Hey...I found my original post in 12/2004...here it is w/ a response

should I buy a 850(1994) with 169k for a winter car. 850
posted by bluemonster on Fri Dec 31 04:01 UTC 2004
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I have a 940(1993)sedan that has 210k that I love. I have a chance to buy a 850(1994)sedan with 169k. No service records but I am buying it from my go to mechanic for the 940 repairs that I can't do. He says that the guy that used to own it did a lot of the expensive stuff already. The AC, radiator, ABS control module, timing belt, water pump and all the other belts have been replaced. It is a 5 speed so no problems with the auto trans. What else should I know about this Silver Streak before I make a long term commitment?

How's the Volvo manual trans?
Should I use synthetic oil?
Is there anything else that has regular problems?

Thanks for any advice that you have.

posted by bill d cat on Fri Dec 31 12:45 UTC 2004
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Sounds like most of the stuff I've replaced, except it's a GT and so doesn't have some of the stuff to break. I've not replaced my water pump. I still have my original manual transmission. (I still have my original clutch!) No, I wouldn't first switch to synthetic oil at 169,000 miles. I've heard the usual stories about engines starting to leak oil like a colander, so I'm not nearly that brave! The main seal can start to leak with high miles, if so it's also a good time to replace the clutch. For an inclusive list of things that go wrong, check the owner's surveys at Kino's Volvo site: http://kinovolvo.velez.ws/ Don't blame me if it blows up, but that's just the kind of Volvo 850 I'm looking for for my baby daughter (cheap).

-BTC

'98 V70 T5M, 153k mi, front IPD stabilizer bar, rear factory HD bar, Bilstein HD, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, e-codes, V-1, Mobil-1 since new

Hope this helps
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Bluemonster 944(1993)210K 854(1994)169K

Sounds like a good deal...but remember the old saying of if it sounds too good to be true. I have a 1994 850. Mine had about 70k more mils on it when I got it. A number of things go wrong right around 100k including the air conditioning, the tranny, the radiator and a variety of other expensive items. Look back in late January and early February to find more details. Good luck.
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Bluemonster 944(1993)210K 854(1994)169K

Have you ruled out the thermostat in the radiator?
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'95 854T 125,000

If at any location the cooling system is not holding pressure the engine will overheat, maybe severely, even if nothing is wrong internally.

Why not get a pressure tester and find out if coolant is leaking out the heater or elsewhere? You would probably smell coolant inside the car also, if there is a significant leak, especially in the heater core. It is not especially hard to replace the heater core but you could bridge the 2 heater hoses and bypass the core to see if there is an additional problem with the cooling system.

If you are not losing coolant then maybe the radiator is partly obstructed. This might show up as overheating which is much worse under load (hill climb). What about a stuck thermostat? Some of the pressure caps, especially earlier ones, failed to hold, and some of the overflow tanks have had cracks.

I have seen used cars with very filthy sludgy coolant where the owner did not bother or was not aware to change it. This leads to very hot running.

I'm suggesting the simpler things because I've seen very few reports on the various Volvo sites of blown head gaskets.

Are there any big oil leaks and does the air conditioner work?