I'm looking for a 940. I found one locally.

$1,000. 301k miles, salvage, 944, being sold by mechanic on behalf of owner. He e-mailed me that it has no problems, which seemed abrupt and dismissive, recent timing belt, water pump, radiator, "major tune up," battery. He was wrong or unclear about smog, because it's too remote to quality for DMV sale.

I haven't seen it in person, but the pics show an immaculately kept car inside and outside.

Thoughts about this deal? It seems too good to be true.

I've never bought a car from a mechanic, though his shop has a good reputation in town and I've known of it for more than a decade.

Since I have his assurance that there are no problems, is there any reason I should get an independent inspection? If I find something wrong post-purchase, I can show him the e-mail which is in essence a warranty.

Thanks

The 93 940 should have what they call the "jumbo" brakes so require minimum 15" wheels to fit over the larger calipers in the front.

About the email warrantee-- anything less than a signed paper descriptive detailed warrantee is worthless. Even a good paper document can be hard to enforce. Find a good second opinion mechanic to do a prepurchase checkout for you.

Doesn't brickboard FAQ section have a checklist for what and how to inspect prepurchase?

What do you mean by “jumbo” brakes? 240 have dual piston calipers. IIRC 740 and 940 are single piston calipers. Don’t see how they can be larger than 240 calipers.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

The front rotor diameter on the 240's is 10.25" -- some of the earlier cars had SOLID front rotors (not even vented); my 82 242DL came with solid front rotors.

The 900 cars have 11" vented rotors on the front. I believe this is what Aron is referring to when he says "jumbo" brakes.

When Volvo made the move to ABS (antilock) brakes, they did away with the dual diagonal thingy.

Later 240’s have vented rotors too. Out of curiosity, do you think the larger rotors on 940’s would prohibit the use of 14” wheels on a 940? And yes, thank god Volvo got rid of the dual diagonal braking system on 240’s with the introduction of ABS on 91 models. My 90 had the dual diagonal system. They were a nightmare to bleed!
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

It wasn't just the later 240's that had vented rotors -- early on it depended on how the car was optioned. For example, the V6 and turbo models even early on had vented rotors.

No idea if a 14" wheel will clear the 11" rotor/caliper combo. I run 17's and use the vented 300mm rotor off of a C70 with a Wilwood billet caliper on mine.

I never had any problem bleeding the EIGHT BLEED SCREWS (!!!) on the old dual diagonal system. It was just a pain in the ass to have to put the car up in the air and take all 4 tires off so you could follow the suggested bleed order.

If the same as a '91 940SE, 14" steel wheels from a 240 will fit on the rear but not the front. I just learned this the old-fashioned way.

The seller is actually putting his reputation on the line. I would trust him.

My dealer does an inspection of a used car for 1 hour's labor. An extra hour to do a compression check.

They can tell me if an ant farted in the trunk.

The last used car we bought was an '08 XC70 - the inspection revealed a bad vacuum pump, and the tech wrote it up as the brake pads do not properly contact the discs. (rusty Disks)

How did they suspect the vacuum pump? Because they know these cars.

The selling dealer installed a new vacuum pump, new front rotors, turned the rear rotors, and installed new brake pads all around - AFTER I had a good price from them. (about $8000 less than any other '08 XC70s that I found.)

We have owned this car for 4 years and it has only required oil changes and a set of wiper blades - the brakes are only half worn now.

Dear james_a_sousa,

Hope you're well!! I concur. But applicable is Mikhail Gorbachev's dictum: "Trust, but verify".

A new set of eyes may see a not-yet-obvious problem, that the seller and the buyer both want to avoid having to discuss "down the road".

Your seller was of that mindset: he put right the questionable items and then some. The result: a happy buyer and so a potential source of referrals.

Stay well!!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Spook - As usual, you hit the nail on thread.

I had purchased a couple of cars off this dealer. Gervais of Lowell, etc. ( a Gremlin and a Corvair wagon ) in the 60s, they were reputable then and remain so today. Their salesmen are actually on salary not on commission!

Wow, I just looked up your profile - I live in Chelmsford - we should get together some time.

I have a 544 driver, a 1800 basket case with a nice body, and a '54 Chevy currently for sale.

I also have a large collection of Volvo wheels, including 4 Hydras, 5 Dracos, 10 Volans, and bunch of 850 wheels that have to go.

You probably noticed that I LIKE my dealer, Lovering of Nashua, and have used them since they opened some 22 years or so, and Volvo of Nashua when the Lovering ran that business.

