Hi All,
I'm a newbie to Volvos and this forum, but I've been reading the excellent and informative threads on this board for a few weeks. I've been considering a number of different cars and in the end the Volvo 850 wagon won me over. Thanks for all of your guidance....I may need some more.

After searching the local online classifieds, I found a 850 wagon. It's a red 1996 non-turbo wagon with a 5 speed manual (cool!), and it has 170k miles. I bought a Carfax report and it is clean - no issues whatsoever. 2 owners: 8+ years in Connecticut & 2+ years in California. The car passed CA emissions in Oct 2006.

Before buying it, I took it to a local independent Volvo mechanic (I chose Svenska Volvo in Glendale, CA) and paid $125 for an inspection. Compression was 165 across all 5 cylinders. He found a sticker in the engine compartment verifying the timing belt was changed at 131k miles, but the spindle (accessory) belt is cracked and needs replacement.

All electricals work and A/C blows cold, but the A/Cswitch in the engine compartment was disconnected and it appears the previous owner bypassed it.

Wiper rubber is shot.

Drivers door stop needs replacement.

Struts and shocks appear to be original and in need of replacement.

The car pulls to the left a bit, so I next took it to an alignment shop and they hooked up some gizmos on all 4 wheels and measured the alignment of the car. Thetoe ofboth front wheels was outside of specified range, but I'll correct when I have struts/shocks replaced.

After this final step I went back to the lot, offered $2,500 (he was asking $2,750) and bought the car. Seems like a pretty nice deal and I think the manual scared away a lot of potential buyers. As an interesting sidenote, the mechainc at Svenska told me that wehnever they have a manual wagon for sale, it never lasts more than a few days. Maybe I lucked out and found the right car in the worng place?

So....I am formulating my next steps and wouldwelcome any suggestions.

1) Oil/filter change with OEMfilter
2) Replace spindle belt
3) Replace front/rear wiper blades
4) Replace struts/shocks (including mounts and spring seats)
5) 4 wheel alignment
6) Replace driver's door stop
7) Gasher up and go

The mechanic quoted the following prices:

Front struts (parts & labor): $495
Rear shocks (parts & labor) :$275
Door stop (part & labor): $165

Does this seem about right or a little pricey?
Thanks Everyone!
Jon

 

 

2500 is a bit high imo.

I got my Turbo Sedan for 3500 w/ 124k miles.
The 170k is probably the real culprit...Even though Volvos last, I don't feel safe buying a car w/ that many miles..

As to maintenance, I recommend synthetic oil (although it might be too high of mileage to change) or a synthetic blend. OEM filter is fine.

About the blades, check out Tirerack.com. They have a buy 1 get 1 free deal on Valeo (used on luxury imports such as BMW, Mercedes, Ferrarii, etc). The blades at tirerack are 20 a piece, but w/ 10 dollar shipping, it's 2 blades for 30 bucks. If you have a 2nd car, buy those to reduce shipping costs (you can ship 2 sets for every 10 bucks or whatever shipping is).

I did interenet research and they are 30 bucks a piece regularily.

Edit: Oh, and 500 bucks for front struts is a bit high. I don't know how car saavy you are, but most of the tools needed can be rented for free at your local autostore (with a large deposit of course).

If you have a friend, it is an afternoon job. To change both the struts/springs...For around 500-600, you could definetely buy new struts/springs and save on the labor..

 

Greetings from Vermont.

Judging from the photo, I personally feel it was a good deal. Any car with 175k miles require pretty much similar cost for maintenance ($500 to $3,000 in parts alone), and usually Volvos seem to last forever, as long as proper maintenance is done.

>If you have a friend, it is an afternoon job.
If everything goes ok. However, an afternoon job can become an afternoon-evening job, depending on the condition of the hex hole on top of the piston rod. If it's shot, you're on your way to the Dark Side[8D]. I posted my nightmare somewhere in the 850 section. But if you have an impact gun, the job is yes an afternoon deal, but if you've never performed strut replacement, DO your homework and be extremely careful with the coil springs when they are compressed. $500 or so at a dealer is probably the average figure. It may seem a bit high, but the job would be done right the first time.

Anyway, you seem to have an excellent grasp of what the car needs, so I won't worry about you.

