New Member Area/Introduction

Feature my ride Mark forum as read and return

The common question. I'm buying a used Volvo model xxxx. What should I look for?

The short answer is a:

Full Service History (FSH)

Volvo's need servicing just like anyother car. If you are buying a used Volvo and the seller says: "it's a wonderful car. It just goes and goes. I've not had to spend a cent on it in the last two to three years!" Beware!

The car may be coming up for some very expensive repairs which the seller does not want to pay for or does not have the money to pay for the repairs.

Suppose the car you are buying is less than $4,000.00 and several years old. You might be stretching things if the car has had several different owners by demanding all the Receipts and paper work which may have been lost over the years. Let's face it, if the radiator was replaced 280,000k's ago-it might need replacing again. And all the original paper work and receipts now don't lessen the burden of replacing it again. That is simply an example only.

Having a pre-purchase examination by your local Automobile Association or similar organisation has it's advantages. They are inspecting cars all the time and have the equipment to do the job properly, e.g. lifts, inspection pits etc.

Once the inspection is finished-take the report to your local Volvo agent and have the agent cost up the report for repairs/replacements/updates etc. At the same time, ask the Volvo agent to look for common problems which the Agent would know about and the inspection service may have missed in their report.

HOW MUCH TO PAY?

Take the sellers asking price

minus the Volvo agent's quote

minus another $1,000.00 buffer for things the inspection missed (you could increase that $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 if none or few of the Volvo periodic services have been done)

Whatever is left over-that is the price you offer the seller.

WHAT EXACTLY AM I PAYING FOR WHEN I BUY A USED CAR?

You are paying the seller the perceived value of the life left in the car.

(If you are buying a classic car-none of the above rules apply.) Pricing/costing enthusiasts/collectors values is beyond this article.

These remarks apply regardless of whether or not the particular Volvo you are thinking about buying is:

Turbo or non-Turbo
Petrol or Diesel
Manual (Stick-Shift) or Auto (Gearless)
Front Wheel Drive
Rear Wheel Drive
All Wheel Drive
Sedan, Coupe, Station Wagon, Convertible, SUV.

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Questions like:

"I'm thinking about buying a 1993 Volvo 850 Turbo, what should I look for?

You cannot be expected to know how to diagnose normal wear and tear of the transmission, turbo and suspension etc etc. You cannot be expected to recognise a faultless and fully serviceable car either.

What should I look for? The Volvo agent. Why? Normally, the agent has a reputation too good to loose. It is rare that they would miss something and not remedy the situation if you were to suffer lose because of their negligence. (I realise that there are exceptions to all these remarks. Please don't fill the forum with one off examples of disasters.) Mistakes do happen. Ask any doctor if you don't believe me!! I doubt that any agent would deliberately mislead you.

Check the dash board for bits of tape overing warning lights. Taping over warning lights with expensive repairs required is becoming common.

These remarks are for guidance only.

Cheers

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Do not post here for questions and technical matters. There are other sections in this forum for that. When you do, use the "Topic Title" wisely. eg. Please Help!!! (BAD); Displayed Bulb Position Failure (GOOD - title is more descriptive not general). Also search before posting. Chances are that you are not the first to ask.
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Post here only for the introduction of yourself and your car. You may want to mention
- model, year, color, price you paid.
- where you are, your commute, purpose of the car.
- what made you decide Volvo over another make.
- what made you select that particular model.
- what you use to drive or any other cars you own.
- any project (if any) you might have for further improvements, etc.

Hi all .. just a quick hello !

Should be picking up my td v40 in a couple of weeks .. can't wait !

Previously had a volvo 440 (saved my life!) and a 850 2.5 .. .

Hopefully be able to contribute a little and learn a lot !!

Iain

Glad to have found this forum. This is the first Volvo I have owned and love my car. Hoping to learn everything I need to know to keep my car running as long as possible.

Thanks.

Just a quick heads up - one of the last questions in the registration process to stop spam is 'What year was it last year'?

It took me 3 attempts to figure out the answer was '2011'.

Hello all; new to this forum, but not forums in general, looking forward to sharing and gaining knowledge.

Greetings everyone.

Proud new owner of a 2012 Volvo XC 60 R-Design in Toronto, Canada. Electric Silver.

Picking the car up next week form Uptown Volvo in Montreal.

First drive will be the road trip back to Toronto.

I look forward to learning about the new car with the help of this forum.

Regards,

Mike

Hi I'm from Mexico last weekend I bought a red Volvo V50 AWD 2005, used to replace our last theft auto (nissan ad resort 94)

my family and I decided to buy the volvo because is the best choice on security equipment and comfort, nissan is our primary make, but here in mexico never sell the wagon family, vw sucks in their wagon as chevrolet or ford, so the volvo increases a lot of good things for my family.

maybe after know more about engine i could think on begin performance modifications, i really love to modify cars (nissan SR20 is my favorite hehe)

thanks for read.

