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Possible busted radiator 850

posted by  someone claiming to be 850ricky on  Mon Dec 6 19:31 CST 2004 [RELATED]

So the last 4-5 times Ive driven her (grocery store, ball game) the low coolant light has come on. No big deal, First time was half way home and forgot till next drive. finally filled up and then, 10-20 miles later, light was on and tank was again empty. Filled again, same story. i assume that I have a busted radiator. I am trying to become more mechanically inclined. Is this a radiator problem? It is a serious pain to continue refilling. Am I running a seriosu risk to the car by driving even if only occasionally? Can I make it to the dealership 60+ miles away to get looked at? How easy is it to change a radiator? Ive just asked alot of questions? No wait, that last one wasn't a question but got used to throwing in the question mark.(sorry im a part time comedian, and yes i know that was not too funny) Please dont let my bad humor get in the way of assistance.








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    Possible busted radiator 850

    posted by  850 owner on  Wed Dec 8 16:17 CST 2004
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    last visit: Sun Sep 2 21:30 CST 2012
    [RELATED]

    I had the same problem in a '94 944. It turned out a heater hose sprung a leak, and coolant was being sprayed out at high RPM's (and not at idle). Quick way to check your hoses is to open the hood, and have someone rev up the engine. Then watch for coolant spraying out of a hose. Hopefully one of your hoses are leaking. A hose would be the easiest and cheapest repair, short of the radiator or heater core.
    --
    '94 854 N/A.








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    Possible busted radiator 850

    posted by  KlausC on  Tue Dec 7 05:01 CST 2004
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    last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:15 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    Carefully fill up the plastic tank, put the lid back on it, start the engine, and then go over all of the coolant lines with a paper towel. It is possible you have a crack in the plastic coolant tank or a leak in the line going from the tank to the radiator. Be careful not to overtighten the clamps on the coolant lines where they attach to the radiator - if they are not leaking, don't tighten them.
    If your paper towels remain dry, check the inside of the car under the dash. Usually, if there is a leak on the inside, you will smell it first when the heat is on.
    Good comedians never stay on one subject for a very long time, so don't spend all of your worries on the radiator itself :)

    --
    98 V70Rawd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 88 245(165K mi)








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    Possible busted radiator 850

    posted by  someone claiming to be Dave on  Tue Dec 7 01:47 CST 2004 [RELATED]

    First of all, you need to identify the source of the leak. If it is the radiator, you will find complete instructions and pictures of the removal process at Bay 13. If you aren't familiar with Bay 13, it is the repair section at www.volvospeed.com. This is where I go for information on my '95 850.

    The other thing you need to consider is the heater core. I just replaced mine and there are instructions and photos for that as well. Symptoms of heater core failure: Window fogging when the defroster is on and wet carpet in the front seats.

    Finally, it could be a bad engine gasket. Out of my league.

    Bottom line. Find the source of the leak before you start investing time and money on repairs that aren't needed.







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