When it looks too good to be true, Craigslist.com had an 854T for $2250 and only 83.5K miles on the odometer. I drove 150 miles RT and had a good look. Very nice and honest owner. He had only had the car for a few months, the ABS/tracks lights were on, and the turbo didn't fully boost. Minor problems.

But the car just didn't look right. I took it for a short drive, it tracked fairly straight. There was a definite lack of boost, the engine ran super rich, but nothing not repairable. The door hinge weld was cracked, the window guides needed to be replaced, it was parked outside in the sun for a very long time, the leather seats were dried and cracked in front. The roof rails had the black plastic/paint removed.

While checking the engine, I noticed a timing belt sticker. All of the ink was worn off, but the aluminum backing stuck to the computer box had the etched/indented miles and date on it: 157,000 in 2000. Ooops! So I looked at A-7 and pushed in 1-1-2 and got 278! That is 278K miles. That explaind a lot!

The poor owner was clueless. I felt sorry for him. He just put 4 brand new tires on it in November. I wish I knew who sold it to him! People like that deserve to wind up in small claims court.

BEWARE 850 buyers! Check the computer for odo readings befor buying.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

Klaus,

It took me a while but I had to get some things figured out in my head before I decided to go ahead and work on this vehicle.

I took it back to my brother in law who's a mechanic and relayed the story to him. He felt bad too but I showed him the computer and told him I'd buy a book and he said if I buy the book to figure out what the codes mean he'd help me fix it.

I told him to look at the passenger side motor mount. He did and it was broken. I'm getting that fixed today along with new plugs and distributor/rotor. Basic tuneup stuff.

I went out and got the codes off the computer this morning.

Here are the results.


In Side A

#1 - 111
#2 - No code
#3 - 444
#5 - No Code
#6 - No Code
#7 - 122


In Side B

#1 - 122
#2 - No Code
#3 - No Code
#5 - 111
#6 - No Code
#7 - No Code

Do you think you can help me figure out the codes? Otherwise if you have a good manual that you recommend to get the codes that would help too.

Thanks Klaus for your help.

Clear any codes first and those that don't clear are a problem as are the ones that come back.
If the temp gauge comes 1/2 way up when the car warms up, then the ECT sensor and thermostat are OK. The ECT sensor is about 2 inches below the thermostat on the passenger side of the engine. Try cleaning the plug and wires for the ECT first, use a tooth brush.

Just putting parts on a car blindly is a waste of money, unless it is for preventative maintenance.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

You don't need a Pocket Data Booklet to get the codes. Use this link to figure out how to read/delete codes:

http://volvospeed.com/CheckEngine.php

And this link supplies all of the codes:

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.php?showtopic=47502

And now to your codes.

A-3, 4-4-4, no power supply to valve in hydraulic unit. Check the plug to the ABS module, clean it and see if it works. This is what turns on the ABS light.

A-7, 1-2-2, Engine coolant temp sensor taking too long to get a reading. If this happens again after clearing, it is time to replace the engine coolant temp sensor. Easy to do, but you should also ask about replacing the thermostat at the same time. Get OEM parts for these two items.

B-1, 1-2-2 Climate Control, outside temp sensor short. Try deleting this one, your instrument gauge temp readout works.

When reading codes, the key must be in posII and the car doors closed. You should have received codes for A-2, fuel system, and A-6, ignition system. At least 1-1-1.

Replacing the ECT and thermostat will improve your gas mileage considerably, and it might even make the turbo work better.
Have your mechanic also test the antifreeze to see if it needs a flush at the same time. If so, tell hime to disconnect the bottom coolant hose at the engine block to empty both the radiator and block and when putting the hose back on, make sure the clamp is at the same place it was when taking it off.

Klaus


Klaus


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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

Klaus,

I've driven the vehicle now a couple days after I reset all the codes and these are the codes I'm getting now.

A1
114 Program selector open circuit or short circuit to supply
124 Mode selector faulty or short circuit to ground

A2
232 Long term fuel trim, idling
241 EGR system flow malfunction
443 Three way cat. Efficiency

A3
141 Faulty pedal sensor, shorted to ground or supply

THe ABS light is on now right away when I start the vehicle. The TRACS light comes on as before, once I start driving and reach a certain speed.
Neither work but the only code I get is the 141 faulty pedal sensor. Could that cause all the trouble with the ABS and TRACS?

The other codes lead me to believe that the O2 sensor in the front needs to be replaced or at least the connections checked.

When I looked at the turbo unit to look for leaks I noticed that there is a huge intake looking hose going from the front grill straight back and down to the bottom of the turbo unit. It might as well not even be there it's barely even connected and there's a huge gap. THe turbo box isn't even bolted down and it is rattling around up there.

i'm headed over to strandbergs tomorrow morning. DO you think I can take the car and just point to the parts I need and they'll be able to help me?

