OK, this time I'm serious...

leevining1 · Post by **leevining1** » 27 Feb 2009, 09:20

I stopped browsing this forum and joined, I don't know, a week ago 'cause I finially bought an 850 wagon. So I had a laundry list of things I wanted to share/ask about and I started with the outer trim, how to clean, keep it up(its a white wagon with gray trim).....well I got no love on that inquirey, BUT NOW I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND IT'S NOT FUNNY. The glove box door locked it'self last nite and won't open. The ignition key fits but won't turn. I like to drive this car as it was meant to drive which kinda leaves me hanging out far enough that I can get noticed.........if you "catch my drift". The registration for the car is in that glovebox and should the situation arise where I may need to show it to somebody, I don't want to have to do damage. So please, if anyone has had any expierence with this problem give us a post back

thanks much(i hope)

Leev

mcp · Post by **mcp** » 27 Feb 2009, 10:38

Welcome.

Here is what you probably need to do to get your glove box open.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... php?t=8205

leevining1 · Post by **leevining1** » 27 Feb 2009, 11:05

mcp: well, thanks for that, I am hoping for a non-surgical solution, but if not it's good to have that. you sure have a load of manual transmisson cars, mine is a '96 sport wagon, the only way it could get sportier would be a 5-speed. I would guess your mileage is pretty good and the driving even better. Did you order them new to get the manuals?

Post by **matthew1** » 27 Feb 2009, 11:20

There are five glove box fixes in the Repair Database.

leevining1 · Post by **leevining1** » 27 Feb 2009, 12:04

matthew..I'm just going to have to learn to navigate around here.....thanks alot

leev

mcp · Post by **mcp** » 27 Feb 2009, 15:25

Ordered the '98 S70 new. Found the '96 850 on a Volvo dealer's lot in May '98 with 25k miles on it. Just found the '97 850 wagon a few weeks ago on Craigslist.

All of them get about 26-27 mpg around town and 30-31 mpg on highway trips. I wish Volvo had sold some 850 turbos with manuals in the US, but apparently they didn't. You could order an S70 turbo with a manual, but not many were sold.

If your glove box latch has broken, about the only way to get in is to saw through the "loop" catch at the top. It is held on by two screws so can be replaced easily. Or do you think it is simply locked and you don't have the correct key? Either way you probably are looking at sawing through the loop. In the various postings about this problem, one suggestion was to use two putty knives (or two pieces of thin metal) to protect the vinyl dash and glove box door and slide the hacksaw blade between them. Taping part of the hacksaw blade worked for me.

Post by **JRL** » 27 Feb 2009, 17:28

As for your trim.
When it gets a bit warmer, take a Sat afternoon, carefully mask all the trim off, clean it with a prep solvent, lightly scuff with a Scotch pad and paint them. You will never have to worry (for many years).
Use spray can of gray/black bumper paint, available everywhere

leevining1 · Post by **leevining1** » 06 Mar 2009, 14:10

Well fellas thanks a bunch......actually I stopped by my favorite key kiosk and the guy had some thin flexible metal thingies he invented when he was pressed into volvo glovebox service years ago and he sprang the door, i have taped it and will proly go by volvo dealer or faxsimily and get a new latch. Thanks for the tip on the trim. I'll test a spot first, I can see where preping the surface is most important. So now the red brake lite starts coming on and fluid is low....fill up, two days later, lite is on. now I find the line underside the main resivour is wet, looks like I take it off perhaps a new tank or line or both

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 06 Mar 2009, 15:51

May be a bad master cylinder. Don't waste your money on a new one- they are cheap at a junk yard if that's it. Check the metal pipe connectors at the bottom- sometimes these get loose and leak as well.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 06 Mar 2009, 17:38

actually I stopped by my favorite key kiosk and the guy had some thin flexible metal thingies he invented when he was pressed into volvo glovebox service years ago and he sprang the door

Is there any way you can get a picture of this contraption?

After I sawed through my first one and saw how it worked I hypothesized that the latch could be popped from behind without sawing through the hoop. I then got busy on other stuff and never pursued the solution.

...Lee