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Hi Everyone!
Hoping that I can get some input on the reputation of the 1992 940 GLE Turbo wagons. Any ideas? Anything I should look for when I go to see this car?
Thanks much!
Susan
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As with any turbocharged car, maintenance is extremely important. If the car has not had regular service, including oil changes, you could end up with a money pit.
A well maintained 740/940 turbo should have 250,000 miles in it before the engine needs attention. At that point, it will need a headgasket and you might as well refurbish the head at the same time. The bottom end should last "forever."
At some point, the turbo will need rebuilding due to worn seals and/or play in the bearings. This could happen anywhere between 150,000-200,000 miles. The car will start blowing blue smoke if the seals in the turbo are on their way out.
The rest of the car is pretty simple for a 1992 model, and therefore very reliable. These cars do tend to go through motor mounts and suspension bits more frequently than other cars. The exhaust is also a weak point. You'll end up replacing the exhaust every 3-5 years, perhaps more often if you live in the rust belt. However, this is not a particularly expensive repair. Maybe $500-$600 at a chain place that does exhausts.
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Good to know, John! What's unfortunate is that I don't know if any of the service records are available. Carfax didn't list any. It only listed that the car was re-registered at the same place for all the years of the car. I've seen some Carfaxes show dealer servicing, but I'm not sure if all do that. A beauty of a 240 wagon was sold on Ebay today for $5,100 (I believe a 1993 with about 114,000 miles), and the free Carfax on that one showed all dealer servicing.
I've never had a turbo, but I'll be sure to check for the blue smoke. Since I have had several Volvos (or "Vos" as my son calls them), I do have a feel for many of their little quirks. They're like my German Shepherd, Bella--predictable with what could go wrong.
I'm really trying hard to get a lot of information before buying. Spook on this forum has given his insight as to pre-1993 940s, but one thing I forgot to ask him is if this is similar in any way to the engine that my 1990 240 wagon had in it. That engine was still going strong at about 230,000 miles. With this car having only 125,000, I'm hoping for a LOT of miles out of it if I buy it. I'd for sure want to get a service manual (not sure which considering the Bentley doesn't cover the 940s).
I extend my most sincere appreciation for all the posts that you guys give. Thanks so much!
Susan
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Take the car to a Volvo shop and ask them to do compression and leak down tests on the motor. At 125,000 miles, it should be in good health unless it has been neglected. A pressure test of the cooling system will be revealing, too. The condition of the turbo can be checked by removing some of the plumbing (hoses) and checking for play in the shaft.
I wouldn't rely on a visual check of the oil cap. Dark oil only means that the oil is doing its job of trapping contaminants and dirt. It doesn't take long for oil to change color after an oil change. On the other hand, clean looking oil just means that it was recently changed... But that could have been the car's first oil change in three years.
One big preventive maintenance item that you should do, if you buy this car, is to replace the heater control valve, the heater hoses, and the radiator. The control valve is plastic and has a reputation for lasting a long time then suddenly letting go. This failure, or failure of the heater hoses, can rapidly empty the cooling system and damage the engine. Similarly, the radiator has plastic "necks" to which the upper and lower radiator hoses connect. This is usually where the radiator fails.
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Thanks, John! The place that has this car has no issues with me taking it somewhere, so I plan to go see it tomorrow morning (Monday). It does say something about the car that the same owner had it for 21 years. You'd think that if that person had issues with it in the past that he or she would have gotten rid of it long ago. We'll see. Thanks for all your good info! Onward!!!
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Same engine as your 90 240 but with turbo. Oil squirters were added to the engine (b230f) in 1993.
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Hi Susan
I'm pretty new to the world of 940 wagons, but I recently bought a 1991 940 Turbo Wagon and I love it. Before I purchased it I looked at the same year car, but it was a GLE, which in a 1991 940 meant it was a 16 valve engine. Several Volvo mechanics told me to steer clear of this engine and to go instead for an 8 valve turbo or non-turbo engine, one that Volvo used for many years and is nearly bullet proof. It was not nearly as quick as the 8 valve turbo I ended up getting. Perhaps the GLE designation did not equal 16 valve engine by 1992...
So make sure that the car you are looking at is indeed a Turbo, if it is, you should be in good shape because the 16 valve engines were not turbos.
