I am finally a Volvo owner! What now?

[xHeart]

Is this link helpful http://www.ipdusa.com/products/4709/109 ... ight-bulbs ?

The dealership can be helpful, read them your VIN# and title info, they should be able to pull your radio code at no cost to you.

[abbeyforbes]

Got my radio code! Now I can say all my interior parts work!

On to the bad news. The rattling that I thought was the heat shield, is actually the catalytic converter. The side seam is spitting air and water (slightly) and there's something rattling around in there. What should I do? My hubby says they are expensive and you can just take it off and punch it out? Please forgive my ignorance on the subject.

Also, it appears that the power steering fluid is leaking. There is a ton of fluid dripping off the bottom of the car and pretty much all the ps lines I can see are wet, although I cannot identify the actual source of the leak. Oy.

[precopster]

Have a look at the Magnaflow range of converters. There's quite afew on eBay. You'll need to match length and outlet/inlet size, of course. They don't cost the earth and you help to save it at the same time by buying one. Or a used one perhaps??

OK off my soapbox now, as for the the PS leak check the fluid reservoir for a nice big crack, especially where the hose clamps due to overtightening. You may have to remove it totally and degrease it to check it out fully. PS fuid can run everywhere so degrease the whole thing before trying to find that one. With the engine running check the highest point first (reservoir) then look at the line entry/exit points on the rack.

Sounds like a great car. I miss my 740 wagon, but my 960 makes up for it.

[abbeyforbes]

will do, thanks!!

[JimBee]

I can relate to the feeling of vehicular ecstasy abby expresses. I felt that way when I bought my first Volvo in 2008—a '93 emerald green 850 GLT 5 speed smooth-shifting manual with clean sport wheels. I'd never seen one quite like that before. When I drove it, I felt the flush of a teenager when I first took the family car for a spin (a '49 Chevy). Excitement. But the Volvo feel was different in many ways that were smoothly integrated for a totally unique experience. The 850 had missing lights, a broken sun roof, leaky camshaft seals and a few other repairable issues; but it drove like a beautifully engineered machine. And it still does. And pushing 20 years old, washed up with those little things long ago fixed, it still out-shines most of the cars in the supermarket lot, which btw sees quite a few Volvos come and go in the course of a day. This is Minnesota—Volvo country. Wishing Abby a long and happy experience with her "new" one.

[bigkev414]

Some of them had a coating on the inside of the fuel tank which deteriorates and causes the in tank pump inlet to clog....causes the car to run ok for a while and then act like it's run out of gas. Turn off and wait, and away it goes. I bought one that did it and it nearly drove us NUTS till we found that out. If the pump (the in tank one - there are two) has been changed maybe whoever did it was trying to fix this fault, or disturbed the sediment in the bottom of the tank. Other guys will know which year models had that 'iffy' tank. Anybody? keep persisting; once it's right it will last forever!

[abbeyforbes]

Thank you JimBee, while everyone in my circle is supportive, no one quite understands my love affair with this car, Volvo owners though, they get me

bigkev, you may be on to something, as the guy who sold it to me claims to have changed the tank and the fuel pump. If he did, then he used an old one, or had the existing one redone, b/c it blends with all the other stuff under there, and the fuel pump noise is pretty loud, after market for sure. After I change the converter and fuel filter, if the problem still exists, then I'll check your solution, thanks for the tip!!

I love how easy the seats flip around, and the controls for the in dash clock? Genius. The whole car feels STURDY when I'm driving, I feel safe and in control, whereas with my focus I always felt like I was going to rattle off the road.

A friend of mine has offered to bring me a power washer and help my spray off the engine, I definately want to clean things up under the hood, but is this a good idea with all those 20 year old wires and conectors?

[writer100]

Don't use a pressure washer under the hood--it is too strong. However, with a garden hose you can use gunk and other such cleaners, after you carefully wrap up electrical components. But be careful--you're not putting out a fire!

[fazool]

With the engine off, spray the electrical wires and connectors and such with WD-40. its a water repellent ("water displacer" is where the name originated).

Then warm the engine up.

Turn it off and spray a heavy soak of Simple Green on all the messy spots. Its environmentally friendly and biodegradable. Let it soak for a bit.

A weak power washer would be OK or a wide fan nozzle.

[acools]

Here is a cat for less than $70 dollars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnaflow-Unive ... 328wt_1141