Cheers,


JPN

 

I've done some work on my past cars (currently own a 1971 BMW 2002 and had a 1966 MGB), but I've never done struts/shocks. It sounds a little hairy to me, so I think I'll opt to have a pro do it.

I spoke to another local shop and they said they would install parts I provide. Labor for fronts and rears is $160. I figure I can buy the parts from FCP Groton and save a few bucks. I went to their website and also found they sell stuff through their Ebay store at a discount. Anyone buy this way?

With that said,what other parts do I need to havedone? I figure I should have strut mounts and spring seats replaced (I'm sure they are original along with the struts/shocks).CanI have theoriginal nuts/bolts re-used or do I also need new hardware?
Thanks

 

Hello lamski,

I don't know how many times I've written the same list, but here goes:

PARTS TO BE REPLACED WHEN REPLACING STRUTS & SHOCKS

Fronts:
1. Struts (Bilstein Touring/OEM Sachs would be suitable, I went with Bilstein)
2. Strutupper mounts (bearing)
3. Upper spring seats
4. Strut bump stops
5. Strut special washers
6. Strut top caps
7. Sway-bar link rods(this can be deferred until later)
8. All lock nuts & bolts

Rears:
1. Shocks
2. Upper shock mounts
3. All lock nuts

As for the hardware, especially lock nuts, I would use new nuts rather than recycle the original ones. Replacing bolts may not be mandatory, but since you only replace struts every 10 years/100,000 miles or so, it's a cheap investment to replace bolts as well. BTW, I use FCP Groton as the primary parts source, but never dealt with eBay stuff.

Good luck,


JPN

 

If you like the OEM ride, go w/ OEM. But definetely check out some aftermarket for some increase performance/handling..

The problem w/ a car w/ 170k miles is that if you buy parts that will last, the car won't necessarily last...

 

JPN,
Thanks for writing the list one more time - I suspect it's probably not the last time you'll write it.

RedTurbo850's last comment is interesting. I decided on the Volvo as I was under the impression that Volvo's last just about longer than any other marque on the road. It seems Volvo celebrates drivers with 1,000,000 miles on the odometer more than any other marque. Maybe they just do a better job advertisingthese feats.

Also, the independent mechanic who did my inspection told me that he has quite a few 850 customers with 250k+ miles on original motors. His highest mileage 850 customer has over 330k without a rebuild. I don't think I'll get 330k milesout of this car (let alone 1mm), but I'd be pretty happy with 60-70k.

I considered some of the Japanese wagons from the same era - they seem pretty durable, but not much past 200k miles. The Germans made some pretty cool wagons also, but the parts/maintenance costs seem to be higher than the 850. At one time I did have a 91 MBZ 300e sedan and it was nice, but it was pretty expensive to maintain.

I can see some of the mileage data that some of the members list in their signatures, but what is a reasonable mileage expectation for a NA 850 GLT - assuming I properly maintain it, of course.
Thanks

 

^Don't get me wrong. Volvos run a very very long time. I believe they hold the world record for mileage.

However, once you start creeping up to that kind of mileage, other problems begin to happen. So the engine migh continue to run strong, but tranny or whatever might go down on you. Or suspension, etc...I think it's one part to be proud that you're at that high of a mileage, but it can also potentially be a big headache..

About Japanese cars, they are generally very overpriced. I got MUCH more value getting a volvo compared to something like a Honda Accord. For $3500, I would have probably gotten a '92 Civic w/ 180k miles. Lots of people ride the "japanese reliability wave". And I hang out on a Toyota forum a lot, and I only saw a couple people w/ very high mileage (like 230k+). In addition, NO LUXURY ELEMENT.

I was warned against the Germans..Apparently they couldn't build a working o2 sensor until the late 90s...

About the mileage expectation fo a NA 850 GLT, it relaly depends on maintenance and how you drive. ANY car can potentially last forever, but it's really all about how you treat the car/driving habits.

BTW, I don't know if I said this, but that car looks mint as hell. It looks really good/shiny.

 

Hello Lamski,

>Thanks for writing the list one more time - I suspect it's probably not the last time you'll write it.

You're right, I have a feeling that I'll be writing it for another XX times. I wonder if I included the list on the 2nd from the top post... I may go back and edit my previous post there.

