So I bought my girlfriend an 850 turbo a while back. Ive already done a few things like fix leaking vacuum lines and a broken gear in the odometer. There are a couple things that are stumping me though.

First the car seems to run really rich at idle and after its warmed up a bit. Doesn't seem to happen any other time. Its so rich it produces a decent amount of smoke, so much that its embarrassing to drive. I do not notice any loss of power or rough idle though. I suspected the PCV system at first but its smelling like fuel not oil. Then I thought fuel pressure regulator but im not getting any raw fuel in the vacuum hose that goes to the vacuum tree at the intake manifold.

Second it feels like something in the rear suspension is warn or loose. Almost like a wheel is out of balance. The tires are new and balanced so I can rule that out. Is there any bushing or part that commonly goes bad that can create a vibration? It seems to be worse when going over sharp bumps like a crack in the pavement or something similar. Oh I have also replaced the rear shocks just in case that was the problem, no difference there.

If there is anyone that can help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

For the fuel issue. Do you have a check engine light on? IF so, do you know how to read the codes using the on-board diagnostic, or have a way to read the code(s) with a code reader? If so, this will help a lot. Do the electric cooling fans come on right away or not at all?? My first suspect wold be the coolant temperature sensor. It is located right by the thermostat housing on the top of the motor.

As for the rear suspension, it is a fairly simple shock-absorber type set up. Look for loose parts, worn/missing bushings, etc. The top of each shock has a mount/bushing that can wear over time. Hope this helps. I'm sure others will chime in soon

 

No more check engine light. I had them for EGR, EVAP (i think), and either a too rich or too lean condition. These were all fixed with repairing leaking vacuum hoses. So as of now no check engine light is coming on.

I do not believe the fans come on right away but I will have to double check that. They shouldnt come on until the car is warm correct?

Im thinking the rear suspension might be something ill take it to a shop for. They have access to a lift and all that type of thing. Not to mention more time to work on it than I have lol.

 

Correct, fans should not come on until warm. A bad coolant temperature sensor can make the engine think it is hot when it is still cold and run too lean a mixture and turn the fans on prematurely. On the flip side, a bad sensor can also make the engine think it is running too cold, make the mixture too rich, and never trigger the fans to come on, even when the engine is getting too warm.....

 

I can verify if the temp sensor is working through the OBD port right? Assuming that data is available through the port.

 

Yes, if you have a code reader the data should be available.

 

You can check the sensor with an ohm meter. Not sure what the readings should be cold or warm, but you may be able to Google that. What year is the car???

 

Its a 1995

 

I would much rather check via OBDII, if it was me. No need to decode, just read it off the screen. The richness might really be oil consumption via the intake valve seals. Idling seems to enhance this.

If it really is fuel, though, as you know it can only get in there through the injectors or the pressure regulator, if it's broken. If it's the injectors, then it would make some sense to be concerned about fuel pressure being too high. This is also most pronounced at idle. You might also be seeing an error in air flow measurement. That would be hard to pin down unless you have 2 turbo volvos and can compare "normal" idling air flows to each other. Using OBDII, however, you ought to be able to tell if it's seeing a rich condition on O2 sensors. If it's trimming the fuel as much as possible and not able to clear it up, you ought to see that also.

 

Took the car to a shop and was told they cannot figure out why the car feels wobbly. Tires are new, rear shocks are new, all bushings look good, rims arent bent. Was also told that the turbo is leaking oil and needs to be replaced. It does have almost 200,000 miles on it so thats not surprising lol. Thinking about getting rid of it and finding something with less miles on it.

 

I'm pushing 265,000 on the stock turbo. If the turbo is not leaking bad, it is not an issue. They all leak a little. All because you find a drop on the bottom of it doesn't make it bad. I know of someone that had over 365,000 on the original turbo.

 

He said a "considerable amount of oil" when I talked to him on the phone. I know the guy personally so I know hes not taking me for a ride. The car is smoking a LOT out of the tail pipe too, might be the oil burning off in the exhaust. Im going to get the car back and look at it myself before I make any 100% decisions. If the smoking is indeed from the turbo leaking oil then I cannot keep it. Its way too embarrassing to have a car that smokes that much, its seriously plooms of smoke. If it is something else I can fix then I have no problem with a turbo that leaks a little bit of oil.

 

The turbo can be replaced with a used one, not a big job. Here is the US you can get a decent turbo between $50 and $250. If it smokes while driving it is likely the turbo.

 

I didnt realize they can be had for that cheap. It does not smoke while driving. It only seems to smoke at idle after the car has fully warmed up. It smells more like fuel than oil though.

 

Likely old valve stem seals. Mine does it sometimes. The owners manual recommends that you NOT let the car idle.

 

Very weird suggestion from the manufacture, i think.

 

Just trying to get ahead of the complaints. They usually put 1,000,000+ before they start selling Volvo's and they probably knew what would happen after 200,000 miles.