My brother-in-law just bought a new Volvo XC90 and has offered me his old car, a '93 Volvo 940 turbo wagon, for $1,800. It has 140,000 miles. Also, it has a salvaged title, it was in a bad wreck ~ 8 years ago, hit on the side and totaled (and then rebuilt at which point he bought it), but he's had no problems with how it drives nor any mechanical problems with it. I've driven the car, it runs great.

I'd plan on keeping it for 12,000 miles or so (about a year) at which point I'd like to pick up the redesigned '05 Honda Odyssey (though I'm still thinking about the Volvo V70 or a Volkeswagon Passat wagon).

Is the 940 a fairly reliable car? That is, if I buy this, should I reasonably expect it to make it another 12,000 miles without any major engine or transmission problems? If I buy it, it'd be replacing my current commuter, an '88 Chevy Celebrity. If it were a Honda or Toyota I wouldn't hesitate to buy it, I really just don't know that much about the reliability of Volvos.

Thanks!

well maintained, well lokked after and agood one...one of the most reliable cars you can buy...badly maintained, badly looked after = money pit...

sounds like your bro-in-law has had it for 7 years or so..whats he spent, how much does he like you and how does he treat his cars...?

Go for it. I've had my '93 for almost 2 years, and the only reliability-type problem I've had is the RPM sensor, as mentioned.

If you really want to run the car for a year with the absolute minimal investment, it's very likely you could get by with just oil changes and the other stuff you mentioned, plus a few more things...

The cooling system is one area that needs attention... a failed hose or plastic bit will likely lead to a big problem. When you're doing the coolant flush, it would be a good idea to replace the heater hoses & heater valve, and the 2 oil cooler hoses (that provide coolant to the oil filter adapter)... maybe $50 total in parts. Many people also replace the radiator & the rest of the cooling system parts around the 10-year mark, as preventive maintenance.

Also a good idea to examine the PCV plumbing - easy to do, and cheap parts, but will cause oil leaks if they get clogged.

Get the car and have fun... maybe you'll change your mind about the Odyssey.

- Brian '93 945T

nmi

At that price it would be pretty hard to go wrong. It's obviously served your relative well enough to where he wanted a new Volvo.
I paid close to $5000 fo my '93 940turbo last summer, it was and is in excellent shape.
As far as ese of maintnence, you would have a hard time finding a modern vehicle that is easier to work on. You certainly would not be able to fix a honda or toyota as easily, and through internet parts sources such as those advertised here on the Brickboard ( www.fcpgroton.com etc. ), parts are heck of a lot cheaper than japanese parts.

Most of the information for repairs/maintnence can be found here :
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/
Haynes manuals can be purchased directly from haynes publishing in the UK at www.haynes.co.uk , takes about a week to the US .

In case you are worried about volvo reliability , check this out :
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/main.htm and check out the high milage list
and keep in mind that 940, 740 and 240 share the same ultra reliable drivetrain.
My 940 t has around 134,000 miles and is like a new car.
--
-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel

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Dear Heat,

May this find you well. Did your bro-in-law keep his receipts for maintenance? If he has kept them, go through them and post what parts he has changed or had changed.

Other things being equal, it will need a timing belt at 150K. A timing belt breaking will strand you, but not otherwise damage the engine.

Has the radiator been replaced? They last about eight years, so someone should have done this. If not, you should replace the radiator, as soon as you get it. These radiators tend to fail because the plastic hose connections get brittle with time and heat. They start to leak and - if you don't replace them right then - they break, causing coolant loss, overheating, and potential damage to the head (warping and head gasket failure).


If the crank/RPM sensor has not been replaced, it is overdue. You can do this yourself. The part is about $40.00. If this sensor fails, you will be stranded. It may fail gradually or suddenly. The car will crank but not start.

Get the maintenance records and prepare the list of items replaced. That will help brickboarders to help you.

Yours faithfully,

spook

OK, just spoke with my brother-in-law.

Turns out he replaced the radiator in October '03 or so, at a cost of $600. At the same time all of the hoses were replaced. The water pump was replaced a couple of years ago, plus it had a "tune-up" a year or so ago (not sure what was involved with it other than new plugs and wires). The belts were replaced a few years ago.

It has 130,000 miles, he bought it when it had 40,000 miles (after being rebuilt).

I asked him about the crank/RPM sensor, he had no idea what it was so it sounds like that will be the first thing I do to it. Is something like this available from Autozone or NAPA, or would I need to go through a place like http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvo.htm ?

On the Haynes manual from the UK, "petrol" is what the British call gasoline, right? The book is a little high ($39 after shipping and conversion to dollars), are there any other good books available in the US from Chiltons or anybody else? I'm sure I'll end up buying the Haynes manual, I really like their manuals and even at $39 it will save me money since I can then do the basic repairs myself.

Thanks for your help, looks like I'll be buying it and will start hanging out here reading the threads on a regular basis to learn what's going on.

I believe IPD (www.ipdusa.com) and Volvo World (www.volvoworld.com) also sell the Haynes 940 book; I got mine on Ebay from an outfit called Trollhatten (IIRC)... maybe $20 or $25 + ship.

The book is OK and I'm glad I got it, but I spend a lot more time looking at the FAQ and searching old posts here, than I do looking at it. I haven't ever looked at the Chiltons book, but people say it's pretty useless.

- Brian '93 945T

Dear Heat,

Good a.m. and may this find you well. Glad the radiator's been done.

The crank sensor can be had for about $40 at www.fcpgroton.com (F6010-36889). It is not hard to install if you have 21" of extensions, a 10mm socket, a universal, and a 3" extension.

The heater control valve also should be changed if you don't have documentation that it has been done.

"Petrol" is the British term for gasoline.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

If it was properly maintained it will outlive your future 05 Odyssey.

I doubt that he's had regular maintenance done on it (other than oil changes).

Besides these items, what else should be done?
replace spark plugs / wires
radiator flush / fill
air filter
maybe the fuel filter

Any expensive belt replacements that really can't be done by a do-it-yourselfer?

Does Haynes or Chilton make a repair manual for the '93 940? (If I pick up the car I'd like to do basic maintenance myself)