Three quick ones, or perhaps not so quick:

Xmission dipstick is stuck...would like to check fluid level...is this common problem...any suggestions?

Top engine mount...are those aftermarket neoprene yellow inserts any good or are the stock black rubber preferred...any difference?

Tranmission...car runs great - only 69K miles, but seems to shift "funny"...i.e., drop in RPM between gears...or this the "lock-up" feature described in the owners manual?

thanks.

Mark,

Tranny dipstick is sometimes quite stubborn to pull but comes out. Top engine mount is not too difficult to replace (the OEM rubber style) all you need is couple of short lenghts of PVC pipes and a threaded rod. That's a homemade "press" to push old one out and new one in. The whole job is under 1 hour max.

BTW, if you'd like to keep your car consider flushing the tranny with synthetic ATF (Mobil 1, Castrol, etc.) Check http://www.geocities.com/ozbrick850/ for detailed info on DIY procedure.

Good luck.

Mark have transmission flush now...

as for the top engine mounted .. the stock one black is extremly hard to install not easy to press in.. it will not unless you are making a speacail press I just do my last year... right the job take 10 minutes

wrong tool take all day...

so I think the 2 piece after market making easy to install you should tried that..

BAY 13 have all the detail and picture for do it yourself transmission flush.. step step great web site for volvo owner

YOu must go their to learn all about your car... the site have save me thounsand of dollard..

good luck www.volvospeed.com under maintain and repair..

well come to volvo good luck and have fun..

Regarding the top engine mount, I just installed a urethane mount on my wife's '95 turbo wagon. There's a very slight increase in vibration at idle, but nothing objectionable. At 70k miles this was the second replacement of the top mount bushing (the first was under warranty). The two-piece urethane mounts are a DIY job with comon hand tools. Putting in a new factory mount requires a press (or less common hand tools).

Both this top mount, and the transmission are areas of concern on these cars. For any transmission maintenance, your starting point is to check the fluid. I don't have any hints for the dipstick, except to pull harder! If it's the same as the '95 it's a one-piece plastic stick.

The tranny dipstick breaking off is NOT a common problem, and depending on where it is stuck, I'd be expecting a $$$ repair.

As for the top engine mount, it is NOT neoprene, it is polyurethane. Neoprene is the foam like material used in such things as wet suits, braces for joints, etc. The polyurethane bushings are significantly stiffer then the stock rubber ones. As a result, many have reported an increase in engine vibration being transmitted to the cabin. Others have reported no increase, but for many reasons, I doubt it. The bushing is meant to isolate engine vibration while also securing it. Thus if it is replaced with a stiffer one, it would logically transmit more vibration. It should however last longer then the rubber one, if that is a concern. But (as an assumption), with this being your first replacement of this part on a 93' vehicle, an 8 year lifespan, would lead me to believe the original equipment's longevity should not be an issue.

As for the drop in gears between shifts, are you getting rough shifts? It could be a host of things. Some things I'd look into are, the ATF (could be long gone and burnt by now), PNP switch (if misalligned/failing, it could have problems telling whether the tranny is in gear or not).

mr. sin, thanks...not sure the dipstick is broken anywhere...just can't get out of the tube...appears stuck...i'll try the rubber engine mount bushings...and the transmission shifts very smooth...just not the sort of action i'm used to after driving a bmw and a honda..i'll check the atf first...mark harnitchek

Mark: get a strong light, maybe a small inspection mirror as well, and take another look at the tranny dipstick again: there should be a thumb-release clip holding the dipstick in place; if you don't know that it's there, and you just try to yank the stick, it won't come out...nor would you want it to.Let us know what happens. --PD

pd, thanks for the tip...however, no release on the dipstick tube...or nothing i can see with a light or mirror. mark

Mark: Sorry my recco didn't help; I do have a question, forgive me if it's sounding simplistic, but: is your tranny dipstick/should be yellow? (the one for the oil is blue); hopefully, you have the correct dipstick in that slot. There is an O-ring just below the opening/throat of the dipstick tube; hopefully, the 'stick is just jammed in more forcefully than normal, assuming that it's the right 'stick. Hang in there, amigo.--PD.

pd,thanks, but correct dipstick is installed - yellow, so no joy there...i did notice, however, after looking at a friend's '96 850 that my dipstick tube appears to be bent in toward the throttle linkage cover...perhaps that's part of the problem...don't want to tug to hard for fear of deranging further or pulling the tube out! Back to the drawing board...as long as your giving advice (much appreciated), what does slow shifting indicate...the car runs great and shifts smooth in gears, however, i noticed that the actual gear changes are somewhat sluggish and engine rpm drops quite a bit between shifts...i noticed when i drove my pal's '96...his seems to shift more crisply than mine. mark

For what it's worth...at 70K I had my mechanic replace all the AFT with Mobil 1 ATF He used the 3 quart method described in my Haynes manual. After the oil change I noticed that my tranny shifted faster and crisper than before. Even my wife noticed the improvement.