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do your research carefully and explore extended warranties. My wife and I
bought our 97 850 wagon, which was at the tail end of the previous style.
This would lead you to think that all of the kinks were worked out and
refinements made. Look carefully through these posts for recurring problems.
I always thought extended warranties were a complete waste of money, after
all I didn't require one on my Subaru that ran to 130k before being
rearended and totalled. I didn't need one on our beater car a 94 mercury
tracer (125K and still going) I didn't need one on my old cavalier I drove
in college, a honda civic, a mazda rx7......you get the idea. I have babied
all of my cars and been rewarded with excellent service and hundreds of
thousands of miles except for my first true "luxury" purchase an 850 glt
wagon. I kick myself every day I go to the dealer for not extending the
warranty. It is fun to drive, roomy, comfortable etc etc. I just wished I
got to drive it. (The service department knows me by name and my phone # by
heart.) Take whatever price you plan to pay and inflate it by about
$3000-$4000 to fix. Those numbers are a conservative estimate, I've paided
more in the last 6 months. Good luck. Drive Safely---as Volvo would say. I wished they'd just say "Drive" period.
So far, no other problems, but without the turbot, it is a slow starter.
Am thinking about a 2001 or 02, V70, 2.4 turbot; should I, despite concern of high maintenance costs?
I was lucky to find a standard. One local dealer told me that they did not import standrads to the U.S. so I'd have to get a standard. I found the car at a Ford dealership and paid $4000 below book value. The car had upgrades like leather seats, all power seating, and side airbags. The car had one previous owner.
Since I've owned it I've only done the recommended maintanence and oil changes. I DO NOT take it to the dealer. I found a great auto shop that only works on Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, etc. He stamps my book so I can maintain all service records. I did get some of the previous repairs on the car from the Volvo dealer and was surprised that the entire dash board had been replaced as well as several other major items. I'm hoping that the previous owner was very picky and pushy and got stuff done while the car was still under warranty.
The only problem I've had with the car is it not starting due to the battery dying. In fact, the car wouldn't start this morning (new Diehard put in three months ago) and my husband was unable to jump it. We had to remove the battery and take it to a shop to see if there's a problem with it. I'm hoping to hear very soon that it's only the battery. Both times it's died it's been cold out and I hadn't used the car for several days.
That said, I love driving the car. It still looks almost brand new and it's a nice solid car. I don't necessarily agree that it's really comfortable. I rode in the back set once and thought it was a rather stiff and unforgiving ride. My sister has a Mercedes staion wagon that's a year or two newer than my Volvo. I'd take the Volvo any day over the Mercedes. My Volvo is roomier, nicer looking inside (and out I think) and seems to be much more reliable. (The Mercedes is constantly in the shop w/ expensive repairs). Overall, I've been highly pleased with the car. I'll remain that way as long as the reliability continues. I do agree that it's critical with these cars to maintain them religiously.
One, 850s and S/V70s were sold with manual transmissions here in the states. The dealer you spoke to is wrong. It's hard to find them, especially the wagons, but they're out there. They were available in the non-turbo and high-pressure turbo models, but not the low pressure turbo.
Two, it sounds as though there might be a small current draw on your battery-- could be something as silly as the glovebox light staying on when the door is closed. If the battery checks out OK, you may want to see if there's any current being drawn when the car is off (of course, there will be a very small amount drawn for things like the clock and radio memory, but your repair shop will know what's appropriate and what's excessive.)
You've got a real find with that 5-speed wagon; I've been looking at Volvos for months now, and have only seen one 5-speed, and it was a sedan. Happy motoring.
We're only at 57K now an moved to S.F. last year where we drive the car much less than we used to in L.A. but it definitly is our vacation hauler. The Volvo is the car both my wife an I most enjoy taking when the ride is going to be long. I have a lot less fear of how our ownership expereince is going to pan out now because it's been quite a while without any problems and the warrenty gives us peace of mind.