Hi All!

I'm new to the world of Volvo - I bought my 1988 245 DL off of eBay last summer. It's got a 4spd w/ overdrive and the odometer doesn't work but it has at least 155K on there.

Now that I've had the clutch replaced, it's actually enjoyable to drive haha. From what I've been reading, these cars are good candidates for stance so I'm trying to learn more about fitment, rake, etc. I haven't made any mods to the suspension other than having the rear springs replaced. It's sitting at stock height on 14" Volvo rims but I'd like to drop it and tuck some 15"/16", maybe widened...

[attachment=10460:volvo245.jpg]

Hello everyone,
These forums always come up in my google searches, and seem to be the most professional and heavy knowledgable. So, I figured I might as well become a member.
Plus I was trying to view a wiring diagram, and was told I needed to be a member....
I am on my 2nd Volvo Brick. I had a 1992 silver 740, near mint condition. I flipped that at 70MPH which is why I bought another Volvo... what a lifesaver.

I am now the owner of a 1993 Volvo 240. Blue on blue, I like the styling, factory upgraded wheels are a nice appearance touch. Florida car, no rust. Unfortunately it seems heavily abused compared to other Volvos I have worked on. I now have a love/hate relationship with this car. When it runs and drives... I love it. But more and more often... I hate it. I'll be pokin around here a lot trying to solve my relentless problems with this old car.

Glad to be a member of another Volvo community!

Hello members , I have read a lot in the forum and get some helpful tips. For this I want to thank you! I started with a Volvo V40 1.9l 140 hp . Since the beginning of the year I drive a V40 T4 1.9l turbo 200 hp . that's one of the best cars I've ever driven. I uploaded a small video on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaVB3L6DnWs...eature=youtu.be

Greetz

Hello everyone!--Jordan im 22,

i recently purchased a 60's 142s. I was listening to my local swap shop and heard that a 1965 volvo was for sale (real cheap) and decided what the heck, ill check it out!. when i pulled up i seen the car sitting in the woods, and i think i fell instantly in love.

2 door coupe, 4 speed trans, and 4 wheel disc brakes?! too cool man!! it need more body/metal work than anything i looked the engine and carbs and trans over and knew, with some fresh gas she'll run!!, 20 minutes with new line and gas she fired up no electrical cleaned no knocks!!.

long story short i want to restore it!! I do not know any resto tips engine rebuild tips, where to find certain parts so that brings me here!!, If parts are possible, then i will share the build here , but any help or and tiny bit of info about these and my car would be helpful thanks

VIN-1423441>043995

color-79
upholst-601-560
S-5372

#'s on Manifold:
1-41b or 8 258
205

Block:
4968 LBG
419330 B18 or b

Hello people, I am quite new here, I started this post, just want to say hello.
See you.
__________________
http://www.3dautofloormats.com

Hello all!

I have a 2004 S40 1.9L Base in Blue that I picked up for a commuter car. It was picked up with less than 45K miles on it in 2012 with decent history. This is my first Volvo and expect to keep it for a while so the wife can stay safe on the way to school. I come in search of a community where questions can be asked and suggestions provided. I hope to share my experiences and help others too!

G'day, I am a proud owner of a 95 Volvo 960 for the past 9 years, And was introduced to this forum In the search for technical advise.

Hi everybody, so I'm new to the Volvo world and loving this car!! It's a 96' 850 Turbo. Just wanted to say hi

Hello everyone, we just bought our first Volvo. It's a 2001 C70 convertible. Love it so far... Nice to have the top down on a beautiful March evening.

Hey y'all...

From Georgia, can't you tell? Picked up our "new" 1993 850 from my mom last week. This car has been in the family since new. Brother bought it new in 93, "sold" to Mom in 02 with 176,000 on it. Mom barely drives 800 miles a year. Now she feels like she doesn't need to be on the road anymore (will be 80 next month), so she "sold" it to me for our daughter to drive to college.

Car drives very well, handles nicely. A few somewhat minor issues that I'm working out before it heads to college, so I will be calling on you guys a lot for advice.

Would love to know of any typicals to watch for or look at... I just got through cleaning up and improving the PNP switch, and the alternator was loosing a bearing, so that's been handled. Oh yeah, a new radiator and hoses, too.

Look forward to meeting y'all as time goes.

David

Hi guys,

I got my 2006 XC90 last year which was my dream car when it was introduced..
Just starting to figure out 'low oil pressure' message' and decided to jump onto this forum.

One message to site admin: you guys are asking what was the last year but the answer is not 2012 it is a year prior to that..please fix for the new registers!

