Just purchased a Volvo 850 Wagon.
Just purchased a Volvo 850 Wagon.
Hey all, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but I just bought a wagon and wanted to give a little backstory and get a little help.
My wife said she wanted more space, but didn't want a van or SUV, so I went looking for wagon. Found a 1996 Volvo 850 GLT on CL and talked him down to $600 cash.
Engine turned, wouldn't start. I brought it home. O2 sensors unplugged. MAF unplugged. I plugged them in and car starts right up. Drive to gas station, car dies at idle. Check voltages and relays. MAF is reading zero volts. Order first MAF I see on Amazon for $40. It gets here and car runs fine now. No other codes on, as of today, Check Engine light is off.
Now on to my issues.
1. Temp is fine but AC is barely cold at idle. Works fine above 20 mph.
2. Terrible smell when using windshield washers.
3. ABS light is on (and subsequently speedo/cruise doesn't work, already ordered a replacement ABS module.)
4. Odometer doesn't work.
5. Various light bulbs are out in gauges/switches/radio.
6. Service Engine light is one when you start the car, and stay on for about 2-3 minutes. (If you take a sharp turn/corner, the light will come back on for the duration of the turn/corner.)
7. Thermostat ***** come off very easily.
8. Rear window washer doesn't work.
9. Head lights won't turn off while car is on. ("0" = headlights on. Shining lights = just city/driving lights. Fog = Gauge/driving/headlights on.)
So anyone can spread some friendly advice? Also, are there any retrofit mods/guides? I'd like to put V70 roof rails and tail lights on the 850, so is there a specific vendor you guys on this forum go to? Also, I see some 850s on here with some sort of front bumper lip, is there a model number for that or is it universal? Also, I know it won't really be of any use, but does anyone have interior shots of the switches? Some of the places are blank and I'd like to know what options the car could have had or did have. I don't care in the slightest for performance mods or going fast so no need to post them, but are there any "must have" 850 mods? I come from a very active Nissan community and there were mods that were always done or always recommended and I'm wondering fi the 850s community is big enough to have anything like that.
Sorry if my writing is all over the place, but I've been up for two days and I'm having a baby so things are hectic right now.
My wife said she wanted more space, but didn't want a van or SUV, so I went looking for wagon. Found a 1996 Volvo 850 GLT on CL and talked him down to $600 cash.
Engine turned, wouldn't start. I brought it home. O2 sensors unplugged. MAF unplugged. I plugged them in and car starts right up. Drive to gas station, car dies at idle. Check voltages and relays. MAF is reading zero volts. Order first MAF I see on Amazon for $40. It gets here and car runs fine now. No other codes on, as of today, Check Engine light is off.
Now on to my issues.
1. Temp is fine but AC is barely cold at idle. Works fine above 20 mph.
2. Terrible smell when using windshield washers.
3. ABS light is on (and subsequently speedo/cruise doesn't work, already ordered a replacement ABS module.)
4. Odometer doesn't work.
5. Various light bulbs are out in gauges/switches/radio.
6. Service Engine light is one when you start the car, and stay on for about 2-3 minutes. (If you take a sharp turn/corner, the light will come back on for the duration of the turn/corner.)
7. Thermostat ***** come off very easily.
8. Rear window washer doesn't work.
9. Head lights won't turn off while car is on. ("0" = headlights on. Shining lights = just city/driving lights. Fog = Gauge/driving/headlights on.)
So anyone can spread some friendly advice? Also, are there any retrofit mods/guides? I'd like to put V70 roof rails and tail lights on the 850, so is there a specific vendor you guys on this forum go to? Also, I see some 850s on here with some sort of front bumper lip, is there a model number for that or is it universal? Also, I know it won't really be of any use, but does anyone have interior shots of the switches? Some of the places are blank and I'd like to know what options the car could have had or did have. I don't care in the slightest for performance mods or going fast so no need to post them, but are there any "must have" 850 mods? I come from a very active Nissan community and there were mods that were always done or always recommended and I'm wondering fi the 850s community is big enough to have anything like that.
