My 87 year old mother is driving this '94 wagon that was repaired and put back on the road after being totaled back in 2000 (not totaled by her, though). Many parts were replaced at that time to make it drive-able. The car has been garaged during the winters, less so in the summers. Besides the worrisome fact that she still drives on the highway as well as around town, what parts of the car are most likely to fail after 15 years? Recently she took her car in to have the brakes checked and the mechanic was amazed that she could even stop because they were in such bad condition (and he's a trustworthy guy). Aside from the yearly inspection here in Mass. where they check tie rods, emissions, etc., is there anything else a mechanic should look at that could have rusted, loosened or become less trustworthy over time? Is it even possible to see most of the engine and suspension parts that could cause an accident if they failed?
I know next to nothing about cars, but one time I asked you about a problem she was having when she couldn't shift out of Park into Drive. You described the PNP switch and "rowing" the shift lever back and forth. I followed your instructions precisely and was able to get it into Drive and get it to the mechanic for repair. So thank you for that and thanks for any further advice you might have!

I guess you'll want this information for you and your mechanic?

You do not mention mileage.

And check the Volvo 700-900-90 FAQ:

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/

Specifically:

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/960_90Info.htm

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/HighMileageVehiclePrevMaint.htm

Minor, yet useful:
https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/960_90MAFCleaning.htm

The engine is a light aluminum alloy with wet steel sleeves comprising the engine cylinder. It is critical you replace the coolant regularly with a proper coolant mix. Use a new pre-mix coolant per the owner or service manual. If mixing your own coolant, use deionized, demineralzed, or minimally, distilled water. Never tap water.

If you look at the brake fluid reservoir, is it clear; a light hunny or beige color. Black fluid simply won't do and will cause problems.

If your mother's 1994 Volvo 960 is driven in a fashion as a grocery getter, without extended highway runs, moisture may remain in the engine oil, and so the PCV (treated in an FAQ entry) would need recurring service before it clogs.

A search on Google for 1996 Volvo 960 service or repair manual may yield useful information. You may find factory service manuals in HTML5 or flash format on YouTube for use by you and your mechanic.

Be wary of such sites, however, that ask to install anything on your computer.

Suspension bushings. Front strut mounts. You may have the Nivomat rear auto-leveling system and the these shocks fail with the rear end sagging, even while unloaded in the rear seats and trunk. Exhaust system. Check the OBD (see the FAQ). If OBD-II, visit an autoparts store where you can drive up and connect a engine control system code scanner. Call ahead. Fault codes you encounter helps with diagnostic and repair before it become a problem with the Bosch Motronic engine control, ABS, passive restraints (air bags and their sensors), and more.

http://www.volvotips.com/service-manual/volvo-960/Volvo-960-engine-diagnostic-codes-OBD-service-repair-manual.html

You may find a PDF file. Chilton also produces a manual for the 960 / 90 series, though some would deride Chilton as an auto repair manual resource.

Search the brickboard for articles on specific issues on the 960 / 90 range. I've read many articles / threads that treat the very same question you ask here.

And your Volvo 960 owner manual.

http://www.volvotips.com/service-manual/volvo-960/Volvo-960-S90-V90-maintenance-information-service-repair-manual.html

http://www.volvotips.com/ has more of the Volvo factory green service manual for 960. Search the site.

Someone posted a 960 service manual on Google docs you can view:

https://docs.google.com/folderview?id=0B6pyJeQUq390ZTQzM2ZiZDMtYmExMi00ODAyLTkxYjItZWM2M2YxZDRhZTVk

The 960 is a fickle, complicated beast that got better with later model years up to 1998. Your investigation may yield some pricey repairs. The 960 may reward you and your Mom with a sophisticated, quiet, comfortable ride. One of the cult Volvo rides, and the final rear wheel drive inline 6 cylinder Volvo. (I'd like a 1998 with Getrag M90 manual transmission. Oh well.)

Questions?

Hope that helps.

Hyperlink Copy and Paster Duffed.
--
Jonathan Harshman Winters III: The Mightiest, Greatest, & Most Powerful Comedian & Comedic Actor North America in Perpetuity

Wow - thanks for all those links and suggestions! What an amazing site this is and what helpful people there are out there - like you! Yes, she uses this car mostly for lunch engagements and groceries - 5 miles away or less. I had never heard about moisture in the engine oil, so I guess it's good that she drives on the highway once in awhile on a Sunday. Good thing to look out for, though. And thanks for the info about manuals. I know she never had one with that car, since it was brought back from the "totaled" junk yard! I will check these out and print out the sections that are relevant for her. Great feedback - thanks!

Hi Laurie,

Double check the air bag system by a dealer. God bless her and Volvo for life.

As always, Thank you.

