I have a 1996 850 Turbo with 222,000 miles on it. I did a head Gasket change at 201,000 miles which included complete new PCV system, Timing belt and timing components, thermostat, New Turbo hoses and vacuum lines, and stage 0. After doing so, i now actually felt like i had a 225 hp car when t valving the hose to the wastegate, unlike before the change. the car for the entire year before which is the same year i purchased it felt more like 180 hp. I would lose from a roll punching it from 40mph against stock 95 accord LX (a friends car). turbo gauge has always only got into maybe a little less than a quarter into the white. Any who, at about 202,000 miles, a volvo tech actually put a t valve on the wastegate hose and the car boosted almost to the end of the white and the pull was ridiculously lovely. One day around 213,000 miles the car started would boost like usual but i now have no power behind it. I hear the turbo boosting (lovely sound by the way) but i don't feel boost barely after 3500 rpm. oh and if i'm trying to pass someone on the highway it takes forever unlike before instanly being in the front. HELP. Please Help. the car seems to be eating my oil. going through 6 quarts in 2 weeks, and i feel like i'm dumping gas. also i have a strange oil burning smell, strange kind of smell and smoke coming from Catalytic converter. Any help would be appreciated. I really hate that any 160 hp car is keeping up with me. Its down right shameful.

 

Sounds like the turbo may have been over boosting a bit. But now it seems that you have likely blow the turbo. Take the hose off the front of the turbo and see if you have shaft play. It really should not be able to be moved in / out or whiggle with your fingers. It's ok if you can spin it, but not move it other than that.

So, that would be an internal leak. Do you see any external leaks? More than 1 quart per 1,000 miles is to much.

 

Hey, I don't really think the turbo was over boosting but its a slight possibility. i've hit fuel cut off maybe 3 times but of course no real power behind it anyways so i don't really push the car at all anymore ever because i feel like i'm driving a 94 toyota corolla if i'm trying to push. The cars power feels smoother. if i'm not pushing too much. just a slight push i actually feel "G force", not much but its a nice feeling. another thing, i really feel like maybe oil is passing and getting into cat. The cat smokes and i see oil dripping from it some times. I do have an external leak idk where but i know i do. i just don't understand how its going through so much oil. the external doesn't seem to be so bad as to say 6 quarts in 2 weeks. I can so there have been times where the car will give me a good butt-dyno 200 hp, but most of the time it feels like a 140 to 160 hp car. I don't drive hard often also, but now i cant because.......it doesn't go anywhere. you hear the turbo and the engine doesn't sound as nice as it used to. no studdering or hesitation just no real power and turbo does boost. oh and a side note, car smokes out exhaust white smoke when I first run the car from cold, not very much but noticeable.

 

im no volvo tech, but I dont see why a stock 850 would hit fuel cutoff. It shouldnt do that unless you have the turbo turned up...and a fair bit at that.

So, maybe the turbo's oil seal is bad?
If you pull off the output hose on the turbo see if there is alot of oil there.
Certainly shouldnt have it from the cat or smoking.
Could the cat become clogged? That will kill the power.

 

Sounds to me like you have a bad turbo. Your losing oil through the turbo bearings into the exhaust if it's smoking and leaking out of the cat.

 

Sometimes when that happens to a turbo, you've overheated the bearings, causing them to sieze, which may be why you have no power or boost. In some cases it will continue to get worse until the turbo siezes completely and then it drives like an under powered NA car.

 

My thoughts were if there was a large oil leak it may have plugged the cat which will give the feeling of being a slug. Get the compression test done and lets see where we are from there.

 

Will do So and let You all Know what I find.

 

Compression Test - Volvo S70 GLT, 1998