96 850 T5 sedan. Dark gray, about 200.000 kms. I´ve had it since March 2006.

Needs:

1- [EDIT: DONE. except water pump]Full timing system maintenance. It has been about three years since I changed the timing belt. This time I need to change tensioners and the rest of the components too.

2- [EDIT: FIXED] new left C/V joint. It is clicking badly when I turn either way and humming at highway speeds. It is probably dangerous to drive it this way.

3- [EDIT: torque bushing replaced] new mounts. The torque mount is definitely bad. The rest of the mounts should be inspected and they are probably bad too.

4- [EDIT: rough shifting disappeared after changing torque bushing and lower right eng mount] tranny shifts roughly. I changed the tranny fluid two years ago and it got better iirc. Maybe this has to do with bad mounts.

5- [EDIT: FIXED] new turbo oil return oring. Already bought the parts, but I don´t have ramps so I can install it.

6- [EDIT: FIXED ground pin on compressor relay behind glove compartment was connected to the wrong ground]. aircon is working 50%. There is an electrical problem that switches the compressor off when I press the brake pedal. The compressor also sounds like shaking a can of marbles when it is on. Sounds like bad bearings or problematic pistons.

7- [EDIT:Painted] new Volvo, 850 and T-5 emblems in the back. The color is faded and ugly.

8- new front bumper cover. The current one looks like crap after a fender bender in 2006. I can´t source it here and getting it from abroad is a total rip off.

9- new windshield (or maybe have this one polished). It´s too old and has many dots from highway dirt/tiny stones. Visibility is not good.

10- [EDIT:replaced] new windshield wiper water injector. I tried to align it with a needle and the needle snapped inside. Now it is clogged.

11- odometer does not work since 2007. I have the replacement gear but I´ve been to lazy to fix it. I tried to find out the electronic reading from the trip computer, but the scanner they had at the shop could not read that parameter.

12- Front passenger door makes a horrible creaking noise when it opens. I had a similar problem fixed once (popping door) but the fix lasted a year.

13- Sometimes it smells like fumes inside the passenger cabin. I´ve taken the car to three different exhaust shops, all of them say it is fine, so there is probably an oil leak on a hot engine component.

14- Need new paint on the front spoiler. Three weeks after I had it painted someone hit me in a parking lot (probably a woman) and the paint cracked badly again.

15- Both front shocks are blown. Bilsteing HDs are not good enough for the bad roads in my country.

16- [EDIT: all radiator hoses were replaced with new ones]. All the water and intercooler hoses are original. Water hoses should probably be replaced before they crack causing an engine disaster.

17- Radio LCD backlight does not work. Multi-CD does not work. The whole audio setup is obsolete and needs to be replaced

18- Speaker on driver´s door only works if volume is relatively high. Bad amp channel?

19- Some of the backlights on the instrument panel and the switches do not work

20- Driver´s leather seat is in bad condition. The rest are ok, with tiny scratches and stiff leather, but they are not torn or ripped.

21- Sunlight sensor pops out of place. The mounting bracket is cracked and does not have the necessary retaining tabs.

22- The cat was removed by the previous owner.

23- [EDIT: HEADLAMP LENSE REPLACED]Front passenger side headlamp was cracked by highway debris.

24- Front rotors and pads need to be changed.

25- [EDIT: NEW MAST INSTALLED] Some idiot broke my antenna when I parked in the street.

26- [EDIT: LATCH REPLACED] The hood latch in the grille area needs to be replaced. I did a ghetto fix but I need to replace the whole unit because the spring is missing and the tab is cracked.

27- Needs dash mounting tab repair. The dash is jumping when I drive over rough terrain or speed bump.

28- Too much wind noise at highway speeds.

29- [EDIT: FIXED] Drivers side windshield wiper does not touch the windshield completely on the top left corner. I tried to align the wiper arm to no avail.

30- Drivers door interior ´leather´ panel has a broken clip. It moves out of place.

31- Small pieces of fake wood interior are missing in some places and peeling off in others.

32- Windows make noise when I close the doors with the windows down. Sounds like a broken window rail or guide of some sort.

33- Front right mudflap is missing. I lost it parking somewhere.


