Test drive Volvo 850 R 1994 - 1996 sedan

$8500

The stereotype of a slow volvo-drivers was fully destroyed by the first VOLVO 850 business class front-wheel drive car.
 
Recently, the prices for sedans and station wagons of the 850th series have decreased significantly, but their scattering for cars of one year of production is great. This is partly due to a great variety in the configuration, partly the level of safety of the car. The second is more important for us, since Volvo should be evaluated not by year, but exclusively by condition.
 
SKIN. Natural corrosion, even on the oldest machines, should not be. The 850 body was developed taking into account high security standards, and therefore has a very complex design, and after a serious accident it is impossible to repair it in the garage. No matter how well the car looks, if there are traces of the body repair or rust, it is better to check it on the stand. Cracks on the windshield should also alert. Has the stone flew or was there a serious accident? So it is better to immediately for diagnostics, otherwise it turns out that the main bearing element in the front is the bumper beam. Attention should be paid to the connection between the niche of the front shock absorber and the body. The crack or traces of artisanal welding indicate that the rider was too dead.
HEART. Five -cylinder gasoline engines with an aluminum block have become a successful Volvo development. The 850th with a diesel engine in our secondary market is a rarity, so buying such a machine can become a very risky venture. Let's talk about gasoline. On cars 19921996, the most common in Russia are 2-liter 10- and 20-valve engines (model B5202 and B5204), 2.5-liter (B5252 and B5254) and turbocharged B5234T5 and B5234T5-R.
Atmospheric engines of this series have a large resource: about 300 thousand km. So when buying 850th with a 150-thousand mileage, one can safely hope that it will last the same. The resource of turbocharged interest is thirty lower. Keep in mind that the 850th has an interesting and useful feature: the total mileage is duplicated in the computer's memory. It is possible to erase the data, of course, but this requires very high qualifications and complex equipment.
So, we will open the hood. Traces of oil on the right side of the engine is a sign that the camshaft oil seal ordered to live long. Well, prepare $ 120150 for replacement if your car is yours, or knock down the price. It is widely believed that the leak in the back oil seal of the crankshaft is a kind of birth injury to the 850th first years of release. But experts do not share it. In their opinion, the love of our car users to fill in oil to the maximum is what causes this leak. According to the Volvo branded technology, checking the oil level in the motor is carried out no earlier than six hours after the engine stop. The level should be in the middle, between the Min and Max marks on the probe. A slightly increased oil consumption compared to other models, while it is within reasonable limits (about 2 liters per 10 thousand km), should not cause anxiety this is a design feature of the 850th engines.
It is often found that valve hydraulic compensators can click on a cold engine. This is not a problem if the sound disappears with heating; If there is no subject for proceedings.
The most dangerous for the owner of the 850th is the opening of the timing belt. The pistons will certainly meet with valves, creating a problem for at least $ 5 thousand. Hence the recommendation of specialists regularly, after 40 thousand km to change this very belt, and if the car has just been purchased immediately after the purchase. If at one point the car did not start, then do not drag it on a tie.
You should pay attention to the gasoline pump. The 850th is in a gas tank and is able to work up to 200 thousand km. But lovers of traveling to the last drop should keep in mind that the repeated operation of the gas pump to the dried will facilitate their pockets of dollars for 450. You can check the status of the gasoline pump only through the pressure measurement in the system.
Muscles. The 850th is equipped with either an automatic four-speed or mechanical five-speed boxes.
The mechanics of the first three years of release is characterized by difficulty inclusion of first and second gears. It’s not scary, this problem is constructive, but on later versions such difficulties should alert the owner. The box is reliable, but does not like rudeness that can easily lead to bulkhead: synchronizers, bearings of about $ 11.5 thousand.
With a machine gun, both easier and more difficult at the same time. Either work for a long and reliably, or hit in full. There should be no jerks when switching. Be sure to check the oil: the presence of Gary in it clearly suggests that the box was overloaded; The ugly color and rotten smell also indicate the unlucky condition of the box. Unfortunately, with a high -quality repair of these machines in our homeland, the situation is not the best way, so the price of the replacement can be comparable to the price of the entire car: about $ 6 thousand for a new or about $ 3.8 thousand per repaired at the Swedish factory in Sweden .
The bones and legs are quite strong. The reserve of reliability of the suspension elements is estimated at 70150 thousand km of run. Everyone goes differently ... The most expensive is the upper front cups of fastening shock absorbers: $ 167 plus 28 for work. Silent blocks are needed (replacing $ 5080), steering rods (about $ 80 per pair with work), stabilizers (about $ 180 per set) and shock absorbers themselves. And especially the ball supports, which are now delivered only in the assembly with levers and, accordingly, are very expensive about 160 dollars on both sides. It is worth paying attention to the upper Silent-Blok mounting of the engine. If there are cracks on the elastic band, feel free to throw 70 dollars from the seller, or forward, to replace.
The rear suspension is semi -dependent, with the steaming effect of Deltalink. It is very reliable, but you should pay attention to the position of the rear wheels. Even if it is noticeable by the eye that they are at an angle, it means that the levers of this Deltalinka itself are damaged, which, with all its reliability and durability, really does not like strong lateral blows.
The steering rack withstands up to 200 thousand mileage, however, the presence of leaks from the oil seals is an concern for anxiety: if this happened for a long time, internal corrosion is possible in which a replacement of $ 1.2 thousand threatens.
We take ?? Volvo 850 with gasoline engines is rightfully considered one of the most adapted foreign cars to the Russian operation. High -quality service is mandatory. The above rates relate to original spare parts, and the cost of work is calculated based on $ 29 per norm. In principle, the Russian market is currently literally littered with spare parts for Volvo and will not be difficult to choose some kind of compromise. Only now there will be spare parts of third companies to serve the same as relatives, this is a question. For comfort and pleasure that the 850th gives, it is advisable to fork out then you will definitely not be disappointed. The main wish: do not save and immediately check the seller for lice: a full diagnosis of competent specialists costs $ 100.
 
Text Andrey Timofeev, photo Alexey Ilyin
 

Source: "Autopilot"