That's GOOD news!! The 2 A-1 codes represent a PNP switch that is slowly going bad. When you get a flashing up arrow for the transmission, "row" the shifter from R to L and abck about twenty times and then turn the engine off and on. That should "cure" the arrow problem for about 6 months and give you time to put in a new PNP switch. I understand that Autozone sells them for under $40 for a generic copy.

The A-2 are all related to your leaky air intake plumbling. None of the intercooler pipes should be loose. Nor should the air cleaner cover. The loose air cleaner "box" may move slightly, and that is OK, but not the tubes the air goes through.
The intercooler hose that goes to the top of the radiator must be tightened down, it is just a normal hose clamp. You will need to check the hose clamp at the bottom of the radiator as well.

The A-3 error is easy. Sticking out of the vacuum booster can is a 2 wire switch, easy to see on the driver's side just under the fuse box. Verify that the wires have a good connection first, pull them off and clean the contacts and put them back on. My 1995 had the same problem until I cleaned them, they got wet and the error caused the ABS light to come on.

I just got back from NYC and haven't gone through my notes yet on what your car needs from Strandberg salvage. Keep it simple and cheap for now.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

I didn't make it to strandbergs because I had some other responsibilities that were too pressing. To be honest i'm glad I didn't go.

My mechanic took the car Monday morning and changed the plugs distributor and rotor. He put the engine mount in. Because I didn't get the ECT code again I had him hold off on replacing that.

He also, of his own accord, plumbed up the intake hose and the plumbing plugged into that. The turbo labeled box is not all plumbed up and the car doesn't do that annoying hesitation at 2500 RPM's and my gas mileage is up to 26 mixed highway and city driving. The turbo kicks in but not very strong and I feel it won't get any better as it's old. Like you said "it's tired". Overall the car is running nice.

Now I think I need to figure out the pedal sensor thing as that's the only code coming up on the ABS port.

Any clue on how to deal with that pedal sensor or even where it's located?

The pedal/throttle position switch is located at the center of the brake booster cannister, just under the fuse tray area in the engine compartment. The cannister is large and black, the sensor looks like this:

http://www.fcpgroton.com/category-exec/category_id/154/nm/Fuel_Injection/sub_top_menu_item/by_make-by_model-by_year/by_make/78/by_model/1137/by_year/44

As you may note, the knockoff is much cheaper than OEM but in your case get the knockoff. First inspect the wires that go to the sensor, make sure the plug isn't loose or dirty. It is always a good idea to clean the plug before buying a new sensor. The ABS light will turn off after you get to 18mph if the sensor is working.

Because you don't get full boost, I suspect that there is still a leak in the intercooler piping, somewhere. Getting 26mpg, combined, is great news!! That means that the engine is happy and your wallet is wearing out less.
One note, if you are using regular gasoline, 87 octane, switch to 89 octane as a minimum. The engine will not go to full boost on 87 octane because of detonation problems.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

ABS/TRACS: If the system can't tell what the brake pedal is doing then I think that would be enough to set the code and turn on the light. You'll know when you replace that switch!

My car throws the 232 code from time to time. I just clear it and move on. I sure wouldn't be replacing the O2 sensor until resolving the other gross and obvious issues. You won't know what's really going on with those codes until you get the intake and turbo plumbing buttoned up. It sure sounds like someone had it apart and didn't take the time to put it back together properly. I've never owned a turbo but the hose from the grill sounds like the intake hose between the turbo and the intercooler. The Turbo box is the airbox (which holds the air filter)? Make sure you get all the hose end clamps too.

Best of luck,

Will
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850 / 240 / Mini

Klaus,

I had a feeling it was too good to be true that there were only two codes. I went into the computer and read all the codes tonight and I've got a nice list of them.


A1- 124, 114
A2- 443, 435, 232, 413, 241
A3 - 141

Those are in addition to the previously mentioned ones.
Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

With any luck most of the A2 codes will be resolved with your work on the intake and vacuum hoses. Extra air or blocked lines can cause the computer all sorts of confusion.

The A1-Transmission codes may just be some dirty switch contacts? The A3 ABS code sounds like a faulty switch at the pedal. Not hard to get to or replace, but that one can wait until the rest is squared away.

The important part is that the car isn't puking oil or has rust holes in the floor. All the rest should come around with a little attention.

Good luck!
-Will

The vacuum hoses are all solid I've already checked them adn the intake hose is definitely bad and needs to be replaced. There are several leaks.

Do you think the Oxygen sensor is an issue or is it only because of the intake?
Also, it looked like at least one of the issues may be linked to the Engine Coolant sensor/thermostat issue. I reset all the codes last night and I figured I'll check them again tonight after my 80 miles roundtrip commute. If the engine coolant sensor is back on I'm gonna have my mechanic replace both the sensor and the thermostat just to be safe.

It did seem to drive a little better this morning after all the codes had been reset so I wonder if they hadn't been reset for a long time.

How do I know which thermostat mine is.

When I go to www.thepartsbin.com they list three different temperatures for the 1994 volvo 850 t 2.3L

Also, the only engine coolant temp sensor they had was a "universal" one. Is there a better place to find an OEM one?

