New 1994 850 Turbo wagon owner here!!

After looking at over twenty 850's and test driving five, I actuallypicked the one with by far the most miles(to me a staggering number of miles)... 165,000. But dang if that engine was not clean enough to eat off of. And it drove like a bat outta heck! I don't know a lot about cars and this is my first Volvo but the tranny does not hesitate, the brakes feel good, and it doesn't drift. So far so good. Everything seems to work.

I'm embarrassed to tell people how many miles are on the car. I told one personover the phone and there was a long, silent pause on their end (as if they thought I wascrazy).But the funny thing is, this will be the11th car I have owned in my life and it is without questionthe nicest car I have owned. And it is the only car I have ever researched and comparison shopped before buying.So at least I tried and hopefully things will work out.

Oh, and this is the first car I have ever owned where I am actually looking forward to putting new parts into it (as opposed to, "I don't want to dump money into that piece of junk!").

Wish me luck,
Squig

 

Good Luck Squiggy. 165K on a Volvo is nothing. Make sure the timing belt has been changed. It should be done every 70K miles. The ABS modules are almost guaranteed to go out. Welcome to the world of Volvo ownership.

 

Let them laugh when the cars turns 200k, then 300k etc etc. 165K just means you should have got a very good deal.

 

Yes 80% of the people on the road don't know much about modern cars, and 165,000 miles is about a half way for these engines, except you must make sure that the engine always has good oil at proper level, and the timing belt-pulleys-tensioner get replaced at every 70,000 miles or 5 years.

Since it is a turbo, I personally like to use full synthetic oil + MANN (OEM) filter. Other members may have different opinions so this is just me.

Follow scheduled maintenance and do not neglect on them. Most people don't visit shops for other than oil, tyre, brakes and battery changes then they cry because something broke due to neglect.

This thread gives you some ideas as to what to expect for repairs.
https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm

And the 2 parts sources some of us here use:
http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvo.htm#850
http://www.eeuroparts.com/home.aspx


Good luck to you & Happy New Year.


JPN

 

Thanks guys for calming my fears about the high miles. I will check out those links and print them out for reference. Gosh, I am stuck at work and chomping on the bit to go driving!! I wouldn't say that I got a screaming deal. I paid $3,650 + tax but the guy threw in a new windshield when I commented about a chip in the driver's line of sight. Truth be told I may have been able to talk him down another two or three hundred bucks but he was a nice guy and I really didn't need the money that badly. I was really just happy to find a car that ran so well. Initially I offered him $2,950 and he turned me down cold. I guess the price does have something to do with where you live because in my area I saw a lot of very abused cars for no less than $4,500. On a personal note... I live just a few blocks from my job and when my 1991 Hyundai Excel broke down three years ago I gave it away instead of repairing the worthless thing. I've been hoofing it ever since (and it's been flipp'n cold outside). Heated seats that actually work?? I must be dreaming!! Woohoo [8D]

 

Yeah, got to love those heated seats. Your own personal bun warmer.

 

I finally got a chance to go for my first real drive today (that wasn't a pre-purchase test drive).

You know themain thoughts that went through my mind were...

"This thing is built like a tank!"
"This thing is way more comfortable than the 2007 rental car I had last week."
"This thing is fast!"
"This thing looks like a shoe box but I love it."
"What do all these buttons do?"

 

"This thing is built like a tank!"
Volvos are often referred to as "tanks" or "bricks", because many people have survived through serious accidents. The body shell is extremely robust but spreads impact throughout the entire structure upon collision. Even though other mfgs are slowly catching up, Volvo is still ahead.


"This thing is way more comfortable than the 2007 rental car I had last week."
The ride may be a bit on a firm side because the 850s are designed as sport sedans & wagons. Even though the 850s use out-of-date McPherson strut set-up on the fronts, they handle very sharply.


"This thing is fast!"
No doubt. When the turbo kicks in at above 3,000 RPM, you're in for a fun ride.


"This thing looks like a shoe box but I love it."
I personally feel that the exterior design of the 850 is still more attractive than many cars built in 2007. The design does not seem to fade as quickly as other cars do.


"What do all these buttons do?"
Many different things.

The biggest downside of the 850s is probably electrical & electronic & A/C systems and expect to spend some $ on repair. And when you are required to replace parts, try not to save a few $ on genuine OEM parts. They may be a bit more expensive but the end result would prove worthwhile. Just as important, steer clear of generic town shops or franchise shops, as many of them are lagging behind in keeping up with technology and they may do more harm than good on your Volvo. The best place to have your Volvo serviced probably would be an independent shop that specialises in Swedish/European makes, and have your car serviced by an ASE-certified Master Technician (ASE=Automotive Service Excellence; a national voluntary certificate for competent automotive technicians). The 2nd best place, in terms of quality, would be the dealers but they are known for selling you many unnecessary & expensive repairs.

You may see problems such as minor oil leak, PCV system in need of replacement, Check Engine Light (CEL) & ABS/TRAC warning lights, air conditioning system not holding charge, but this forum contains 99% of what you need to know in order to get most out of your Volvo and if we're missing some info, there are members who can help you with servicing.

Good luck to you & your Volvo.


JPN

 

Thanks JPN. Your advice is appreciated!

 

"This thing is way more comfortable than the 2007 rental car I had last week."

"The ride may be a bit on a firm side because the 850s are designed as sport sedans & wagons. Even though the 850s use out-of-date McPherson strut set-up on the fronts, they handle very sharply."

I have noticed the ride is a bit 'rough' and there are a few rattles I need to investigate (which I read is common and good luck finding them all!). But I don't mind. I mean sheesh... the major pros on this car make the tiny cons not even worth mentioning. I fell in love with the driver's seat the second Isat in it. It's the most comfortable car seat I have ever sat in (aside from maybe a mid 90'sCadillac DeVille). With the multi-adjustments and telescoping steering wheel it totally blows away the 2007 Avis rental car I had last week. I think it was a Chevy Malibu. I had a 2007 Chevy Impala from Avis a month ago. The Volvo is more comfortable than that car too.

 

Squigy
You sound just like me. I just purchased an 850 turbo, Big Irv as I like to refer to him, with 119,000 just to "get me to work and back". Well that hasn't been the case... I drive it everywhere. I traded in my 2003 Honda Pilot EXL for this and I love the Volvo more.
Even my wife commmented the other night "what's wrong with my car, we've driven this everywhere since you bought it." She has a 2007 Honda CRV with 2100 miles.
Believe it or not I've enjoyed fixing it so far. Most of the dash and radio lights were blown so I got those working the other day. I even told my wife that the dash has more bulbs than the x-mas tree.
My father in law is a big Chevy guy and he's even taken a liking to Big-Irv. We even spent the other day at the local junk yard looking for parts from a few 940's. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything I needed.
My next project is replacing the shocks that hold up the tailgate.
I even had my local Volvo dealership take it out for a spin and he was amazed at the shape it's in. I'm from upstate NY and most cars are eaten alive from the road salt so it's rare to see a 1994 anything unless it's been garaged all winter. I drove to southern PA to pick him up and it's in beautiful shape.
Ok, I'm off for a trip around the block...

 

Big Irv? haha Hmm. I'll have to think up a name for mine. I told one of the girls at work that I had to go to the doctor to get 'demagnitized' because my Volvo is a chick magnet. She about barfed I think, but it got a laugh. So far I haven't been able to talk anyone into going for a ride. That's okay though. It's faster with just one fat person!

The only real problem I've had with my 850 Turbo so far is that I'm afraid the brakes might wear out... because I keep coming up on cars so fast!