With 3 female drivers in my family, then have cared for our cars with almost no breakdowns for 700K or so.

I do work on my cars and have done so since 1964, newer models have left me behind though.

300.000 on the same rubber seals.

Dear 1908242DLa,

Hope you're well. I've read others' replies so try to avoid duplication. You should ask to see the maintenance records. A mechanic, who sells a car for the owner, must know the owner and so have some maintenance records, or be able to get them. A car that has had regular oil changes - proved by maintenance records (not verbal assurances) - likely has had other maintenance done on time and properly.

As to spare parts, many "mission critical" parts - e.g., fuel pumps, fuel pressure regulators, ignition power states, etc. - are "no longer available" (NLA) from Volvo. These items may be found from salvage yards. As used parts' reliability/durability cannot be assured, it is best to have more than one of each type.

As to wiring diagrams, be advised that Volvo relied on Bosch or Bendix (Rex-Regina) engine and ignition management systems. Even so, some of those parts interchange (e.g., fuel pressure regulators [despite size difference], injectors, fuel injection relay, etc.). But engine and ignition computers are completely different and don't interchange. A Volvo wiring diagram will show both systems' wiring.

Bosch systems have a cylindrical coil, mounted atop the passenger-side suspension housing brace. Bendix systems have a square coil, mounted on the driver-side suspension housing (front face). A quick look at the engine will tell the story, or you can get the Vehicle Identification Number.

You can check the condition of struts and shocks as follows: put your foot on each bumper corner, press down hard, and release. If the bumper springs up and then does not move, the shocks/struts are in good shape. If the bumper springs up, then bounces a couple of times, the shocks/struts need to be replaced. Shocks and struts are available.

I concur with others that it is wise to have an inspection done by a mechanic, familiar with rear-wheel-drive Volvos. You can do a preliminary screening. For oil and automatic transmission fluid, look at the dipsticks. If the ATF is other than a clear, rosy red, the ATF needs to be changed. Brown or Black ATF shows neglect. Orange and/or a burnt aroma suggests over-heating. If engine oil is milky, that suggests a head-gasket leak: coolant has gotten into the oil.

If the head-gasket has not been changed, it is likely to need doing before too many more miles have been recorded.

If this car has been properly maintained, it could another 200,000 miles, presuming a head-gasket replacement is done. So, if you want to buy it and plan to keep it for a while, I get a complete head-gasket kit and "put it on the shelf". For, by the time you need it, such kits may not be available.

Any warranty needs to be more than an e-mail. It needs to list the parts/systems covered and the length of time. The more specifics, the less likely unpleasant surprises.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Thanks, Spook.

I didn't know that 940 head gaskets should be replaced at 300k miles.

Is that because they can suddenly blow?

Or are there early warning signs that it's going to blow?

Dear 1908242DLa,

Hope you're well. The B230 engine has a cast iron block and an aluminum head. These metals expand/shrink at different rates, as the engine warms and cools. The head-gasket accommodates the shrinkage rate difference. Over many heating/cooling cycles, the head-gasket's "elasticity" is used-up.

When a head-gasket goes depends on how the car is driven. Some push engines to the limit. Others drive gently. A car used for towing in hilly terrain, is likely to need a head-gasket sooner than is one driven in "flat lands".

A common cause of head-gasket failure is over-heating due rapid coolant loose caused by failure of a radiator, a water pump, heater control valve, or a heater hose. The rapid rise in the engine's temperature, when there's no coolant, causes the aluminum head to expand at rates the cast iron block cannot match. The seal between head and block is broken.

Signs that a head-gasket is "on the way out" often involve oil and coolant mixing. If the oil at the dipstick's end is a chocolate brown - rather than a clear yellow green (fresh oil) or black (used oil) - that's a sign oil and coolant have mixed. Another place to watch for oil/coolant mixing: the coolant overflow tank, which will have an oily sheen atop the blue-green coolant. In some cases, gas bubbles will form in the coolant tank. Most mechanics have a test kit, that detects the presence of exhaust gases in the coolant.

Hope this helps.

Stay well!!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Dear 1908242DLa,

Hope you're well. The B230 engine has a cast iron block and an aluminum head. These metals expand/shrink at different rates, as the engine warms and cools. The head-gasket accommodates the shrinkage rate difference. Over many heating/cooling cycles, the head-gasket's "elasticity" is used-up.

When a head-gasket goes depends on how the car is driven. Some push engines to the limit. Others drive gently. A car used for towing in hilly terrain, is likely to need a head-gasket sooner than is one driven in "flat lands".

