Hi All,

Semi-newbie here. sorry for the long first post, but I am new to the 850, but not to Volvo's (have an 01 XC70) and definitely not new to cars in general.

I enjoy doing my own wrenching on cars and do my best to keep my cars in top shape.

That said, my wife and I are strongly considering the purchase of a 94 850 turbo sedan for my 16 yr old to drive. Main reasons are reliability and or course the safety factor of a solid car like the Volvo.

Car we are looking at is a 1994 850 Turbo sedan, gold exterior with dark brown interior. It has 166K and change on the clock. We are taking it for a test drive on Thursday, but looking at it and talking to the owner, here is what I have found. I would be the third owner of the car. It had the top end of the motor overhauled at 145K due to traces of oil in the coolant. Work was done by a Volvo dealership, and they not only replaced the head gasket but did a valve and seal job on the head while it was off. Car has been maintained by area Volvo dealership and independent mechanics for the last 4 years. Unknown before that. Asking price is $3600 obo.

The good: Car looks straight, decent paint, no noticable dents, a few scratches, and some paint flaking by the rear window trim, all glass good with no cracks, no visible leaks or drips.

The bad: Exterior-wise the gold paint on the spoiler is oxidized and pretty much shot, the passenger side headlight wiper is resting on the bumper instead of the stop and the blade rubber is shot, the tires are mismatched and have only about 20% tread remaining, and the right front one has severe wear on the outer edge (alignment??) Finally the power radio antenna does not work. Interior wise it is a non-smoker car, claen carpets, but the brown leather is starting to show some wear, especially the drivers seat.

Finally, when I asked the last time the timing belt was changed or all the fluids changed the owner did not know.

Now for the question/opinion part.

When I test drive it, what do I need to look for besides the usual (noises, smells, power, shift smoothness, vibrations, alignment, brakes, A/C, heat) i.e. what quirks does the 850 have that I need to look out for?

When are the timing belt change intervals for this car and what am I looking at in terms of cost and difficulty if I need to change the belt?

SHOULD I change the belt?

Where can I find an on-line manual or guide to fix the headlight wiper and do general maintenance (fluid changes, etc)?

If I purchase it I plan on changing all the fluids, so do 850s take special fluids? I ask as my XC70 takes a really off the wall and expensive transmission fluid)

If I like the car, I think $2800-$3000 is reasonable considering it will at least need new tires/alignment and all fluids and filters changed. What do you all think?

I would really appreciate any responses, and hope to become a contributing member of the forum if I get this car.

Many thanks,

Glenn

 

Browse thru some of my earlier posts on car buying tips.

I did a cooling system leakdown test before buying mine. It should be able to hold 17-18 psi without any leaks. A engine compression test is always a good idea, especially after an engine rebuild.

Timing Belt and Serpentine Belt should be replaced at 70K miles.

Timing Belt, Serpentine Belt, Tensioner, and Water Pump should be replaced at 140K miles.

My car has a silver sticker on the plastic ECU cover on passenger's side inner fendor that shows that timing belt was replaced in 2004 at 72K miles.

That is the joy of owning a pre-1999 Volvo -- no special fluids!!! I drained and refilled my auto trans (browse my earlier post for procedures) with fresh Valvoline Dexron III. Also, do NOT use power steering fluid -- Use Dexron III. I use regular Peak Green Anti-Freeze/Coolant.

The next item up on my maintenance list is... Remove plastic cover over windshield wipers and use my shop vac to vacuum all debris out of Defroster and AC vents. This debris can settle into the AC Evaporator, attracting moisture, causing rust -- leading to leaking Freon. I will purchase an aftermarket Cabin Filter from FCP Groton to keep all of the debris from becoming a problem.

 

Ok, we drove the car tonight. Starts moderately easy and idles nice. Rides nice but harsh over bumps and railroad tracks so I'm assuming the shocks/struts need replacing. Tracks straight and smooth. Brakes are good, engine smooth and very powerful. Transmission shifts nice, all power equipment works except the radio antenna and the right headlight wiper.

We are considering buying it but hopefully someone can give me insight to the cost to repair these broken items.

1. Both the regular and trip odometer do not work. Speedometer works fine.
2. Button for the interior lights switch (on the headliner) is missing. Map lights and the rear interior lights do not work either. Basically none of the interior lights work. Could be a fuse but I didn't check, or could the missing button (its the one to allow the lights to come on with the doors open or not) cause all the lights to go out.
3. Radio antenna makes noise but does not move.
4. Right headlight wiper does not work. Motor makes noise occasionally.
5. Oil dipstick looked like it had a little "mayonaise" type stuff on it. I've seen this before on cars that have sat awhile and it turned out to be condensation.
6. Owner does not know when timing belt was changed but believes it was done two years ago when the top end of the motor was overhauled.

