Post: #26

So whats the solution for the oil lines?

Post: #27

You can still get new ones from the dealer or take the old ones to a hydraulic shop. The only reason I went the "refurb" route was downtime.

Post: #28

Understood. I think mine are leaking so maybe time to make some stainless ones?

Post: #29

That would be cool. If you end up making some, could you snap some pics of the process?

I was chasing a slight idle surge in this car tonight and tracked it down to a bad MAF. Someone who worked on it in the past swapped out the original part for a cheap aftermarket one, and given that it smells of ozone and the car runs better without it plugged in, I suspect it's probably toast. I have no idea how long it's been dead, but I'm glad I found it before I started turning up the wick.

Post: #30

Boring update. Replacement MAF was bad and I found a tear in the throttle body hose, but after a run to the junkyard and $25 I was back in business, and this thing's running better than ever. I think I'm going to rebuild the extra set of oil cooler lines I have with some good hose and T-bolt clamps. I have to take it all apart again anyway since the thermostat is leaking and I don't like the way the "refurbished" ones were built, so I figure it's worth it for safety and peace of mind.

There's a vibration in the front end that I think I've tracked down to the tie rod ends-there's detectable play in each wheel when shaken at 3 and 9. Hopefully replacing those makes it disappear since control arms are $$.

Post: #31

Since the weather was beautiful here tonight I decided to explore why the driver's door catch wasn't holding the door open. I knew something was seriously wrong given the noises it was making, but I wasn't expecting this:



The middle piece is part of the door and the bottom piece is part of the catch. The former had torn out of the door completely and the latter must have broken after that; the catch was just rattling around inside the door and keeping the window from going all the way down.

The sheetmetal is too mangled to economically repair the door; I'm going to have to find another. I can't believe Volvo used such thin metal in that spot.

Post: #32

Holy cow

Post: #33

I've also seen where the spot welds in the a-pillar break, near the door hinges and latch/catch. Seen it more on S/V70s than 850s, but both are the x70 platform so who knows. Makes for fun popping noises.

Post: #34

Those must have broken at some point too, since there's a couple tack welds on the bracket.

Post: #35

On the upside, the AC works really well.

Should make this an easier sell if I decide to ditch it, but I'm not sure I'm quite that frustrated yet.

Post: #36

Finally broke something AWD-related. A couple days ago, the driveshaft started hitting the inside of its tunnel at random, which made some fun noises. I removed it (which was a pain in the ass on jackstands) to find that the front CV joint was almost completely bound up. I'm going to get a rebuilt shaft from Colorado Driveshaft when I can afford it. I'd consider replacing the joints myself, but the kits to do so are around $220 from the dealer, so I wouldn't save anything by DIY'ing.

The driveshaft was only 5 years old and had a Volvo sticker on it, so the first owners must have spent a lot of money on the AWD system at some point. The viscous coupling looks brand new.

Post: #37

Gotta retract my last post. The noise I was hearing came from an axle nut that backed off slightly after I replaced a wheel bearing, not the driveshaft. Even with a jack handle over the end of my breaker bar, I guess I didn't get it torqued down enough.

In other wallet-draining news, I broke the temperature sensor for the automatic climate control. Over time, they fill up with dust and lint and stop working, but if you're not a ham-handed fool like me you can clean them. I gripped the wrong part of it while I was removing it and eviscerated it. Since there aren't any in the yards here, I had to get a new one from the dealer for a cool $120.

On the upside, I installed new Volvo plugs and spark plug wires and replaced the distributor cap and rotor, and it's running beautifully. I did a compression test earlier this summer and all 5 holes were in the 160PSI range, so for the mileage it's got a pretty healthy engine. With that in mind, I figure there's enough life left in it to justify refreshing the front suspension and taking care of a few other issues it has.

Post: #38

Next time you have something like that AC temp sender break, just post a wanted ad, or PM me. I have a plethora of spare FWD/AWD parts. I have broken a few of those AC temp senders while fumbling around the engine bay of my 850.

Post: #39

Will do. I just found a '99 XC parts car that I'm probably going to snag for the sheetmetal since it's dirt cheap and my car could use a few replacement body panels. It'll be nice to cure the rock acne on the hood and have some clean doors.

Post: #40

Zombie on the right. I'm not going to be able to use as much from it as I'd hoped, since a couple of the body panels have flaws that were hidden by the thick layer of dirt and sap that it accumulated while sitting under some trees at the PO's place. Can't complain for $400, though.

I'll take some before and after pics once I get things swapped around.

Post: #41

Is that the new house?!

Post: #42

Sure is! (our half, anyway)

Post: #43

Two car garage plus carport? Looks like some nice digs.

Post: #44

Thanks! The garage is actually only a one-car, but it's pretty spacious considering. The parts car is going in there this weekend, so I'll have a better idea of what it's like to work in there soon.

Post: #45

Oh nvm. Move out.

Post: #46

booking uhaul, brb

Post: #47

Got the rear passenger window working again, ditched the gooey master window switch and power mirror control, and swapped one of the mirrors out for one without roasted clear coat on the cap. Having a parts car rocks.

Post: #48

A couple weeks ago I noticed the car smelled of fuel after filling the tank completely, but didn't think too much of it. The smell came back after this week's fillup, so I decided to investigate and found fuel leaking from the sending unit lock ring on the driver's side. Apparently the gasket for the sending unit goes bad fairly often at this age/mileage, so I'm going to replace that and see if it cures it. I'm not ready to let this thing turn into a carbecue just yet.

Post: #49

Also check the J hose that goes to the evaporator. It can get cracked and will do the same thing. I know there was a recall on the 850s for bad mounts or something that would make this happen. You might want to check up and see if it applies to your car and see if its been done. If not, you might be able to have the dealer do it for free.

Post: #50

I replaced the gasket yesterday, but it probably wasn't the source of my issue. I used a screwdriver and hammer to break the lock nut on the tank loose and it only took a light tap to get it turning-it definitely wasn't as tight as it was supposed to be. Upon further inspection, the sender on that side was replaced in 2009 or thereabouts according to the date tag on its harness. Whoever replaced it must not have tightened the lock ring enough and it must have backed off over time, hence the leak. The old gasket was in good shape, but by the time I was far enough into the job to see it it didn't make any sense not to change it out.

The P0455 code that's been set since I got the car is gone (it would set almost immediately when I cleared it before) but now there's a P0171 code being set. Wondering whether it might be MAF-related, since the one in the car is from a junkyard 850 and I have no idea how old it is.