hi all,
since the 83 wagon got destroyed, i've been in the marked for a new wagon.
last night i saw an 89 wagon with 150k selling for 1500 obo (which is cheap for this area).

the good:
looks good/paint/body practically perfect
leather seats!
new tires
newish exhaust system


the bad:
a) when i test drove it, the check engine light came on (my old volvo never had check engine come on, so i don't know what it could be for....)
b) od button doesn't seem to work all the time (i'm betting that's just the relay, and i know how to solder it)
c) here's the funny stuff:
when you turn the ignition key, if you leave it in the 'all the way to on' position, the car dies! but if you jiggle the key back about 1/2 inch, the car works just fine. i'm thinking that's an electrical problem, but that's really just a guess....i'm hoping one of you may know something about this.
d) when i went to turn on the interior light, the light didn't come on, but the 'door open' sound started. you know, the 'ding ding' that comes on when your door is open? that sound - again, i thought that meant electrical gremlins.

e) car made a loud rough noise that sounded like it was coming from the exhaust system.....the sound got louder while accelerating.
f) when i put the car in park to look under the hood, it stopped running while i was looking under the hood. i think that was another symptom of the 'ignition key position' issue, but i'm not sure.

reading this list, i'm thinking 'wow, i must be crazy to consider this car'. but it seemed to run strong, especially up hills. i'm hoping that all these things sound like minor concerns. it's definitely the nicest looking car i've ever driven, but if these problems sound serious, i'll just walk away since i don't have tons of money/time/know-how...

also though, are 89's generally easy to work on, in comparison to an 83? i could at least understand everything marginally on the 83, i've never had a newer volvo.

sorry for the long post. any info appreciated.
this car was BEAUTIFUL. if you had seen it, you'd understand why i'm trying to rationalize it, despite having a feeling that these issues are not minor....

thanks!!
susan.
--
Emperor for Life - Leaky Volvo Club of America (LVCOA)