Soory to be a pain, but we really like this car, the only thing I need to know is the rough cost I am looking at to fix the broken things, and if any of them are "REALLY" difficult.

Thanks, Glenn

 

Glenn for what it is worth I will throw in m$.02. I am a former owner of two 1994 850. ONe a turbo sdn I bought new and the other a GLT wagon I bought when two years old. I loved both cars and put over 150,000 miles on each. They were both scrupulously maintained by Volvo. Recently I decided to get rid of a large SUV that was sucking me dry and thought I would take a break and get some inexpensive but decent transportation. I immediately remembered my fond memories of my 850's, so I started my quest. I looked at a lot of junk! I finally found a 1994 850 GLT sdn (non turbo) that was owned by the original owner. It had 71,000 miles and change on the clock. It has leather,moon roof, nordic package with heated seats,dual power seats,power windows, alloy wheels and auto trans. It even has the original window sticker. The tires have about 85% tread remaining. Several minor items were not working such as the power antennae,drivers seat heater,drivers poser mirror. No indication of the timing belt having been changed. The car ran reasonabley well but I could tell from the receipts it was allmost an after thought about maintenance and that was done mostly at independent places and not Volvo. I negotiated a price of $3800.00 and felt I couldn't get hurt badly. Well I was fortunate to find a superior Volvo only independent shop that came with a five star rating. He went over the entire car and broke down must do,recommend and when ever repair items. I decided to do everything because I wanted the car right. I spent in repairs what I had paid for the car. I replaced all hoses,belts,water pump,changed and flushed every fluid, tune up, needed new brake hoses and on caliper was frozen. The breather system was so clogged the intake had to come off to clean it out. It is great now and I am not sorry I did it,but these cars are over ten years old and required quality maintenance. Well taken care of these cars will run forever,but if not it they will definitely lighten your wallet to bring them back. From what you are describing about the car you are looking at, I wouldn't consider it. There are many better 850's out there then what you are describing. Just my $.02

 

Problem 1. Odometer gear is broken. About $300-400 from a dealer to fix. Top of dash pad has to come off at least partially to remove the cluster and get at odometer. Can also be a diy job if you're willing. Actual mileage can be pulled from the ECU so you can tell how long its been broken.

1. Switch ignition on
2. Select module A terminal 7
3. Push button 5 times
4. When LED comes on and stays on, enter code 1-1-1 as follows:
- press the button once when LED is still on
- wait for LED to go out and come on again
- press the button once when LED is still on
- wait for LED to go out and come on again
- press the button once when LED is still on
- read off response, which will be the last three digits of the odometer miles
5. Repeat steps #3-4, but enter code 1-1-2 (that is, press the button twice on the last step); read off the response, which will be the first three digits of the odometer miles. If you have less than 100,000 miles, the first digit will read as 10 blinks.

Problem 4. Could be the motor for the headlight wipers or maybe the wiper arm is loose or something. I heard the motor can be a PITA to replace. Never did it but maybe someone out there has.

Problem 6. If you can't prove when the belt was replaced, in my opinion you'll have to change it. Not worth the risk to me. Why not call the shop and who did the valve job and ask?

The spoiler is easy enough to paint yourself for the cost of the spraypaint.

Alignment problem could really be some front end work and new struts...gets pricey with all the parts end links, spring seats, etc.

I'd also check out the rear main seal for leaks. It's where the engine block meets the transmission. $1200 to repair if it's leaking.

Check the A/C and ask if the evaporator has ever been changed. Another $1000 to replace evap.

BTW, with the Turbo that's quite a bit of power for a 16 year old, especially on a rainy day...please be careful. They're great cars but they require maintenance. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Best of luck and let us know if you have more questions!

 

I would say buy it.
You like working on them and most of the problems you speak of are fairly easy to do.
The Antenna is just a broken mast. You might have to remove the motor and open it up to remove broken peices from the mast. (Easy)

Odometer Parts about $50.00 or so. (Pretty easy)

Try to find a used switch panel for the lights.

The wiper motor is bad. Yes it is a PITA to change out. You might want to just unplug it and keep it there for show.

Do the timing belt,Idler and tensioner pulleys, If he had the Head redone that means he broke the timing belt before. The heads will last atleast 300,000 miles if the belt doesn't break.

 

Great info! My thanks to all. I showed the car to my 16 yr old and he actually liked it <grin> I too believe it will be a good car for him to drive, and since I like doing my own maintenance, it should be a good chance to teach him the finer points of car maintenance as well.

I will definitely pick the brains of the experts here when the time comes. I will make the owner an offer tomorrow and go from there.

Thanks again for the collective wisdom and straight up advice and opinion. RP850, I REALLY appreciate the tip on telling the actual mileage of the vehicle. That is cool.