I am fully aware of all the problems that this forum presents as the norm to the average reader here but I no longer consider them to be inevitable to our own ownership exerience. Battery power drains, squeaky dashes, sticking window switches, failing transmissions, replaced airconditioning pumps, sticking gas door locks, etc. etc. seem to plague the GLT and R owners but that has not been our case. We just plug along in our wimppy little five and are happy we own this car.
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?
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.
--javadoc
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
--javadoc
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.
If you don't get a response here soon, you should also try asking (copy/paste) your question in one of these New & Views discussions: Best Car Songs and Car commercials- the good, the bad, and the annoying. Good luck with your search. ;-)
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks/Station Wagons Message Boards
We're getting ready to get a newer Volvo wagon to replace it, and have noticed that the cargo area in the current models is substantially smaller than our 1992. Does anybody know what year was the most recent model of Volvo wagon with the larger cargo area? Does any other wago have a similarly large rear storage?
The V40 is a smaller car, competing more directly with the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3 series wagon offerings, is that what you're thinking of in the smaller category?
--java
The problem I'd have with you dealers "may be the air pump approach" is that unless they agree to find and replace the exact part causing the problem God knows how many different things they might replace before they find out what the problem is.
Best Wishes
These vehicles are from a wide range of price points, and some require premium fuel. This depends on the particular engine, so it's best to check for the particular car you're looking at. The sources are Consumer Reports August 1999, March 2000. A generally good source of hard data, although I usually write up their reviews with little notes to myself (e.g. test drive and decide for yourself) on areas where they get subjective. e.g. "...the ride was busy, even on the freeway..." I can determine that in a test drive.
The brake pads and rotors needed replacing. Now they did the pads and probably resurfaced the rotors back at 34K so I was slightly surprised except that I've read around a lot amoung these forums enough to know that those very very grippy Volvo brakes do not come without a cost.
My wife was a little torqued at a $1,000 "Well look at that" and replace the rotor and brake pads kind of bill. The funniest thing to me was that what torqued her the most was that the dealership did not clean and detail the car before returning it to her. She was seriously looking forward to finally having a clean car more than the service that they were suppose to perform.
Now I am a little surpirsed that the dealership slipped up on this concept but I'm gonna call the sales manager to let him know how much this kind of service means to my wife and probably a whole lot of other female Volvo drivers. Hey we can live with a $1,000 60K service as long as you give us back our baby totally spotless. She did of course once again receive free use of a Volvo day rental from the dealership so I kind of had to giggle. They did what they had to do and gave here a car to go see her old friends with but when she came back and they could not find her car and had not even cleaned it really torqued her.
Well guys we do drive Volvos, we do expect more. Oh yeah they'll charge us for everything we expect, but God forbid that Volvo does not deliver. I will make my phone calls because I actually believe it'll make a difference at least the next time we go back there. This really is where we all expect a Toyota, Honda, Ford, or another plebian automotive choice to differ with our Volvos.
Hey, I never said I bought the car because it was a Honda.
You could then try lubricating the parts that are rubbing together, and causing the squeaking with a lube containing Teflon or a heavier conventional lubricant - like reel grease spray.
My 2 cents.
the blinker's contact going, one washer jet and a check engine light. This was all corrected in one visit and they even fixed my broken cup holder under warranty, (we broke it). My wife loves the car.
I bought a used 96 850 sedan with 35K miles and I had 3 check engine lights and a major oil leak.
The leak was the main engine seal between the trans and engine. Good thing the car was certified or else it would have been at least $1,600 for all this work. When the warranty ran out I sold it. When I drove it it ran fine.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
Could there have possibly been anything under the seat, some tissue paper or something, that could have ignited from the heating elements? Those heating elements can get really hot and I can easily imagine some thin, highly flamable item like Kleenex going up in flames quickly.
Wow. Hopefully the host won't delete my post, but you should also post this on www.brickboard.com, a highly regarded Volvo enthusiast site where you could get alot of help on your problem.