The most important elements in keeping your Volvo from having major engine/gearbox problem are to keep the fluids in good condition & at proper level. I'll provide another list for fluids:

Engine Oil:
Go with full synthetic or semi-synthetic (a.k.a synthetic-blend, I use Valvoline's Durablend 10W-30), and change it every 3,000 miles/4 months (I do mine at every 3,000 miles/3 months). Make sure to use OEM filter, made by MANN. Keep the level between MIN & FULL, do not overfill.

TransmissionFluid:
Have it flushed at a dealer/shop that specialises in Swedish/European cars. Don't even think Axxco or any other generic shops. 850 uses Dexron-III/Mercon, ask your technician to see if you would benefit by using synthetic fluid. 850s are EXTREMELY sensitive to proper condition & level of transmission fluid, mine used to go to limp-mode, due to low fluid, by as little as a half quart. Have it flushed at every 30,000 miles/3 years.

Engine Coolant:
Change it every 30,000 miles/3 years with high-quality coolant (I use Prestone).

Brake Fluid:
Change it every 3 years. Brake fluid eventually absorbs moisture and may form internal gunk (happened to me) or cause corrosion.

In my prejudice, 90% of problems are caused by ignorance of drivers. Many drivers don't even follow scheduled maintenance, or they go to a generic shop. You'll pay more at a dealer/specialised shops, but the additional cost is well worth it.

I hope thiswill help you.


JPN

 

JPN,
Thanks again for the advice. I'm going to print this post and keep a copy in the glove box for future reference. I agree with your thoughts about using specialized shops and OEM parts. I do it with my old BMW 2002 and my 850 will only go to a Volvo specialist.

It's a 5-speed manual. I don't think I need to change the fluidnearly as often as an automatic. Any suggestions? I don't have the owner's/maintenance manual for reference.

RedTurbo, thanks for the comment. The body is really nice and the interior just about matches it. Whoever had it before me took pretty good care of it, which leads me to believe (hope) they also took care of the internals as well.

Thanks again.

 

Great move. Non-turbo and manual tranny. Two things that are expensive to fix if they screw up (turbo + auto tranny). Plus, the n/a models have better fuel mileage.

I am thinking of changing my 850 T5 Sedan for a car like yours, but selling a Volvo here in my country is pretty difficult.

 

I have never had any trouble with any of my automatic Volvo transmissions and have never had trouble with a turbo either. I've had five Volvo's since 1985 and all have been turbos. My son, daughter and mother in law have never had problems with these areas either. Personally I would not even think of owning a non-turbo Volvo.

 

Fixing a Volvo tranny and a turbo in my country can cost over 3000 USD. JimKW, I hope I have the same luck as you have had since my 854 is turbo automatic.

 

Hi Lamski,

As for the gearbox fluid, Haynes indicates Volvo synthetic transmission oil or equivalent. Note, that manual transmission uses oil, rather than hydraulic fluid that is used for auto-gearbox. I think you can use any name-brands' synthetic gear oil(but consultaspecialistfor the specified weight, you may want to invest in an owner's manual, I got oneat an on-lineVolvo publication shop for about $20, including shipping). While the oil is not subject to breakdown as engine oil, I would still replace it at every 30,000 miles/3 years, but that's just me. I believe 850 shares the same hydraulic lines for the brakes & clutch, correct me if I'm wrong. If so, it is a goodidea to replace it the next time you have a brake job done (pads, rotors, etc...). I personally like ATE's Super Blue Racing fluid.

The major reason for turbo & auto-tranny failure is the owner's ignorance & neglect. As for turbocharger, except for vacuum control mechanism, the owners probably abuse it by over-boosting by modifying something,or never do pre-warm up/aft cool down idle (even though this is not as mandatory as it used to be, I personally feel that it's still easy on the turbine & bearing). As for the tranny failure, it is either the drivers abuse it by manually shfting like crazy (though shifting to lower gears at up/down inclinesmay benecessary, and at a stoplight, I shift into "N"), or never bother to check the condition & proper level of fluid. This is true for any make, not just for Volvo.

I'll go back and see if I listed the parts for suspension.


JPN

 

Yep, I did have a list for front suspension in the "Miatamon"'s post, I just made minor changes and added "REAR SUSPENSION".


JPN