Newbie saying hi

bolubo · Post by **bolubo** » 07 Jan 2007, 15:22

Newbie saying a big hello. Recently picked up an 850 (1996). Perhaps I should have done much more research than I did. Reading up on all the issues owners are having fills me with dread...
Oh well, I still love the car and I'm in the final days of stage 0 checkups. Oil change done already, all visual checks performed, getting tranny fluid changed (although its still a healthy pink) and timing belt will be done later this week.
Car feels rock solid, no squeaks, engine runs smoothly, and everything works.............almost
I'm still trying to figure out how to change the bulbs behind the heating and airflow dials. How on earth do you access the panel? Guess the stereo has to come out first.

Well, its good to be here. There's a wealth of information splattered around..

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:02

Welcome aboard! You've got a safe and fun car to own. Since this is a forum the nature of this place is that you see all of the problems these cars have. Many people have very few of them so maybe that will make you feel better. If the transmission fluid is pink I would leave it....unless of course you want to change it out to synthetic (Mobil-1). Yes, the radio has to come out, but that's very easy...just push the tabs in on each side of the radio and it slides right out. You'll need your radio code if you disconnect the power cable to it or take the car's battery loose. Enjoy your new 850!

bolubo · Post by **bolubo** » 18 Jan 2007, 07:14

Thanks for the warm welcome. Whew ! What a week. After reading all the volvo sites/forums I could find, I wasn't taking any chances...

.Stage 0 is now complete, along with a timing belt change as well as a new fuel filter and control arms...Heating contol bulbs changed (after I bought the wrong set and spent 10 mins wondering why they wont fit).

Think I'll be really upset if anything new crops up in the next 3 months at least....

volvrow · Post by **volvrow** » 28 Jan 2007, 21:49

Hi,
I'm new to the site as well. I bought an 850R a couple months ago and am very pleased. My family also owns another 850 and these cars are great! Surprisingly, the encounters I have had with repairs/maintenance issues have not been that bad, just normal wear and tear. I would recommend buying parts online and avoiding dealers if you ever run into any problems. Just when I thought everything was done on my car, found out that the windshield washer reservoir leaked. I ended up replacing it with a used part and it took some time but was worth it. Just got to realize that cars need maintenance. stride.

Michael