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looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

posted by  myribitsbroke on  Thu Apr 28 15:15 CST 2005
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last visit: Mon Oct 8 13:31 CST 2012
[RELATED]

Hi all-
as some of you may know I am the proud owner of an 87 244 (and was the proud owner of an 87 245). However, as life goes on, I think it's time for me to move on. I'm thinking of buying an 854 or an 854 turbo. What kinds of things should I look for when purchasing? what are some common problems for this model? What are some things, after purchasing, that I can do to prolong its life?
--
87 244, 235K and 87 245, 314K (RIP)---Woodstock, CT








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    looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

    posted by  KlausC on  Sat Apr 30 11:40 CST 2005
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    last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:15 CST 2014
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    Get a turbo! It is definitely more fun, especially going up some of those nasty inclines in CT. I happen to like my 95 because it is the last year you can check the OBD codes yourself. The tranny in the 1997 and 1998 S70 are stronger.

    Klaus
    --
    98 V70Rawd(108Kmi), 95 854T(88K mi), 75 164E(173K mi)








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    looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

    posted by  tina on  Fri Apr 29 06:39 CST 2005
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    last visit: Thu Nov 24 09:34 CST 2011
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    Maintenance records!! The 850 is a nice car but there are some serious problems that can arise from neglect of seemingly simple things. For example neglect of flame trap/PCV leads to major oil leaks and excess crankcase pressure. Not flushing the transmission fluid can lead to problems.

    Known commong problems:

    - oil leaks (main seals) = very expensive to fix
    - PNP switch (about $200 to fix, the switch will cause alarming transmission problems but not too bad to fix... characterized by intermittent flashing arrow on dash)
    - fuel pumps die at around 200k, about $400 to replace at garage
    - water pump springs a leak around 225k, usually easy to replace along with timing belt for an additional $200 or so.
    - timing belt MUST be replaced as breakage will toast the engine. Cost varies from $300 to $900 for replacement but some people here have done it themselves for the cost of the belt (about $50).

    Oh and I found the non-turbo plenty peppy enough for me!

    Good luck!








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    looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

    posted by  Jack43 on  Fri Apr 29 05:18 CST 2005
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    last visit: Thu Oct 25 15:39 CST 2012
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    In addition to the comments already posted, would suggest you lean heavily towards the turbo--lots more fun to drive.

    96 850 T 102K miles (original owner--love it!)








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    looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

    posted by  someone claiming to be Dave on  Fri Apr 29 01:38 CST 2005 [RELATED]

    You may also want to check out www.volvospeed.com. They have a huge amount of information on the 850 and how to maintain it. The main rear engine seal seems to be on of the biggest problems.








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    looking into buying an 850 or 850 turbo 850

    posted by  someone claiming to be King Tut on  Fri Apr 29 01:25 CST 2005 [RELATED]

    (Go over to swedespeed.com and do a search. This question gets asked at least 5 times every week. EVERYTHING you would want to know has been covered.) They are great cars, but not cheap to own. I had a dozen 240's over the years and now have two 855 GLTs. Like location, location, location in real estate, it's records, records, records in 850's. There are some nice ones for sale in the classifieds at swedespeed. Pay special attention to those listed by JRL--top notch.







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