I recently bought a 1997 850 T-5 wagon, it is my 3rd Volvo. I am used to their cosmetic issues and various noises, smells, and quirks. But this one has a few problems that I can't diagnose. I am a young female and don't know all that much about cars, just the basics. I just want to get a good idea as to what is wrong before I take it to a mechanic and get screwed over.

1) First of all, the front driver side wheel well seems really low and makes a weird slapping/crunching sound when you turn a certain way. I thought it was a shock at first, but it doesn't make the typical shock noises when you hit a pothole or speed bump. My boyfriend thinks the mud flap has come loose and is hitting against the tire, but it didn't seem to me like it was moving that far. Does it sound like a shock? Maybe a CV joint or something?

2) This is the biggest problem, it started right after we filled up at a gas station. It cranked and then started like coughing like it was idling really low and then died. I cranked it again and it worked for a couple minutes and then started doing the same chugging thing and died again. We got it into a parking spot and I put it in park and let it idle for a few minutes. As it was idling, it started revving by itself. Today, it did the same thing but while driving at 60 mph, which was scary. My boyfriend insists that it's because of bad gas, like it had water in it or maybe the car couldn't take ethanol. The part that makes it weird is that our last vehicle, a 1994 Olds Bravada started doing the exact same thing before we sold it. We were told it was a fuel injector or a ERG (?) unit. I just find it odd that both vehicles had the exact same problem, we've realized we took both cars to a Murphy USA gas station at Wal Mart.

So if anyone out there has ANY advice or ideas, please let me know...I really need to figure this out in case it gets worse. Could it be the gas we put in it? Can Volvos not take Ethanol? I'm avoiding that gas station completely in the future though.

 

Volvos run FINE with ethanol... in fact, it's hard to find premium gas that doesn't have it- Ethanol increases octane rating! It's also not the same problem as your Bravada had... I know this is the Volvo forum.. but I'll tell you right now that the Bravada most likely needed its EGR valve cleaned... it's a VERY common issue with those vehicles, causes it to do what you described. As for water in the tank, that's a likely culprit- go get a couple bottles of fuel line antifreeze (Drygas, HEET or similar) and add it to the tank. You still may need to run through that tank of gas before the problem works itself out. If it doesn't, let us know, and we'll try to help

As for the other noise, have someone watch that wheel, and turn it back and forth, to see if anything is contacting the tire, or very close to doing so.

 

As to the front wheel: If by 'low' you mean that the wheel looks like it is recessed into the wheel well, check the upper spring seat. They tend to deteriorate with age - a common failure on these cars. I replaced the shocks/struts in my '97 850 GLT the summer of '08 and installed Eibach sport (lowering, +/- 1" drop) springs and IPD's heavy duty spring seats (I think they're the seats for an XC90?). My old upper spring seats were virtually nonexistent - a rusty, crusty, flaking mess. Even with the lowering springs, the front end of my car actually went UP about a quarter of an inch, and now rides very nicely level. I also replaced my control arms, although it turned out that the old ones were fine (why go in twice when you can get it all done the first time around?). After the job, all my mysterious front end noises went away. Do both sides (always a good idea anyway) because if one side is gone, the other is not far off.

As to the revving/dying: I agree with Carrot. Try the dry gas. Add it before you fill the tank next time - it doesn't always mix well/quickly when added to a full tank. And always use high quality/name brand gas (I wouldn't trust Wal-Mart to wash my car, let alone put gas in it). If that solves the problem, super! It's a cheap fix. But also check that the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system isn't plugged. If it is, your throttle body may be gummed up with oil blow-by. If the PCV system is plugged, get it fixed asap! A plugged PCV will eventually force oil out of every seal in the engine - blown main seal city. That would be a $ad day for you.

Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

We took the car to a mechanic friend yesterday and he said it would not be the EGR valve, but most likely the idle control valve. It's like a $250 part, so I would like some more opinions? I'll run some HEET or something in it today when we fill up, at a good gas station this time and see if that fixes the problem. Does anyone know how much it is to fix the spring in the shock?

 

Good thing he said it wouldn't be the EGR valve, as your car doesn't have one It COULD be the idle air control valve, but run your tank really low, after adding HEET, and see what happens. If it doesn't go away, go to a salvage yard and pull the IAC valve yourself- it's VERY easy to change, and save a little money.

The spring seats aren't TOO bad, though they can be dangerous to change if you've never changed a strut before- you need to have a good quality spring compressor. If you don't have experience with it, there's write- ups out there, but I recommend taking the car to a professional.

 

Hi guys...well, we filled the gas tank with Shell premium and so far, all the problems are gone. But we had someone tell us today that the spring is just compressed? That it doesn't need to be replaced, the previous owner just probably hit something really hard and compressed the spring. Is this possible? Or does the whole spring seat/strut still need to be replaced?

 

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well, springs, being springs, are DESIGNED to be compressed... after which time, they then decompress. They're springs. It's possible you have a broken or weak spring, however. If that's the case, then you need to replace that spring, and you'll want to change the upper spring seat at that time, because, if it's not broken then, it will be soon. Spring seats on these cars came from the factory in an "about to fail" condition.