I am checking out a 1994 940 over the weekend. It has 160000 miles. From the picture it looks very nice. The owner had it for two years and said he replaced the timing belt and water pump when he bought it. So any suggestions what I should look for and what are the common trouble spots?
Another question is how expensive this car would cost to run well? Do things break often? How hard is it to work on this car? I am fairly mechanic inclined, have replaced the timing belt on my 1990 Acura Legend V6, struts and shocks on my friend's celica, etc. But not sure how hard it'd be to work on the 940. I have to park on the street so may not be able to do jobs that require me to get under the car, which is too dangerous.
I never even poped the hood of 940 before, so any input will be appreciated.

Thank you very much for the suggestions! The durability of the B230FD and the ease of working on are really encouraging news. I did a search on the 900 board and read the whole morning, here are some more questions for the fans and experts:
1. Is the head gasket on 1994 940 a common problem? I should ask because the hg on my 89 Supra blew three times in 150k well maintained miles. Talking about the pain disasembling half of the engine on street in New England winter :( Finally the head was warped and I donated the car. Since 940 also has an AL head, how often the head gasket can go; and if it does, if it hard to replace? (e.g. how many hours would it take for an average shade tree mechanic?)
2. How reliable is the auto tranny? From the VIN it seems the car has a AW72L something. Does it stand well against some abuse? (I am not abusing it, but have to think the previous owner might have done some). If it goes, how much for a shop to rebuilt it? Are there any sources that you can buy low mileage used trannies and engines cheap (like those low mileage engines from Japan for Japanese cars)?
3. If the rear main seal goes, how much would it cost for a shop to replace?
4. Are there known rust problem that might weakend the uni body and post danger on the car? I read a post from a 740 owner about frame eaten apart by rust
5. Are there things that I should look for when doing the test drive?
6. How does the car do in snow? I live in central Mass so the winter is not so mild. I will put on a set of snow tires, will they make it a very safe car?

phew~ lots of questions. Thanks in advance for any suggestions :)

I think jwalker answered you pretty well. I'll just chime in with a few ideas.

1. While head gaskets can go on any engine, I don't think this is a common problem on the Volvo 230 engine. We've had 7 of these in the family with some up to 250,000 miles with none of them having a head gasket replaced. I'd recommend replacing the antifreeze at least every other year and never let the engine overheat. I know what you're saying about other engines though. We had a '95 Taurus 3.8 L engine which went through 3 sets of headgaskets in 80,000 miles and a Reliant which went through 2 sets. We have a Mercedes 3L six which is supposed to need a headgasket at about 150,000 miles, we'll watch for that.

2. Most wisdom on the AW series trannys say they are nearly bulletproof. If one goes bad, get a replacement from a salvage yard. We have 2 AW's but the highest mileage is only 150,000 miles so it's pretty early to expect any trouble. I have done the power flush on each with new fluid (Dexron III) and this made both shift smoother. Check the archives on how to do this. You don't even need to put on you old clothes to do it!

3. I'd guess the rear main seal would cost at least $200-$300 because of the labor involved. Call a shop that specializes in clutch replacement for a quote. Some place like "Clutch Doctors", they will be the cheapest. If the seal only has a slow leak, clean the flame trap and let it go. These will go a lonfg time before getting serious.

4. No rust on any of our cars but we are lucky in that they don'tsalt the roads here in western Oregon. I recall something in the 700/900 FAQs about checking for rust. Look there. I believe Volvo improved the galvanizing from about '88 on.

5. As for snow, driving a rear wheel drive in snow is different from a front wheel drive. Not necessarily worse, just different. It takes some practice. Last winter I put four studded snows on my daughter's '84 240 and held my breath since she is a new driver. She drove about 2 weeks on snow and ice with no trouble. The tires were new but not up to the standards of those Scandinavian snow tires which I can't spell or pronounce. I wouldn't be afraid to drive the 940 in snow with good tires. Our 940 wagon feels pretty well balanced. If it gets really nasty, put on chains. The 940's ABS brakes should help as well. It's really the stopping that is the worst problem anyway, that and the other drivers who haven't a clue how to drive in snow. I've seen lots of SUVs in the ditch.
Keep on asking questions. If I had done that, I would never have bought that X2#%4&**** Ford Taurus!