Again, I'm very happy you and your family are okay.
/javadoc
I've checked Crutchfield for aftermarket cassete or CD receivers, and nothing fits, except with modification, and they don't make a installation kit. I've also found a source for an SC-816, which adds a CD player, but the cost is $830.
I like the looks of the Volvo radios compared with most of the garish aftermarket models and the sound is acceptable, but the Volvo prices are ridiculous. I also don't want some hideous "make it fit" installation and overly complicated design to ruin the generally nice looking dash of the 850. [That would be like building a great minivan and ruining it with a wimpy 2.5L Duratec engine, right Javadoc?]
Any suggestions or places to look.
Thanks.
Re: your stereo question, if you're willing to spend $300, I'd spend some time searching the classifieds at www.brickboard.com, and also ebay (my favorite car-parts shopping grounds). A friend of mine bought a slightly used SC-816 on ebay for just under $300. It sounds great, has radio/cassette/cd function and cd changer control. The search may take weeks. I found a replacement SC-815 on brickboard.com, last year, by posting some queries in their "aftermarket" thread and was inundated with assistance. One other source that I use is erievolvo.com, which is a Volvo recycler. They're based in NY state and seem to have a good inventory an okay pricing...and the fact that they have an extremily helpful staff does help.
Other than the OEM route, many bricksters have put in single-din (std size) cd players and sourced a single-din cubby/pocket to fill the space. I did this with my Saab 9000Turbo, and it looked great (same double-din type of radio). I just was reading about that on the bb this week, but can't recall if it was in the 850 or aftermarket board.
You'll find a great solution, just give it some time. A quick look on ebay (searched using "volvo radio") found an SC-816 for $440, and what looks like an SC-811 (AM/FM/Cassette/Changer control) also, and that's at $25 with a day to go. Changers (Alpine-made) cost $200-300 and are everywhere for these radios, btw.
Best of luck,
/javadoc
Hi Javadoc- Thanks for your helpful feedback! You participation on this board is very much appreciated.... Happy motoring! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
I saw the SC-816 on E-bay, with what seemed to be an unreasonably high first bid of $440. This one is refurbished, and based on past experience I don't trust Volvo's electronic refurbishing. Of the four replacements I got, one had no left channel, the second had intermittent channel outages, and one just plain didn't come on, period - a subtle flaw that escaped the dealer when they installed it. The fourth worked well for about a year.
The SC-811 sounds good if the price stays reasonable. I did check brickboard after posting, but spent most of might time learning to navigate around it. There was some useful information on installing a standard DIN receiver I'll follow up on.
Thanks
Thanks much!
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
Is that bad? and what kind of problems could this lead too?
Thx!
Another type of test is a leak-down test, which a mechanic would most likely have to do for you, so it'd be more expensive. There's a specific machine for this that tests leakage in your cylinders. It's a great tool to use to see the condition of your engine.
A neat test to do on those two low cylinders, but really only if they were below say 120psi, is to put a tablespoon of oil into the cyl. through the spark plug holes then retest the compression. If the compression rises after this, that means the rings are worn (not so good). If it drops more, then the valves aren't seating properly and you need a valve job, or the head gasket could be blown However, I think the numbers you got were nothing to really worry about, as they're still w/in specs.
Sorry for the longish post... just a few items I picked up along the way. Can you get service records for this car? Those are extremily helpful when making a decision so you can see how (if at all) a car has been maintained.
/java
Other than this the car seems to be in excellent shape and runs really well. The seller isn't in a position to drop the price to make up for the possible risk.
We have also heard from another mechanic that sometimes the volvo 850 just has erratic compression/leakdown test results and that this shouldn't really be an issue. So one mechanic says use a lot of caution the other says don't think twice.
Help!!!
Personally, your leakdown results could be from a dirty/crusty valves even. But I think he's right, there are lots of others out there... unless you're looking at a RARE pale yellow 'R' wagon, I'd keep looking. My $0.02.
/j