Hello, firstly i'd like to say thank you for a Volvo forum, great idea.
Also I wonder if I could see more pics of Tech's engine? seems really nice.

Ok back to me and my minor problems, I have an 850 GLT, Canadian Version , dated 1993 and has 308,000 km (191,382 miles) on the odometer. Extremely well maintained.

1. The a/c is dead, what is usual part that needs replacement, if that's possible to tell, and is it complicated to replace?

2. The Passenger Airbag cover is starting to unglue at the corners, therefore it is rising up at the corners, is there a glue I can buy ?

3. The passenger wiper raises up and doesn't touch the glass anymore when the wiper is fully extended before coming bacl to it's original place, any tricks to to fix this?

4. One front Head light has a cracked glass, can I change the Glass or must I change the lhead light system?

Thanks in advance, :blush:

1. The best thing to do for the A/C is to have it charged up and have dye installed.Then when it leaks out you will be able to find the leak fast.The 2 main things that go bad are 1. the evaperator core(the main one) 2. the a/c compressor.

2.The dealer has a repair kit to replace the air bag cover but it is a pain to do.You have to remove the entire dash cover to replace it.Im not sure if glue will just hold it.If you look close there is like a foam in there and if you glue it most likely it will just come apart again.

3.For the wiper you can remove the wiper arm.If you have a vise put a rag in the vise and leave it open some then stick the wiper arm in there and you will need to slightly bent it.I leave slack in the vise and put lightly and then stick it back on an try and then readjust if needed.

4.Im not sure if the dealer still offers the glass seperate or not but the blass does come off and can be replaced.You might have to find one in a salvage yard.

P.S The engine is technically my buddy's engine that I helped him build.Here is more pics of it.The engine with the blue intake is my engine.But it is not a Volvo thats why I didn't put it as my pic.

you can get the headlight gladd from the dealer or on ipdusa.com

I just had my A/C evaporator replaced this week by an indy garage. I was charged $858 including tax. It requires removing the whole dashboard. The last quote I got from the dealer was about $1200. The evaporator is the usual problem with 850's. I waited a couple of years of recharging before it wouldn't hold a charge and would just blow warm. It would be a good idea to try the dye first. Try recharging it too. It is easy to do yourself...I don't know what kind your year used. Mine uses R-134.

My airbag cover did the same thing but it was repaired under warranty. I would check with the dealer to see if it was actually a recall item. It was a defect...as well as the interior trim vinyl shrinking on the top of the doors near the locks. Those were replaced under warranty too. I doubt that it is a DIY job.

Most wiper problems with the 850 have to do with the driver's side...mine has always tended to not connect with the outer top corner of the windshield. The indy fooled with it and now it is better....He bent the base a couple of ways to make it work. Mine is a 95 so maybe 93 had different problems.

Same problem with the airbag cover (passenger side). Did your SRS warning light on the dashboard light up ?

If you had your airbag cover repaired on warranty - How long ago was the work done? And ... Did you buy your Volvo from the dealer or a private individual?

Thanks for your insight.

Patrick

Bought it from an individual

Never had it repaired (the airbag cover)

No light in dashboard as a warning of the airbag cover

Actually it ain't repaired yet :)

hope my answers were to the point

I once saw an 850 where the owner screwed in a small screw with a big 'head' (like the Thumb-tacks) over the airbag cover for the passenger side.

Risk is that it would be pointless as the airbag won't be able to blow-out in case of a collision. But he defended that the airbag has already blown out and has not been replaced. Well, his risk. :huh:

In mine, the gap is getting slightly visible now - especially that my daughter likes to pick on it everytime she sits in the front seat. But my specialist has alread offered a way to secure it back to place if it gets worse. But like Tech said, i don't think glueing would be a good longterm or even a mediumterm solution.

When I first went hunting for an 850, i noticed a lot (i mean, A LOT) of 850s with the airbag cover gaps. Well, in my country, it's usually hot all year round - couple that with the fact that the used-car dealers usually put to older volvos out in front under the sun. Is it any wonder...
:grin:

The airbag was replace during the first 4 yrs of ownership. I bought my 854T from an individual going through a divorce. The car had 12000 miles on it at the time. Volvo transferred the warranty. I had lots of thing replaced and repaired under warranty including that A/C cover. I don't recall if a warning light came on for that..I don't think so. It seemed to be more of a cosmetic flaw than a mechanical problem.

By the way...it is warm in Florida too, and my car is not garaged so it is exposed to the sun all day especially while I am at work.

That cover is not an actual peice of the air bad.It will not cause a warning light to come on.