Good evening, I have a 93 940 NA, bought it with 238k miles, had leaking headgasket and cooling fan was inop. Replaced headgasket myself, not a difficult job if you have the time. Intake manifold was breeze to remove, exhaust manifold was the only time consuming job, due to jacking up and getting under car. It cost me $35 for gasket kit, $38 for torgue wrench and $30 for new head bolts. Just replaced starter, top bolt was a challenge, 45 mintues to installed new starter. Replaced RPM Sesnor, top of bellhousing, 10 minute job, no jacking up car, no moving components to move to install. Installed new cooling fan sensor, 10 seconds, fan finally works like advertised. Only job left is a new A/C compressor. I change my oil, filters and anything else to get reach.Currently have 283 miles and runs like a champ. Good luck.

Darryl

I own a 240, but have driven and almost bought more than one 940 so I do a little bit about 940's. Here are some short answers...

1. Head gaskets do go on b230's, but rarely. Head failures are even more rare. Prior maintenance is key! These engines are very tough!!

2. Also bulletproof, see Jim Holst's previous post. Same trannies used on many Toyotas. Aisin-Warner 70 series.

3. RMS are often caused by a clogged flame trap. Mine was. Fixed clog, no more leak... Shop cost probably over $500, all labor, seal is about $20.

4. Never seen a 940 with rust. Possible though, see 700/900 FAQ.

5. Loose front end, leaks, check cooling sytem and ALL electronics operation. Some else will chime in with more.

6. My 240 does well with 2 snows on the Cape. Take it to the White Mts. often too. No problem so far. Have heard that 940's do fine with 4 snows. Get studs or chains if concerned.

Good luck,

--
Jim 90 244DL 243K

If you can do a timing belt on a acura v6, there isn't much on a 940 that you couldn't do standing on your head...in your sleep.
The only difficulty if you are used to working on a japanese car, will be realizing that when working on a volvo, there isn't a catch.. it really is that simple.
--
-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD

well said....
--
'82 DL - 158k, '93 945 - 116k

I have a '93 940 wagon, NA, Regina (Bendix) system. I've had it about two years now and I've owned many 240 Volvos before this. I'd say the 940 has been very reliable and it is easy to work on, easier than the 240s. If you go to the 700/900 FAQ on this site and look for the list of things to do to a newly purchased 700 or 900 model, you'll see what I did to my 940 shortly after buying it. I was able to do all of those at home and I'm not a mechanic.

Basically, the 900 4-cylinder car is at the end of a very long evolution of Volvos. The 940 has the final and best version of the red block engine. The AW70L automatic is also the result of long experience and is very reliable. The brakes went to a floating caliper design which is ok but not as good as those on the 240. Replacing brake pads is a cinch. Electrically, I think the 940 is very well made. Wires last well, relays and fuses are mostly logically placed and accessible. The 940 suspension is modern and reliable as far as I can tell. It rides and handles well.

The only problem I've had was an intermittant crank position sensor which gave rare starting problems. This may be why the car was sold. Using what I learned from this board, I decided to replace that sensor. When I pulled it out, a 10 minute job, I found where it had deteriorated over the 100,000 miles of it's life. a new, $40 sensor fixed it fine. This wasn't an unexpected repair.

As long as the car you are looking at is in good condition and has been maintained, it should be good for a long life.

Hi guys I really appreciate your advices and suggestions. Although the 'purchasing used' question has been probably beaten to death, I still got so many warm replies and definitely had added information on top of what I found from reading old archives.
The guy who sells the 94 with 160k miles did not have time to show the car, but me and my gf saw another car at a small dealer who only sells European luxuries. It's a 93 940 with 106K miles. Below are the results and my (even more) questions:

First, the good:
1. I remove the oil filler cap and look into it, the cam shaft was all clean metal color, which made me very supprised. The dealer said all four cylinders have 160psi but he had no records, so I am not sure whether it should be trusted.
2. The brake fluid is clear, new hoses and belts, the engine compartment is clean, and the auto tranny fluid is a color between red and brown. Not sure about the timing belt though. I tend to believe if someone even bother to change the brake fluid then s/he really cares about the car.
3. The leather interior is not that clean but I would say it's not bad for a 11 years old car and it's cleanable (is this a word?)
4. Car drives smooth, no pull in steering wheel, tranny shifts well, brake feels ok (although a bit soft, but the pedal does not sink). The 114HP engine is by no means powerful, but it's really not as slow as I had thought.

