We just "traded up" our 1984 240 for a 1996 960. This is our 5th Volvo. We were told that the car had been well maintained and ran like a top. It does run like a top, but coolant keeps disappearing maximum to minimum in about 2 days (and there are no signs near the cap) and the left side of the engine seems to be bleeding oil -- about a quart in three days. (Yes, we were and dumb bought this car from a relative who is a car dealer in a far away state so we didn't see the records until the car got here -- the last maintenance records were at 66,000 miles and it now has 113,000). The drip pan under the engine is missing and the engine is all clean bright and shiny, all of which makes me think this was a problem before (and why) it hit the dealership.
Our mechanic, who is absolutely wonderful, checked the flame trap and the front engine seals, which did not show signs of leaking. Other than a head gasket, warped or porous head, any ideas what could be causing the difficulty? While my tendency is to doubt that -- I figured it was worth asking. Carol K