Glenn

 

Got the 850 home tonight. Runs well, A/C blows ice cold, etc. Tried the ECU trick to check the mileage and it comes out to be 171, 453 so the Odo has been broken for about 6500 miles[:-]

I found a few other little things that needed fixing, but nothing major so far. It seems like maintenance was done more or less when it had to be instead of when it should be. I'll be working on it over the summer to bring up fully up to par so expect a lot of questions.

Speaking of questions I noticed there are no lights for the following siwtches/indicators when the headlights are on. Could someone tell me if they are supposed to be illuminated 1. Fog light switch and the instrument panel illumination slider right above it. 2. the economy/sport switch by the gear shift lever, 3. The winter driving mode switch, and last but not least, the indicators for all the gears (PRND3L)

Finally, where can I get a spare key or two made. Is it a dealer only thing, or???

As always, many thanks.

Glenn

 

Keys are dealer only and quite expensive. Your son has a real good first car. All three of my kids learned to drive in a 94 850 Turbo. Then I bought each of them a five speed as their first cars of their own. They all prefer stick shifts to automatics now. I like the Turbos too much, so I have to put up with the automatics. Got a five speed in the little Nissan pickup though. Hope you and your son enjoy the car!

 

Hey, no problem! Best of luck with it! It's a very safe and solid car. You can feel good about putting your kid in one. Didn't mean to talk you out of the Turbo because he's 16. It's just the nature of a turbo that the power can come on pretty quickly if you want it to and it may take an inexperienced driver a bit by surprise in bad weather, etc. There is also a little torque steer in these cars too, especially with large amounts of throttle. It's nothing that someone wouldn't get used to though and judging by the amount of research you're doing with his first car I'm sure you're having discussions about being careful, responsible, etc. Thankfully I have quite a few more years until my kids can drive, but I'd feel better putting them in this car than something smaller and lighter.

Anyway...on to your questions...

To answer your question about the dash lights, the fog light should be lit, the slider switch and the transmission mode switch is not lit. There is an LED on the trans mode switch (green for econ, orange for sport). Very simple to replace the fog light bulb. Pry the switch out with a tape covered flat screwdriver and turn it over. On the back of the switch, you'll see the bottom of the white bulb holder. Take a small screwdriver and remove the bulb and holder. You can either go to Volvo and buy the bulb and its holder or you can just replace the bulb by going to radio shack and buying this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tId=2103780&cp

The bulb can be pried out of the old holder because the bulb leads go through the holder and wrap around it. You have to look closely at the bulb holder to see what I mean. Once you remove the bulb you can replace it with the radio shack one and wrap the leads around the holder and trim the excess. Not a difficult procedure at all and probably takes longer to write this than to do it.

The PRNDL indicator on the center console should light up. Never had that go out so I'd have to research how to take that apart. Maybe someone else has done that before.

Hope all that helps and contrats on the car!

 

All,

Once again, thanks for the tips and help. The boy and I worked on it all this morning until it got too warm out (central Calif, 90 degrees at noon....) Anyway, I already got the interior light switch fixed, and the service light reset. We cleaned and detailed it all, and he is going to wax it later when it cools off. First thing definitely on it is an oil change and trans fluid change. The transfluid looks as dark as motor oil (doesn't smell burnt though)

Mainly just normal maintenance on it that needs to be taken care of. A healthy dose of TLC and she will be fine.

Again, thans for the help.

Glenn

 

https://volvoforums.com/m_25657/tm.htm
https://volvoforums.com/m_16392/tm.htm
https://volvoforums.com/m_12362/tm.htm

 

This stuff is nice for renewing the grey trim if it's faded. I do this maybe twice a year.

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.as...172&RootID=629

Then I follow up with this stuff:

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.as...547&RootID=629

I don't recall if you told us if it's a sedan or wagon?

 

THanks for the links guys. They will come in handy. Oh yes, it is a sedan. Champagne gold color with the drak brown interior.

 

Final question for the night guys <grin> I tired the 16 yr old out today worknig on cleaning up "his" car.

I plan on doing the transmission flush and fill in the next couple of days. My question is....do these cars have a transmission filter that needs to be changed? I'm used to draining the fluid and changing the filter on older cars but I see no mention of one for the 850. I even went to the local parts store today and asked about one and they did not have one listed.

So....???

Thanks,

Glenn

 

No filter to change -internal part. I did flash w/ Dexron Synthetic fluid - it lasts longer in hot temp. - where you are. Procedure described in Volvospeed.com/maintenace

 

Yes, from my understanding, there is a filter. However, you have to rebuild the transmission to replace it. All the more reason, to keep your ATF fresh.

 

the key IS NOT dealer only -any good place can cut it

 

Glenn, I just finished replacing the headlight wiper. It is a big pain on the passenger side. Your post said right side so that would be the same side I think. Not fun working around filter-drier for the A/C and other things in the way. Good Luck