so im about to start a nice overhaul of the 850. i plan on replacing anything in can in the engine bay, sans the motor. i do have a few areas that i would like some additional input on:

for the longest time, fuse #15 will pop immediately upon insertion of a new fuse. i thought it was the alarm system for the longest time, so i ordered a dummy relay from volvo. while this DID solve my random flashing light issue, the fuse still pops. i was able to leave a fuse in slot 15 for about 20 minutes last week before it popped on its own (car was idle, engine was not on). while it was in and not popped, everything worked short of the dome lights. those would not turn on, but im assuming it has something to do with the middle switch that broke off. any idea how to change the settings even when that piece is broken off? is fuse #15 solely responsible for dome lights? id really love to get those back...

second, my passenger side front tire and suspension. on cold days (such as today), it will squeak and sound gaud awful. even after it warms up, it sounds like something is extremely worn down there. ive taken it to my usual mechanic and even the volvo dealership. neither could find anything that looked seriously worn and would cause those noises.

to date i have replaced all 4 springs, both axles, both front struts. what else down there can be replaced that would cause loud noises?

third, im also going to tackle the oil leaks i have. turns out i have a few small leaks that are all contributing to me losing about half a quart over a 5k oil change.

 

When you did the struts in front did you replace the upper mount and the coil spring seat ??

 

no, those were not replaced. new parts to order! what other parts like this should be replaced? what about in the rear? i remember seeing a foam rubber thing on the rear springs...

cheers!