Looking at a 97 850 sedan, any issues I should look for?

[xHeart]

Besides the timing belt, what other parts are needed for a TB job? Thanks, Dave

I'm taking the car to my mechanic in the AM. I'm 90% sure the TB wasn't done. It's 18K overdue.

Will a AT fluid change risk problems? I've heard of AT's that were fine until the fluid was changed.

It is likely loosing coolant and engine oil slowly that you may not notice at this time.

[burnout8488]

Here's a tidbit: Ever see a Volvo on here with a broken timing belt? No?

Granted, they should be replaced early, but these belts don't seem to break, even with 150K+ on them. I know the tensioner and idler pulleys have the potential to fail, but it's not the end of the world that the belt has 88K on it.

There was recently a pic posted on VolvoSpeed of a belt with 185K on it. It was cracked, but the thing still held on for dear life. It was an OE Volvo belt. Tensioner, water pump, and idler pulleys were all original as well.

Re: Transmission

You have no reason to worry whatsoever. Period. Do a drain and fill of the fluid a few times and you'll be set for the next 30-40K. They're rock solid.

[wheelsup]

$3500 from a dealer would be a fair price for that car on the market. Chances are he bought the thing for $1k though. Or less. I bet there is room from the $4200 but he might come down to say $3800-$3900. For me, if I wanted the car, I wouldn't let another $400 (or less) stop me. You are buying this car conceivably for the next what 5-10 years of ownership?

The older these cars get the harder it will be to find lower mileage, well taken care of examples.

[Spiney]

Well I'm not buying this 850. My mechanic checked it out this morning. He found an oil leak. Without putting more time into it he couldn't tell which seal was leaking. But the whole bottom of the engine & transmission was covered in oil. It also needs the timing belt, serpentine belt, and bushing on a tie rod end. The dealer would only budge $300

Salesman went from real friendly to real cold once I told him this. Shame I was ready to buy it.

Some poor person is going to buy it not knowing this. The dealer will just move to the next available client.

My mechanic also said it showed signs of having sat a lot.

So I'll keep looking. Hopefully I'll find a clean GLT.

Thanks for all of your feedback,

Dave

[xHeart]

Well I'm not buying this 850. My mechanic checked it out this morning. He found an oil leak. Without putting more time into it he couldn't tell which seal was leaking. But the whole bottom of the engine & transmission was covered in oil. It also needs the timing belt, serpentine belt, and bushing on a tie rod end. The dealer would only budge $300

Salesman went from real friendly to real cold once I told him this. Shame I was ready to buy it.

Some poor person is going to buy it not knowing this. The dealer will just move to the next available client.

My mechanic also said it showed signs of having sat a lot.

So I'll keep looking. Hopefully I'll find a clean GLT.

Thanks for all of your feedback,

Dave

You are doing exactly what an informed, smart buyer would do.
But now you need a 2nd opinion.

It is a normal wear for fluids to leak in places, small stuff. Timing belt due, normal.
You need to ensure mechanical and electrical systems are working, and won't come apart tomorrow, such as heating and cooling, suspension and steering, transmission and driveaxle, ignition, crankcase ventilation, fuel delivery, air intake, and braking etc. What CEL codes are saying.

Then come back here again for 2nd MVS opinion.
You are doing fantastic Dave. Work at it.
I would read some posts from Ben850.

[cn90]

Re oil leak @ trans/engine area, it is likely RMS. The seal is $30 but the labor is 9h-10h.
My 98 V70 RMS leaked at 90K. About 8-10 drops on driveway every night, or 1qt/600 miles.

I do everything in my car, but the RMS is a job that I gladly gave to my mechanic, he charged me $70/h x 9h = $630 + seals etc. Grand total was $700. He was happy and I was happy.

Use this a bargaining chip to drop the price down $800-$1000.
Tell the seller to read through this thread.

Anyway, when you buy this kind of car at this age, you need to be your own mechanic, or make sure you have a lot of cash to pay your favorite mechanic.

PS: I think the 97 850 with 90K is a good buy (considering the low mileage) but the fair price is now $2800, considering the oil leak repair cost. With proper repair bringing the car back to Stage 0, it will easily run into 200K. Look at the big picture.

[jblackburn]

Re oil leak @ trans/engine area, it is likely RMS. The seal is $30 but the labor is 9h-10h.
My 98 V70 RMS leaked at 90K. About 8-10 drops on driveway every night, or 1qt/600 miles.

I do everything in my car, but the RMS is a job that I gladly gave to my mechanic, he charged me $70/h x 9h = $630 + seals etc. Grand total was $700. He was happy and I was happy.

Use this a bargaining chip to drop the price down $800-$1000.
Tell the seller to read through this thread.

Anyway, when you buy this kind of car at this age, you need to be your own mechanic, or make sure you have a lot of cash to pay your favorite mechanic.

PS: I think the 97 850 with 90K is a good buy (considering the low mileage) but the fair price is now $2800, considering the oil leak repair cost. With proper repair bringing the car back to Stage 0, it will easily run into 200K. Look at the big picture.

More likely a blown rear cam seal than a RMS. The RMS will be leaking ONLY between the engine and transmission through the weep hole.

Meanwhile, the rear cam seal will just go all over everything, transmission, back of the engine, etc. It's hard to isolate, but if the weep hole is dry, changing the cam seal is no reason to overlook this car.

[wjhandy850]

I would bet they have @ $1000-1500 in the car. Now they wish they did pay so much.

[Spiney]

They won't negotiate because he has a young girl going off to college who wanted it if I didn't take it. I doubt he will inform her of any of this. Therefore I will not buy from him in the future.

Car was bought at Manheim Auto Auction were many North East cars are traded. The area because of this is filled with small dealers and detail shops. They are one of the largest Auto Auctions in the Country.

If it was a private sale I could negotiate. When we bought our V70 we got it down from $12,000 to $8995 because we had it inspected by a private mechanic and the local Volvo dealer. And that car had honest sellers and a thick stack of maintenance records.

I'm not going to buy a car with too many potential issues. My mechanic showed me it was emissions exempt because it was driven very little. While the body and interior were very nice the under carriage had exhaust pieces and brake hardware caked with rust. Also the rubber was flaking and shrinking around windows and doors.

I'll wait for something better to come along. Thanks for all of your input, Dave

[Spiney]

Btw, while I'd love to be my own mechanic 3 spinal surgeries with fusion and a failed neck surgery with fusion don't allow that. I have a 96 SVT Cobra I'd love to wrench but that's why I have a great trusted mechanic. Dave