91 940se 2.3 sohc turbo Questions

Exactly -- It still has the 'New Car Smell'

My favorite saying.

That car will have BOGE Nivomat rear shocks which are a self contained self levelling system. The provide some of the spring effect as well, so when they get tired, the rear sags. They may pump themselves up after driving over a few bumps, but if they don't you'll need to buy new ones ($$$).

The steering rack probably has a problem related to sitting for so long. You'll probably need to replace the rack to fix this. However, disconnect the tie rod ends and make sure each strut pivots about the ball joint and top bearing smoothly first.

Make sure that the controls are getting vacuum. There are a couple of check valves sitting on top of the engine, with small plastic hoses that disappear through the firewall. One of them is for the heater controls, check to see if it's sticky. Obviously check fuses as well. If it's just the A/C that's not working, then chances are you have a leak that needs to be fixed.

The front engine seals are common leak points. There are 3 total, and while you're in there, you might as well put a new timing belt on.

Volvo has a great, but expensive set of manuals, but at least buy the wiring diagrams manual from them. This will pay for itself many times over. Call 1-800-25-volvo or see volvotechinfo.com

Have you done much driving since you've gotten it running? The 940SE will have self leveling Nivomats in the rear. They use the up and down motion of the car to level it. Unfortunately if the car has been sitting for a while, the rear will sag. The other likely possibility is that the Nivomats are shot. If you've got a wagon and don't want the self leveling stuff (or don't want to pay the cost), you can get standard shocks and springs for any live axle 700 series car and put them in. If you've got a sedan, the Nivomats are even more expensive and unfortunately there are no direct fit aftermarket parts. You could convert to a normal shock+spring setup like the wagon, but you'd have to source the parts yourself. There's a writeup about this in the brickboard 700/900 series FAQ.

I'd suspect a stuffed u-joint here. Could be the rack or worn PS components I suppose

Probably a vaccum leak or a sensor problem somewhere. However, check the codes (again, look at the brickbaord 700/900 series FAQ). It's an electronic problem, you'll probably have to replace the whole unit.

Probably one or more of the cam, intermediate shaft, or crank seals. Easy enough to replace. Nothing to worry about. Replace them when you replace the timing belt.

The Bentley manuals are great, however the only Volvo model they cover is the 240. Volvo makes some nice manuals, but they're $$$. You can buy them new or find them often on eBay. The Brickboard has a great 700/900 series FAQ. Well worth reading. I believe both Chilton and Haynes put out some lame manuals for the 900s, but I doubt they're worth much.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo '84 245 Turbo

Haynes have two manuals out for the 740, the current one is crap (light blue cover) - any hard problem is covered by "refer to dealer" The original one which had a black cover (I think) is as good as the original Haynes that covered the 240. This applies to GB by the way. I'm still trying to locate the original 740 Haynes, I have the new one, but tend to use my 240 manual to figure out problems with my 740. BTW, I did have a 240, but my wife managed to roll it. Until that time, I thought Volvo meant "I Roll" as in "I keep going" not "I can flip". Takes a woman, huh? :)

Cheers Stu

Hello again...

Thanks for the info.

I found brickboard lastnight -- quite a bit of good information.

I also learned that funny term "nivomat"

Can anyone explain how the system works, and perhaps how to troubleshoot problems. I do not wish to spend the cash on the nivomats unless I am sure they are the problem.

I do know that the car was sagging before its 2 year vacation. I tried bouncing it up and down, and as soon as its registred I will try some more driving, but I do not hold out hope.

Any way to test? Visual inspection show no obvious wet spots or oil leaks. I guess I could drop the lower half of the shock and see if pistion has any spring to it?

As to the steering rack -- that too was a pre-existing problem, that appears, on the small amount of driving i have done, to have fixed itself (yeah I hear you laughing)

Thanks again for the info -- When, and if, I need to switch the steering rack and nivomats I think I'll take a lot of digital pics and post a web page with the procedures. Who needs Haynes when we can rely on us DIY's.

-Dan

There's not much of a "system" it's just fancy expensive shocks that either work or they sag and when they sag you replace them.