I would offer this feedback: I do enjoy the power and sportiness of the turbo, and I am already wondering if I would not have been happier with a non-turbo as my maximum mileage has been 23 mpg on pure freeway miles. A non-turbo will get you more like 28 or 29 or so I'm told, but they are not quick by any means...
My two cents, hope it helps...
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Thanks so much for your reply. I was able to get the VIN for this car, and it checks out OK by Carfax. It is a one-owner car with 124,000 miles and less than $2,000. This car was traded at the dealer and sold at auction to a small car lot near where I live. The person who works there and drove it home over the weekend said that it drives fine and has an OK interior. The body is in good shape. He said that the exhaust manifold gasket needs to be replaced, and they will have that fixed. Pennsylvania inspection is good through next month.
The label on the back clearly says "940 Turbo." The Carfax thing shows it as a "2.3L L4 FI SOHC," whatever that means! In checking this out more online, it looks like this could have the 16-valve engine. Carfax is what says it's a "940/GLE." As said, the back of the car in the pictures just shows "940 Turbo." It does have a moonroof, so it very well likely could be a GLE.
If this car is not recommended, then I'm glad I found out before driving over an hour to look at it. I'm also disappointed, though. Is this just a tough time to find an old wagon? I swear, a month ago they were all over the place. Now, not much!
Thanks again,
Susan
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Are you it's not a 92 940 GL turbo? If so, all's well. That's an 8 valve engine with turbo.
I think only the 740 series got the 16 valve engine (ie. 740 GLE).
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Hi there! I'm not sure what it is. As said, the Carfax line says from the VIN that it's a "1992 VOLVO 940/GLE" then says "2.3L L4 FI SOHC." The back of the car shows only "940 Turbo" in the picture. It doesn't say "GLE."
When I break down the VIN, it stands for:
Car
940
Wagon
B230FT (non-EGR)
SULEV (super ultra low emissions vehicle)
X (not sure what X meant in this position of the VIN--the 9th position)
1992
Canada
Then 6-digit chassis code
Is there any other way to tell if this is one of the 16-valve turbos? I'm so confused!
Thanks!
Susan
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I think the car fax is mistaken. I really don't think there were any 940 GLE's. As the other poster mentioned, there were no 16 valve engines (read GLE's) that had turbos. All GLE's were 16 valve engines but with NO turbo.
I believe all turbos of that era automatically came with a "GL" trim. The "GL" designation simply means Gran Luxe or Grand Luxury in English.
Another clue is the SOHC designation. That stands for a single overhead cam 8 valve engine. DOHC stands for double overhead cam engine which in this case means a 16 valve engine.
I think the car is simply a 940 Turbo. An 8 valve engine with a turbo. A good model indeed but remember that it is 21 years old and it will need to be checked out thoroughly...
I know this is confusing. Hope this helped clarify things a bit...:)
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Hi there, you've convinced me that it's not a 16-valve engine, so it's still in the running! Thanks!
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Dear smfree,
Hope you're well. The "X" designates a wagon with mechanical seatbelts. However, according to the Volvo Pocket data booklet - Cars (700,850,900), 1991-1996, the "X" should be found in the fifth postion (from the left).
Please note that the pre-1993 engines do not have "oil squirters", that direct oil to the under-sides of the pistons. This feature extends engine life.
Turbo-chargers add complexity. Some accept that, because they value "performance". Others prefer simplicity to complexity.
I'd seek a '93 or later 940.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Hi Spook! Thanks for all the good info. I'd still like to give this one a look, even though it's pre-1993. With only 124,000 miles on it and if it's been well maintained, does this this add to it's credibility for longevity? I was told today to give whatever car I get a good look under the oil cap to look for dark oil inside and under the cap. I was also told that if it was dark to walk away. If the oil looks clean inside and under the cap, it's likely been changed regularly. I guess the true test will be from driving it. I have a real sensitivity for bad transmissions and other engine issues. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Susan
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Hey Susan
If the back of the car says 940 turbo then it is not a 16 valve engine unless there has been some tomfoolery!
Ask someone at the lot where it is at to open the hood and look at the engine...the 16 valve engine is labeled as such on big block letters on the valve cover!
good luck!
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Hoping there's no tomfoolery!!! I'll open up the hood and definitely check this out on Monday. Thanks!
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