Hello all. My name is Stefan Purington and i am new to forums but not to Volvos. I currently own 3 240dl wagons in silver, red, and blue, and love them all. I am gaining knowledge every day about the how to's of Volvos and figured that this would be a great place to learn even more.[attachment=10376:photo.JPG]

Hello! I'm new here.

I'm a young volvo enthusiast as far as volvo enthusiasts go. At 23 I've owned two volvos, first was a 1968 122s from which I experienced everything from hot-wiring to a breakdown on the richmond bridge. It was a great car, but after a bit of trouble I had to give it up.

I now own a volvo 1970 142s, which is what brings me to this forum!
Today while driving the quarter window fell off - and shattered. I'm looking to find a replacement back quarter window. If you have a good lead, let me know!!

The car has run great - and now I've put a couple thousand miles on it during roadtrips it's starting to need a good tune up.
Timing, spark plugs, oil, etc. i can take care of, but it might need a bit more love than that.

These classic volvos have been great to me, and in the process I've learned a bit more about cars than i'd intended. Though I'm very glad to learn more!

-Travis

Hi, Need help please. I have 2004 reg Volvo XC90. Last few days I am having problem with the ignition key. The key goes from position 1 to 2 smoothly but it’s very rigid to go from position 2 to 3. The engine starts without any problem but I have to slightly turn the key in anticlockwise (reverse) direction (at position 3) to get power to electrical items(lights/fan/seat heater etc). Is there any fix to make it turn smooth from position 2 to 3 OR I will have to replace the ignition key assembly?
How much does it cost in UK if I take it to Volvo dealer?

Hey there. Im from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
I just bought a 1993 volvo 850 GLT
automatic. white. 90k miles!
it was sitting on my friends yard with a problem from the transmission for two years.
It just had new tires, brakes changed, starter done, before the tranny was giving out. so they parked it forever.
I bought it for 300$ and went and got a battery from sears and it started right up and drove it home.

The fuel pump gave out, so i changed it and along with the fuel filter.

Everything runs great!! the stereo is superb!!

Some minor things are wrong with it. Like the driver door wont open from the inside and the ac controls are broken. But not a hard thing to fix.

I do have experience with cars and my daily is a chevy xtreme lol (eats to much gas and is for sale) and my toy is a 1982 Toyota celica supra.
http://www.celicasupra.com/forums/showthre...-upgrade-thread
thats the link for that car. anyways.

i was just happy i came along and found this website. i hope i could learn a lot (which i already have), and maybe and some knowledge on my part.
Here is the link of what i posted and what im going into fixing now. Hopefully i will make some threads later on how i went threw on fixing things if i cant find it on here already. THanks!!
http://www.volvo-forums.com/t40159-another...w-questions.htm

Hi all from australia found this forum after looking up the problem with my 95 volvo 850 SE sedan thought id join since i have never had a volvo before today don't know what else to say about myself

Hi my name is Anna, I am a qualified beauty therapist, and have had a lot of experience in the Clip in Hair Extensions and beauty industry over the last 10 years. I am a Volvo user and I am using the car for more than 6 years. I am new here in this forum. I have a business about Clip in Hair Extensions in United Kingdom.

I'm purchasing a garage kept 2001 C70 with approx 90k, at the moment there is an
oil leak and the engine is shaking like a chihuahua so I'll be knocking at your
door for assistance ... looking forward to learning much :-) [will post pix soon]

Newbie here! I'm Hector from Cherrington and it's nice to be here.

Hello, I've owned my Volvo DL 240 1990 for 4 years now. I've gone through some minor repairs. I just wanted to get intouch with others that may help me along the way. It is winter here in Michigan and older Volvos tend to have issues with water and what not. As of right now mine will not start. I just replaced the alternator. Does anyone have any input as to what I could do to better prepare this car for wet winters? So it will start more consistently?

Hello all, new here, recently picked up our 2005 XC90 family wagon, a new baby and 2 older kids, and my Mini Cooper JCW just wasn't cutting it!
Anyway, drove it back from Sydney the other day, and have noticed a funny sort of pulsing idle when stationary, more pronounced when the A/C is on, quite weird.

Now, have never owned a Volvlo before, my other car is an Audi and certainly doesn't idle like this one: any ideas? Has just clicked over 111,000KM, and other than that feels quite smooth given its age. After reading some of the horror stories about the T6 transmission issues I'm hoping this is something simple.

Appreciate any advice available?

Cheers

Hello from Chicago,

I'm an Army Reservist (12T- Technical Engineer), father of one and just purchased a white on tan '99 S70 AWD as the new family car. The car looks pristine, but is not without its faults as I am sure any used Volvo is.

My first was a '90 or '91 740 GLE in very bad shape and didn't make it too far, but it sparked my love affair with Volvo. That was almost 10 years ago. My current one is brand new in contrast and I am eager and willing to keep her going so she can get me through the next four years (or more) while I finish school.

