What's Under the Hood?

AutoChallenged · Post by **AutoChallenged** » 12 May 2011, 19:39

Hello All.
My name is Jennie and I'm *sigh* auto-challenged.
I can drive with the best of them and I appreciate a beautiful car. I take care of Guy Noir (my 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo station wagon (with a new turbo)) the best ways I know how...and I keep him clean and even wax him! But I don't know much about much when it comes to the inner workings of a car.

To make a tragically long story short, I'm headed to Vegas next week for a do-over of my 21st birthday and I'm taking Guy Noir and my friend. But alas, my Dad lost the owner's manual for the Volvo and I was hoping someone could link me to a labeled diagram of what's under the hood; in case of emergency, you know?

Thanks so much!!!

(P.S. this is my first post and first day on the boards so sorry if I broke any unwritten or written rules :/)

Post by **kcodyjr** » 12 May 2011, 21:20

I've got to salute your will to reach out and look for this information.

However, there's nothing quick that we can point you to that will explain everything under the hood. Let's start with the basics.

Open the hood and stand in front of the car looking down. The "front" of the engine is actually off to your left, where those belts and pulleys are - it's mounted sideways. Sometimes the help docs will call it that, and other times "front" means just what you'd think it means.

The closest thing to you is a header panel where your headlights, air conditioner condenser, radiator, fan, and a whole bunch of circuitry gets mounted. It isn't part of the engine per se, but almost all of that is crucial to the engine running right, or at all.

The furthest thing from you, what looks like the back of the engine bay, is called the firewall, and does exactly that - separates you from an engine aflame. It's also a darned convenient place to mount things, as I'm sure you'll see. Above the firewall is a plastic "cowl cover", your wipers appear to be mounted on it (actually they just stick through), and that's where air gets drawn in for your driving comfort.

In that first gap between the header panel and the engine itself, you should see two dipsticks - little colored plastic rings that look like you can hook them with your finger. You can. The one on your left is engine oil, the one on your right is transmission fluid. Look just to the left of the oil stick up top, you'll see the power steering reservoir. Now look to the far left at the blue cap, that's where windshield washer fluid goes. Look immediately behind it, there's a black box. Your engine computer is in that, don't mess with it. Behind that, you'll see a small tank of (hopefully) greenish, bluish, or pinkish stuff, that's your coolant.

Now look to the opposite side, your right-hand, just in front of the firewall. You'll see another small tank containing a (hopefully) clearish fluid, that's your brake fluid. Moving toward the front of the car from there, the big black box contains your air filter, and in front of that, you'll see the battery.

To check the oil, do it cold or wait five minutes after the engine has run, pull the stick all the way out, wipe it clean with a dry rag, stick it all the way back in, and pull it out. Look where there is and is not oil. It should be near the top of the hash marks. It probably takes 10W-30 synthetic, but ask your usual oil change shop what they've been using. It fills through that big cap top and center of the engine.

To check the transmission fluid, drive for a good 20 minutes, then, without shutting off the engine, "cycle" the shifter - P, R, N, D, N, R, P, R, N, D ... for a few iterations. Then, still with the engine running, pull the stick out and look. Cold measurements are meaningless, ignore that part. The hot measurement should be within the marks, just like the oil stick. It takes Dexron-III and fills through that same tube, using a funnel.

To check the steering fluid, do it cold or let it sit 10 minutes after driving; wipe the area clean real good - contaminants kill steering systems - then just unscrew the cap and look. It also takes Dexron-III transmission fluid - do NOT use regular power steering fluid - and fills through that same cap.

You really can't check the washer fluid short of crawling under the car with a flashlight and really isn't needed. Just keep a gallon in the car for when you run out. The plain blue stuff is fine.

The coolant level is checked by looking through the side of that little tank, you should see the fluid level between the marks. Again, check with your regular mechanic in case he's using something exotic/incompatible like Pentofrost, but probably any premixed 50/50 will do, just keep a bottle in the car.

