I have a 95 850 Turbowith about 93K on it. The temp gauge runs just a hair (about a needle width) above half no fluctuations or anything like that. Is this normal or a little high? I'm asking because it seems like it used to be closer to the half way (from what I can remember).

 

My car does the exact same thing.

The temp also goes down when i'm on the highway....Goes back up in the city though. I think it's gotta be replaced, but I'm not so sure it has to be replaced..???

 

Hello Mr. BriGuy & RedTurbo850,

Here's my prejudice:

The temp needle at a hair above 3 O'clock shouldn't be a problem, unless if there are obvious signs of overheating (persistent knocking, coolant steaming out, loss of power, etc...). Coolant temp usually goes up a bit higher at city driving, as there is not much ram air into the radiator (in this case the electric cooling fan should kick in).

Or, it could be a thermostat that is about to get stuck-closed (usually it gets stuck open after years of use, though), or coolant that has never been replaced and the chemicals are starting to break down, losing boil-over protection.

If none of the above applies, you may have to wait until Mr. Tech posts reply.

PS: Engine oil also helps cool the engine, make sure the oil is replaced at regular interval (3,000 (turbo)-4,000 (N/A) miles/5 months) and is at sufficient level.

Best wishes,


JPN

 

What does "stuck open" mean and what is a possible fix? Or does the t-stat just need to be replaced?

 

Just replace it. The part is cheap and it may take about 15 minutes to do.


My guage stays at exactly 3pm all day long and never fluctuates. I think that is due to replacing the most of the cooling system:

1) Thermostat
2) All hoses
3) Radiator
4) Coolant
5) Water Pump (when I did the T-belt)

- AB

 

Hello again,

"Stuck open" means the thermostat is open at all times due to wear, and the engine will suffer "over-cooling", the temp gauge will not rise, no cabin heat available, etc... In such case the thermostat has to be replaced. "Stuck closed" is the opposite, the coolant cannot recirculate and the engine eventually overheats.

Also, have your car idle at park and see if the cooling fan kicks in after about 10 minutes, or whenever the right temp is reached. If itnever kicks in, something is wrong (fan motor, fuse, temp switch/sensor?).

Or, the temp gauge a hair above 3 O'clock may be due to the timing belt one tooth off, though I doubt this one. Incorrect ignition timing also heats up the engine a bit, so I mentioned this but this is not very likely on 850. If in doubt, you can visually check the timing belt area by removing one 12mm bolt that holds the timing belt cover, wiggle the cover upward & take it offand see if all timing marks align at correct positions. You may need 1/2" drive long extension, breaker bar and a 22mm socket (?) to turn the crank pulley.

Good luck,


JPN

 

Onemore addition:

Check to see if the front of the A/C condenser is not full of little stones/debris/bugs. Sometimes a plugged up radiator/AC condenser may not have full heat-dissipating capacity. Also, if you're running the A/C or defrost, it might make the engine run hotter. Try to see if the temp gauge drops down, by turning the heater selector to the hottest setting and the blower at max blast.

The thermostat is probably ok, but should you decide to replace it, I would use OEM (Vernet 87-degree) thermostat and put some paste gasket between the mating surfaces in addition to the new regular gasket. Be sure to clean all mating surfaces. Also, the bleed notch on the thermostat has to face front (downward, as you're viewing it). Have the correct size Torx, there are two Torx screws holing the housing. A properly operating thermostat allows the coolant to drain back to the expansion reservoir tank when the engine gets warmer, you can check this by removing the cap off when the engine isCOLD and simply run the engine until you see the coolant draining into the tank when the engine gets warmer.

I hope this helps.


JPN

 

Are we talking about the gauge sitting a whisker above the 3 o'clock position in hot or cold conditions?

Does the gaugealter or stay steady on a long drive?

I'd keep the needle positionin the back of my mind and be alert if it starts to creepany higher (taking into accountrelevant conditions).

From what you describe,I don't think I'd be too worried about where the needleis sitting.

 

The 1994-1996 850 Turbo and 1997 850 T5 came with a 87C/190F degree thermostat from the factory. The parts dept. at Volvo dealerships no longer sell a 87C/190F thermostat. It has been superseeded by a 90C/195F.

Purchase and install a Wahler 87C/190F thermostat and the needle of your temp gauge will go back down to normal.

More info here...
https://volvoforums.com/m_16392/tm.htm

 

Are we talking about the gauge sitting a whisker above the 3 o'clock position in hot or cold conditions?

Outside temp doesn't seem to matter. The cooling fan kicks on and off as it should. I had issues where the car ran cooler than normal because the thermostat was stuck open so I replaced it with the 190 degree thermostat from volvopartsdirect.com. As I said, it never seems to fluctuate so it sounds like its about normal from what everyone is saying (I'm guessing).

Maybe I'll try changing the coolant and if nothing changes I wont worry about it. The manual says to use only Volvo coolant, is there a reason or will any good green kind work ok?

 

Good evening,

Asfor the coolant, I've been using Prestone and so far I have nothad a problem with it. Most aftermarket coolant are safe for aluminum parts, and they should do the work. At Volvo dealer, Volvo Original Coolant was selling for $20/gallon (vs. $9 for Prestone). Do they add some magical agent to keep Volvo's in better shape, I don't know. Mr. Tech might know something I don't know about genuine Volvo premium coolant.

If the coolant in your engine has been changed in the last 2 years, it probably doesn't need immediate replacing, and it probably wouldn'tchange the coolant needle position. However, if the car does not have a logbook and you don't know when it was changed the last time, then I would do it. Newer cars seem to come with longer-life coolant, saying that they are good for 5 years/100,000 miles. I usually do mine at every 3 years/30,000 miles.

BTW, I've been working on two vehicles at work (Ford 1994 F150 & 1992 Aerostar), and they both had factory coolant (never been replaced), and there were solidsubstances in F150's hose-attaching inlets, and the coolant color for Aerostar was chocolate-brown, rather than green.

I wish you the best of luck.


JPN

 

Look at the receipt...

I bet that you purchased p/n 271664 (90C/195F), as Volvo no longer makes p/n 271417