Hi everyone

I have a Volvo 850 T5-R and I read the 'bank a' error codes (sadly it's pre OBD2) and I got back a lot of codes and I am not really sure where to find an accurate codes list or what ECU it has in it?

Its a 1995 850 T5-R Automatic imported from Japan

It sat for at least 2 years in storage before I bought it and it must have sat for even longer before it was imported so it has managed to rack up a list of codes in that time.
Here they are:
Bank A
Socket 1:
3-2-2
3-1-3
1-1-4
Socket 2:
1-2-1
5-1-4
2-3-2
Socket 3:
1-4-2
2-1-4
2-1-3
3-1-1
4-4-4
Socket 7
1-1-1 (which means no codes present?)

I decided it was best not to read bank b
Any help working these codes out would be greatly appreciated
Thanks for taking the time to read this thread

 

Here is a list

 

Thanks for this it's great helped me work out a few things

I 100% need to clear the codes

On that list for bank a socket 3 there is nothing for code 3-1-1 do you know what that is?

 

another good resource is volvotips.com

Volvo 850 Turbo tests diagnostic codes service manual

 

Thanks

I not completely sure whether the car is boosting so I am probably going to carry out test 3 to test the turbocharger control valve and for that test is says you need to disconnect 3 injectors, does it matter which 3? Any why do they need to be disconnected?

 

Don't hold me to this, but I don't think the boost control valve can drop you to zero. It's helpful to calibrate that so that fully open is something useful (like 5 psi).

I don't think this is an electronic problem, I guess, is what I'm saying. I would be doing experiments on the mechanical side. If the gauge is not working, then I do see a danger here, but surely you've got enough sense to know that the turbo is coming on. I believe you that it's not. If I'm wrong, the relief valve is pretty safe, at least on my car. You can't get 20 psi before the relief valve opens, and that'll slow the turbo down as well (some) I guess if I was a better man I'd tell you that can't can't overboost it below X rpm, but I don't know what X is. Maybe I'll update this after while.

You can physically get at the compressor wheel fairly easily, and so you could check to see if it's locked up that way.

 

It's odd

I know it's not a fast fast car but I know it should have something behind it

Normally it doesn't really feel like it's boosting but the other day when I was driving very sensibly it definitely hit some sort of boost

It hit 4,000 rpm and there was a noticable difference of it picking up but after I stopped to refuel it it wasn't really doing it anymore

I've had plenty of cossies in the past so I'm no stranger to unreliability 😂

The boost gauge doesn't work it just stays central and all the vacuum lines were shot but I changed a load and the boost gauge worked for about 5 minutes and one of the error codes is "long term fuel trim idling" which is (I think) usually caused by vacuum leaks letting in extra air past the maf so I probably have more to fix

For a completely standard engine (which it is) how much boost should it have?

I have an old after market boost gauge from a sierra cosworth that I'm considering temporarily rigging up just so I can see what it's doing

 

I'd probably try the external boost gauge. The one in the dash has a line running from the pipes to the back of the dash cluster so its quite possible that is leaking etc. You can also try swapping in a replacement cluster from another 850T. I'd think if you temporarily rigged the waste gate you should be able to force some change as well. Another thought is to remove the intake air pipe where it goes into the top of the turbo to get a look at the compressor wheel and do a quick check for side to side play.

 

I've had the dash top off to re glue part of it and the line is intact and connected but I will try that and I will also reset the code to get valid ones

 

So... It's been a while

Some other projects (blowing up the engine in my bmw turbo) meant the 850 was forgotten about a little bit

But last weekend I cleared the code and took it for an hour's drive and the only fault after was 2-3-2 'long term fuel trim - idling' and it idled lumpy when I first started it again.

So with my boost gauge not working and research saying a common cause of that code being vacuum leaks I need to look at the vacuum system again

I said I replaced some of the vacuum lines (mainly the ones on the passenger side of the car and going to the turbo as I was replacing the PNP switch) does anyone have something like a diagram of where all the vacuum lines are or can point me towards the more hidden ones. And are the any parts I should check in the vacuum system?

Also a note on its boost. I drove it a bit and sometimes it's seems to kick in better other times it doesn't

After I cleared the codes I drove it about town gently and when I got a chance to open it up it did something but not as fast as it has been a few times. So I was curious do they adapt to they way to drive or should I have full power whenever I floor it? (I don't think I've taken it out of economy mode on the gearbox since I brought it)


As a Japanese import so before I got my hands on it, it was sat for 2+ years so is there anything else I could look at that might have seized up over that time?

It's only got about 75,000 miles so I don't know what it did in its life in Japan (maybe sat around over there?)


​​​​​Thanks