What did you do to your Volvo today? Topic is solved

[Chuck W]

Well, I tried to repair/replace the alternator on the '97 T5 today, after it stopped charging.

I had gotten some weird dash lights on Wed (Low Fuel and SRS lights would flash on the interstate, and eventually came on when I got off the highway). When I got home I checked and I had no Battery light on key "ON". (Actually, no Battery, Parking Brake, Brake Warning, Bulb Failure lights). Taking the D+ wire t ground gave me all the appropriate lights, to the bulb was good, so the problem was in the alternator or regulator, and the odd lights were due to low battery voltage.

I'd had no battery light showing low or no charging. I was just going to swap out the regulator, but the bearings in this alt sounded pretty bad, so I just pulled it. I had a spare in the garage.

Good thing I did. A previous owner had replaced the alt at some point and evidently decided to leave the long lower bolt out. My guess is they got far enough along on reinstalling things and didn't want to remove the PS bracket again to install it, so they just left it out. I hate this kind of half-assed mechanic work.

Now I have to dig up a bolt. Looks to be an M8 about 120mm long, which I can't seem to find in my stash...I have a bunch of M8x140 and M10x120...*sigh*

[bill d cat]

b m dubya - Unrelated to 850s, but I found a very nice 2011 E91 wagon here and sent pics to a few friends. An old friend from Seattle out of the blue said, Oh, could you go look it over and drive it for me? I did - very nice car. He flew out, spent the weekend, we scrambled to get real snow tires on it at Costco - last set of Blizzaks in that size - and he headed back. Pretty insane, and I hope everything continues to work well on it.

E91 3-series wagon. 328iX, AWD. Sport package. 17" wheels. Auto...but they live in heavy traffic. No iDrive or extra gadgets or outdated info screen. 45,000 miles! Interior looks like it was hardly used. Very well put together. Tight steering and great brakes, so solid. Glad I drove it on a dry sunny day before the storm. The last great BMW NA straight 6 engine, the N52 3.0 with magnesium block. The only things that make me nervous are electronic oil level sensors (no dipstick) and an electric water pump.

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The Sport Package ("ZSP" in Bimmerese) (my E91 above) includes different seats and a different steering wheel, some cosmetic differences and different wheels, and on RWDs included different suspension components. ZSP on the AWD included the cosmetic and interior features, different wheels but not a different suspension.

BMW charged the same $ for the ZSP on both RWD and AWD versions.

Back on topic. My other cult-car!

What did I do to my Volvo today? Snow tires on yesterday. Today I drove the Volvo in the snow.

I am thinking of having both the BMW and Volvo all-season wheels restored for the spring. I used Wheel Collision Center in Bath PA about 20 years ago. Has anyone had any recent experience with them?

[bmdubya1198]

Well, I tried to repair/replace the alternator on the '97 T5 today, after it stopped charging.

I had gotten some weird dash lights on Wed (Low Fuel and SRS lights would flash on the interstate, and eventually came on when I got off the highway). When I got home I checked and I had no Battery light on key "ON". (Actually, no Battery, Parking Brake, Brake Warning, Bulb Failure lights). Taking the D+ wire t ground gave me all the appropriate lights, to the bulb was good, so the problem was in the alternator or regulator, and the odd lights were due to low battery voltage.

I'd had no battery light showing low or no charging. I was just going to swap out the regulator, but the bearings in this alt sounded pretty bad, so I just pulled it. I had a spare in the garage.

Good thing I did. A previous owner had replaced the alt at some point and evidently decided to leave the long lower bolt out. My guess is they got far enough along on reinstalling things and didn't want to remove the PS bracket again to install it, so they just left it out. I hate this kind of half-assed mechanic work.

Now I have to dig up a bolt. Looks to be an M8 about 120mm long, which I can't seem to find in my stash...I have a bunch of M8x140 and M10x120...*sigh*

Been there, done that! Except I think I had left out that top bolt... still, less than ideal. It made nasty noises. I ended up fixing that a few days later.

M8x120mm sounds right, I know for sure it's M8. It's a long one, I know that much!

[bmdubya1198]

More progress on the 2000 GLT's engine today. Got the cam cover resealed (because of course it had been redone with RTV by some dope), timing belt, cam seals, water pump, and PCV. I also put the intake manifold on, so all I really need to do now is change a couple hoses (turbo coolant hoses and an oil cooler hose) and bolt the knock sensors on, then it's pretty much ready to drop in.

Initial blown out cam seal


Oil pan off for reseal


Yet another visual on why you SHOULD NOT use RTV on these cam covers


Head all cleaned up, ready for reseal


New timing belt

[Chuck W]

Been there, done that! Except I think I had left out that top bolt... still, less than ideal. It made nasty noises. I ended up fixing that a few days later.

M8x120mm sounds right, I know for sure it's M8. It's a long one, I know that much!

This is probably the same person who didn't tighten any of the lower intake manifold bolts after having the intake off for a "PCV service".

It's just laziness.

Good thing I decided to pull the alternator, instead of just replace the voltage regulator. I might have never seen it was missing.

[bmdubya1198]

Yeah, I hate that. People are lazy!

[Peevarino]

Nothing to mine today per se, but scored a nearly new Volvo/Bosch branded alternator, drive belt tensioner, and roof rails, load bars, and drip molding in pretty decent shape, all for about $80 from the junkyard.

If it’s not raining on my lunch break tomorrow, I’ll be swapping out the tensioner to see if that takes care of the flickering at idle (I can move the one on the car currently fore and aft more than one should be able).

[bmdubya1198]

Nothing to mine today per se, but scored a nearly new Volvo/Bosch branded alternator, drive belt tensioner, and roof rails, load bars, and drip molding in pretty decent shape, all for about $80 from the junkyard.

If it’s not raining on my lunch break tomorrow, I’ll be swapping out the tensioner to see if that takes care of the flickering at idle (I can move the one on the car currently fore and aft more than one should be able).

Nice score! I always love finding like-new parts at the junkyard.

Picked up a '91 940 turbo today to serve as a daily driver while my R is down for the M66 swap. I was going to use my '93, but when this came up for sale I just couldn't pass it up.

Volvo #7 on the driveway now...



Even has the right grille

[Peevarino]

Nothing to mine today per se, but scored a nearly new Volvo/Bosch branded alternator, drive belt tensioner, and roof rails, load bars, and drip molding in pretty decent shape, all for about $80 from the junkyard.

If it’s not raining on my lunch break tomorrow, I’ll be swapping out the tensioner to see if that takes care of the flickering at idle (I can move the one on the car currently fore and aft more than one should be able).

Nice score! I always love finding like-new parts at the junkyard.

Picked up a '91 940 turbo today to serve as a daily driver while my R is down for the M66 swap. I was going to use my '93, but when this came up for sale I just couldn't pass it up.

Volvo #7 on the driveway now...



Even has the right grille

Nice!

There was a red 940 at the yard today, and seeing it there settled it for me, a 940 sedan will be my next project/daily whenever I do the manual swap on my 850.

[bmdubya1198]

I love 940s, I can't wait to start driving this one. Only thing that would make it better is if it was a wagon!