Reasons to keep it:
- My wife does not like the car so she does not drive it. This is important because she is not a defensive driver. Her car is full of dents and scratches. She crashed the Volvo in 2006, and also tried to go scuba diving with it once.
- Big solid car. I feel like I am driving a tank.
- Engine works ok. Turbo pushes fine. The car is more than fast enough for me.
- Comfortable interior. Nice for long trips.
- Love the integrated booster seat.
- Great trunk space.
- New tires.
- Volvos are not common cars here. I like driving something different
- Highway MPG is decent. 34mpg at 60mph. 25mpg at 75mph. PCV job did its magic.
- I already know its problems. Getting a new used car is full of surprises.
- Upgrading to a new car with the same comfort costs USD30-40K here.
- Very cheap road tax and insurance.
- A new car is not a priority right now. I am about to start building a new house without getting a bank loan, and that costs tons of cash.
- Volvos are very difficult to sell. I´d take a USD 4K loss if I wanted to get rid of it ASAP.

Reasons to get rid of it:
- Cost and time spent doing the above mentioned repairs
- Cost of spare parts and service. Volvo raperships have ridiculous prices. How about 10 dollars for an oil filler gasket? 800 dollars for a radiator?
- Hard to get a decent indy that knows Volvos
- Even if I fix it, it still looks old. Ok if you like retro style cars, but most people think its a POS.
- I don´t wash the car frequently, which makes it look even worse.
- I don´t like the color. It is too dark and it gets dirty very easily. It is also way too hot in summer.

What would you do in my position?

 

How proud are you? And how pragmatic?
If it starts and runs dependably and you live with all its little inconviences, then you need to keep it safe and dependable. I'm not an expert on this but have kept vintage vehicles going far beyond when most owners would have given up.

Obviously, you'd need to replace the axel and give it new rubber hoses. You'd be changing the coolant in the process. The timing belt system needs to be done. How about going with full synthetic oil in engine and tranny?

As a junker, what could you get for it and what would you need to spend for something decent that has been fairly well maintained? You didn't mention the exhaust system, but you have new tires. can the rotors be turned? Could you get 20k more with new pads w/o turning the rotors?

The experts will help you more on this.

Good luck.
JimBee

 

Jimbee,

Thanks for your response. I don't mind having an old car as it is in decent shape, and right now mine isn't.

The car starts and runs fine. I drive it 400 kms per week, and we use it for 1000 km drives about 6-8 times per year.

I am already using full synth for engine and tranny. I change the tranny fluid every two years right before the summer to help the tranny cope with the heat. I have thought about adding a tranny cooler, but haven't researched about it enough.

I'd have to put 10-12K on top to get something decent. It would be tempting to try to get a V70R in good shape, though they are very hard to find.

Cars are very expensive here in Argentina. For example a new Honda Civic 1.8 manual without extra equipment costs USD 23800, plus about USD 1000 to get it licenced and on the road.

Road tax is a rip off compared to other countries. Insurance is not that bad. Regular gasoline costs about USD 3.30/gallon. Premium is about $3.80.

I think I'll have to spend about 3K during the next six months to fix the basic problems (timing, shocks, brakes, hoses, a/c) and I'd still have an ugly as hell old Volvo that runs well.

 

Hi Axel, good to hear from you.

1- Full timing system maintenance.
Generally, with the exception of the 1993 models, the replacement interval is every 112,000kms/5 years (I would bring the kms down to 100,000, though). I would give it 2 more years unless you have driven the car for 100,000kms since the last belt change. I would visually inspect the belt at the root of each cog to make sure there is no sign of crack. However,if the rest of the components have never been done, it may be a good time to do it.

2- new left C/V axle. It is clicking badly when I turn either way and humming at highway speeds. It is probably dangerous to drive it this way.
Fix ASAP.

3- new mounts. The torque mount is definitely bad. The rest of the mounts should be inspected and they are probably bad too.
I think you can defer this repair, unless the vibration is unbearable and affecting the tranny performance.

4- tranny shifts roughly. I changed the tranny fluid two years ago and it got better iirc. Maybe this has to do with bad mounts.
If not for the mounts, have you got any codes from the TCM? Or, either the throttle/shifting cable needs adjustment; see attached.

5- new turbo oil return oring. Already bought the parts, but I don´t have ramps so I can install it.
I did mine without lifting the car. A pair of snap-ring pliers work well upon removal of the aluminium clamp.

6- aircon is working 50%. There is an electrical problem that switches the compressor off when I press the brake pedal. The compressor also sounds like shaking a can of marbles when it is on. Sounds like bad bearings or problematic pistons.
I have no clue as to why it is related to the brakes[&:]. The compressor may need re-shimming & the mounting bolts checked. If that does not solve, then a rebuilt comp may be needed.

