My guess is that the starter bendix is hanging up, but I would like some opinions/shared experience. A year or so ago when I worked on the car I had the right side jacked up and the starter bendix hung for a few seconds. Stopped happening when I let it down off the jack.

Then a couple weeks ago when my wife started it in the garage ('96 850 Turbo Wagon with 108K), it hung and I hollered for her to shut it off. She restarted it and it did the same. I then started it and it was okay. I asked if she was riding the key and she did not know.

Then a few days ago cold (probably 35 degrees F in the garage) it did it again. It was not caused by riding the key. And then sometimes when it finally starts there is no noise at first but it will sit there and idling for about ten seconds and then the noise will start in gradually and elevate steadily in a matter of seconds to a terrible gnashing of metal parts, like you stuck a screwdriver in a high speed steel fan. And then it might go away and not return as it idles.

I finally managed to get my head under the hood as it came up from silence to grinding and it seems to be in the area of the starter. My guess is a broken bendix spring. But this is a whole new set of sounds for me.

It is parked awaiting a new starter from Texas--no Volvo dealers in Wyoming :>(

Any ideas?