94 850 wagon here...Still getting used to the car after years of 240s and a couple more questions/problems came up. First, when I turn the car on, the key seems to get stuck in the "turn over" position, so headlights don't come on, the car makes an AWFUL screeching noise, no power in the car ect, ect. It is fixed by simply pulling the key back to the on position, but is it common in 850s for it to get stuck in the turn over spot? Is it fixable without too much work? Also, my hatch does not support itself. On the 240 wagons replacing the hatch supports was as easy as 1-2-3, Am I missing the simplicity in the 850? Or am I looking at an interesting job there too? (also fan speed 4 still not working -- fuses good) Thanks a lot.

 

I can help with the second and third things – I think...

The wagon hatch shocks are very easy to replace – a real ten-minute job. First, prop the hatch open with a broom stick or another human being. Pop off the trim holding the speaker pods, and it goes all the way towards the front of the car ‘till they get to the seat belt bolts. You can pry the old shocks off easily. When installing the new ones, attach the one near the rear seat first. The units I got from FCP were a hair too long, so I had to use an adjustable wrench to “encourage” the mount. Also, the units from FCP came with a little pin that secures the mount which was really nice, but just make sure you pop it off before installation or you’ll bend it all to hell.

For the fan, do you have an ECC or MCC? I’m going to guess MCC. There’s two relays mounted near the heater resistor which is located behind the glove box. One controls speeds 1 through 3 and the other is just for speed 4. If the fuse is good, I’m guessing the relay is toast.

 

Alright cool, I think I can figure those out no problem. Thanks a lot! Another problem with my hatch is that the door handle on the inside is cracked (and it looks like someone tried welding it back at some point) so when you try to open it from the outside, it just slides around the broken metal pieces and makes it really hard to open the door. Is it difficult to replace the door latch? or would it be best to replace the hatch as a whole?

 

I just repaired the interior hatch panel and I took a quick glance at the hardware inside. It seemed like you’d be able to repair the parts. Access is easy with the panel removed, just awkward because it’s over your head.