Hello! I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself. I own a yellow 1995 850 T5-R sedan inbeautiful condition. Coming toits 12th yearit's starting to have minor problems here and there (yesterday I had the ball joints replaced, last monthit was the heater and pedal position sensor)and I'm hopefully going to rely on you guys for tips and advice. I love my car, get chatted up about it pretty often (everyone thinks they're the expert on rare yellow Volvos!) and I want to keep it running for 12 more! Thanks, everyone.

 

Oooh! Very nice! Those are hard to come by. Keep it looking good! Welcome to the forum. Glad to have another guy on board.

 

I should say I'm new to.

 

girl, actually, butI know what you meant

 

Greetings from Chicagoland.

>(everyone thinks they're the expert on rare yellow Volvos!)
I think I'm the expert on a common black Volvo '94 850 Turbo T5 Sedan with automatic-gearbox with 144,000 plus miles.

When in doubt with some replies (though it is rare on this forum, most are extremely knowledgeable, as far as I can tell), trust replies from those with "Moderator" tags. Moderator Tech is the top-dog on this forum, but he seems to be busy in the last few days.

I hope you have another 12 with your yellow T5-R.


JPN

 

Nice car, take care of it. Or someone else will be willing to buy it from you.

 

you'd be hard-pressed to find one in as great condition. I take a lot of pride in it including parking as far away from civilization as I can or taking up 2 parking spots, that whole deal. I've gotten a few offers and considered some, but I don't know if I'd be as happy with anything else.

Just for fun, if you guys could own any Volvo, still in production or not, what would you get?

 

Dibs...

That's tough...
I wouldn't mind a v70R for current production, It's a toss up between an 855 or 245 for the out of production assuming rust isn't a factor.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Both I would like are a little old.

242 Turbo GT in really good condition.
850R any year.

As rare as the yellow ones are we have about 5 of them in the area that I work.

All Customers but one. A tech owns that one.

Keep it clean and nice!!

 

Trade for a cool red one?

 

I'm jealous. I wanted a yellow T5R so bad, but could not find one in even decent shape. That's when I bought the white 97 850 R. I had a charcoal colored 95 850 Turbo before that. Never saw another one like it.

If I could have old or new Volvo I would want a pristine 1800E, but a 95 yellow T5R would be high on my list. I really do like the 97 White with charcoal interior too though.

You need to post some pictures of your car. Did you know there were less than 1,000 yellow T5R's imported to the USA? Less than 200 of them were wagons, so that is really a rare find.

 

I will definitely post some pictures when I have my good wheels on (snow tire season right now, yuck. So embarrassing [8D]). Yeah, there's a yellow wagon about an hour from me that's just been trashed. It kills me! The owner obviously has no clue!

The history I heard was Volvo made 1000 of these cars total and distributed them across Europe and the US. There were 600 sedans and 400 wagons and approximately half of each were yellow and half were black. I don't know how to find out if that's all true.

I've toyed with the idea of selling it but like you said, ifI changed my mind I could never find another one as immaculate as the one I have, or at this point even one that's partway decent. I also couldn't live with myself if some schmuck bought it and hammered it into the ground. It would have to go to someone like you guys. I think I get that from my brother who's trying to sell his BMW M3 and his Alfa Romeobut seems to haveemotional attachments to both and can't find the "right"buyers. haha, is that weird?

Say,when ball joints start to go bad (slight play), how long does it usually takefor them to be in serious need of replacement?I had the whole car looked over right after Christmas by the place where my parents have been taking their Volvos for 20 years.NowI live in another state andcanI just say finding a trusty garage is as bad as finding a good doctor?? I'm just wondering how my car went from a-ok to "your ball joints need replacing today" in 4 weeks. Dos that sound odd? Granted I do live in a state withmore than itsfair share ofbumpy or dirt roads, so it's not unheard of. just wondering.

 

Send your man down there to set 'em straight! [8D]

If the car is that old, it doesn't surpirse me that they're bad at this point-assuming they've never been done. Does seem odd your shop missed it at your last visit. Old cars need care...what can you do??

 

If there is play it only gets worse depending on driving conditions.
Bumpy roads needs faster.

 

Good evening,

>canI just say finding a trusty garage is as bad as finding a good doctor??
Unfortunately, yes it is as bad. Also friends/relatives/colleagues' recommendations are almost always useless, unless you're friends with one of the Moderators! I'll give you some things to check when you look for a top-notch technicians.

>Does that sound odd?
It does. Either your parents' technician overlooked the ball joint, or the newguy is in a serious need for a paid vacation. Ball joints do not go from"OK" to "Replace today" in mere 4 weeks, unless you hit some large pot holes or something like that. In general, ball joint failure is first noted by the rubber boot that is keeping the grease inside. If the boot is torn/damaged, the ball joint indeed suffers entry of foreign debris (sand, salt, etc...) and wear out. Check the boot to see if it's damaged. Ifthe boot is damaged and the ball joint does need replacement, I believe you'll have to replace the entire control arm. '93 & '94 (certain VINs) have replaceable ball joints, but I believe anything newer than '95 come with integral ball joint + control arm.

Here are some things to look for when searching for a top-notch technicians for Volvo:
1. Look for shops that specialize in Swedish/European cars.
2. Have technicians that are fully-certified (ASE Master Technician).
3. Have factory training certificates (definitely a plus).
4. Have technicians that are willing to learn, even after years of experience, and admit things they don't know (steer clear of those with "macho-man" attitude).
5. Will tell you they cannot do certain jobs (jobs that require specialized equipment, tools, etc...)
6. Will explain the problems & solutions in the way that you fully understand.
7. Give you realistic estimate before beginning a job.

Volvos are not meant for quick-lube places, franchise shops or shops that neglected to update their equipment/technicians' expertise (especially in emissions-related systems and electronics). As far as I know, there are only 3 places where you'll be sure to have services done right for a Volvo:

1. Volvo dealers.
2. Specialized shops (Swedish/European makes).
3. Home mechanics who love working on their cars, have appropriate service information (manuals/instructions) and necessary tools.

Expect to pay more for the right places & jobs. Very often, you get what you pay for.

Good luck,


JPN