A common cause of head-gasket failure is over-heating due rapid coolant loose caused by failure of a radiator, a water pump, heater control valve, or a heater hose. The rapid rise in the engine's temperature, when there's no coolant, causes the aluminum head to expand at rates the cast iron block cannot match. The seal between head and block is broken.

Signs that a head-gasket is "on the way out" often involve oil and coolant mixing. If the oil at the dipstick's end is a chocolate brown - rather than a clear yellow green (fresh oil) or black (used oil) - that's a sign oil and coolant have mixed. Another place to watch for oil/coolant mixing: the coolant overflow tank, which will have an oily sheen atop the blue-green coolant. In some cases, gas bubbles will form in the coolant tank. Most mechanics have a test kit, that detects the presence of exhaust gases in the coolant.

Hope this helps.

Stay well!!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

I can't edit my post, despite repeated attempts.

I have a Bentley 240 1983-1993 service manual. Is it close enough to a 1993 940 that I can use it, or should I get the Bentley 940 manual?

Thanks

I only recently came across this site and have not had the time to look into their offerings. It would appear that most are listed as "FREE".

Randy
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Any twenty minute job is just a broken bolt away from a three day ordeal

Do you mean Brickboard.com?

https://www.onlymanuals.com/volvo/940

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Any twenty minute job is just a broken bolt away from a three day ordeal

Get the 940 specific manual - MANY differences between 940 and 240. We can’t help you from afar on what kind of shape this car is in. You have to check it out/drive it in person and determine value. If the seller is reluctant to answer questions that’s ALWAYS a bad sign. At 300k miles I’d have TONS of questions - all mechanical systems should be inspected. And I’d wanna see it on a lift. It could be a reasonable deal or a horrible deal. ONLY way to know is go have a look/drive.

Thanks.

I can't find a Bentley 940 manual. Who else makes manuals that you recommend?

I can check a few things, eg pressure test the cooling system, and I have floor jacks, but not lift. I found the Brickboard FAQs section that discussed inspections; I might have missed it, but I didn't see a discussion about checking out the suspesion.

It also sounds like you recommend that I have an independent mechanic evaluate the car and ask this mechanic/seller why it's being sold.

There’s virtually nothing in a manual that you can’t find online and TONS of online info that’s not in a manual. Forget a paper manual.

Unless you like surprises, ANY used car should be checked out by someone who can competently perform an assessment. The older, the more miles, the more important it is to know what you’re buying. A crucial part of that assessment is always “why are you selling” - although when mechanics are selling cars they’ve worked on it’s usually because the customer couldn’t pay the bill - and that’s a thread I’d want pull on/unravel.

If this is being sold by a mechanic/shop - why can’t you view it on THEIR lift?

I checked FAQs, but the links to the on-line manuals don't work.

Where can find service manuals, especially wiring diagrams on-line?

I checked Ebay, but they only have 1992 and 1994 wiring diagrams. Is one of those the same for the 1993?

Simply google "Schematic 1993 Volvo 940" -- you'll be INUNDATED with online schematics.

i have a 945 1993 .It runs accelerates & drives really nice,,I think this was a very good year,if it is such nice condition,,Its a good bet to be worth that,,w no rust?

Thanks.

Are the 240's rims interchangeable with the 940?

I just checked my local junkyard. They only have two 940s, which is really low compared to 240s and 740s.

Where do you get parts for yours?

I'm unable to edit my comments (or the original post), so I'm adding more comments here.

Are there parts that I should buy in advance of having some common problems, eg fuel injectors from the junkyard?

Think they are interchangeable but not a good idea as the 940’s have larger wheels than a 240.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

The larger wheels (16") use a lower profile tire (55) to achieve the same rolling diameter. - Dave

Thanks

My 240 has 14" tires.

What tires sizes (15 or 16") fit the 940?

Are there other Volvo models that can fit the 940?

Thanks

Dear 1908242DLa,
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Hope you're well and stay so. I use 195/65-15 tires. The factory-supplied tires were 185/65-15. I rely on Michelin Defenders, an all-season tire that grips well when it rains.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Once I drove, but didn’t buy a 93 940 turbo wagon. 309k looked good, drove great! This was a well maintained car that a mechanic I know was selling for the owner. Found a lower mileage car that I bought instead. At that mileage check the tightness of the suspension, look for oil leaks etc. It may be a good car but 300k is a whole lot of miles!
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....