My wife wants a nice comfortable car to drive. With this in mind, I'll be looking at a 93 940 Turbo soon. It has an L-block B230 Turbo and about 140k on the car. We've had eight 240's before and have done lots of work on them. However, we've never had any other model Volvos, so we're pretty ignorant about other models. I'm looking for info on the 940, specifically what to watch for in a 1993 model. We like to do almost all our own work, so I'm interested in this angle too. In general, what differences should I expect in reliability, serviceability, and drivability? Thanks in advance for any and all feedback from you who have owned 940's.
--
Thanks for all the help. DougC. 1981 242 Brick Off Blocks, Turbo bars and wheels, M46. 1990 245, auto, 113k. 1993 245, M47, 154k.

I just got my 1993 944T a little under a month ago. I got very lucky and found one in excellent shape, except for the paint which has it's share of nicks and scratches. No rust though, as it spent all its life in Denver, CO, where salt is not used on the roads.

1993 is a good year as they all got the auto-locking differential, the squirter engine, and the door panel skins don't buckle like the '95s.

Mine has needed nothing other than a tune-up. The shop I bought it from put in new plugs and told me the cap & rotor looked fine, and even though it only had 144,000mi on it the timing belt had already been changed by the original owner. Aside from that, I:

-cleaned throttle body and adjusted the throttle position sensor (TPS)
-cleaned the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve
-cleaned the flame trap
-replaced a leaky check valve on the brake booster
-ran a can of BG44K through it
-cleaned and lubed all the window tracks, sunroof, power seats, etc.
-pre-emptively replaced the fuel pump & radio suppression relays and the RPM Sensor, all electrical components that can fail without warning and leave you stranded.
-tested the Air Mass Meter (AMM) and Engine Coolant Temp (ECT) sensor using a multimeter to make sure they're in good shape

It has a small exhaust manifold leak that I sealed temporarily with high-temp O2 sensor-safe RTV, but it burns no oil and the cooling system stood up to a pressure test and the radiator looks newer than the rest of the engine bay, so I'll bet it's been replaced already.

Anyway, sorry I got off track there, but if you find one you like, BUY IT! :)

Jeff
1993 944T

See the FAQ sections on "buying used" and "high mileage preventive maintenance".
--
See the 700/900 FAQ under 'Select Link' button on the top right.

I just bought a 1993 940 Turbo in December 2005 (190,000 miles). compared to other volvos I owned (240-740) it seems to me it gives a somewhat "softer" ride. Problems I have noticed since purchase...... 1. oil leaks
2. power antenna off its track
3. heater core was shot
4. A/C not blowing cold
5. oil or transmission fluid mixing with
antifreeze (notiable in coolant resavoir)

All of course are fixable, but at what costs ? Still debating and disapointed. Hope you have better luck.

Its been said that the 940 is the top of the evolutionary chain that began in the mid 70's with the 240, i.e. the 940 is the culmination of the 240 to 740 to 940 series. Having owned all three over the past two decades, I pretty much agree with that statement.

From my experience, I think the 940 in a lot of ways is a 740 with a different skin. When I got my 940, there were some interior plastics which were not in pristine condition, so I robbed them from my 740 and they fit just fine (e.g. belly pan, console pieces, etc.).

My 940 is an SE, so the turbo, nivomats, climate control, and so forth add complication/expense that you won't find in a "plain ol'" 940, and certainly not in a 240, but they are pretty neat features. I really like 240's, and I still have my '91. It is simple and solid and fun to drive. But the 940 is a luxary thing with an attitude. It is a quieter, more comfortable road car than the 240, so, if that's what you are looking for, you'll be happy.

And for many of the systems on the car, I usually can interpolate between my 240 Bently manual and my Haynes 740 book, and generally solve many of the 940 issues. If you are good working on 240's, you'll find a lot of the same workings throughout the 940.

Allen

I had an 87 240 which I did most of the repairs on. I bought a 94 940 6 years ago and its been a solid reliable car as expected. It also has a slight oil and trans leak. The engine and trans are the same as the 240. Only other comment to what already has been said is that you are able to by the Bently Bible for the 240 repairs. No such thing exists for the 940. I recently had a problem with a dead short developing in the dome light. Could sure have used a wiring diagram for the repair.

John O

I've got a '93 940 Turbo wagon with 165k miles. The engine has been very solid, and I would recommend the car highly. Non-regular maintenance things that I have run into and you might want to check on this car:

- replaced the radiator at about 140k miles(holes)
- replaced engine temp. sensor at 90k
- replaced the A/C compressor twice(about 60k and 150k)
- struts and shocks at 150k(not unexpected).
- the Fuel Pump Relay failure, which causes a stall. With the accumulated wisdom here at brickboard, only cost me $30.(new relay at volvosite.com) to fix.
- driver side heated seat pad burnt out at 120k(not unexpected after 10 years)

The engine was very tight until about 120k. I never lost any oil. It is now leaking a bit of oil, probably a quart over 5000 miles.

Suprising(good) things:
- power sunroof, seats, windows still working, with no work needed ever.
- interior(leather) has held up very well over many vacation trips and several kids. My former Chevy looked terrible on the inside at 150k.

tedd

I did a lot of DIY work on a 91 240 before it was totalled, still own two 95 940s and do my own maintenance/repairs (all are non-turbo). The engine, drivetrain, steering, suspension, ignition, are nearly identical, with some improvements. The biggest differences, IMHO, are the body style of the 940, the weatherproofing, and electrical/electronics in the 940. For example, instead of finding the 240 relays stuffed everywhere under the dash and kick panels, they are conveniently colocated on a panel behind the ashtray of the 940. Also, instead of the 240 fuse panel located by the driver kick plate where water leaked onto it, it too is conveniently located directly in front of the 940 relay panel. Lastly, as for weatherproofing, the 940s seem to have eliminated the waterleaks inherent in the 240 windshield and welded fender seams that formed part of the air intake water runoff channel.


Bottom line, if you worked on a 240, a 940 is the twin brother (or sister).

Check out tjis link

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/BuyingUsed7xx.htm
--
Bob K