Hi all,
I know this kind of thread comes up often enough but after a bit of searching I am still looking to find as much info as I can...
Tomorrow I'll be looking at a 1991 940 turbo that's for sale at a decent price (~$1000).
228,000 miles, they say there has not been any major problems ever. Last trip to the shop was to replace one of the sensors (O2 or AMM?) because of starting issues...

What do I need to pay attention to for this model? from the VIN I know that it has the B230FT engine and was made in Belgium...

Also, this would be my first experience with the turbo- what should I be looking for there? What are the pros/cons v.s. a standard engine?

Thanks!
Koos

 

Look for lots of oil leaks. Higher milage turbo engines can suffer from lots of blowby (but still be bery reliable).
As with any turbo engine, I would want to see a complete service history with regular, documented servicing.
If it runs very well and performs O.K, the car should be fine. Don't expect lightning performance from a stock turbo, it'll feel more like a small six cylinde rengine.
Teh engine will probably sound a little tappety, all Volvo fours do.

regards, Andew.

 

Thanks for the tips Andrew,

I went and looked at the car today, seemed alright...service for the last 6 years has bee pretty regular, but before that I'm not sure (2nd owner). The only spots I noticed oil (not drips, just wet) were around the oil cap and beneath the intake manifold, more towards the rear of the engine (wasn't sure where that was coming from...). The car had been sitting in one spot for a while and the were no fluids on the street.

Seemed good, so I said lets go for a ride. Started the engine on the 2nd try with a little bit of pressure on the gas pedal to get it to catch...hmm low battery I thought...sat with engine idling for a few minutes while trying out electrical accessories, ventilation etc,

Then the idle started to get a little rough, so I decide it was time to get moving so the battery could charge a bit...too late...I pulled out and the car stalled. Luckily I was on a gentle slope so we could roll back to the curb.

Subsequent attempts at start were not successful, whether I added gas or not. I would try, starter would go but not catch, try again and I would get nothing on the keyturn. I figure that was likely just a engine flooding sensor.

Is this just due to a bad battery or is there something ugly lurking under the hood? The car had been driven without problems a week or two ago....

what do you all think? there are a couple of other things I don't like so much, but until the start problem is fixed, I can't judge them fairly...I told the guy to get the battery jumped/charged and I'd try out the car again... we'll see.


Thanks all,
Koos

 

The battery is not the problem. Could be many other things but it's not the battery.

 

Yup. Definately not a battery problem. Sounds more like fuel delivery issue: fuel pump, fuel filter, injectors, MAF etc.