I recently just posted on here wondering about my pcv system about a week ago. I bought the oil trap in preparation to fix my smoking dip stick tube as well as the massive oil leakage. Knowing my car there an uneventful trip is rare. On my way home from getting said parts, new symptoms.

Accelerating from a stop, not very hard either, I notice a small cloud of black smoke, I thought it was my imagination. Then my coolant light turns on and coolant smoke starts to fill the cabin, coming in by the windshield. Great. Pull over and see no source of leak, although my coolant container is now empty after being refilled about a week ago.

The temp gauge rises almost to red, fan turns on, and it starts to drop. Half way home, smoke is now starting to come out from under the hood, and to top it off, my oil light turns on. When I arrive home, I check under the hood and see no source for either coolant or oil smoke, although it does appear to be coming more from the rear of the engine.

Any thoughts on this? I just replaced the upper radiator hose last week so that is not the problem. My 850 has approx. 230,000 miles on it (odometer stopped working at 206,000). Maybe it's time to put her to rest and look for another Volvo.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would rather fix it than get something else.

Thank You in advance.

***Edit- just found a puddle of coolant on the driver's side floor. Heater Core?

 

Could be a bad heater core....

Wait for the experts to get on.

 

yes heater core...

 

What about the oil light coming on though? Would the heater core cause that as well?

 

no. the oil light is an oil low/oil low pressure light

 

I checked my oil right when I got back, just to make sure that the coolant and oil didn't mix somehow, and my oil lever was completely fine. So it wasn't an oil low, I just don't get how the heater core would have triggered the oil light.

 

two different cases i would guess. if your going to part it i have a list of parts i need.

 

Haha, I'll let you know. I'm taking it apart this weekend to take a closer look to see if it's just the heater core or if there is more damage than just that.

 

Not to sound like an ***, but are you sure it was the oil light and not the low coolant or temperature light? I've seen people confuse them before.

 

The coolant light came on, and then after that the light directly above, which is the oil light, came on. And when that came on, my temp gauge was normal.

 

This is for inspirational purposes only...

My Volvo went through a phase where everything went wrong around 120,000 miles. It is now at 140,000 miles and purring like a kitty. It might be worth putting money into.

If you do decide to put her down, I will arrange a 21 gun salute.

 

See, that's exactly what I'm thinking. It's just the 200,000 mile mark blues, where parts start to go, but if I just replace them, then it should be good for another hundred thousand. The only thing is that this is what it's been like for the past three or four months.

This weekend I'm putting in a new oil trap, accelerator cable, tension link on front passenger (I think that's what it's called), new spark plugs, and now a heater core.

It has new timing belt and power steering pump belt, upper radiator hose, fairly new power steering pump, all new rear brakes.

I'm hoping your right and this what it needs to be fine for a while again, it's just frustrating.

 

I know how you feel. Is it still the stock transmission?

 

Yeah, stock transmission and turbo. A lot of it is still stock besides the usual maintenance repairs. radiator was just recently replaced as well.

 

These Volvos really surprise me. My transmission is at 140,000 miles and it is still golden. Shifts are perfectly timed and I have no transmission kicks.

My family's 1999 Ford Taurus' transmission is ready to go out now at 110,000 miles. It has been running sh*tty ever since 80,000 miles though.
My family's 2001 Ford Escort's engine bit the dust at like 60,000 miles. It was well oiled but somehow the engine overheated so much, all for pistons fused to the engine block. Totally uncalled for at 60,000 miles.

 

Yeah, that's pretty bad, actually really bad. And I don't feel like my transmission is going anywhere either, it still shifts perfectly fine, last time my dad was underneath the car the turbo was bone dry around it, no sign of any failing seals, so I'm not too worried about that either. Once I do what I listed before, I'll feel like I rebuilt the engine, like the car has run out of things to go wrong with it since it has all been recently replaced. Hopefully that's the case too.

I'm trying to think of anything else that could be next on the list to go, something that I could take care of right away, rather than waiting for it. What did you all do to your car around your 100,000 mile mark?

 

I bought mine from a private seller at around 110,000 miles. So far I have had the timing belt replaced, fuel pump (twice), and crap I can't remember. However, I got the 20 point inspection by my Volvo dealer and they say there is alot that could possibly fail in the future.

But I think that is just Volvo being Volvo if you know what I mean.

 

Yeah, everything in the 20 point inspection is like routine maintenance, things that should be replaced every so often.

Turns out it was my heater core. It's donezies, so I'm just going to by-pass it for now until I get a new one. And then my car should be all good for a while.

 

If you haven't done the PCV system, that could be setting off the oil light.

Once you finish your list, it should be goldden. Unless there is something else.....

 

Oh yeah, good point. Hopefully that will solve the issue with that. I can't wait to get the new oil trap on there, I feel like that's causing a lot of the problems I've been having with smoke and oil leaks.