The thermostat temperatures are probably 87, 92, and something less than 87 degrees Celius. 87 is what I would call the "standard" temperature, 92 is good for colder climates as the engine will run that little bit hotter. For a Turbo I would use the 87deg one.

The ECT sensor is nothing special. I understand the desire to get Volvo or the OEM manufacturer, but it's a pretty standard item. I used whatever Foreign Car Parts was selling a few years back, no troubles so far.

Notes on thermostat/ECT replacement: Pay close attention to the orientation of the thermostat when you take the old out. It's pretty straightforward, but good to be sure. Budget some time to scrape the corrosion off of the housing an mating surfaces. A razor blade scraper and or utility knife come in handy here. I use antiseize on the ECT and thermostat housing bolt threads.

-Will

Most of the Brickborders use fcpgroton.com or ipd.com to get very good OEM parts. FCP is on connecticut and ipd is in seattle.

http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exec/product_id/2445/nm/1994_1997_Volvo_850_Turbo_92_Degree_Thermostat_with_O_Ring/category_id/94

When ordering, get at least the thermostat and the ECT sensor. You might want to throw in plugs, wires, cap and rotor if you can afford it. Check the current plug wires, the date of manufacure is written on them and if they are over 10 years old they will need replacing soon.
An air filter is also reasonably cheap if yours is dirty.



There are 2 temp sensors, take your pick:

http://www.fcpgroton.com/category-exec/category_id/154/nm/Fuel_Injection/sub_top_menu_item/by_make-by_model-by_year/by_make/78/by_model/1137/by_year/44

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

Alright Klaus, some more counsel sought here...

Would such a clogged vacuum elbow
cause a "Waste gate Cellinoid" (spelling?)code; a "lean" code for the Mass Airlflow sensor; and or a need to update/replace a throttle body.....

This "info" came from a mechanic in the neighborhood who plugged it into his shop's diagnosis computer.....he doesn't do much with late Volvos and ythe parts were very $$$$ and we won't have the car much longer...

Many thanks, again-
Mike

Yes, to all three.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

Neat, and scary, story there KluasC....I did post another note/question(s) prior to reding your 854T posting...I hope you can help me again!

Mikey

This is the clueless buyer that Klaus was talking about. As you can imagine my stomach went up into my throat when Klaus told me that my car was not in fact as young as I thought. I have since found out that a carfax report confirms the mileage even though autocheck gives this car a buyback guarantee. I am going to have a "talk" with the seller and pursue the buyback by autocheck especially since carfax showed the mileage. I never thought they would he different like that.

I'm also considering tuning her up with help from this forum and just driving it as my daily instead of my other car.

Thanks Klaus for the help.

I got suckered and it doesn't feel good but I plan to learn a lot from this and maybe I'll become a volvo lover because of it.

MP, I just remembered your car on Craigslist from last summer. Another person had looked at the car and posted an add warning of fraud. He took the same ad line in the heading and said that the mileage was over 175K, not 88K. That posting is no longer there of course.

As to your turbo not boosting, I suspect that it might be the result of a loose connection in the intercooler piping, the large black pipe that goes from the turbo to the radiator and back to the throttle. Check all of the clamps and make sure they are tight. Also try to check that the flexible pipe that clamps onto the throttle body has no air leaks, it tends to crack in the accordian section and leaks are hard to spot.

The ABS error code. If it was 4-4-4, check the electrical plug to the ABS pump hydraulic unit, just under the master cylinder. If that is the problem, the ABS light will stay off when you exceed 18mph.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...

Klaus,

As I looked Deep Down into the area of the engine compartment closest to the driver. Facing the front of the car, right side, back. I was following the turbo hose down in there and I saw this rubber like piece that connects into a piece down near the bottom of the engine. It sort of pops into that "hose" The rubber piece has several other tubes running into it. It seems like the connection is very bad there and that piece might come out if I hit a big bump. It wasn't seated in there like it seemed it ought to be. Also the hose going from the unit that says Turbo down to that rubber like piece doesn't even have a clamp on it.

What is that rubber piece called and where can I get a replacement?

I could take a picture of it if that would help. (Not until later of course.)

You also mentioned that the windows needed new regulators or something but they all seem to go up and down fine. Am I missing something?

One more thing.

Klaus this is the part that I think is going from the Turbo Box up near the battery down to something. Is that right?

http://gallery.me.com/paganosinchina#100015/Air%20Intake%20Hose&bgcolor=black

The following link is pretty good:

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineOBDCodes.htm

Just go down about 2 pages. Your car has an A and B box, the B is for cruise control and other non-essential stuff. Play with the A box first. Delete all of the codes that are out there, drive around a little and then check the codes again an see which ones come back. I have definitions of all codes.
Codes that return or can not be deleted are the real problems. Remember to close the doors, or the code reader will not work (strange quirk). And don't be like me and forget to take the key out of the ignition, letting your battery run down. Sorry about that, mia cuplea.

Klaus
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Volvoless. Sold the R. There is now a void...