Hello all! I just bought a beautiful 1994 940T wagon. It's a non-lockup automatic transmission and has 138K miles on it.

The owners I got it from bought it with 10K miles and always serviced it at the dealer! I have every service record since new and they always changed the oil, trans fluid, coolant, BRAKE FLUID!, etc.

It's got a new volvo exhaust (not sure about the cat though)
the AC has been gone thru and works great
new radiator
new tires

I got this puppy for only $2500!

anyhow it has been running pretty good, but my overall MPG has been in the 17-19MPG range. Is this pretty normal for a turbo wagon with an auto trans? I have not been beating on it, but I have not been driving it like a grandpa either.

The car idles a little rough here and there, so in looking over the records I don't see any record of a new cap & rotor... so they are on the way along with sparkplugs.

not sure of a new O2 sensor ever either?

The air filter is good.

As for power - it's not super slow, but not as punchy as I'd expect. The Turbo gauge will go up to just under 3/4 (or think of it has just under 1/2 thru the white area on the factory turbo gauge)

I also have a set of IPD swaybars on order!

Can I safely turn up the turbo boost a little once I've got the car tuned up fully?

Is there anything else I should look for in getting this thing running the best it can?

Thank you!!

The gas mileage is about right with normal driving. Most are getting between 18-21 mpg city and 24-27 mpg highway with an automatic.
Want better mileage? Stay out of the boost and keep her under 65 mph on the highway. Volvo's get their best gas mileage under 2500 rpms.
The other posters have to you on the right path with maintenance on the car.
I would add you may want to do a fluid exchange on the transmission and replace with a good synthetic. Also filling the rear end with synthetic oil will also help with your fuel mileage.
You can also pump the tires up to 38 psi with out any wear problems as long as the alignment is with in spec.
Volvo has set the boost a little low in these cars. Most will gauge in at 5.5 to 6.0 psi when spec is 7.25 - 7.5 psi.
Remember more boost means more fuel is being injected into the cylinders.
You didn't say where you live but terrain and temperature make a big difference in fuel mileage. Flatter the roads and warmer the temperature the better mileage you will get.

hello
my 94 945T gets 21 city 23 hwy with 245/45/17 for tires.
my 95 944T gets 22-23 city 24-25 hwy stock tires.
on the 95 i am running 9 psi boost without ping on 93 octane, factory could be anywhere from 5-7 psi.
i suggest stage 0 tune up and as someone mentioned all the coolant hoses which can be had at a decent price at www.getvolvoparts.com call them and specify oem hoses and internet pricing.
its a very nice car in my opinion and can fit some large items in back also.
good luck

First do all the tuneup/maintenance stuff recommended below. Then, if the MPG is still too low to suit you, consider replacing the automatic with an M46 (which also makes the car a loot more fun to drive) and changing the rear axle to a taller gear. Most automatics have a 3.73, 3.54 was standard for M46 740 turbos, and 3.31 for M46 and M47 N/A cars. The M47 is not suitable for use with a turbo, as it doesn't hold up well with the extra power.

For more power, track down and install a Turbo+ kit. This was offered by Volvo as an add-on. It allows extra boost at full throttle (good for another 25-30 HP) but does not affect drivability or gas mileage (if you keep your foot out of it)

It is also possible to install the APC boost controller from a late 80s-early 90s Saab, but I am not familiar with any of the details of doing so.

Ive got a 940 turbo 2.0L 1993 wentworth manual transmission, and I just worked out it does about 20mpg. The turbo's really eager to pick up even at low speeds a complete contrast to my 1991 940 turbo 2.0 auto whose turbo only cut in when you really booted it. Great Cars but expensive to run in the UK 120 miles = £30.

vincent

Fantastic, only $2500! And the previous owners changed brake fluid? Were they from Mars? That's a rare concept in USA today, to do maintenance to preserve your machinery. Anyway, the other guys are right, replace the basic tune-up items and look for failing hoses of any sort. Please post a picture.

Thats a great buy!

Your mileage is low but not awful. If you have never driven a turbo before you will quickly learn that you don't need to beat it like you have to an N/A car to keep up with traffic. Otherwise, you are still a little low. I get 22-23 w/ my car (has a roof rack) with about a 70/30 split between highway/city driving.

I'd do the tune up as a matter of course and then go looking for vacuum leaks - intake manifold gasket, throttle body gasket, hoses, the brake booster check valve, etc.

Also don't neglect the coolant hoses. These will not factor into your mileage, but the heat a turbo generates is bad for the hoses. Pay particular attention to the oil cooler hoses below the oil filter. Oil drips on these during changes and can lead to bulging and softening.
--
Jonathan Knauer - 94 945Ti - fun!

There are several possibilities for a rough idle, most of which should probably be done just for good measure.
1. A good tune-up, plugs,cap & rotor
2. Clean the throttle body and IAC
3. Check for vacuum leaks, hoses are cheap to replace and the intake manifold gasket is suspect at your mileage unless it was replaced at some point.
4. Pull the vacuum hose on the fuel press. reg. to check for wet fuel or strong fuel smell. Replace if you have either, fuel leaking through the daiphram will kill your MPG and cause rough running/hard starting.

Your turbo guage is working correctly, thats about where it will max out at stock boost.

Sounds like a great find, hope you enjoy it. I love my 93, it's just a baby as well with 133k on the clock. I'm averaging around 19 MPG with some performance upgrades on mine, the best I did before the mods was 23 and I averaged @ 21.
so it sounds like there is improvement that can be found in your MPG.

Sounds like a good buy! I have the same car in the '95 model. Mine has almost 200k on it. I get about 23 mpg last time I checked. Rough idle might be dirty throttle body, you can remove and clean out the inside, listen for a click when idle switch opens/closes.

As for power, its not a real dragster but 30-70 getting on the freeway is very quick. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks here, they can help you sort out most issues.

Ed