Have it checked before the gears and bearings suffer.
Do you service petrol and diesel sterndrives?
Yes. We service Aquamatic legs on Volvo Penta’s petrol V6 and V8 engines (SX and DPS) and on the D3, D4 and D6 diesels (SX, DPS, DPH, DPR and DPI), along with the engines they’re matched to. We also look after older legs such as the DP, DPX and XDP, where parts allow.
Which drive do I have?
Look for the plate on the drive and the one on the transom shield. They carry the full designation, for example DPH-D or DPS-A, and the serial number. Send us a photo of either and we’ll know exactly which leg you have.
I have twin sterndrives. Can you do both at once?
Yes. We service both drives and both engines in the same visit and keep a separate record for each. Twin installations have a tie bar between the legs with its own anodes, so we check those too.
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 drive and where the boat is, and we’ll take it from there.