Gas for the 8.5 mile trip...$0.65

New thermostat (incl. labor)...$45.00

Peace of mind...priceless

For everything else there is Mastercard.

You won't believe the crazy prices I got for just changing the thermostat! The highest was about $80.00! I know many of you bricknuts have said that a thermostat change is an easy DIY job. But I have not developed the confidence level to do that job yet. I only got to a DIY oil change and tune-up (spark plugs, cap and rotor) on my 83 245. As it turns out, I don't think I was running a "cold" engine. A couple of you guys have suggested that it may be the temperature guage or the TC. You guys are probably right because after putting in a new thermostat, the temp. guage still reads a quarter up from the bottom, midway between the bottom and the 9 o' clock position. Well, at least I now no where my thermostat or engine temperature is at. And besides, the thermostat I had looked pretty old and probably needed replacement. It was a Calorstat 87C thermostat from France. The new one is also a Calorstat 87C - 88C. About a gallon of green coolant was added to the resevoir also. Yes, that's green coolant! The Volvo tech said green is fine, and I had green fluid in my resevoir already. I just remember reading some post where orange and green are very specific. Maybe that was in a M-B board.

Being the observant--if not nosey--customer, I tried to see what was being done to my car. It's not that I don't trust mechanics, but more that I want to see what is being done and how they go about doing it (i.e., are they careful, meticulous, or careless?). Overall, I'm pretty content with blowing a little over $45.00 for a new thermostat. The tech was nice and answered all my questions, no matter how silly they may be.

Thus far I have spent a little below $200 for a peace of mind after getting my car. This includes an oil and transmission change, and a new thermostat--with all original Volvo parts. But having a peace of mind is priceless!