850 Wont Stay Running

Netrix · Post by **Netrix** » 08 Feb 2007, 15:24

Well battery isn't 6months old yet. Alternator should be good had a new regulator installed in september of 2006. After that the alternator was putting out what it should be putting out. I'm thinking it might be a bad cable between battery and alternator or something.

Intercooler frozen? I put an electric heater in front of the radiator in the garage and let it sit there for 4-5hours to help unfreeze the radiator when i drained it and put all new coolant in there. How do i drain the intercooler/unfreeze it?

It got hauled away on a stretcher (flatbed) to go to the hospital (Betten Imports aka local Volvo dealership).

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 08 Feb 2007, 17:37

Like another poster said, it may not be frozen at all, but all the blow-by from the turbo could have put enough oil into it that the hose got soft causing the collapse. The greatest amount of oil accumulates in the 90degree elbow hose that's on the bottom of the intercooler on the driver's side. If you use a 10mm socket and take off the air guide/dam from both sides then you'll be able to access this hose. I usually clean mine out on every oil change as I'm starting to get a pretty good amount of blow-by now at almost 140K miles on my turbo...I know that a turbo rebuilding is in my future. Anyway, in your case, if you put a heater on the car for 4-5 hours I doubt that anything is frozen (the intercooler sits in front of the radiator). So, in your case a new turbo hose from the top of the intercooler (circled in red) to the throttle body is indeed needed. I have one from where I changed out these hoses and replaced them with silicone hoses if you decide that indeed you want to replace it. You can have it for $10 plus shipping from 37918...not sure what that will end up being but it can't be but a few bucks...just let me know. I can take PayPal. Btw, I have the other turbo hoses too...all are used but the 90degree one probably has less than a few thousand miles on it.

Netrix · Post by **Netrix** » 09 Feb 2007, 13:13

Update: Had it towed to Volvo dealership since it wouldn't even stay started.

Problems:
-MAF Sensor
-Misfire Codes - aparently the spark plugs havn't been changed in a long time, I would've changed them but I took it to them a few months ago and had them do a "full" inspection which aparently they didn't noticed the spark plugs then.
-tranny flush, coolant flush, new brake fluid + all the filters
-park/nuetral sensor

i cried when they gave me a qoute. but i can't really do much with it at the dealership

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 09 Feb 2007, 18:03

In the problem list they don't mention the squished turbo hose. What do they plan to do about that? Seems they are doing a lot of things ( a few which might actually be unnecessary). I hope they're related (MAF probably is and PNP probably is and spark plugs) but the fluids won't be (but of course a tranny flush is almost always a good thing). I hope that your original problem is cleared up after they do all of this.

Netrix · Post by **Netrix** » 09 Feb 2007, 19:47

Yeah i'll keep an eye on that hose but it seemed to stop flattening so I think it could've been an isolated occurance while it was very cold.

Car is running smoothly, they even washed it (which is nice being its winter here in michigan).

it turns over faster and i got a new battery (3yr warrenty ftw).

Netrix · Post by **Netrix** » 10 Feb 2007, 12:24

Wooowwww now my ABS light and Tracs light is on.....
Monday they're going to get a nice phone call from me bitching them out. On top of that they billed me for 7 hours of labor when my dad OK'd them to start working at 1pm and they finished at 4pm. 3 hours. So aparently it took them 4 hours that morning to diagnose the MAF and PNP when it was just throwing codes......

larryh · Post by **larryh** » 10 Feb 2007, 20:07

Netrix wrote:Wooowwww now my ABS light and Tracs light is on.....
Monday they're going to get a nice phone call from me bitching them out. On top of that they billed me for 7 hours of labor when my dad OK'd them to start working at 1pm and they finished at 4pm. 3 hours. So aparently it took them 4 hours that morning to diagnose the MAF and PNP when it was just throwing codes......

i don't know about the abs light, hopefully it's something really simple.

but as for the billing....if they gave you a dollar amount quote, and then did the work for that price. you can't complain.
i could be wrong in this case,(and would love to be corrected by a professional) but i'm sure they aren't really working "by the hour". shops quote their times from a standard book of average times (i forget the name)... say it's 1.6 hrs for a radiator r&r.... that's what they quote , and that's what they charge.
faster techs make the shop more money and therefore make a bettter wage and get to keep their job when things get slow. the slow techs are the first to get laid off. sounds like you had a good mechanic!

what if they told you "we have no idea long it'll take but we'll charge you 150 bucks an hour"...then you see the tech in there just staring at your engine for fifteen minutes....wouldn't that be a little hard on your nerves?

i would be real nice on monday

Netrix · Post by **Netrix** » 10 Feb 2007, 21:02

this place works for $95 an hour for labor, says on the sheet.