Gentlemen-
First I must say I have gained a wealth of knowledge and insight from this Web site - a valuable tool even for the one who isn't a DIY. It has been an incredibly expensive first year owning a 1993 940 Turbo, especially with the high labor the dealers charge. The purpose of my purchase was to still own a Volvo, but be rid of the high car payments of owning a new(er) Volvo. So far, I have spent a fortune on maintenance, a few repairs, and some other "issues" that I have had with a local mechanic. Simply put, I could be driving a new Mercedes for the monthly payments in maintenance/repairs the 940 has eaten up, though I must say it is my favorite Volvo of all, one I plan to keep around for a while. My estimation is that what I have invested this year should payoff with a much more reliable second year of ownership. A little background about my vehicle... I got out of $460-a-month car payments (that I should have never assumed in the first place) with the immediate sale of my 2004 S80. I had always wanted a 940 Turbo, but none were available in the St. Louis area. So, I rolled the dice. I wanted black-on-black, and the only one I could find last summer was on the west coast. I purchased, sight unseen, a 1993 from LTZ Imports in Glendale, California. It was a huge gamble buying a used car sight unseen from a used dealer I didn't know from Adam. It had no service records, but was described as - and was delivered in - outstanding shape. The paint, body, and interior are in a condition that exceeds any 940 I have seen of that age/vintage. It did have a new, or recently new, radiator and water pump. I paid around $3500 for the vehicle. I didn't expect it to be in top mechanical shape, and was expecting to spend a grand or two to have things updated by my mechanic (I am not mechanically inclined like most of you do-it-yourselfers, as I am the type that hires a mechanic to do the work). There are two dealerships in St. Louis with whom I do (or did) business with: Suntrup West County Volvo (an authorized Volvo dealer), and Auto Evaluators. Auto Evaluators is an independent mechanic located in South County, and has a reputation for being more affordable than the dealerships. Their name comes from one of the services they provide, which is to evaluate the condition of a vehicle both inside and out. The sequence of events that have unfolded are pasted below, and as you will see below, last summer Auto Evaluators did not replace the "turbo spit" hose because it "looked fine" when they serviced my vehicle for the first time. The hose failed, causing me to lose all coolant and which ultimately cracked the head gasket, resulting in a very expensive repair. Pasted below is a year's worth of service, and given the amount of my investment, I would sincerely appreciate it if you all could give me your insight as to what, if anything, additional needs to be done as far as further preventative maintenance. You all may want to note that this vehicle is a daily driver, seeing at least 30,000 miles per year. Thank you all very much in advance for any advice you may have, and I hope this will serve as an education for those considering buying a similar vehicle. NOTE: As a reference, "A" stands for Auto Evaluators, "W" stands for West County Volvo.

Date Mileage Retailer

7/16/07 159,000 N/A
tire vandalized. Replaced
$146.74

7/16/07 159,000 A
Evaluate vehicle, close sunroof manually (broken motor), safety inspection
$155

7/18/07 160,174 A
full tune up, timing belt, rear oil seals, cooling system flush, replace air box, replace battery, replace plugs, wires, dist. Cap rotor, clean throttle body & flame vent, replace timing belt & tensioner, replace aux belts, replace coolant res tank, flush tranny
$1466.15

8/3/07 161,524 A
radiator “turbo spit” hose busted, all coolant leaked out, car overheated (this cracked head gasket, replaced on 9/24, see below)
$188.21

8/20/07 163,438 W
oil change
$50.31

9/7/07 164,856 W
replace HVAC nipples, solder bad joints on A/C module, reseal water pump, replace alternator
$906.97

9/18/07 166,400 N/A
replaced factory radio w/aftermarket Alpine unit
$302.77

9/24/07 166,487 W
replace head gasket
$1108.72

9/27/07 166,566 W
oil change
$50.31

11/21/07 170,836 W
replace one washer jet, balance & rotate tires, install snow scoop, oil change
$163.02

12/05/07 171,554 W
replace brake light cover, replace rear pinion seal, replace other washer jet, replace wiper blades
$267.78

12/28/07 173,566 W
oil change
$50.31

1/3/08 173,779 A
replace faulty #4 fuel injector, replace gas cap hinge (I broke it)
$353.19

1/2/08 173,700 N/A
replace sunroof motor
$605.58

2/20/08 177,128 A
oil change
$48.82

3/11/08 179,378 A
oil change, remove & replace flame box & components, replace vacuum lines & evap hoses
$469.77

4/15/08 182,199 A
oil change
$48.82

5/14/08 184,274 A
remove & reseal oil cooler assembly, replace turbo oil return line seal & gasket, replace oil cooler coolant lines
$477.22

6/2/08 186,307 A
remove & replace alternator bushings & belt
replace p/s belt
$197.47


6/4/08 186,424 W
oil change
$53.06

6/19/08 187,787 W
180,000 mile service, replace dash lights, transmission service, replace heater control valve
$957.44



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Scott Nauert