Sorry if my writing is all over the place, but I've been up for two days and I'm having a baby so things are hectic right now.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 104
Likes: 1
From: Waterbury, Connecticut
Welcome abroad Nickle!!!, You came to the right place. I too had a laundry list of things to fix after getting my wagon. If your handy and from the sounds of it you are mechanically inclined so you should have no problem tackling these issues. My advise would be getting the engine to a smooth idle and getting all the ECU bugs out. You need the car to be more economical and efficient the way it was intended to be. Making sure it's mechanically reliable would take some time. Please update your signature with the type of wagon you have. Turbo engines are a little different when it comes to engine repairs. Members can help out a lot more when they know what you have right off the bat rather than asking every time. For the price you got the car, the issues you have described on your list would not impact your pocket that much more.
Prioritize the problems, fix each of them until they are completely resolved, then move on to the next. Most of the common problems that our Volvo 850's get...all of us here on this forum have been through them in one way or another. Always search a thread because you may find your answer before posting.
Definitely read the stickys' that are posted here about the car you just purchased. There is very useful info there.
Your among car nuts, certified techs, grease monkeys and friends, soon you will feel as privileged as I have being a member here.
Prioritize the problems, fix each of them until they are completely resolved, then move on to the next. Most of the common problems that our Volvo 850's get...all of us here on this forum have been through them in one way or another. Always search a thread because you may find your answer before posting.
Definitely read the stickys' that are posted here about the car you just purchased. There is very useful info there.
Your among car nuts, certified techs, grease monkeys and friends, soon you will feel as privileged as I have being a member here.
Also, if anyone has the information, what size are the tweeters and do the speakers have specific Volvo connectors?
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,517
Likes: 12
From: Cape Coral, FL
Pick something and ask about it. Once it's done move on to a new thread with another problem.
You're asking for too many things in one thread and it just gets messy and confusing for everyone.
You can also "search" as there are a lot of different threads on a lot of the stuff you're asking about. If you look for speaker replacement you will find out about the tweeters and the connections. I'm pretty sure all the speakers have "Volvo" connectors that aren't like anything "off the shelf" at any stereo store but that isn't too hard to work around.
You're asking for too many things in one thread and it just gets messy and confusing for everyone.
You can also "search" as there are a lot of different threads on a lot of the stuff you're asking about. If you look for speaker replacement you will find out about the tweeters and the connections. I'm pretty sure all the speakers have "Volvo" connectors that aren't like anything "off the shelf" at any stereo store but that isn't too hard to work around.
A lot of the information you are looking for can be found by searching the forum. I know I asked many of the same questions, and found that they were all answered over and over again in the forum.
How many miles are on your 96?
1) I'm going to guess that maybe your AC compressor is going out. I've had that problem before on another car - the compressor works great when the belt is turning faster, and can spin the compressor, but at idle, or stop lights, etc, it just won't work because it's spinning fast enough
2) No idea
3) ABS module most likely, as you expected.
4) Probably odometer gears are toast. FCP has replacements for the 2 that fail. Suggest doing them both, because if one has failed, the other probably isn't far behind, and you don't want to do this job twice..
Volvo Odometer Gear 12 Tooth (850) - Odometer Gears Limited 850GEAR2 | FCP Euro
Volvo Odometer Gear (850) - Odometer Gears Limited 850GEAR | FCP Euro
Plenty of tutorials online for replacing them. Use this guide to remove the dash pad completely:
Dash Pad Removal, Volvo 850
Resist the urge to only lift one edge of the dash. The old dash pad is quite brittle and will likely crack if you only lift one end of it.
Then, use the instructions from FCP for how to replace the gears. Instructions are linked on both gear pages.
5) Replace the bulbs while the dash is apart as linked above. They are kinda expensive, but there's a seller on eBay that sells the raw LEDs that you can replace in the OEM holders and save a few bucks.
Dash Panel Switch Bulbs Only Volvo 850 S70 V70 960 S90 T3040X10 | eBay
6) The service light doesn't mean the engine needs serviced. It's a reminder that comes on every 5k miles that you need to take it to the dealer for oil changes, maintenance, etc. You can't reset it with a regular OBD-II reader, you need a special one that mostly only dealers have. It comes on for the first 2 minutes or so after you start your ignition. Easiest fix? Remove it while you have the cluster out, replacing the gears and the LEDs.
7) Not sure
8) Mine doesn't, either. The pump is under the bumper cover. Have a friend listen to see if yours is working. Mine isn't. I will replace it when I pull my bumper cover.