7- new Volvo, 850 and T-5 emblems in the back. The color is faded and ugly.
You can use plastic model car paint. I recommend Tamiya Enamel X-11 Chrome Silver. Not sure if they are available in Argentina, though.

8- new front bumper cover. The current one looks like crap after a fender bender in 2006. I can´t source it here and getting it from abroad is a total rip off.
Can you find a tube/can of plastic filler? Or you could try high-wattage soldering iron. This takes a bit of practice, though.

9- new windshield (or maybe have this one polished). It´s too old and has many dots from highway dirt/tiny stones. Visibility is not good.
There is a chemical for windshield touch up. I distantly remember seeing it at AutoZone or PepBoys. Not sure if they are actually effective or just a placebo kind of deal. If the visibility is so bad, I would have it done.

10- new windshield wiper water injector. I tried to align it with a needle and the needle snapped inside. Now it is clogged.
Good job[8D]. I would first try removing it and see if you can push the needle out by inserting the needle from the opposite side. This, however, may result in snapping the needle from the opposite side[8D].

11- odometer does not work since 2007. I have the replacement gear but I´ve been to lazy to fix it. I tried to find out the electronic reading from the trip computer, but the scanner they had at the shop could not read that parameter.
If the rapership charges $500 to read the kilometers in the ECU, I would just wild guess from all possible parameters/observations/imagination.

12- Front passenger door makes a horrible creaking noise when it opens. I had a similar problem fixed once (popping door) but the fix lasted a year.
http://volvospeed.com/maintenance.shtml
Or the door may only need to be aligned/lubed.

13- Sometimes it smells like fumes inside the passenger cabin. I´ve taken the car to three different exhaust shops, all of them say it is fine, so there is probably an oil leak on a hot engine component.
PCV replacement. Or visually check the exhaust & turbocharger for possible leak/loose plumbing/clamp.

14- Need new paint on the front spoiler. Three weeks after I had it painted someone hit me in a parking lot (probably a woman) and the paint cracked badly again.
. Refer to a thread posted by Tech. Tech has painted one of his 850s with Duplicolour.

15- Both front shocks are blown. Bilstein HDs are not good enough for the bad roads in my country.
Have them done with Bilstein Touring or Sachs OEM.....when your house is done.

16- All the water and intercooler hoses are original. Water hoses should probably be replaced before they crack causing an engine disaster.
The ones that needs immediate replacementare the upper rad hose & whatever is connected to the turbocharger, becausethey are the ones thatare carrying the hottest coolant. Other hoses may be deferred until your house is done.

17- Radio LCD backlight does not work. Multi-CD does not work. The whole audio setup is obsolete and needs to be replaced
Replace the radio.

18- Speaker on driver´s door only works if volume is relatively high. Bad amp channel?
You know better than I do. I would check to see if the paper cone is torn or connections/wirings between the radio & the speaker. Or there is an internal fault in the balance control; spray some contact cleaner?

19- Some of the backlightsLeather on the instrument panel and the switches do not work
Replace the bulbs. We can help you with pics & procedures.

20- Driver´s leather seat is in bad condition. The rest are ok, with tiny scratches and stiff leather, but they are not teared or ripped.
A common problem. I would first soften it with leather care liquid. Spread the liquid, leave it for 15 minutes and then wipe clean. This helped mine quite a bit (I used Armor-All product).

21- Sunlight sensor pops out of place. The mounting bracket is cracked and does not have the necessary retaining tabs.
A common problem. I would use both-sided tape.

22- The cat was removed by the previous owner.
Buy a dog instead[8D]. I would find a used/junked cat.

23- Front passenger side headlamp was cracked by highway debris.
Either live with it or find a used unit.

24- Front rotors and pads need to be changed.
Have them changed with reputable aftermarket units.

25- Some idiot broke my antenna when I parked in the street.
Sorry, I did not mean to do that but I was a bit drunk that night[&:]. Have the antenna replaced or live with it if you do not care about radio.

26- The hood latch in the grille area needs to be replaced. I did a ghetto fix but I need to replace the whole unit because the spring is missing and the tab is cracked.
Have it replaced, or find equivalent spring & a piece of metal.

27- Needs dash mounting tab repair. The dash is jumping when I drive over rough terrain or speed bump.
Tech has a pinned post on the repair. Or, you can resort to our hero, the Duct tape or wedge dish washing sponge to keep it in place.

