I recently bought a 1997 volvo 850 n/a with 106,000 mi. and have replaced ignition coil because it was arcing at night,spark plugs and wires (oem),front wheel bearings,vacume hose elbows,cleaned throttle body and replaced the original timing belt and tensioner (YES ORIGINAL AND IT LOOKED IT)myself.
My question is i am hearing a noise around the coil and fuse area. It sounds like a clicking or a arcing sound. I am going to look at relay in the fuse box when i get a chance. Any ideas what this could be? I am new to the Volvo world.


ThankYou.

 

Hello Mr. 1967j,

Greetings from cold Chicagoland.

Since I haven't had a similar problem, I could not give you an accurate reply, but I'll try my best.

When does it occur? When you turn the ignition key to "ON" (one detent before "START"), or when the engine is running? 850 seems to have sensitive electrical/electronic systems so don't be shocked to find whatever the problem is. It does not sound like a pricey trouble, though.

If it's making noise, it is probably a relay. You could perhaps try pulling relays out, one at a time with the ignition "OFF".

Also, 850 with its year & mileage, it is not uncommon to have to spend $1,000-$3,000 for complete repair, depending on the condition. One reason is normal wear, but another major factor is that 95% of people on the road, unlike the people in this forum, don't know much about cars and they drive their cars like race cars or neglect scheduled maintenance. Some troubles can be deferred until later, such as minor leaks by adding fluid, while others require immediate attention (like the timing belt or brake failure).

Good luck and keep us posted. I'm sorry I'm not much of a help in this particular case.

Regards,


JPN