9) The car probably has DRLs. Mine stay on while the engine is running. I have the switch set that way. Check your manual.
As far as the roof rails and taillights, find a pull a part or similar yard, take your tools and have at it. Otherwise, start watching eBay. You'll save a lot by pulling your own parts, and then, there's no question as to how to install them, you'll already know.
The bumper you mention is likely the 'R' bumper cover, which came standard on 850R's and T5R's. Volvo dealers can still get these new, but they are $400-500 plus shipping and then, of course, paint. THe R and T5R cars are pretty limited production, so it's uncommon to see one parted out - and the bumper covers are fragile, so if a car is being parted out, there's a real good chance the bumper cover is damaged. I searched for 2+ months to find my replacement cover at a bargain price - I have a 97 855R - and its cover has been broken since it had about 30k miles on it in 1998 or 99.
The 850 community is big, bigger than I thought when I got mine. Lots of helpful people on the internet, and not a lot of 'haters' like some cars tend to have a following of. Seems like everyone wants to help, whether it's asking how a certain task is performed, where to get parts, or even folks pulling parts for you and shipping them at downright reasonable prices.
Must have mods? I started with maintenance, my car was way overdue for a timing belt, so I did timing belt, water pump, spark plugs and wires, oil change. Then, I did the PCV system, which pretty much fixed a big oil leak I had. Now, I've done some minor appearance mods - euro turn signals, S70 door handles, have a factory spoiler waiting to be painted, waiting on my R front bumper to arrive to have them both painted at the same time. I also replaced the tailgate shocks, because mine were shot, and did a tailgate attachment kit - the slamming action of the tailgate from worn out shocks kinda tore up the mounting points on the tailgate cover (pretty common issue), FCP has a kit for under $10 that beefs up the mount points, and includes new clips to replace the factory ones, which probably have failed by now.
The dash and rear speakers are metric sizes - you're not going to buy anything that fits perfectly in those locations. I've read some people put in 3-1/2s in those locations. The ones in my car were 8 ohm, which is a little hard to find. My door speakers were 4 ohm, and I would have to check, but I believe the front doors and dash are wired together to produce a 6 ohm load, as are the rear doors and tailgate speakers - but I could be wrong. I have the factory amp and get pretty decent sound. I replaced the door speakers with 5-1/4 speakers. I went with Polk DXi525's in both the front and rear doors. They will *not* fit without modification - I had to pull the door panels and mount the speakers to the rear side of the door panel as the aimable tweeter required more mounting depth than the factory location would allow. You can get metal plates from places like Crutchfield that will mount to the original locations, and use 4 inch coaxials, but I think a larger speaker sounds better.
Start watching videos on FCP's YouTube channel as well as rspi's - both are very valuable!
https://www.youtube.com/user/fcpgroton
https://www.youtube.com/user/RSpi007
rspi also has some good stuff on his website here:
Automotive Tips and Repair Instructions
And, check out the 'new owner' sticky in this section of the forum - pretty much everything in that thread has applied to me!
Congrats on the baby - I haul my 3 kids in my wagon - ages 6, 5 and 11 months. 3 is a tight fit in the 850 series, but I've made it work, and wouldn't have it any other way!
How many miles are on your 96?
1) I'm going to guess that maybe your AC compressor is going out. I've had that problem before on another car - the compressor works great when the belt is turning faster, and can spin the compressor, but at idle, or stop lights, etc, it just won't work because it's spinning fast enough
2) No idea
3) ABS module most likely, as you expected.
4) Probably odometer gears are toast. FCP has replacements for the 2 that fail. Suggest doing them both, because if one has failed, the other probably isn't far behind, and you don't want to do this job twice..
Volvo Odometer Gear 12 Tooth (850) - Odometer Gears Limited 850GEAR2 | FCP Euro
Volvo Odometer Gear (850) - Odometer Gears Limited 850GEAR | FCP Euro
Plenty of tutorials online for replacing them. Use this guide to remove the dash pad completely:
Dash Pad Removal, Volvo 850
Resist the urge to only lift one edge of the dash. The old dash pad is quite brittle and will likely crack if you only lift one end of it.
Then, use the instructions from FCP for how to replace the gears. Instructions are linked on both gear pages.
