Hi Everybody,

I recently bought a '96 850 turbo, and I love the car to death. A few weeks after I bought it, the check engine light came on. I bought and OBDII code scanner, pulled the codes, and got p-0136, which is the code for a lean signal from the rear (post cat) sensor. I was stupid and decided to ignore it for a while, but my in-town gas mileage was getting really bad (10-12 mpg city). So I decided that I better replace the 02 sensor that was causing the problems. I had read somewhere that if the tube going into the air conditioning unit was damaged this could cause excess air to get into the system, causing the lean signal and the rich running (a.k.a really bad gas milage), but when I mentioned this as a possible cause to my mechanic he said "bull, if your getting an 02 sensor code you need a new 02 sensor". Anyways, I decided I would try the cheap fix before shelled out the money for a new sensor, and I inspected the hose going into the AC to find it severely corroded at the bend point (easily visible when you open the hood). So I got my trusty roll of duct tape out, taped over the corroded part of the tube, cleared the code, and went for a drive. Not only did the CEL not come back on, my gas milage went from 11.5 to about 16-18 for city driving, and to think, all my car really needed was a little duct tape.
Obviously I am really cheap, because the new tube costs like 5 bucks, but the tape works just fine.
Anyways, I just wanted to share my story with you in case you too are a poor college student trying to fix your car for as cheap as possible, so that you don't make the mistake I was so close to making, and pay upwards of 100 bucks for a part you don't actually need.

Drive Safely

Isaac

 

Will do, thanks for the advice...

 

Well congrats on fixing it your way. Even as a poor college student if you depend on your car you should properly fix it. I mean a $5.00 part is cheap for Volvo.

 

what hose are you talking about exactly?

my gas millage kinda sucks too

 

Thanks for sharing the info, I didn't know there was that type of failure. If you could specify exactly which hose/pipe, it would be even more helpful (a pic would be the killer).

Duct tape rules.

And we all are cheapo!!!


JPN

 

I would like to see a pic as well.
Because if you are talking about the Hose on the passenger side that goes from the radiator to the computer box then that would never cause the problem you were having.

Maybe you are talking about the hose from the Mass Flow to the engine. If so then yes it would. But keep an eye on it after time the engine heat will shrink the tape making it leak again.

 

Tech, are you saying that Duct Tape could possibly fail!? I thought duct tape was literally indestructible and is even used to fix air......

...never mind[8D].


JPN

 

yeah i was thinking he's talking about the plastic hose going from the radiator to some type of box ( i think it's some sort of exhaust collector correct me if i'm wrong) if so mine has a hole in it, is this a problem?

and is the other hose you're talking about going from the airbox to the intake manifold? i don't think mine has a hole...i'll have to check


if someone could explain that would be nice

 

yeah i was thinking he's talking about the plastic hose going from the radiator to some type of box ( i think it's some sort of exhaust collector correct me if i'm wrong) if so mine has a hole in it, is this a problem?

That hose helps cool the engine and transmission computers. But the A/C is also connected fromthe other side to cool it as well.
It is not a problem if that hose is bad.

 

well, ive pulled codes and am getting message to replace front and rear O2 sensors. i've got that tube corroded at the "accordian" section. i'll seal it up with tape and let ya'll know if the codes come back after clearing...

 

I don't know how anything related to the AC could affect how rich or lean a car runs.

 

That was my point thats why I wanted to see a pic of the hose.