Hey everyone. New guy here, been browsing the forum the last 2 weeks researching 850's as I'm in the market for one. As well as here, I've been browsing YouTube watching multiple how to's on vehicle repairs, one being a member here.

Found a 1995 850 turbo that I think I'm going to purchase. I've looked at several, all have 0 maintenance history so I'm in the same boat with all. This one happens to be owned by a city official head mechanic. He's done done repairs but it still needs the timing belt and all that done. CEL doesn't work but its clear of codes and compression tests ranged from 120-140. Test drove it the other day after watching a members video on YouTube on how to test drive one of these. Awesome video, believe it was rspi007. Thank you.

Anyways, just a quick hello, hoping this purchase is a good one as I plan on purchasing a 2nd one down the road (his and hers...ill keep the turbo).

 

Hi there everyone this is Smith and i am a newbie out here..so just hoping to have a great time out here ..made the intro as my first post..


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I am no stranger to my 1996 850 Turbo Sedan. Off the top of my head, I can rattle off a few surprises I have learned that have been elsewhere labeled as "850 quirks":

Ignition switch: This will start to become finicky on you. When you start the car your ABS and TRACS (if equipped) lights will stay on. You will not be able to shift out of park, and none of your headlights will work. This is a common wear part, just *lightly* jiggle the key and it will go away. What happens is the car thinks it is not running, due to the short inside the relay. Jiggling it gets you by (has worked for me for 4 years, but it will completely give out at some point....)

Drivers side door stay: I noticed mine starting to click, then the click turned into a loud CLACK, over and over. These are known for seizing up, and then what happens is the door stay stops working but it starts to bend the metal on the frame, and eventually break through. I caught it before it broke through, but my friend still had to weld it to fix it properly. Try to avoid this, by keeping the door stay lubricated, or replace it ASAP if it starts clicking. It will save you A LOT of frustration.

Heater Core: went on me out of nowhere, drivers side floor mat wet with hot coolant. This part will just give out at some point....

Window Guides: Inside the doors, there are metal pieces covered in felt that guide the window down into the door and hold it in place while it is down. This part originally had a little metal tab that attached it to the door frame (inside the door). Over time this just snaps, and you will start to hear noises as the window goes up and down. If you ignore it, it will jam in place. I tried buying one off a junk car from craigslist, found that one was cracked too. Save yourself the frustration and just go to the Volvo dealer and get a brand new one. Volvo actually redesigned the part to have a crimp in the metal on the tab, and it is much stronger than the original design. Pop that thing in, and you will be good to go. I think in Connecticut (generally more pricey) it cost me about $38.

PCV system: I have learned, over many fails, that it is imperative to keep this system clean in this car. More importantly, the PTC needs to be clean and clear.

Turbo: Unfortunately, mine gave out. I ignored this for about a year and it was a bad choice. My car was smoking white smoke at idle and during boost, also oil consumption was high with no noticeable leaks. The seals in the turbo were shot and I chose to ignore it as a new turbo is pricey. Eventually over the 1.5-2 years of driving it this way, the oil getting sucked into the intake caused detonation and destroyed my engine. This is my, and my friend's diagnosis of what we saw while tearing the engine down. Keep the PCV clean, and if the car is using a lot of oil (without noticeable leaks) then change the turbo.

Oil Cooler Lines: these things are a pain in the ***, when they start seeping you will have to change them. Need patience, small tools ( I had to make some custom Torx tools) and time to get this done properly. If you don't line up the green o rings properly, it will leak like a siv.

Turbos are WAY FUN, but much more complicated and more parts to keep up with/maintain/check out. The transmissions on these cars are rock solid, just keep your ATF fresh (super easy to flush the ATF in this car)

All in all this car is super reliable, it is my first turbo vehicle, and I feel as though the fun is certainly backed up by the amount of maintenance you need. I feel as though I just had bad luck with my turbo failing at 110k miles, perhaps the prior owner didn't observe turbo warnings such as letting it idle for a minute or two before shutting it down after a hard drive, stuff like that. All in all I continue to love this car, the feel of it, the safety and performance.

BTW this is the only car I know of that has the "airmix" thing for the driver. I love this little feature - I know it is so silly and small but it is really nice in the winter when you want to keep the heat on, but get some fresh cold air on your face.