Hello,

My 94 850 turbo is leaking brake fluid from somewhere below the abs control unit. It looks as though it is coming from between the pump and hydraulic manifold.All of the lines appear to be tight. Takes about a month for the low fluid light to come on. Has anyone taken this unit apart or is a case of replacement only, and what might it cost me?

Thanks,

Geoff

87 240 DL, 94 850 turbo

Just had this problem myself for a few weeks, only fluid loss is faster, have to refill once a week. 1994 850, non-turbo, 4 door, brakes are spongy, no visible leaks. Sounded like a bad master cylinder, so I replaced it, bench bled the master, bled the entire brake system, same problem. I finally broke down and took it to the local Volvo dealer for a (very cheap $41) diagnostic. In less than a half hour they found that the ABS pump was bad. They told me (you've got to be kidding) $1700 for the part, $300 for labor. I checked online, ABS pumps USED from auto salvage yards ranged from $300 to $675, couldn't find a new one anywhere except dealer.

While searching online, found a site that gave the part numbers for both the traction-controlled version and non-traction version of the pump. In the description, it mentioned "traction control version of the ABS pump prone to leaks and failure". Bought it used from http://www.strandbergauto.com/ $300, haven't installed it yet.

There's really nothing below the ABS unit to leak so it's probably coming from the ABS unit itself. You'll most likely have to have it rebuilt by Vicrocha : http://home.earthlink.net/~vicrocha/Volvo_Parts/Volvo_ABS_FAQ.htm. He has all the info on his webpage. Did you take some brake cleaner spray and spray the area then inspect it for fresh fluid trails? You may need a flashlight and mechanic's mirror to get a good look around.



Mike
'95 850T