New Owner with a Few Questions

[ProStreetDriver]

Hello all,

Well I just bought my first Volvo.. It's a 1996 850 turbo with an automatic and 201km. Bought it off a Volvo dealer who was going to scrap it because they couldn't get it running properly. Apparently the car didn't run so I had then give it a boost to make sure the timing belt wasn't broken and the car actually fired right up and ran perfect. Soon as the guy took the booster pack off, the car quit.

1. So I put a new battery in the car. The original looked older and also had a wreckers number on the side of it.. I figured it was a cheap to replace and it's a little assurance that it won't cause any problems down the road. Every single light is on the dash (cel, e-brake, fuel, coolant, battery, alternator, etc). I also did a multimeter test while the car was running and it isn't even charging(both with and without a load). The guy that drove it at the dealer said the car just stopped while driving.

2. A/C also apparently doesn't work... I've been reading and it's either the evaporator, leak in the system, low freon, or the compressor.

3. Blow motor doesn't work either. I turn the switch on and I can hear a relay clicking. I'm thinking it's either a seized motor (but wouldn't the fuse blow???) or the resistor block.

4. Rest of the car is actually in good condition besides the clear coat pealing and the trunk lid. The only bad spot is the corner of the trunk... It's actually rotten the corner and it's too hard of a spot to weld. So I wanted to swap out the lid for one off another car that is the same color. The dealer that I bought the car from has a parts one that is the same color and with no rust. But it's older and has the other style taillights. I do like the older taillights and I heard they are a direct swap, is that correct???. And will the trunk lid also fit from an older model???

5. Front seats are also a little rough... I would fix the originals but this is an excuse for an upgrade :P I've heard the S70 seats are a direct fit. Is this true??? What about the electrical too??? I would go to s60 seats as there is a parts car available. But they have airbags and that just equals more weight.

6. The stereo also won't turn on either. I was wondering of the car was in some sort of safety mode from the alternator not charging. The little red light does flash with the key off and once I turn the key on, it's off. I to giggle the ignition switch and no luck. Also tried to turn it on and press buttons to enter the code and still nothing. Any ideas???

Story for the long read... If anyone can help me out with the issues above, that would be greatly appreciated.

Also, pictures to follow...

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pro_street427/Project%20V96T/image3.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pro_street427/Project%20V96T/image4.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pro_street427/Project%20V96T/image6.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pro_street427/Project%20V96T/image5.jpg

[glock19]

1. Even without charging (damaged alternator), the car should start with a new battery. So with a booster pack, it's the same scenario. Replacing the alterbator should do the trick.

2 & 3 - You guessed it

4. Trunk lids should be the same but for the lamp assembly, take the whole thing plus the wire connectors. It might be different on the connector part

5. 850 seats are interchangable with the s70 but becareful on the air-bag models. Wrong wires could casue the SIPS air-bags to deploy. S60 models are different and will call for some modifications

6. The stereo is coded. You'll need a 4-digit pin number to get it running. Usually just replace it with a single-disc MP3 player/radio

[martybelfastt5]

think everything is coverd above the car itself dosent look too bad 850R spoiler too,,nice

[t5_monkey]

welcome! Ontario, they will be snow tyres then ? :) My bro lives in Victoria.

Looks like a good little project to keep you busy.

[Rhys]

Sometimes the stereo code is written on the stereo itself - pull it out and have a look.
Aircon, be lucky to have it working lol. The aircon rad sometimes gets covered in crap if theres no filter under the bonnet - my 850 one is full of feathers/leaves and other crap so doesn't work. Not checked the V70 but wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't similar.

[Porcine_Aviator]

:wave23d: :wave23d: :welcome: :wave23d: :wave23d:

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10139&d=1296774807

The aircon rad could have a hole in it which which would mean it would need to be changed. There are three rads, aircon, oil cooler and main engine.

[ProStreetDriver]

Thank you everyone :)

I got the alternator out last night... Took me about 3hrs and such a tight job.

Probably the best thing to do with the a/c is fill it up with dye and see if it's leaking.

I need to find some rims for it so I won't chew up the winter tires that are on it right now. Hopefully it's good in the snow considering the winters here get pretty bad. Yep, and it has the R spoiler too... It was actually requested by the owner to put on at new. The dealership I bought the car from was the one that sold it when it was brand new. It was a family owned car (son bought it new and gave it to his parents after). I've always loved European cars and had a couple previously... First Volvo though. This will be replacing my Subaru. I was impressed how quick it was and it handles great too.