28- Too much wind noise at highway speeds.
Apply rubber/weather strip conditioner on all weather strip surfaces to see it if does anything.

29- Drivers side windshield wiper does not touch the windshield completely on the top left corner. I tried to align the wiper arm to no avail.
A common issue. There was a post yesterday regarding this issue. Many people seem to bend the arm but I myself cut a washer in half and installed it under the arm so that the arm was installed at an angle and the problem fixed.

30- Drivers door interior ´leather´ panel has a broken clip. It moves out of place.
Both-sided tape.

31- Small pieces of fake wood interior are missing in some places and peeling off in others.
Chop some wood, this would be a good exercise.

32- Windows make noise when I close the doors with the windows down. Sounds like a broken window rail or guide of some sort.
Remove the trim panel to see who is acting up in there.

33- Front right mudflap is missing. I lost it parking somewhere.
Buy a sheet of rubber/floor mat and cut it in shape.

To this day, I have not heard/seen any car worse than this. However, well, never mind.

I wonder if you can buy parts at FCP Groton, eEuroparts, IPD, oretc... If the SOB customs rips you off, I wonder if you know someone in the States to whom you can have the parts shipped and then have themship you the parts...would the SOB customs still try to rip you off?


JPN

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I kind of get the feeling you want to get rid of it. Either way, my suggestion is for you to follow what your heart tells you and what your wallet will allow!

 

JPN, Psaboic

Thank for your feedback. I have an appointment for next Tuesday at the rapership. They will fix the CV axle and the a/c electrical problem. I need to fix that if I want to sell it.

I´ll ask them to do a general inspection so I have more info to make up my mind.

If only it were white or yellow... the dark gray does not help at all.

 

I liked my dark grey one better than either my yellow or white. It's just a matter of opinion. The dark grey turbo Volvo's are very hard to find. They do show the dirt, but look great when clean.

Here is the one I had:

 

When I wash it, it looks really great for about 2 days. Dark cars with tinted windows look very nice when they are shiny.

 

JPN,

I am curious on how you changed the turbo return line o-ring without raising the car?Is it easily accessible from the top?

Thanks
Axel

 

Sorry but it would be best from under the car.

 

Sorry for the confusion, I was thinking of the oil return line to the radiator[8D]. The turbo oil return line does require the front end to be lifted. I used a hydraulic floor jack & a pair of jack stands,


JPN

 

I canceled my appointment at the rapership and went with an indy that specializes in Volvos. He had 4 850s in his shop when I went today. Got a new c/v joint (non Volvo part since Volvo only offers a full replacement axle) for USD 140 (parts + labor).

He told me that I need to replace one of the engine mounts ASAP otherwise the vibrating engine will very likely make a hole in the oil pan. I have an appointment next week to get that replaced along with the torque mount and the front rotors.

 

16- All the water and intercooler hoses are original. Water hoses should probably be replaced before they crack causing an engine disaster.
The ones that needs immediate replacementare the upper rad hose & whatever is connected to the turbocharger, becausethey are the ones thatare carrying the hottest coolant. Other hoses may be deferred until your house is done.



I was not aware that the turbo was water cooled. I thought it was air and oil cooled. I am going to buy 4 new coolant/radiator hoses. Should I get anything for the turbo/intercooler? Which hoses tend to get old and crack or collapse?

 

Done this today:
- replaced left windshield wiper water injector
- replaced passenger side headlamp lense
- replaced hood latch mechanism

Bought parts to:
- new timing belt and tensioners (did not get new Hepu water pump, freight was too expensive)
- new water hoses
- new antenna mast
- new torque mount bushing
- new low right engine mount

 

Is torque mount bushing rubber or polly?

 

Urethane. I hope it doesn´t add a lot of vibration.

http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exe...ategory_id/109

 

Wish you luck.
Polly is easy to install. I had to switch back to rubber because of vibration. Rubber is PITA to get in.

 

Did timing belt & tensioners, urethane torque bushing, lower right engine mount, new radiator hoses, and fixed the a/c relay. New passenger side headlamp lense too.

Now the right c/v axle is bad and I need new rotors. the fuel mix is still way too rich, maybe the o2 sensors or the maf are bad/dirty. The a/c freon pressure is low, I hope it's not a leaking evap.

My wife is pregnant now with our 3rd child and she will need a larger car. I am now considering an 850 wagon or a v70 since I acquired a lot of experience troubleshooting problems with this car.