Hi,
I have no idea whats going on here... I am a amatuer volvo mechanic to say the most for myself and I am stuck. Here is a list of my problems.
My car began to shift funny. I read the boards and replaced the PNP switch. Thought it worked fine untill the other day while driving after every gear shift it seems like the engine gets stuck on an RPM like (2500 after shifting to second) and then after pushing a little harder it will slowly accelerate and gain speed. After shifting into third it gets stuck again and so on... really frustrating. Sometime the turbo boost is incredible other times very sluggish. At high speed it runs pretty normal.
I am also having problems with my engine temp. I recently replaced the thermo because the temp guage was going up and down like crazy all the time and now my temp guage will say less than half way and coolant will come boiling over. Most of the time the temp guage doesnt read over a quarter hot but the coolant in the hose is really hot.
My alignment is straight as an arrow but my steering wheel is crooked... how about that one?
I have pulled a ton of codes and for now my CE light has remained silent, but man my car stinks like it just ate some rotten postrami or something. I'll post some more off my list next time around.
I hope this works. Thank you so much to anyone with the heart and the knowledge to help. I am 22 and this is the first car I've ever really tried to figure out because... well... I love it.

That smell...rotten...
Does it smell like sulfer or EGGS. Maybe the CAT needs to be changed.

I had a cat go bad and is smelled rotten.

Just a thought.

Thinking about the smell more, perhaps a lambda oxygen sensor is failing and causing a fueling problem?

i think i might try to carve out the inside of my cat i think its plugged,
i dont know... this cars getting pretty difficult to keep up with, now i get a nasty rattle everytime i let up on the peddle on a right hand turn, from the right front side. Still losing power, dont really know how to test the cat, not getting any codes, no lights, poor gas mileage, suspension sounds absolutely terrible, car sounds as if it might crumble into many peices at any second. but thats another story. thanks for the replies

For the steering wheel, when was the tracking last done?
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=14&topic_id=10843&mode=full&page=4
for a similar problem.

If the revs are always limited, then maybe the limp home mode on the ecu is activating. If the revs are only sometimes limited after shifting, then maybe you have a vacuum leak that opens up only when you change gear (and the engine rocks a little especially if the engine mounts are worn). Or maybe the fuel mix is way off for some reason. Perhaps even your cat has collapsed and is blocking the exhaust flow.

As for the engine temp, I'd check the thermostat actually does open...I've used a boiling kettle for this in the past.
Perhaps it is boiling over because your cylinder head gasket has gone?...is the oil the right colour or is there lots of brown cream, especially on the filler cap?...lots of possibilities, so what have you checked so far?