[ProStreetDriver]

Here is some more pictures btw... Worst spot besides the rust on the truck lid is the crunch in the door. Right now I'm on the hunt for a decent quality body hammer... Who knew they were so hard to find. http://s237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pro_street427/Project%20V96T/ Ignore the junk in the trunk... I was working on another car and I needed a quick spot to put the stuff lol.

Dropped the alternator off today for a rebuild. Slip rings and bearing is gone.

Oh I forgot to ask previously... How do I remove the stereo??? I tried to push in the little tabs on each side with my finger, they are springy, but not popping out. I'm assuming I'm not pushing them in far enough.

[M-R-P]

Welcome along.
I can't help with your stereo issues but I know the hell involved in bringing a volvo back to life ;)

[glock19]

Yes, you need to push the tabs in until it pops up to reveal two holes for the fingers' entry. Wrigle the radio using these holes and it'll come out ... eventually :)

[ProStreetDriver]

I have one more question...

I was talking to a friend and he was saying Volvo sold extra packages which included some upgrades. Now I was thinking of lowering my car, but it seems to sit lower than other ones I've seen in other pictures. The other thing I also noticed was the big exhaust tip which seems to come on the T5R's. Does anyone have any info on this and would it say in the vin???

[burnout8488]

Replacement seats should be from a 98 S70 only, or any 850. 99+ are computer controlled whereas 98 and lower use inertia to activate the bags. (as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong)

Throw a pressure gauge on the A/C before filling it with dye, if there's no obvious visible damage to the A/C system. If it's low or empty, go the dye route to find the leak. (Evaporators in the cabin are known to rot out) If it appears full, consider shimming the A/C clutch. If the clutch gap is too high, it won't engage, even if the system has enough pressure.

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/80181-850-ac-clutch-gap-fix/page__p__1040333#entry1040333

Make sure you check your battery and alternator cables too, they're prone to failure. Open up the fusebox lid and see if the cable connection is burnt or frayed. This could be contributing to a charging problem as well.

Do at least 2 drain-and-fills of the transmission. There's no filter to worry about (internal) and it uses Dexron-III fluid. 4-5qts will come out when you remove the 22mm drain bolt. Replenish the fluid lost, then drive it around for awhile. Repeat as many times as your wallet allows in order to get clean red fluid! (Though 3 should be enough)

[JT]

Welcome! :)

I swapped my tail lights with no problems or modifications.
http://m1198.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/johnnytempest/untitled-1.jpg.html
http://m1198.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/johnnytempest/IMG_0071.jpg.html

Good luck
JT

[ProStreetDriver]

Good news... New alternator is in and the car runs perfect now. Now the next step will be solved the other gremlins.

I also found a switch above my headlights which appears to be for fog lights, yet the car doesn't have any. A little read light, lights up on the cluster which I believe is next to the high beam light. Unless this is for the wipers???

[Aussie T5]

That sounds like your rear fog light switch, it illuminates on the instrument cluster, and should illuminate one rear fog light in your case I think left side rear.

[t5 stealth]

welcome :)

[T5frankie]

welcome to the club

[ProStreetDriver]

It is a rear fog light :D Only on the driver's side though... Is it possible to wire the other side in also???

Radio is now working and I have pulled off all the door trim and front bumper so I can redo all the trim.

[Aussie T5]

Probably not a good idea, (in regards to local laws and other road users).
However check it out..


http://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-850-16/dual-rear-fog-lamp-mod-62340/

[glock19]

The wiring is ready for either side of the rear lamp cluster. Maybe, just maybe you need to bore out the reflector base to accommodate the bulb. Otherwise it's just to turn a bulb in

[y2blade]

Welcome along :) nice looking car you have there.

[ProStreetDriver]

I didn't really want to make a new thread, so I'll continue on with this one...

Been slowly poking away fixing up my car.

Just got the blower motor out today. Weirdest thing happened. As I was pulling it out, it seemed like it was stuck, by the time I got it out, it seemed to of loosened up. So I reconnected the plugs and was going to turn the ignition on to see if it was going to work. Well before I even had a chance to turn the ignition on, it started working. Good thing I didn't have my fingers near it! So I turned the ignition on and it stopped... I grabbed the unit and then it started working again. The plug housing on the back doesn't make a proper connection for some reason. Should it be working when the car is off also???