A recent serires of drizzly days here in Pennsylvania sent my wife and I to the auto auction (ROAD TRIP!). Having a 90 244dl as a daily driver as well as a 94 850 turbo sedan in the garage as a current project car, I was wise as a husband when I asked my wife, "Do I really want to buy another Volvo?" She said, "Yes!" I had permission from a Fordillac driving wife.
So now I have a 97 "S90" 964 with a 6304 engine and all the bells and whistles. The gravel/splash shield is broken, and the tranny dipstick is broken off, otherwise the car is a complete delight to drive...
Where can I get a decent manual for this beast? Where"s Big Bad Bob Bentley's manual for this girl?
Should I go to synthetic lubes as I am with the 850 (5234FT), e.g. Mobil 1, and what are your recommendations regarding the brake fluid (DOT-4, DOT-3 ? dino or synthetic?)
The power windows are squealing, there's a slight tap in the valvetrain, but the weekend is coming, so I appreciate any advic eand cautions about my new 964. Thanks!
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(1990 244DL @ 156K, daily driver; 1994 850 ti+ @ 122K, current project: 1995 Fordillac Exploder Eddie Bowel Edition Wifemobile@123K; and mein bruder's Chevy trucks, etc.);)

I appreciate the advice from brownboy, dewfpo, poolman, and pjmcgnns, thank you for making me feel welcome with your posts and the subsequent thread in this forum. I'm going to run M-1 oil and atf, Volvo filters, synthetic DOT -4 brake fluid. I'm going to check on the ALLDATA info - what are the "green manuals," are they the $hop manual$?
Yes, the dipstick is inconveniently placed, perhaps that caused the previous owner to snap off the top of the handle, and I can't get it to take the dealer supplied radio code, but I love the car!
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(1990 244DL @ 156K, daily driver; 1994 850 ti+ @ 122K, current project: 1995 Fordillac Exploder Eddie Bowel Edition Wifemobile@123K; and mein bruder's Chevy trucks, etc.);)

I can't vouch for all the manual available on ebay. I can only speak for the one I purchased. It is a conpilation of all the Volvo Green manuals in PDF form updated for the 94 model year. It is very very good.

I don't think that there is a good manual on the 960/90 series cars other than ordering parts of the factory manual. Chilton makes a so-so one that includes all the cars in the 90s, so you can imagine that its fairly general. Some people have recommended the Alldata CD (but apparently not the CD that is for sale on ebay). The Brickboard FAQs are good, and you should review the 960/90 section: http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/960_90Info.htm

As for maintenance, you should definitely use synthetic oil. I use Mobil 1, but AMSOIL is also good. I also think you should flush the transmission and use synthetic ATF. I have AMSOIL in my tranny, but Mobil 1 is also fine. The transmission is expensive, so you should make sure it gets regular flush and fills.

Don't know about the windows. The oil change to synthetic may help the engine "ticking." I use Castrol LMA for brake fluid. I think its DOT 3/4.

The FAQs have an excellent list of things to do after buying a used car. Pay particular attention to the timing belt, radiator and hoses. Take a look here: http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/HighMileageVehiclePrevMaint.htm#Preventive_Maintenance_After_Purchase

Hope that this is helpful to you. Enjoy the car!

Mike
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Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 113K 1994 940 135K 1986 244 137K

Congrats and welcome,(we have 2!) The brake fluid should be Dot 4+, Synthetic Brake Fluid will work as long as it's not the silicone type. Definitely synthetic motor oil and ATF. M1 works greats, others will as well.

The green manuals are the best. This list and perhaps an Alldata subsription will get you thru most everything you need.

Welcome aboard the B6304 train.

DEWFPO
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1998 S90 071,245 and 1995 964 154,100

Welcome to a new owner, I for one think these cars are the best Volvo ever made,and depending on mileage so will you if the cars in good shape.
Your gonna want to change the timing belt every 70k,... 140k change belt again along with all the pully's and belt tensioner and water pump.
For the tranny, I flushed the tranny out and replaced the fluid with mobile one synthetic, and the car liked that alot. Check the faq pages on just how to do this. The faq part of this forum is a great help,along with excellent advise from numerious ones here. You said that the tranny dip stick is broken off,I don't think so, Volvo hid the little bugger way down on the right side of the engine towards the back so far down that I have to reach all the way to my shoulder to get my finger tips on it. They said the customer wasn't suposed to even look at it. As for motor oil thats a good question. Hey everybody whats a good synthetic oil to run in these cars with medium to high milage?
Welcome aboard and good luck
Poolman

I bought a decent CD rom with pretty good tech manuals for less than $20 on ebay:

http://cgi1.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RedirectEnter&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7913949471%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AB%3AEF%3AUS%3A1&partner=777701

e-mail the seller directly at

http://feedback.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=ez_stuff&iid=7913949471&frm=284

or

motorinfo2@yahoo.com

or try

ezpcebay@yahoo.com