Dive in to Volvo 850? - 1997 - READ ONLY

23 messages, Last post on Sep 25, 2002 at 8:04 AM

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What is this discussion about? Volvo 850, Brakes, Electrical, Engine, Sedan

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#17 of 23 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Sep 20, 2002 (1:50 pm)
And I'll bet you 99% of the people who warn you against turbos never owned one. DON---I don't see how your engine could have low compression and still pass emissions. I am suspicious of this diagnosis. Have a shop do a compression test with a tester that makes a graph, or watch them do it. Also, can the valves be adjusted on this engine? If so, do so. As for the 200K mark, a car is getting pretty tired at this mileage, and I certainly would not put another engine in it under any circumstances unless it has some huge sentimental value. After 200K, all kinds of weird things can (and do) happen, either structurally or with more than usual number of failures. If it's just a belt, sure, you can do that, drive it to 225K-235K or so and then bail out. This is about the reasonable end of a car's life--the outside end.
#18 of 23 Mr. Shiftright: by jrosasmc Sep 22, 2002 (12:41 pm)
Currently I am looking for a second Volvo just to go back and forth to college and home on the occasional weekend. I test-drove a 1996 850 wagon at the local Volvo dealership this weekend. It has 138k miles, and it's an automatic. Here are the known problems with it: Brake pedal almost goes all the way to the floor Pulls sharply to the right when braking from high speeds Harsh, and I mean, really harsh upshifts from 2nd to 3rd gear Smokes a little bit on startup The dealer's asking $8500 for it. This is the exact same Volvo wagon that I wrote to you about over the winter a while back. It was used by my acquaintance, and she put all highway miles on it until she traded this one in on a new '02 V70.
#19 of 23 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Sep 22, 2002 (9:28 pm)
Well pulling to the right and a bit of smoke on start up aren't too much to worry about (unless this is a turbo model) but the auto trans shifting is a bit worrisome, especially on a model known for transmission issues. The brake pedal must be fixed by the dealer, he can't sell a car with bad brakes. Also the car needs a price adjustment because of high miles and possible repair costs. I'd think around $7K-$7.5K would be more than fair, but only after a thorough inspection. If it's a turbo and you're getting smoke, there is turbo wear no doubt.
#20 of 23 by jrosasmc Sep 23, 2002 (8:22 am)
Luckily, this 850 is not a turbo.
#21 of 23 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Sep 23, 2002 (1:17 pm)
Okay, so probably dried out valve stem seals then.
#22 of 23 by jrosasmc Sep 23, 2002 (1:19 pm)
Then what should be done to remedy the dried-out seals?
#23 of 23 air filters by kforton Sep 25, 2002 (8:04 am)
The reason anyone's AC craps out every 40,000 miles is that Volvo sold these cars with no air filters for the AC system, so any and all road junk gets sucked into the compressor and fan assembly. This was highly irresponsible of Volvo, but it keeps the dealers in maintenance. You should have a filter installed for about $150-200, and it will save you on $400-500 AC motors. I couldn't believe it when my very skilled New Hampshire mechanic showed me. Volvo used to be a great company, but this was irresponsible. Also, I have a 95 Turbo and all it needs is maintenance--if you are not willing to pay for maintenance, then do not buy a Volvo.