What do you know about Volvo 850R's? talk me out of buying one...

[QUKBMER]

Sorry to say but the only 850 volvo that was worth a damn was the btcc sedan and wagon. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonysphotos/191988345/

[yert315]

Do not buy a 850 bro.buy a 740 or 940 rwd. You will thank me later. 850's ARE A BIG P.O.S.

Why do you say they are a POS? Because fwd?

[QUKBMER]

THEY HAVE SHIT LOADS OF PROBLEMS, throw a bomb in it or drive it off a cliff. I have been working around them since they came out.

[Mr. Burns]

THEY HAVE SHIT LOADS OF PROBLEMS, throw a bomb in it or drive it off a cliff. I have been working around them since they came out.

Can you be a little more specific?

[101]

I own a 175K mile 1998 model (V70 GLT) and have had it since new and have fixed damn near everything on the car. So consider me a semi-expert on these.

I'd question why the top end of the engine had to be rebuilt. My guess is that it either threw a timing belt (changed at 70K intervals), or was overheated (which shouldnt happen with an alert driver since the thermostat fails open and a low coolant light can't be missed on the dash). Properly cared for, these engines are pretty well bulletproof. Ignore the maintenance and they will self destruct pretty quickly. Turbos rarely fail, and rarely at less than 200K miles. I'd ask for the REST of the story on the engine.

At 106K, it should have about a 1 inch stack of maintenance receipts already. Yes, really.

What SHOULD have been done by now ...
1) TRACS/ABS modules usually fail around 60K. It can be be rebuilt to a better reliability standard for $100.
2) Thermostat replaced - generally good for 70K miles.
3) Odometer gear is probably close to crapping out. Can be replaced ala E30 style.
4) Auto tranny fluid SHOULD have been changed a few times.
5) Complete PCV system replacement should have been done by now.
6) Hopefully there have been oil changes with synthetic at 5K intervals.

What you should look for ...
1) Leaking oil cooler lines. These leak where the rubber hose meets the crimped tube. Kind of a pain in the a$$ to change, and about $250 in parts.
2) Leaking heater core. Pull the drivers side mat up and chack for wet carpet and/or a greasy feel. Around $175 in parts to address it. And a few hours of working with your head under the dash.
3) Oil leaks. Rear main seal is the worst. That's a $15 seal and a $1000 labor bill to R&R the tranny. There's a weep hole between the engine and transmission where it would be leaking from. Most other oil leak areas (cam seals, turbo oil return line, oil cap seal, etc.) are pretty cheap and easy to fix. A clogged PCV system will also cause the engine to spit oil everywhere.
4) A/C not working. You already mentioned this. I'd be 99.9% sure it is the evaporator leaking. Massive job to change it since the entire dash has to come out of the car. Figure $1200. And it would need a retrofit cabin filter to improve the longevity of the new evaporator. Something it should have had in the beginning!
5) Is the dash separating from the windshield? If so, broken mounting tabs are the cause. Can be epoxied back on, but labor intensive.
6) Check engine light? Get the codes read. I've been chasing an EVAP code for two years. These cars are very sensitive to vacuum leaks.
7) Funny noises form the front suspension? At 106K miles, I would plan on struts, spring seats and swaybar end links. Have the control arms, ball joints and CV joint boots looked over.
8) Check the color and smell of the ATF. Does it look dark and smell? RUN! It's too late to start taking care of the transmission now.
9) Bring a rubber glove and a rubber band. Remove the dipstick and install said glove over the dipstick tube and secure the bottom with the rubber band. If the glove inflates with the engine at idle - that's a definite clogged PCV system. About $300 in parts plus a full day of fun.

On the plus side, these cars are excellent highway cruisers and have the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. Someone else mentioned they feel heavy (I must agree), but they are really built solid. Nice stock sound system. And the flexibility of the wagon is excellent. Bulletproof engine and transmission if maintained.

The ride is fine on the highway but hit a pothole and it jars the entire machine. It's clearly built for better roads than we have in the USA.

I have a love/hate relationship with mine. When all is well with it, there's nothing I like better as a DD. But it seems like it's always something.

