I test drove a '97 850 GLT today. I am really trying to steer towards a pre-'96, due to this car being a low pressure turbo. That being said, it still had very good performance. I did have a few questions, though. First, I noticed that the CEL stayed on for about a minute or so after starting the car. Even after the car warmed up, and I shut it off and restarted it, the CEL came on, but shut off soon thereafter. Is this normal?

Secondly, The stock radio is locked, and is displaying 'code'. I am sure a search through the brickboard will provide my answer on that. My other question about the radio is that it has 'CD' listed, but I only see a cassette player in the dash. I looked under the seats, in the trunk, and obviously in the dash. Am I missing something?

The car was a little low on P/S fluid, so I suspect a leak there. The outside looks great except for a crease in the rear bumper. Everything else works fine, no ABS light, no drips, funny noises, etc. 106k miles, asking $2995. Sound fair? Or maybe you guys know of a HPT near Springfield MO that you would be willing to part with!

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

Most unusual color. Worth a call to STL to see if it is a T5 or lpt.

http://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/970324189.html

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

Service Engine, or Check Engine? The service light stays on for 2 minutes and shuts off every time the car is started. I have never heard of the CEL doing that, but I'm sure others will chime in about this.

Assuming this is the sedan, the CD changer(optional) operated by the head unit sits just right of center under the rear window in the trunk. I don't think the wiring harness is included if the changer wasn't factory installed.

Are there any service records included? Is the interior in good shape (seats, overall)? You know about the weak spots in these cars (rear main seal, air conditioning parts), right? Hopefully the transmission shifts well, and the fluid isn't black?

If the car was maintained and the paint is solid and it drives well, I would go for it. But then again that's why I bought my '95 854T. I'm sorry I let it go 6 months ago - I'd sell it to you.

Don '05 V702.5T '98 S70T

I looked at the car again today. You hit the nail on the head, it is the SERVICE engine light, not the CEL. I feel like such a fool! Oh well, I can at least blame it on lack of sleep. The paint is great. I detected no leaks under the car that would hint at a leaky main seal. The AC worked great(luckily, it was warm enough here today and yesterday to try it out), and the transmission shifted great, and was apparently serviced at a local Volvo specialist before going up for sale. Unfortunately, no service records go with the car- I asked. This is a bit of a sticking point for me, so I am going to try to hold out a bit and see if he is willing to drop the price. In the meantime, I am going to look for a wagon, which is what my wife is really after anyways.

A wagon is much better! I even have a set of load bars for my next 1995 850 when I find a good one. I like 1995 because then I don't need a code reader, but the odo readings get higher and higher every year for some strange reason.

$3K sounds like a lot, keep looking for a private party version. And if you find a 1995-94, check the mileage on A-7 and 555-1-1-2 for the left 3 odo numbers.
The T-belt gets changed every 70K miles, the water pump at around 180K.

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

How do you perform the ODO check you are referring to? Do I need an OBDII reader? I have one, somewhere.

Andrew,
You can only do that with 1994-1995 models. They like the newer 240-740 cars have OBD boxes in the engine compartment.
A hand held scanner will not perform manufacturer specific functions, just the generic functions, tranny, ignition, fuel, etc. and give you a Pnnnn which you then have to look up.

A volvo dealer can scan the Volvo computers for 1996+ cars for mileage, but they will charge you at least $100 for the privlege.

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

CEL is check engine light......can be anything from a loose fuel cap to bad oxygen sensors......often EGR related. Have fault codes checked to figure out what component is tripping the light.

Thanks guys! I did fiddle with the fuel cap before starting the car, and I may not have put it back on tight enough.

Code for the radio means the battery has been disconnected and it wants you to put in the 4 digit code that unlocks the radio. You get this code from the dealer with a vin number and proof of ownership.

CD is for for optional trunk mounted cd changer....if it isn't there, the button won't do anything. Best idea is just to use a cassette adapter to plug into your ipod. Who uses cd's anymore? If you do, you can find the changer on ebay for cheap.

Don't know what CEL stands for.

Powersteering fluid low......have car inspected for leaks around the high pressure lines at the steering rack. Probably a bad seal....might just need to be topped off.

Check car fax to see if timing belt has been changed......200,000 Miles car also usually needs a 1,000.00 rear seal repair....

And often the radio code is written right on the top of the radio's chassis. Pull out the radio (takes two seconds) and take a look. Or, look in the owner's manual, PO may have scribbled it there.

re: "...often the radio code is written right on the top of the radio's chassis. Pull out the radio (takes two seconds) and take a look...."

Because the code is there to discourage theft, it sort of defeats the purpose of the code to write it on the radio so the thief can have it when they steal it.

Happy New Years.

Wasn't suggesting to write the code there, just look for it there.
Something like looking for a house key under a doormat. (not the highest security measure, either). :-)

DeeJay: to remove radio, on the left & right side of the front face of the radio there are vertical buttons that push in. Release them and out pop arms to help you pull the radio out. If you have an auto tranny you may have to first put it another gear (first gear) to make room for pulling the radio.

How does one remove the Radio in an 850?

'Just got my first front driver...after 20 'classic' Volvo's.

I'll have lots of questions; this is the first.

thanks guys