I just got this car and am new to Volvo and just found this message board and I have lots of questions. Feel free to answer one or all or just get bored with reading my ramblings and click somewhere else.

I purchased a 1994 turbo 850 on e-bay sight unseen. I have never owned a Volvo before and I like the car. It is peppy and has a lot of creature comforts I want. I like the adjustable lumbar support and telescoping steering wheel. I especially like that my insurance is $100 cheaper per year than my previous car (an '86 Pontiac 6000), and it's the exact same policy. Now I have to figure out what all it needs, what can be deferred, or if I should keep the car at all and find something else.

Odom stopped at 140900 but seller told me it had apx. 160K on it so there is no way to tell true mileage. The interior is in great shape for age--only minor cracks in seat of driver's seat and only in one place. No rips or tears.

Engine runs great--however--after taking it to three different Volvo repair specialists (all three advertised themselves this way) I received three different evaluations of what the car needs. Here's what they disagreed on: one said all three motor mounts need replaced while another said only the front one needs replaced but didn't specify hydraulic or the rubber one. Problem with the car is that there is vibration that comes into the cabin when in gear at idle. (It has an automatic transmission). Anyone know which motor mount to replace?

One specialist said that oil was leaking out the oil filler cap and seeping down the side of engine. Said he replaced seal for free (it did look new to me afterwards) and that I shouldn't have any more problems with oil leaking. Second specialist said a rear main seal was leaking and there could be other leaks due to a clogged vent box. Said that when he took off oil filler cap oil sprayed all over due to overpressurization of engine. He reccommended a vent box cleaning or replacement at apx $500. I know I could do this myself but does it need it? Note: there is old/some new oil sprayed all over underside of car behind engine telling me that there is some leak somewhere. Picked up car from northern VA and drove it to Orlando and used apx 1/2 qt of oil to get to Savannah and none the rest of the way and none in the two weeks of driving since then.

How important is it to replace sway bushing arms and the control arms they attach to on each wheel in front? The rubber on them is worn out.

If I do replace/clean the vent box can I get to it differently? Instructions in online manual say to remove the intake manifold (gasket costs $47), but I was thinking I could get to it by removing the power steering motor and alternator and brackets for each. This would avoid the cost of a gasket, take less time (I think) and I think I need to replace the PS fluid anyway. Anyone ever tried this?

Speaking of PS fluid. I definitely have a PS fluid leak and I think I know why. The owners manual for this car says on pages 8:12 and 9:2 that the PS takes ATF fluid and that the trans takes Dexron/Mercon. Now most people will think that that means that the PS takes the same fluid as the trans but as I understand it ATF is actually type "F" automatic trans fluid which is different from Dexron/Mercon. I confirmed this with a call to the Winter Park, FL Volvo Store service dept. They specifically told me that the PS takes type "F" trans fluid and the trans takes Dexron/Mercon and the two can not be mixed or damage will result. I think that the previous owner just thought that the PS took the same fluid as the trans and put Dexron/Mercon in the PS box thereby damaging the seals causing my leak. Apx cost to fix: $700-$900 as it requires a replacement of the PS rack. I find it strange that Volvo would design a car that takes two different types of trans fluids in different systems. Questions: Has anyone ever heard of this? Does the car really take two different trans fluids? And can it be fixed by just replacing it with the correct fluid or by putting a special PS leak fixer in it? Or can I get away with replacing just the "O" ring seals in the rack (even though I don't even know where they are)?

Blower Motor: works fine but makes a lot of noise. Took it apart and the motor looks and feels like it moves around slightly at the end. I think that the front bearing is gone on it. Again the motor works fine, its just that the noise is magnified by the cavernous vent system making driving an experience like listening to fingernails go across a chalk board. Does anyone know how to replace just the front bearing of a blower motor? And if so, how do you remove the cage to get to it? I tried gently to move the cage but it wouldn't budge and I didn't want to break it more as I can reinstall it and stay cool in the Florida sun even though my ears don't like it. Does the cage just slip off the end of the shaft?

The motor starts and runs fine with no hesitation or lag on the turbo. There is great acceleration when I want it. Generally I only use it to get on the freeway or to pass someone occasionally. I don't drive like an idiot. My question relates to the fuel mileage. Since the odometer is broken there is no way to set it to do a calculation on fuel mileage between fill ups. But there is the computer which tells me that in the city I'm getting apx. and avg of 26 mpg. And when I drove 600-700 miles back from VA I averaged 36.2 mpg. Is this normal for this car? Or is it an aberration due to the odometer not working and I'm just getting normal mileage (19-29) and the computer is not able to account for the broken odom?

Aside from the car needing brake pads, possibly a tune-up as well, and probably a wise investment to do a timing belt change as a precaution the car is o.k. I'm not sure whether or not to keep the car or get another one. I picked it up for close to the KBB dealer trade in value price. If you had purchased this car for that kind of money with the problems aforementioned would you keep it?

Note: Before you answer that last question assume that, like me, you don't own the house you live in and can't have any oil leaks; therefore you must get any oil leaks fixed.

Finally, since I am new to this message board, Was this too long of a post to make? Were there too many questions? I promise the next one will be shorter.