I HIGHLY recommend a full pre-purchase work-up. Two or three major repairs on this car can quickly equal the purchase price. Someone mentioned that it's NOT a 240 or 940. Very true. Those are tanks. The 850/X70 series cars are much more fragile and must be treated with care. I would NOT want to own one unless I was able to do most of the work on it myself. But that's probably true of most European cars.

PM me if you want more info.

Good Luck!

[Deltron Dirty30]

go on /o/ and ask about the 850

lol

[Ratbastage]

My 96 855R recently went over the 200K mark.

Head has never been off.
Original trans.
Original axles
Original alternator
Original ac compressor
Original power steering pump.
Original rear seal
Original exhaust

What has been done.

Heater core, all of a 45 minute, 14 bolt job.
Evaporator, yeah, that sucked, 11 hours.
Suspension redone, they like bilstein heavy duties and it was easy.
ABS rear speed sensors and a module rebuild, simple enough.
Couple of oil traps and hoses
oil caps, like 8 or so.
turbo
fuel pump
starter
O2 sensors a few times.
All vacuum lines and a waste gate control valve.

All in all, its been a damn good sled really.

Which vin, 50 or 58? (5244t5 or 5244t3, the 5 is supposed to be a little hotter)

Change the timing belt and water pump in 75K intervals with all rollers and tensioner damper, keep the trap done around the same time. Oil with synthetic around 7000, drain and fill the gearbox about every 10 or 15K (it takes all of 3 quarts for christs sake), brake fluid every couple years and be ready to do a odometer gear which is kinda amusing being the dash pad comes off to yank the cluster.

Car is heavy as hell, with bigger sway bars, bilsteins or konis' and a strut brace they do ok. You also dial in about 1.0 degree of negative camber up front and set the total toe to 18 and a lot of the understeer fades. Its still wrong wheel drive but at least is fun wrong wheel drive.

You can also advance the intake cam to max (adjustable gear), throw a 3" OBX exhaust on it with a hotside swap the angle flange, v90 throttle body, 2.4 NA intake and a IPD "green tune" box in it and they really wake up. Stock bottom will take about 375 reliable. Unless you hang a 19g on it, you aint getting there.

[Mr. Burns]

Thanks for the invaluable info folks. Checked this particular 850, and prior to the present owner, sadly this 850r was neglected. Low miles yes, but needed new turbo, head rebuild etc etc etc. Awesomely quick car, but not something I want to stick my wife in and be confident it'd be turnkey reliable long term.

The search continues...

[slammin.e28]

Thanks for the invaluable info folks. Checked this particular 850, and prior to the present owner, sadly this 850r was neglected. Low miles yes, but needed new turbo, head rebuild etc etc etc. Awesomely quick car, but not something I want to stick my wife in and be confident it'd be turnkey reliable long term.

The search continues...

Volvo's can be reliable? I mean outside of the old 240s, etc? Who'd of thunk?

[Mr. Burns]

Volvo's can be reliable? I mean outside of the old 240s, etc? Who'd of thunk?

Perhaps I have some wild misconception, but my 1987 Volvo 740 turbo, boosting at 12psi and 16psi for "elegant spirited romps" was murder proof.

I took this experience and applied it to all Volvo's....

maybe it's not 1987 anymore and maybe I just got lucky with a 25year iron blocked bricktank, but I wouldn't hesitate to recomend a 740T for cheap thrills.

the newer gens however...not so concinved..

[slammin.e28]

Perhaps I have some wild misconception, but my 1987 Volvo 740 turbo, boosting at 12psi and 16psi for "elegant spirited romps" was murder proof.

I took this experience and applied it to all Volvo's....

maybe it's not 1987 anymore and maybe I just got lucky with a 25year iron blocked bricktank, but I wouldn't hesitate to recomend a 740T for cheap thrills.

the newer gens however...not so concinved..

We get people here that have had older Volvos and never done anything to maintain them. The car lasted forever.

They then apply that logic to the XC90 they bought 3rd hand 5 years ago.

Doesn't work so well.....

"I never did transmission flushes on my old 850...."

"Trust me, you WANT to on your XC90....."