bronzfinga22 Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Hello all! New to the forum and figured this would be the right place to get the info and learn about my "newest" car. I am a previous Volvo owner ('95 940) but sold it (regretably). Came across a '94 850 Turbo and decided it was fate since I had just lost my '94 Impala SS. Bought it and in process of putting up pics. Don't think its much to look at but plan on adjusting it little by little. It will probably be my daily driver but want it as nice as some of yours I've seen. So far the only issues I know the car has are: -Odometer doesnt move -Glove box latch wont release thus glove box inaccessable -dash on passenger side is slightly coming apart (specifically the corners facing the windshield of the passenger airbag area) Tire are worn in the front but already planning on replacing those. Currently in Cheyenne, WY so snow is a huge issue but will be back in Los Angeles by March 2010. Recommendations on either snow tires or all season? I do want to redo the audio. Also want to touch up the exterior such as the trim. But first and formost, gotta obviously take care of the mechanical. Currently has 131k miles on it. Again, anything I should do as far as preventative? Thanks for reading this, thanks in advance for the patience! Not a mechanic by no means so bear with me. Pic up soon to show off potential Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxx Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 odometer fault is common. Replace the gear and don't hit the trip switch while moving and you'll be great. you can read the actual mileage from the ECU under the hood if you're curious. it might have a lot more than 131k. glove box issue can be remedied, can't remember the exact way to fix it off hand. dash is common. It seems to happen to all the 850s. First off, check the PCV system. it's great to prevent your rear main seal from going and costing you a lot of money to fix. Enjoy the volvo, welcome to the site! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Some Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.php/topic/21017-the-vs-faq-listhow-to-searchhow-to/ some quick good info right there plus the list of stage zero which is always recommended good luck with the car! post up some pics too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnloves850's Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Just buy a 98 x70 cluster, it is so much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPTDoh Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Welcome One thing Jaxx missed is the timing belt. It should be changed at 70k intervals.. if it breaks, bad things happen inside the engine. A lot of people here used Kiwi trim dye to black out the grey trim. If you add S/V70 door handles, the outside looks a lot more modern :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Betty Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Just buy a 98 x70 cluster, it is so much easier. it wont fit, but thanks for telling him to waste money..... OBD1 does not equal OBD2.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilber33 Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 98 clusters only work in 96/97 850s anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnloves850's Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 it wont fit, but thanks for telling him to waste money..... OBD1 does not equal OBD2.. Yea no problem Sorry, I didn't read the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomdude Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 well you shouldnt comment if you dont know the situation. i dont usually say anything, but seriously man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzfinga22 Posted December 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Thanks for the quick replies. Been snowing so I havent had a chance to clean it up but will post pics later today. Found some more minor problems: -headlamp wipers(?) are missing, passenger side still has a bolt sticking out. -Antenna wont retract all the way. -Reverse lights out (easy fix, done this with previous volvo) -When climate control is set to heating (as i had it on the ride up from Ft. Collins CO to Cheyenne WY) it now doesnt pump hot air out...more like slightly warm air. And why do the lights blink for the REC and AC switches? -Front doors make a lot of noise when opening/closing...I assume WD40 can fix that? Also, as I was driving today, the Check Engine light came on. Has stayed on when I turn the Volvo on. And there is a little red light that is on too...right by the digital info display. No changes in "performance"...a little noisier at startup if anything, Any advice? HPTDoh, thanks for the trim tip, I'll give it a try when I get a chance to detail. Did notice the trim is coming off on the driver side door close to the wheel well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Betty Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Ok: head light washers- common problem I may have one motor but I personally would just take them out and then scour a junk yard for some head light trim pieces without the holes attena- that is a common problem the gears might be stripped, you can get a new mast or leave it as is just be careful with car washes Climate control- The two blinking lights occur when there is a fault in the system. Now your ECC has a lot of componets that could have faults. There are temperature sensors in the headliner, motors in the dash to redirect the air (depending where you choose), but it sounds like your blower motor is weak. The volvo's have pretty powerful blowers That little red light is to warn you of icy conditions. It illuminates from 34 - 25 degrees Fahrenheit IIRC, after 25 degrees I guess the volvo engineers decided anyone should know its icy out . And for the CEL, its most likely something small like a vacuum leak or misfire. Get the code read and report back. Your 94 has an obd1 port under the hood, and a obd2 port under the change holder in the center console. You can either go to an autozone and use the obd2 or check bay 13 to find out how to use the obd1 port. here's the bay 13 link http://volvospeed.com/Repair/a2.