1997 850 t5

longtall245 · Post by **longtall245** » 25 Apr 2005, 11:02

1997 volvo 850 T5 sedan they are asking just under 4000 dollars for it, it has 163,000 miles. Good deal? I currently have a 1995 volvo 850 GLT wagon with 230000 miles on it? Contemplating on whether I should take the sedan instead. Love to hear your opinions!

jaljamma · Post by **jaljamma** » 25 Apr 2005, 12:56

I have a 97 850 T5 and I love it. be ready to spend some mony , but you will be smiling.

White850Turbo · Post by **White850Turbo** » 26 Apr 2005, 05:37

I would say that's a good buy if the car is in decent shape. Ask them if the ABS module has been fixed. If it hasn't, tell them to take another $125 off the price 'cause that's what it'll cost to fix. Cracking of the PCB board of the ABS module on '96 and '97 850's is eventual, which will cause the ABS to not work, though you will still have use of the regular non-ABS brake system.

Black850 · Post by **Black850** » 26 Apr 2005, 06:43

White850:

Could you expand on the abs module problem? My abs/tracs lights will come on from time to time when drving but go off after some rest. I think part of it was because I switched to ceramic pads in the winter and they tend to heat up more than regular pads so it sets the tracs light off. Anywa any other info would be appreciated on the problem you described.

White850Turbo · Post by **White850Turbo** » 26 Apr 2005, 09:38

http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/abstrax.php <--- Rich describes the problem better than I can in this link.

Here is a diagram of the affected part:

Part #6 in the diagram is the culprit. Basically, there is a little circuit board in there that can develop small cracks in it over the years from heat, moisture, and all of the other elements. This of course means that circuits cannot be completed and things just don't work right. Removal of the module requires a special tool. IPD sells the tool needed for removal, but you may be able to find it for a much better price at Sears or some other tool store

Keep in mind that this is only a problem on '96 and newer model 850's and also affects some '98 S70's. '99 and newer have a completely different design, but are still prone to failure occasionally, though not as frequently as the earlier designs.

There are several people who repair the modules for a fair price. The most reputable one out there is a guy named Victor. There are others that do it for a bit cheaper, but Victor's work is top notch from what I've heard. He has listings on eBay for repairing the modules. Here is one of them.