5) Replace the bulbs while the dash is apart as linked above. They are kinda expensive, but there's a seller on eBay that sells the raw LEDs that you can replace in the OEM holders and save a few bucks.
Dash Panel Switch Bulbs Only Volvo 850 S70 V70 960 S90 T3040X10 | eBay
6) The service light doesn't mean the engine needs serviced. It's a reminder that comes on every 5k miles that you need to take it to the dealer for oil changes, maintenance, etc. You can't reset it with a regular OBD-II reader, you need a special one that mostly only dealers have. It comes on for the first 2 minutes or so after you start your ignition. Easiest fix? Remove it while you have the cluster out, replacing the gears and the LEDs.
7) Not sure
8) Mine doesn't, either. The pump is under the bumper cover. Have a friend listen to see if yours is working. Mine isn't. I will replace it when I pull my bumper cover.
9) The car probably has DRLs. Mine stay on while the engine is running. I have the switch set that way. Check your manual.
As far as the roof rails and taillights, find a pull a part or similar yard, take your tools and have at it. Otherwise, start watching eBay. You'll save a lot by pulling your own parts, and then, there's no question as to how to install them, you'll already know.
The bumper you mention is likely the 'R' bumper cover, which came standard on 850R's and T5R's. Volvo dealers can still get these new, but they are $400-500 plus shipping and then, of course, paint. THe R and T5R cars are pretty limited production, so it's uncommon to see one parted out - and the bumper covers are fragile, so if a car is being parted out, there's a real good chance the bumper cover is damaged. I searched for 2+ months to find my replacement cover at a bargain price - I have a 97 855R - and its cover has been broken since it had about 30k miles on it in 1998 or 99.
The 850 community is big, bigger than I thought when I got mine. Lots of helpful people on the internet, and not a lot of 'haters' like some cars tend to have a following of. Seems like everyone wants to help, whether it's asking how a certain task is performed, where to get parts, or even folks pulling parts for you and shipping them at downright reasonable prices.
Must have mods? I started with maintenance, my car was way overdue for a timing belt, so I did timing belt, water pump, spark plugs and wires, oil change. Then, I did the PCV system, which pretty much fixed a big oil leak I had. Now, I've done some minor appearance mods - euro turn signals, S70 door handles, have a factory spoiler waiting to be painted, waiting on my R front bumper to arrive to have them both painted at the same time. I also replaced the tailgate shocks, because mine were shot, and did a tailgate attachment kit - the slamming action of the tailgate from worn out shocks kinda tore up the mounting points on the tailgate cover (pretty common issue), FCP has a kit for under $10 that beefs up the mount points, and includes new clips to replace the factory ones, which probably have failed by now.
The dash and rear speakers are metric sizes - you're not going to buy anything that fits perfectly in those locations. I've read some people put in 3-1/2s in those locations. The ones in my car were 8 ohm, which is a little hard to find. My door speakers were 4 ohm, and I would have to check, but I believe the front doors and dash are wired together to produce a 6 ohm load, as are the rear doors and tailgate speakers - but I could be wrong. I have the factory amp and get pretty decent sound. I replaced the door speakers with 5-1/4 speakers. I went with Polk DXi525's in both the front and rear doors. They will *not* fit without modification - I had to pull the door panels and mount the speakers to the rear side of the door panel as the aimable tweeter required more mounting depth than the factory location would allow. You can get metal plates from places like Crutchfield that will mount to the original locations, and use 4 inch coaxials, but I think a larger speaker sounds better.
Start watching videos on FCP's YouTube channel as well as rspi's - both are very valuable!
https://www.youtube.com/user/fcpgroton
https://www.youtube.com/user/RSpi007
rspi also has some good stuff on his website here:
Automotive Tips and Repair Instructions
And, check out the 'new owner' sticky in this section of the forum - pretty much everything in that thread has applied to me!
Congrats on the baby - I haul my 3 kids in my wagon - ages 6, 5 and 11 months. 3 is a tight fit in the 850 series, but I've made it work, and wouldn't have it any other way!
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,736
Likes: 36
From: Albuquerque, NM
Rear window washer, hmmmm. I would start by filling the bottle with water and unplugging the rear supply line at the filter in the right side rear cargo area. Run the system to see if you get liquid flow there. If so, work back, if not work forward.
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