The brake fluid is also checked by looking through the side of the tank, it uses DOT-4 or higher brake fluid.

Be very very careful not to overfill any fluid, as bad things can happen; likewise don't let anything get too low, or even worse things will happen.

Last thing, from your position in front of the car, look to your far right corner, toward the edge of the cowl. That's your fuses. They come in 10, 15, 20, 30A sizes and are of the "blade" type. I recommend keeping a box of assorted spares in the car.

If your car is running like crap, making too much noise, or in any way misbehaving, the very first thing you do is check all of those fluids. The next thing you do is check for a dirty air filter - bang it out on something if it's excessive and you don't have a new one handy. Never run the engine without it. This paragraph applies to any car, any make, any vintage, anywhere.

There are many more things you ought to know about your Volvo if you do intend to take charge of its care, which I once again salute you for, and encourage; especially if you're into taking long trips with it.

I'm sure others will chime in.

ed7 · Post by **ed7** » 13 May 2011, 10:40

Here's the owners manual.
https://www.customers.volvocars.com/own ... 50_000.htm
Have fun!
Check back when you can.
Ed

daedalus · Post by **daedalus** » 13 May 2011, 16:39

kcodyjr wrote:I've got to salute your will to reach out and look for this information.

However, there's nothing quick that we can point you to that will explain everything under the hood. Let's start with the basics.

Open the hood and stand in front of the car looking down. The "front" of the engine is actually off to your left, where those belts and pulleys are - it's mounted sideways. Sometimes the help docs will call it that, and other times "front" means just what you'd think it means...............etc. etc.......

kcodyjr....very good tutorial. Informative and concise, yet easy to read for the self proclaimed novice. That's my chime!

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 13 May 2011, 17:23

On your way out pick up a Haynes manual for the 850 at any chain autostore. The first chapter has a nice diagram of all the major components in the engine bay, top and bottom.

Have a safe trip and welcome to MVS!

- Marcin

Post by **jt74** » 17 May 2011, 06:58

@kcodyjr, you sir are awesome. Well done.

@AutoChallenged, picking up the Haynes is the best thing you can do. Make sure you call your local store ahead of time though. At least here in Hawaii, I couldn't get one from any Napa, or Checkers and had to have it ordered but I was getting parts from FCP so I just got mine from them. Have a safe trip and good luck.

Johnny Cook · Post by **Johnny Cook** » 18 Sep 2012, 07:39

If you’re standing in front of the 850 Base 1997, looking down into the engine compartment at the engine itself, there is a component that is bolted onto the engine on the RIGHT SIDE toward the TOP next to the spark plug cover. It’s making a ticking sound. What is its function and why has it started this ticking sound?

(I’m not a member of the Gotti family so I don’t think it’s a bomb.)

Post by **jblackburn** » 18 Sep 2012, 09:16

Johnny Cook wrote:If you’re standing in front of the 850 Base 1997, looking down into the engine compartment at the engine itself, there is a component that is bolted onto the engine on the RIGHT SIDE toward the TOP next to the spark plug cover. It’s making a ticking sound. What is its function and why has it started this ticking sound?

(I’m not a member of the Gotti family so I don’t think it’s a bomb.)

Idle control valve; probably needs to be cleaned. It usually buzzes when the car is on, and controls the amount of air allowed through to keep the car at a steady idle.

The valve can be removed and cleaned with lots of carburetor cleaner.

Johnny Cook · Post by **Johnny Cook** » 18 Sep 2012, 09:48

Thanks so much. Where is this device located in reference to the throtle body itself? Is there a picture somewhere? When I removed the black plastic cowling everything looked clean and good. I located the section on "Accelerator cable removal/replacement in my Haynes manual, but I couldn’t find anything on the "Idle Control Valve." I’m assuming it is somewhere in this general vicinity.

Post by **jblackburn** » 18 Sep 2012, 09:50