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Volvo 850 Wagons

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#172 of 491 Long time Volvo owner, new owner of 850 Turbo Wagon by vovonut Mar 29, 2001 (10:14 pm)
My experiences with Volvo's goes all the way back to 1984 when we purchased our first Volvo, a 245 Turbo (oop, that's a 240 series wagon for the non-Volvo speaking) new from the dealer after totalling a Ford. It served us well for 185K miles until it was totalled. I too took the extended warranty and used it well; replacing the Turbo at 100K miles. Lots of other electrical repairs, oil leaks, and the odometer going out at 12K miles were all done under warranty. After the warranty period I found a local independent Volvo shop and have been using him ever since for the last 15 years. He is the main reason I still drive Volvos.   Our next two Volvo's, a 1985 244GL, and a 764 Turbo were purchased used from non-Volvo dealers with about 35K and 58K miles respectively. Both cars had problems which I attribute to the previous owners giving up on and trading for BMW and Mercedes Benz. My mechanic found about $1000 worth of repairs needing in each. My point here is if you not maintain them, they will cost you later big time! Both cars were sedans but never handled and performed like our first 245 Turbo. Each was totalled in accidents (front end collisions) which I'm very thankful resulted in my wife only being brused in each. This is what makes me such a believer in Volvo safety!!! It also makes me purchase 5 to 8 year old Volvo's for her to crash :>)   Our current 2 Volvo's are a 1992 965 and a 1996 855 TLA. We have had the 1992 for 15 months now and find it a pleasure to drive. It is much heavier than the 850 but is very responsive with it's 6 cylinder engine. It is my wife's car and she loves the response and turning radius (as compared to the 850's).   I just purchased the 1996 855 for 40% of its original cost for myself! Yes it has 73K miles on it but I expect to go to 250K miles with proper maintenance and care. I just spent $700 doing the 75K mile service (a major one on the 850's) which included time belt (a must), spark plugs, all fluids changed, and a new upper motor mount. I really love the performance and handling of this car. (It reminds me of our first 245 Turbo.)   What I've learned from the previous owner is tires must be rotated EVERY time you do your oil change if you expect them to last long. The previous repair records show them lasting about 20K miles and they were not very faithful on rotations. Brakes were also consumed quickly. With the increase in performance goes increased tire wear and costs (performance tires cost more than touring tires).   Bottom line is this: I agree with post # 163 that you must maintain these cars. If you're used to hopping into your Honda, turning on the key and driving it until then next oil change, than these are NOT the car's for you. If you're complaining about repair costs than don't go to the dealer!!! Find a good independent shop; you'll save 1/3 the cost on maintenance/repairs! Remember the main reason you purchased the Volvo was for the safety - it don't come cheap! If you want fun factor (Turbo models like T5 or T5R) thrown in also, then it will cost even more. Just remember, it costs even more to own a Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche (I know I owned each also) and I still prefer the Volvo's because of their safety, longevity, and I can purchase a used one for much less than the comparable Mercedes or BMW! It all comes down to trade-offs; ya want performance and safety, or do ya want a little metal box that gets ya from point A to B on 35mpg and you want survive in a nasty crash, or do you want to complain?
#173 of 491 CD Changer for a 96 850 Std. Wagon by go_oski Apr 02, 2001 (9:32 am)
My wife and I just purchased a 96 850 Wagon, and about the only thing wrong with it (so far!) is that the stereo is anemic. I believe its the SC-710 model. Has anyone installed a CD changer in this model? I saw the the discussion for cheapcarstereos.com and know that the Alpine kit costs about $300. Any tips on installing one of these without the dealer's help? Thanks!
#174 of 491 Fuel Door Motor, Battery, and Other Problems by asadorian Apr 02, 2001 (7:12 pm)
I solved the fuel door problem by spraying WD-40 on the locking pin. Open the door with the manual release, and lock the doors with the fuel door open. The locking pin will extend and can be lubricated. The lubrication seems to solve the problem.   We have a 1995 turbo wagon, and the battery is three years old. Last time I had it tested, I had driven about 80 miles the day before, and the charge was too low on the battery to test it. I charged the battery, and then it and the charging circuit tested out fine. I periodically charge the battery as a preventative measure, and we haven't had any problems.   The car has 112,000 miles and runs great. I just added up the maintenance and repair costs, and it worked out to be about 5.5 cents per mile. Adding the expected cost for new tires and major tune-up and servicing at 120,000 miles, the maintenance cost increases to 6 cents per mile. We used the Volvo dealer up to 90,000 miles and now use several independent shops. This seems pretty reasonable. We use Dunlop W-10 performance tires, and they have lasted 40,000 miles. The brake pads have lasted 55,000 miles. We replaced the rotors at 110,000 miles. We have a top-rated 1999 VW Passat, and the Michelins on it lasted 15,000 miles with frequent rotation.   The Volvo requires tune-ups every 30,000 miles while many other cars go a lot longer between tune-ups. That the major maintenance inconvenience with the Volvo.
#175 of 491 Hi all by javadoc Apr 04, 2001 (12:11 am)
I'm not a 855 owner, but an 854T owner, and was just passing thru, looking for good discussions on the 85x series Volvos.   --javadoc
#176 of 491 fuel door motor problem by volvomama Apr 05, 2001 (2:19 pm)
Thank you so much - I'll try it!
#177 of 491 97 850GLT - Looking for by watso Apr 06, 2001 (6:44 am)
Does anyone know of a place either mail order or on-line where I may get Volvo part and accessories. I am considering beefing up the braking system, does anyone have any favorite braking components? I am also interested in finding a metal cargo divide and the cargo cover. I wouldn't mind buying these used, if I could find a seller.   Thanks James
#179 of 491 watso, by javadoc Apr 06, 2001 (7:41 am)
I'd say you should checkout these two sites, ipdusa.com and volvotuning.com for what you're looking for. You could try ebay for the cargo divider, or most good pet supply stores carry this item. Hope that helps. --javadoc
#180 of 491 Air Pump Noise??? by jmwat Apr 26, 2001 (8:31 am)
I've got a '98 V70 w/ 53K miles. Lately I've been hearing a "whining" noise from the engine compartment, usually shortly after starting the engine. The noise lasts for anywhere from 5-30 seconds, but it seems to be getting progressively longer. The dealer says it may be the air pump. The fix would be to replace it at about $700.00. Have you heard anything about problems w/ air pumps? Any advice?
#181 of 491 Can someone please help me? by goonar Apr 26, 2001 (1:28 pm)
I realize that the following is not necessarily a question about Volvos, but...does anyone know the name of and/or the performer of the great song Volvo used in their ad campaing for the new Volvo V70 station wagon? The commercial shows how a father travels back and forth from his son's swin meet to his daughter's soccer game. The lyrics are something like, "Keep movin' boy..."   Again, I realize I may be violating some canon of Edmond's by asking such a question, but this is my last hope and am relying upon the kindness of strangers who, I would think, would be able to lend a hand considering Volvo drivers tend to be polite and helpful (shameless groveling...sorry).   Thanks a bunch.

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