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzfinga22 Posted December 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Black Betty, WOW...broke it down "Seseme Street" style for me...'preciate it. I would like to get the wipers if thats even feasible but then again, my buddy had a euro spec 850 GLT (we were living in italy then hence the specs and why he didnt bring it back) had he doesnt ever remember using those wipers. Would be nice to have. Any idea on how to find junkyards wit Volvo's in them? Google?? Antenna is no real big issue. Not worried about car washes either since I like to do them myself. Or is there a way to replace the whole mast with something smaller? ECC is Electronic Climate Control Im guessing? Would those lights blink if the blower motor was weak? It was fine until maybe 8 hrs into being in my possession. Actually had to lower the speed of the fan since it was blowing the air to fast for my tastes. So thats what the red light is for!! Icy conditions...got it. My same buddy always wondered too. Leave for work tomorrow which takes me "out of town". But as soon as I get back, heading to Autozone and praying for nothing major. Now when I was in Italy, I always took my 940 to the dealership. They actually were cheaper (gave me Americans discount..maybe to offset Euro prices?), quicker and more reliable. Dont know of any reputable mechanics that deal with Volvos in the Cheyenne area but there is a dealership in Fort Collins. Any take on dealerships here in the States? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Betty Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 My experience is there are a few 850's in most of the junk yards around me, I would just find one thats relatively big and go for it, or you can order from Darrell Waltrip Volvo, if you ask for Don or Jamie and tell them your from volvospeed they will give you a discount. FCP groton is also a good source. Ebay might also have something Shortening the antenna i'm not so sure about. My last 850's antenna go stuck halfway up so it wasn't huge. There is also the "antenna down" modification where you take an antenna down switch from I believe a volvo 960 and wire it up. That way you can flick the switch and the antenna goes down with the radio still on. If theres a fault in the blower motor that would cause the lights, but its almost impossible to tell why the lights blink without the dealer reading them maybe they will be nice and not charge an arm and a leg And there is a Review Forum at the bottom of the main page. It's broken down by region so you might find a reputable dealer by looking through so of their reviews. I'm guessing your in Co by the fort collins statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzfinga22 Posted December 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2009 Went to Autozone, they only check '96 and newer. Since its the hoildays, everyone is closed. Also new updates, my low gear lamp is blinking and from what I read, it means a fault in the gearbox. No difference in driving. But somemore drastic has happened. I happen to be going over a big mound of snow and after i cleared it, heard my exhaust a lot more. Parked and took a look under and saw a portion of my exhaust disconnected (the bulb looking thing...catalytic converter?) hovering 2 inches above the ground. Yet one more thing to add before visiting a repair shop. How bad is this? I mean, I need to take it back to California so the exhaust has to be able to pass their smog test. Thx in advance for help and info...in the Cheyenne, WY area but looking to head to Ft. Collins, CO for repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzfinga22 Posted January 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Alright...same problems with 2 more added: engine will cut out while driving. Hasn't happened to me yet but to my wife plenty of times. It almost happened to me, felt like it was ready to shut off when i hit the gas, then it went back to normal. Also found out my Catalytic Converter has a puncture in it...getting it replaced at Midas with a generic one. Volvo CC runs for about $1k. As long as its CA compliant, Im happy. Second issue to add: a oil leak around the Turbo. Not sure how serious this is. Seems like a very small leak. So below are some pics, you cant see the minor dings/dents but thats no biggie. thinkin of using gorilla glue to keep it down not sure which hose this is...not mechanically inclined at all Main concern right now: get it ready to drive back to Los Angeles and pass a CA DMV inspection. Short Term: Get Cheyenne PD to do a VIN inspection so I can get a WY temp reg til I get to Cali, current Temp Reg runs out in 7 Feb About to go get the CC swapped out. If any objections, hit me up on emailAlso, i apologize to the Moderators...Im sure this needs to be in the maintenance section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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