This is my first taste of "luxury" and I am relishing it. I hope to gain some good advise from as many fellow enthusiasts here as possible and learn some new things about my car along the way.

Cheers!

I am in the market for a used Volvo turbo wagon, and i figure this site would help along the way,,,,,im not sure how good these things are, but i sure like the way they look!!!

Hello dudes,
I am Tom from Leeds, UK. I wanna help my father to buy a car and become experienced car owner.
Hope to be useful here.

Regards,

Sang679

My name is Adam and I just purchased a 1994 Volvo 940 wagon, non turbo, auto transmission. It has 250k miles and runs better than I expected, except for the random no starts which I'm assuming is the fuel pump relay. I bought the car because my Great Dane doesn't fit in my other car, but now that I've been reading about these cars I want to make it a little more fun to drive (turbo and suspension maybe).
I've moderated a Lancer forum and am a member of a Chevy forum so I'm hoping to learn a lot about my new car here and eventually help contribute.

Hi there everyone!!
We are an agent for RICA Tuning. We have joined this forum to participate in the online Volvo community. Any questions that we can help with please ask!! We look forward to getting to know some of you!
Hope your all having a good day!!!
Vikki

Hi my XC60 drivers side door mirror has packed up, it will not retract or open up with the alarm,it will not even work when you press the L and R buttons, also the mirror its self will not work. the other side works okay, does any one know if there are seperate fuses for the mirrors or where to start looking. I do not want to start taking things apart untill I have a idea of what i am looking for and where

Thanks Mick

Hi all.
Just bought my first ever volvo. A 1992 440 1.7.
Thought it might be a good idea to join as I am bound to need help at some time or another.
Plus I'm happy to pass on any experiences that I have along the way if it helps anyone.
Simon (simples)

Hello!
I'm a Newbie. Just bought our second Volvo. It is a 2009 XC 90, and so far we LOVE it! Can't wait to take her on a road trip!

Hi just joined. ..I have a well liked and loved 2003 S60. I dont do my own repairs but have read the forum when something is amiss.

Hi guys, just to say that I`ve finally joined the forum - I have 2 Volvo`s in the stable, 1 x 2004 XC 90 D5 and a 2005 S 40 2.4i. Very happy with the Volvo`s. I need some assistance with the XC 90. The passenger side front window has decided to run out of the rubber channel and I will have to remove the door panel but don`t know how. Can some one help please??

Hello my fiancé and I own a 1990 Volvo 240DL. We named her Betty White. We both LOVE her very much!! The only problem that we keep having is the very last fuse, the one that controls the right tail light-console lights, keeps popping. We get numerous compliments and offers to buy her almost every time we go downtown!! Love her and want to treat her good! We only run PREMIUM!! VROOOOOOM......

Just bought 2003 s 80 2.9 non turbo, and the steering wheel jerks around over bumps and anything slick (ie snow leaves water). What should I look to fix.

Hi ,
Can any body tell me if the gearbox that is in our 02 model s60 awd (aisin 55-50sn ) is compatable with any other newer models.
I am looking for alternatives to repairing the existing box . Every repairer quotes a figure of $4800 and I was hoping to get a box from the wreckers . They are quoting $1400 however I need to know what will fit . even if I have to change cpu.
popeye2

Hi Everyone,

I just joined this forum some minutes ago, live in Lagos and an owner of a 2004 XC90 T6 AWD, just barely getting to know the car for a couple of days after delivery to me, started to hear a knocking sound from the front passenger seat when on rough roads, and this morning check engine warning sign remained on while driving out, had to park the car at home.

Apologies for getting to know me with problems, but i will need all the help you can afford me.

asa

I have a 2003 Volvo S40 4 cyl. 1.9L FI Turbo which takes about 15 to 20 minutes to start sometimes.
Once it finally starts it may run really rough and you have to keep the engine revved up to keep it running, then it seems to run OK. After the engine is warm usually it will start again OK until I get off work and try to start it again. This morning was 32 Degrees outside and it started fine.(weird)
My check engine light came on so I took it by Oreilly's so they could diagnose and they came up with code P0107 which the Oreilly guy mentioned maybe "low pressure input" MAF ? Any suggestions?

good to see you,and that is it..

Hello all,

I picked up my 87 240 Dl 5-speed in March. So far I love the car get tons of complements on it. I have struggled through a few things but think Ive got a good handle on the car now.

-J.p.

hi there just saying hello as a new member,just picked up a new project today volvo 164 3.0 6 cylinder in maroon.just thoght i wood show you a pic of it thanks. stephen.

Hello happy owners ^^

I'm glad to join your community with my brand new C70
My name is thibault,38 y.o and I live in France in the south suburb of Paris.

Roads are more beautiful when you have no roof

See ya and greetz from Paris