Hi all,

I just bought a 5 speed manual 850 1995 volvo wagon non turbo. Been looking around for a manual for a short while now, something that I can take to burning man, throw my surf boards into, rock climbing, etc. However, I'm a little afraid of taking it on a long trip namely because I think the engine is running a little hot:

the temp gauge hovers slightly above mid point, normally it'll get there and stay regardless how soft/hard i drive it.

also, the little idiot light blips on from time to time when I don't give the car enough gas when taking off (from stop/first gear). I checked the coolant level within the reservoir and there seems to be enough fluid there.

When I first went to buy the vehicle, I made the owner smog it. It initially failed, after a catalytic converter replacement, it passed and I bought it. Any ideas?

The vehicle is a five cylinder manual, non turbo charged. Could it be indicative of a blown head gasket? If so, is it possible to replace it with a turbo charged engine? or water pump/thermostat?

thanks,
jon

 

I wouldn't make the assumption it's a headgasket so soon.

First of all, every thermostat opens at a different temperature. They try to make them the same, but they have slight differences. If the temperature remains the same without climbing more, that means that yours just open later. That's not something to worry about too much. But it does mean, that the thermostat has been changed at some point in the cars life.

But, it could be your headgasket - keep driving it small distances and look very carefully at your coolant and oil levels. If your oil level increases, and the oil itself starts to look milky - you have a big problem! Head gasket.

If your coolant level decreases, but oil stays the same - coolant is leaking somewhere. PCV problem.

Look for those things first, and then decide whether or not you should change the gasket.

 

I got the car for 1900.00, exterior/interior isn't bad, not great... some things rattle and shake, but what i'm concerned with most is the A/C and the engine being able to go from SF to Nevada. I wouldn't mind replacing the head gasket/engine for piece of mind.

I'm going to take it to my mechanic, is there anything specific I should explain to him? The car sorta clicks when I make hard right/left turns, I suspect CV joints, so i'm just going to have him replace them.

 

Sounds like that you are willing to spend more then what the car actually need. I would not suggest zeroing on head gasket so soon and I personally will never think of replacing the whole engine as long as the original is fixable. Any traces of oil in coolant is a indiaction of head gasket and if your coolant and oil stays clean after couple of hundered miles of driving, then you are good to go on any long trip.
Replacing a thermostat valve for a peace of mind will probably be my approach and specially with the low temperature one (180F). Suspension on these cars is very straight forward and just a quick inspection by any mechanic will give you a fair idea of what is needed. I would not touch anything that doesnt look bad or worn or broken.

 

dont suggest the head gasket to your mech..hes just gonna say it is and make your wallet thinner.my needle sits just a little over the midpoint.it doesnt go any higher during long or hard drives..its just the thermostat.

 

Meh, it's not a bad car, but it definitely has it's quirks. I'm a little hesitant to take it on a long trip right just yet, but it seems to handle the hills in SF as any wagon should. I don't think the previous owner took very good care of it.

 

same with my sedan little things here and there but nothing i cant manage myself..i stay in the richmond area.not as many hills here,but when i bought my car i drove it here from san diego the next day..no service records no nothing i was risking it big time but she pulled through..these cars can take alot of abuse..

 

We'll see. I'm going to bring it to the mechanic. The guy is the most trustworthy mechanic i've ever met. I've told him the wrong thing to replace before and he didn't charge me even though it was my stupid bone headed diagnosis.

I'll be taking it to the mechanic on the 7th of April and basically going to ask him to look at the squeaky brakes, check out the thermostat, do an engine compression test, inspect spark plugs, check out the clutch wear, find out why I smell gasoline from time to time in the car which seems to be a common issue on the 850.

We'll see, I hope to keep you all posted. I bought this thinking I may need to put about 2 thousand or more into it.

 

your lucky to have a trustworthy mechanic...good luck with everything

 

Did the car come with service record?

If not, I would go ahead and replace the t-stat & coolant. If you're still spending sleepless nights over the head gasket (which I don't think has anything to do with the engine being a tad bit warm in this situation), have your engine compression-tested by your mechanic- I hope he is a fully-certified Master ASE.

Also, make sure the front of the radiator (A/C condenser to be precise) is not clogged with debris.

The idiot light does turn on if the level sensor is retiring. It is a simple magnetic-float sensor. If the coolant has formed some gunk in the reservoir, the float could be stuck. See if you can dislodge it if seems stuck. As long as the coolant level is above the MIN mark in the reservoir, you can ignore the idiot light or decide to replace the level sensor.


JPN

 

Yea, it came with a service booklet filled out to 132k miles, but the odometer is stuck at 181k ... something i dont think i'm going to fix, however it's odd because the digital trip meter continues to function...?

I think the vehicle was well cared for up until 132k, after that the original owner sold it to the guy I bought it from who didn't take the best care of it.

 

Stopped odometer is another commonly known issues on these cars and you just have to replace some small plastic gears inside the meter and they ar not very expensive. There is a link to the manufacturer somewhere here in the forum.