Now the bad:
1. The ABS light is on, the dealer promised to get it fixed if I were to buy.
2. The odometer/speedometre did not work. The dealer said they worked when they had the car first and will get them fixed (I tend to believe them 'cause the current mileage is about 200 miles more than what they have in the original ads)
3. The AC did not work, the compressor did not engage.
4. Driver's power seat. When I moved it back, it only moved about half inch each time I press the button. I have to release and press again to make it move another half inch, and so on.

And two things I am not sure:
1. We had heavy rain last night, today when the dealer first moved the car, there were about a quarter clean water flowing out of the bottom close to the drive's door. I thought it could be the sun roof drain, dealer also said so. Is this true?
2. When the car drove at about 60mph, the engine speed was about 3k. Is this a bit too high? I am not sure about the exact speed as the speedo did not work. How to check whether the overdrive works or not?

It seemed the dealer really want to sell the car and try to make us put the deposit. We resisted the pressure :) anyway after some bargaining, they were willing to sell for $3000 with everything fixed (AC, ABS, Speedo/Odo) and a set of new front rotor/pad put on.

So would it be a decent price? I would think with such a low mileage with everything in work order it's a good deal. I am just a bit concerned about the non-working odometer. If it just happened lately it's no biggie. If it's been on and off for years then no one knows the actually mileage and there would be no problem on Carfax (as the mileage always getting bigger).

btw the car was donated to a charity and the dealer got it from an auction. Is that possible a donated car still in pretty good shape?

Thanks in advance!

I think the rpms do sound a little high for 60 mph. I can cruise at 55 at around 2.5k rpms in my '93 940. The overdrive button is located on the shifter handle its about half way down and faces rearward.

This car does have a lockup torque converter which locks up at about 46mph. You can feel this as a subtle (downshift as you gently pass from 45 to 50 mph.

Maybe its not locking up... I dont know much about the mechanics of this system.


The water flowing out near the drivers door could be the sunroof or could be the vent on the hood just below the windshield... It drains in that area too.


I would be wary about the AC. It could be that it doesnt have enough charge in the system to allow the compressor to cycle. ( a safety measure for the compressor i believe) but you need to ask yourself how long has the compressor not run... and what caused it to leak in the first place.

AC systems that have been 'open' for long periods of time could suffer long term problems related to moisture in the system.

The dealer might could charge it up and it might be fine, but might stop working in short order.
Make sure the dealer uses dye in the system when they recharge so they can check for leaks.... and make sure they check... Also, ask them to draw the system down for 45 minutes to an hour. This will remove the most amount of potential moisture from the system.


I realise I am a little late in responding to this as you may have or have not purchased the car. Good luck....

matt


--
'82 DL - 158k, '93 945 - 116k

That sounds like a fair price if the odometer is accurate and the dealer fixes everything as he claimed he would.

Get the carfax report from the dealer. That should help you verify the mileage. Any service records?

If the car has been taken care of then the timing belt has probably been changed at least once. Can't remember if it is a 70k interval or lower. Not the end of the world if it hasn't. The b230's (except for the b234) in North America are a non-interference engine.


"And two things I am not sure:
1. We had heavy rain last night, today when the dealer first moved the car, there were about a quarter clean water flowing out of the bottom close to the drive's door. I thought it could be the sun roof drain, dealer also said so. Is this true?"

Do you mean water ran out in a faucet type flow in front part of the driver's door? If so, then it probably is the front drain for the sunroof. That is assuming the drain is in roughly the same place as my 240...Look hard you should be able to find it. The 240's drain is in the front part of the door frame. Might need to be cleaned out...

"2. When the car drove at about 60mph, the engine speed was about 3k. Is this a bit too high? I am not sure about the exact speed as the speedo did not work. How to check whether the overdrive works or not?"

Not sure about this one. The RPM's do sound a little high though. Someone else probably knows for sure. Can't remember if a 93 940 has this, but look on the shifter for a small switch which when "on" locks out the OD.

If the A/C compressor is shot, that is expensive fix. I'm a little surprised the dealer is willing to fix that. Probably something cheaper is wrong.

My biggest concern would be that odometer. 106k is fairly low for a 11 year old car...

Doesn't sound too bad, but as the old saying goes "let the buyer beware"!





--
Jim 90 244DL 243K

Given the cars that you have said that you have worked on...I think that you should find the Volvo to be a lack of a challenge in compairison. Good luck and happy bricking.