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leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

posted by  ravijankar on  Mon Jul 19 06:33 CST 2004
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Firstly, I've never owned a Volvo before. My wife and I are considering buying a 1994 850 Turbo wagon with 91k miles. The rear main seal is leaking, and we've been given the option to have it replaced, or get a discount to take it as-is. Common sense says to have the work done. My question is, what else should I look out for? Are there other problems likely to be lurking in the background? Is it best to walk away? With a new RMS, and assuming everything else checks out, is this a good car to buy?

Thanks in advance.








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    leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

    posted by  mlandusk on  Tue Jul 20 01:58 CST 2004
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    last visit: Fri Aug 12 13:00 CST 2011
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    Once the seal is done, you should put aside another $2,000 for other necessities that will come up over the next few years. Believe me, this car will have lots of needs. So it depends on how much you love the comfort of the 850. I love mine but it costs $$ to maintain. On the other hand you may not be as picky as I am about fixing everything and fixing it with OEM parts. Take it to a Volvo dealer and let them tell you what else needs to be done. Take your time and don;t be afraid to look at some newer models and be sure the owner has done maintenance on a regular basis. And I don't mean just Oil changes. If you find a well maintained Volvo, grab it.
    Marty








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    leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

    posted by  kirkpzed on  Mon Jul 19 07:26 CST 2004
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    I bought my '95 850 Turbo Wagon with 92K miles and I have been very pleased. The car now has 135K and I have had only a few problems none of which were too painful. I have done all of the repairs and improvements myself thanks to the help of this board. The most expensive part I had to replace was a new fuel pump for $300.

    I regret upgrading to the Bilstein struts and shocks. While they do provide a "on the rails ride" the roads in Cleveland require a softer suspension. I am going back to the OEM set-up.

    I just bought an '89 240 that needed a RMS and this did not scare me away.

    Good luck -

    KirkPZed

    '95 850 Turbo Wagon - 135K miles
    '91 240 Sedan - 125K miles and too much rust
    '89 240 Sedan - 142K miles
    '64 P1800 - 83K miles







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    leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

    posted by  jda2000 on  Mon Jul 19 07:11 CST 2004
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    last visit: Sun Jan 1 21:27 CST 2012
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    How much do they want for the car? Who's fixing the rear main seal (RMS), Volvo dealer or indi shop? Are they throwing a 90 day warranty or something? Does it have good maintenance records?

    RMS repair is about $1000 at the dealer, $800 at indi shop.

    If you're new to FWD volvos be careful. The 850 turbo is a nice looking powerful beast, but if it hasn't been treated well, it can be costly to maintain.
    --
    '88 240, '92 745, '98 v70 John, Tampa Bay








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      leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

      posted by  ravijankar on  Mon Jul 19 07:22 CST 2004
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      The price of the car is $5500 as-is, $6300 with the RMS replaced. That would include a 30-day/3000 mile warranty. don't know what kind of shop it's going to. It's 100 miles away, near the in-laws house, so my wife went there to check it out. I'm at home.

      The other car we're thinking of getting is a 1993 240 with 106K, for $5700 (which I think is too much). To me, $6300 for an 850 with new RMS seems the better deal.








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        leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

        posted by  tonyg on  Mon Jul 19 08:37 CST 2004
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        last visit: Fri Aug 22 10:44 CST 2014
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        I agree with a lot of what jda2000 is saying. FWD Volvos are a totally different car then the RWDs. If you want to play it "safe", have no issues with many miles of trouble free driving, then go with the 240. On the other hand, if you want great handling, luxury, improved safety and all the bells and whistles the 850 offers, then go with the 850. The 850 has about a half dozen "faults" that will happen over time, guarenteed. The RMS is one of them. Providing the seal is replaced by a competent technician or better yet, a Volvo technician, then insist on the repair and drive away.
        --
        '82 240DL Stock / Masters Class, '94 850 Fully Loaded / Daily Driver, CVC / VCOA Member http://www.capcan.com/tonyg.htm








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        leaking rear main seal: if fixed, should I buy? 850

        posted by  jda2000 on  Mon Jul 19 07:57 CST 2004
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        last visit: Sun Jan 1 21:27 CST 2012
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        Believe or not the 240 is a better deal and 106k miles is nothing on the B230 engine. The RWD red iron engines are not interference engines, thus if the timing belt breaks, nothing happens to the engine. The 850 white aluminum engines are interference, if t-belt breaks it damages valves and pistons to the tune of a $3000 repair.

        The 240 is a workhorse, that red B230 engine will go on for a long time. Parts are much cheaper, plenty of spare parts in the wreckyard and the engine compartment is friendly to the DIY person with all that room.

        The '93 was the last year of the 240's and 92-93's were the "best", so they are hard to find, and volvo lovers are looking for these low miles classics. Another sought after model is 94-95 940's. If you like the shape of the 240, $5000 for a well maintained 240 is a great deal.

        AS you can read from my signature I have 2 RWD and 1 FWD volvo, and I don't want to discourage you, since volvos are great cars.

        You can get a nice clean 97-98 GLT(light pressure turbo)volvo for about $8000. There are plenty out there, be patient and do your homework. You want the one owner, volvo serviced with great maintenance records 850 or S70 GLT.

        Good luck
        --
        '88 240, '92 745, '98 v70 John, Tampa Bay







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