Im about to buy a 1984 wagon Volvo from a guy in Carlsbad and he one of the things he mentioned was that the "over drive doesnt work" and that the car can still get up to 65mph.

Is this bad?

It will not be a commuter car, and mostly flat lander stuff!

It will be used for just slow moving toodling around town.

Is this something that would be a deal braker?

The guy said that when you shift into the overdrive gear that nothing happens??



PEOPLE OF BRICK BOARD!! HELP!!!
I work on my 91 740 turbo an i dont get this at all!

My 84 240 had the manual trans. 4-speed with an OD button for 5th. I was able to solve the same problem by just replacing the wires from the button on the shifter to the OD solenoid, They had gotten pretty bad over the years because they had been exposed to oil and the elements. first thing to do is just check the connections at the switch and OD soleniod. On my 84 sometimes the shifter ball handle would come off the shifter in my hand and would then require some careful re-assembly to get the switch re-connected and working. Hope your issue is this simple to solve. Good luck.

If it is a manual trans, which I got from your inference to shfting into gear (5th).. If an automatic, low fluid to a bad kickdown cable.

As long as there is no noise from the drive train, the fix could be as simple as low trans fluid or a loose electrical connection, to having to remove the overdrive and replacing two O-rings for a manual trans.

Automatic fix could entail anything from an adjustment to a replacemnet of the cable.

In an 84, I'd be more concerned with the condition of the wiring harness. Evidence of bad or worse is visible just to the center of the brake booster on the firewall.

Both the above repairs would take a few hours and somewhere near $50 to fix on average.

Wiring harness repair/replacement is another effort in itself. Insurance co rreplaced the harness in the 85 at a cost of $940. I rewired an 83 for $9.00 in shrink tube and intake gasket and four hours labor.

Duane

It could be either an electrical or mechanical/hydraulic problem, maybe even
just a fuse. In any case the worst would be you'd have to pull the OD and
replace some O-rings.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Ok, that doesnt sound to bad to me.

Would these be expensive repairs if i took it to a shop or something that i should save money on and do myself. (if i can)

I only do preventive main. on My other Volvo which is a 91 and an automatic to boot. So i know nothing of stick shifts.

This would probably turn out being more trial and error than anything else.

Most shops will want to replace the overdrive instead of repair. More money, same amount of work.

See the 700 FAQ's under M46 Overdrive repair for an how to.

Cost of parts is under $50 if not gotten from a dealer.

Duane

Its home, and it did GREAT on the road.

My mother drove it home with me in riding shot gun, and it has a strong engine and smooth transition between gears.

No play in the wheel or anything.

It seemed a little hesitant when pushing on the gas tho.

It needs an oil change and probably a new filter.

It also doesnt do well with cold starts. It sputters a bit at first start up and is a little weak, but after you get it going and feed it some gas its ok.

Ill be taking it to my mechanic this week to get it looked over and make sure everything is good.

But it did make the 20 mile trip home with no issues.


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