--

Does she have a cell phone if case of emergency? Does she have an iphone? Does she know how to use it well? There are ways to simplify the interface.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/11/13/how-to-make-iphones-easier-to-use-for-older-people/

How is her vision? There is an app for magnifying glass with light.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magnifying-glass-light-digital/id406048120?mt=8

--

Hi Baklava! Thanks for the links to the iPhone apps! No, my mom doesn't have one - she just has the gadget around her neck in case she has "fallen and can't get up". She just has to push a button if she's in trouble and the company calls one or more of her emergency numbers. I really don't think she could manage a phone. I might just use those iPhone apps for myself, though. :-) About the air bag - I always worried about that after my dad and his partner had so much trouble getting it replaced. After 15 years maybe I can stop worrying? It hasn't gone off yet, anyway.....

Dear Laurie M,

Hope you're well. The SRS components are good for the life of the vehicle. Volvo changed its guidance as to SRS component working life from 10 years to 15 years and finally, to "life of the vehicle".

There is no way to test SRS components. Rather like a hand grenade, the only way to test is to expend it. Once an airbag deploys, it is expended and has to be replaced, along with the wiring harnesses and the module.

I'd replace the following parts: (a) ignition switch; (b) park-neutral-park switch; (c) heater hoses (use Volvo brand only) and heater valve; (d) ignition amplifier; (e) fuel pump relay; (f) fuel injection relay. (b) is time-consuming: I just did one. (c) is also time-consuming. Changing relays takes a few minutes.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Hi Spook,

For clarification, I was thinking a visual inspection/check and there must be a way to check the system that it's working properly without deploying the air bags.

As always, Thank you & Happy New Year!

--

FYI. The nomadic family went back to South America. :o)

http://nomadlyinlove.com/#sthash.N18adfHo.dpuf

Dear Swedish Baklava,

Hope you're well. If the SRS light comes on, codes can be read via the OBD-1 boxes mounted on the driver's side strut tower (Port B-5). Other than that, there are no user diagnostics. Use of an ohmmeter to test for continuity - i.e., for an internal circuit fault - might, if there is no fault, trigger a deployment.

In recent years there have been a few posts reporting deployments in collisons. From those we can infer that 20-year-old components still work.

Volvo never put into 940s any components from Takata, the Japanese airbag maker that uses ammonium nitrate, a lower cost but unstable source of the gas that inflates the bag.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Hi Spook,

I understood. As always, thank you! :)

Unlike a large number of Brickers, I use a dealer to care for my Volvos.

As four drivers, we have about 600,000 miles on 9 cars - 4 740s, 3 850s, and 2 XC70s - and only have had 3 breakdowns on the road.

Bad alternator brushes, a bad starter, and a stuck caliper - all these were on cars that had over 200,000 miles.

-------- A cell phone and an AAA membership is a great idea. --------

An anecdote - I just purchased a '90 745 with 190,000 miles. The young lady who owned it was given a '05 Toyota. She planned a trip to the west coast (we live in Massachusetts) her uncle who services her cars told her to take the Volvo because it is more dependable.

A great independant mechanic is a good idea, but in my opinion, nothing is a substitute for keeping up on Volvo's maintenance, TIME & MILEAGE performed by techs with access to records, codes, bulletins, and lots of history on various models.

Two years ago, we bought a 2008 XC70 with 78,000 miles. I called the Indie specialist that had stamped the maintenance book, he knew the car and told me that all Volvo maintenance had been done.

At the first service, I had them change the spark plugs and flush the brake fluid. The tech told me that the fluid looked like it was old, and the spark plugs were labeled Ford and were original. They should have been changes at 60,000.

The car now has 93,000, and it would have probably been three more years on the original plugs - possibly having issues before they were changed!

Thank you, James, for some very valuable advice. My younger brother lives with my mom, and he feels he's knowledgeable enough about cars, but I know he never looks at maintenance schedules and probably has no clue how important it is to keep up with things like timing belts. At least now I have some questions to ask and urge her to get to the mechanic. Thanks for your quick response!

There really aren't any parts that are "likely" to fail but areas of concern would be things like--1. When was the timing belt (along with the water pump and attendant idle pulleys) changed? If never, now is the time. It's relatively costly service but a failure in that area will cause massive damage to the motor. The heart of the service is a rubber belt that wasn't designed to last forever.
2. What is the age of the battery. With winter finally upon us an old (5-6 years) battery is more likely to fail.
I think your Mom's best protection is having a competent, honest service person examine the car periodically--say every 4 months--which would include a close look under the car (to visually inspect brake hoses, pad wear, exhaust system and hoses, etc) and a thorough road test. A competent mechanic will look, feel and listen to how the car drives. It may cost a few hundred dollars per year to do this but a trustworthy service person examining the car is your best insurance. -- Dave

Thanks, Dave, for that advice; I hadn't thought about the timing belt. I think the brakes should be okay for now since all four were recently fixed and probably the fluid is changed at that time. And I will urge her to rely more on the mechanic she feels is competent and helpful, even just to take the car for a spin and listen. Good idea!