Last night i let my 17 year old nephew borrow my 940, about an hour and a half later he calls me on the cell and tells me that my car was smoking pretty bad. well he would 'nt give me anymore details other than there is alot of coolant on the floor and in the engine bay. Well ,here i go to the rescue with 3 gallons of water hoping it was a busted hose or cracked hose, but when I get there and start pouring water in the reservoir we hear water gushing out , so we look and look. low and behold, on the left side plastic tank of the radiator was probably like a 3 inch cavernous split, you can literary see inside the radiator.
I guess you know what I'll be doin tomorrow with my trusty 940.
The thing is that I keep wondering what could of caused this? since the radiator cap is fairly new and I had never had any type of overheating or leaks. or is this something ussual to volvos?
humm...

 

Check the thermostat as well.
Most of the time the thermostat will break and cause the system to build up excess pressure.
Then the weak spot is the Radiator.

 

here's a picture of the radiator

 

more pictures

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another one, coolant was everywhere, even in the shock mounts.

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Like I said in the Post about check the thermostat.
Also that is common on those Radiators.

 

same thing happened to my 89 740 wagon. Never a hint of problems, them bam. Also happened after my son drove the car for a few days. Curious, huh?

 

It must be a conspiracy....uhmm
I bet my last dollar the Kennedys are involved in this one..!!!

 

My cooling system in my 240 was blowing out its coolant, but through the pressure valve on the coolant tank, or atleat that's where the coolant escaped from. Turned out the radiator was partly blocked (it also turned out the pump needed replacing too, doh!) Anyway, I noticed that the coolant would generally blow out when I pushed the peddle to the floor to accelerate quickly. Just a conincidence? Or is there a reason why that would create additional pressure in the coolant system?

 

The thermostat migth also be broke as well.

 

$ 80.00 cost me to have the left plastic tank replaced and pressure tested...it sounds better than $240 for a new one...

Im glad ill have the beast running soon again..!!!

 

But Dont forget A New thermostat!!

 

lol tech.....

you're spining the water pump faster when you rev the engine up....fast moving fluid means more pressure.

 

I sure wont forget, but today I noticed that the stupid water pump is leaking around the gasket area.....lol...
whats next?....the motor?

 

it feels great to be driving the old 940 again....beleive it or not, despite it being a 92 model, this brick rides like a dream.
I rode in the backseat for the first time lastnight and I was amazed at the confort level and space there is back there.
also what amazes me is how solid this car is, no wonder they are or where the leaders in safety.....
ohhh....and the paint... I also washed it and shined the interior last night...and I could swear I was driving a mercedes or something..
one last thing...after driving my wifes toyota sienna for a week and filling with 15 bucks on gas every other day...I was thankfull to getting back on the old Volvo.....very good on gas compared to that other thing.
and hey...for 500 dollars for the car and 300 for the engine..... my 800 dollars had never lasted this long before.....!!

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