Everyone,

Thanks for all of your valuable information. Will keep in contact when I inspect and/or purchase this vehicle.

Cheers everyone.

Have you looked in the 700/900 FAQ? There is a section on buying a 900 model. I'm in the USA and they stopped bringing in 940s in 1995. I wish they were still available. We bought a '93 940, went through the FAQ and did all they recommended for a new purchase, e.g., new radiator, changed every fluid, replaced heater valve and hoses, etc.. It had 100,800 mile on it and has been a super nice car. Just would like a little more power, it is a Rex-Regins, NA, station wagon, leather seats, sunroof, good AC.....

Problems I have had with my two Aussie 940s.

93 SE Turbo Wagon (always serviced to handbook by Volvo dealer prior to my purchase)
*Rust in door window surrounds discovered in 1999.I've seen this problem in 2 other 940s. Treated with Por 15.
*Heater core leak in 1999,185000kms. $400 for heater core. Own labour.
*Head gasket coolant leak to outside of block in 2000, 190000kms. Exhaust stud broke during gasket replacement.
No further probs over the last 80000kms.

93 GL Sedan
*Auto trans rebuilt at 170000kms prior to my purchase.
*Broken exhaust stud prior to my purchase. Exhaust leak has been minimal so we are living with the prob.
*Harmonic balancer replaced at 185000km due to rubber separation.
*Manual air con controller resoldered due to non operation.

Replaced radiators in both cars this year. They were showing no signs of leaks but were 10+ years old. Both new radiators are Volvo plastic/aluminium and cost less than $300AUD each.

My advice if you buy, is to always use synthetic. After 100000kms using Mobil 1 5w50,(the only weight available in Australia during that time), I have recently switched to Castrol R 5w30. It is not considered a true synthetic but is the only 'synthetic' of that weight available in Australia at an affordable price.Since switching to this viscosity range, my economy has improved. At 270000km my turbo is still whisper quiet.I put that down to synthetic oil and regular changes using Mann filters.

Other musts are....replace heater core valve, install a low coolant sensor,be diligent with all fluids and maintain a slight vacuum at the oil fill cap by keeping plumbing to the oil trap/breather box clean.

Despite the above issues I consider the 940 series a top car. My turbo with 270000km drives like new.

Take care,
John H from Downunder

Hi Jameet,

I am writing you from Christchurch New Zealand and have a 1996 Volvo 940 Polar Estate 2.3i with a Low Pressure Turbo Engine and 120.000 k's on the clock. Auto Transmission, Power Steering, Electric windows and central locking, ABS, Heated seats, Aircondioning.

I have recently replaced the radiator. They all seem to crack at the hose connections because the plastic of the tank (these radiators are made from alloy and plastic) do get brittle and start leaking.(mine too) Also the heater control valve is made from the same material but mine seems to be in perfect nick (still)
The B 230 FK engine is probably one of the most reliable Volvo engines ever made. I was recently in The Netherlands and Sweden and saw stacks of 2nd hand 940's with B 230FK's advertised with 3 to 400.000 k's on the clock. Still sold through dealers with a year full warranty. Talked to a few Volvo garages and everywhere the same story: it runs and runs and runs.
When I bought my 940 less than a year ago I had the Auto transmission serviced, the timing belt replaced and the radiator too. Here in Christchurch I was able to purchase a brass radiator that was custom made for the 940. It cost me $ 500 NZ dollars. A new original one will cost you almost a 1000 A$ !! The only real problem I've had was a faulty temperature sensor of the injection sytem. Limped home (500 k's!) with an erratic idling engine and hooked it up to the diagnostic computer at the volvo dealer. New sensor and it ran fine again. My workshop has advised me to have the fuel injectors cleaned, so it would even run better than it does now.
Replace oil, filter and check all hoses etc. These cars are made to last and I've only heard good stories. Would appreciate if you could respond when you have bought this car. We could help eachother out I guess and nice to know someone with exactly the same car. Is this an estate that you're looking at or a sedan? Hope to hear from you.

Baz, Christchurch New Zealand
bas.lieneke@xtra.co.nz

Dear Jameet,

May this find you well. If you can get the maintenance records, that show the oil was changed regularly - and that the timing belt was changed at 85K Km intervals (50 K miles) - then by all means buy the car. If these things were done, then the previous owner(s) was/were diligent.

If the radiator has not been changed, you should consider doing that preventively. Radiators in 940s have about an eight-year working life. They fail at the hose nipples (where hoses connect to the radiator).

If you live in or travel through remote areas, you don't want to suffer total coolant loss. If the water pump is original, change it at the same time you do the radiator. The heater control valve and heater hoses, should also be changed, if they're original. These are all things that if they fail, stop the car.

You might also want to change preventively, the RPM/Crank sensor, which sits atop the transmission bell housing. If it fails, the car stops. It is not a costly part (about A$70-80, I'd guess) and is easy to change.

Keep on board spare fuel system relays, as well as a spare overdrive relay.

These things done, you should have many, many happy and safe kilometers ahead.

Best of luck! Let us know what you find, when you look at the car.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Hi Jameet, I would do the oil change, and coolant change, check the radiator, timing belt and hoses and then drive it. I would probably think about having a few spare parts on hand such as; hoses, all, and clamps, belts, spare alt, crank sensor, 2 gallons of premixed antifreeze, fuel pump relay, thermostat, and a spark amplifier and maybe a fold up bicycle in case your stuck really far out. Pauli