Any common issues on 850R estate
 

Hey all,

I have recently acquired an N-Reg auto 850R estate, in pretty much the same spec as my saloon (aside from the gearbox). I'm talking the same colour and interior etc! It's a proud moment seeing them both on the driveway. Anyway I do digress...

The estate is SORN at the moment as it needs some work before I drive it as my regular. I was wondering what the common issues/failures might be? Maybe there are some key components that could be changed to make them more reliable etc.

I plan to hand it in to a Volvo specialist garage with a list for them to inspect and work on. This thread is to help me put that list together :)

I look forward to your input :)

P.s. the other 850R I have is a saloon with a manual gearbox. I plan to sell it before I make the estate my main vehicle. I've not had the heart to continue with selling it in the past but now it must go as I only have enough space at my house (and heart) for one 850 ;)

Given how common the 850 was and how old they are now, rest assured every foible has been identified, fixed and we'll documented. A couple of hours on Google will see you very well versed. Or just read the 56 million posts in the technical section here and you'll get a feel for what goes wrong and how to fix it. The R is no different to any other 2.3 T-5, nothing unique about it really...

most common things are dry solder joints in the abs module. odometer gear failure .wire breakage on the tailgate hinge delamination of the handbrake shoes come to mind. robert diy has some good info on 850s on you tube . rolling thunder on the forum is a good source of knowledge im fairly sure he has compiled a document on 850s .

The estate is almost identical to the saloon mechanically, the only major different is the suspension if you have nivomats fitted in the rear. They're great self-levellers but apparently they're relatively expensive to replace. You can swap them out with standard shocks, but you'll need to replace some of the mounting gear if you do. Aside from that, the estate doesn't really have any foibles south of the waistline that come to mind.

+1 to most of the above. The amount of work required will depend on the previous keepers of the car - if they've kept ontop normal regular maintenance then your life will be a whole lot easier (and cheaper)

Let assume yours is a basket case and over 100k miles, therefore:

1. STAGE 0. Replace ALL ignition and PCV parts along with full flush and replacement of ALL fluids inc transmission, and new filters for oil, fuel and air (intake and cabin). Both belts, inc tensioners and idlers. Waterpump is considered bulletproof, so normally can be left alone. New battery. Check alternator output.
2. Turbo - new CHRA ( mellett), new VAC hoses, new TCV. Check recerc valve and actuator are operating properly ( mitivac pressure tester required). Replace defective/suspect components.
2. Brakes - new calipers, discs and pads all around, inc handbrake shoes, replace flexible hoses front and rear, full flush with lovely clean dot 4. Probably best to do handbrake cables whilst your at it.
3. Suspension. Droplinks, track rod end, front lower arms and front& rear top mounts are a must - unless you like sounding like a cheap busker.clanking along. Shocks and springs as well would be wise. Keep nivomats. Expensive, but worth every penny.
4. Rust. Inner wings, all wheel arches, rear bumper hangers etc... find, deal with and blitz with new underseal/waxoil.
5. Exhaust. Front half should be fine ( DP and cat) rear half will most likely be holy....replace and get new rubber hangers.
6.Heating/AC. Replace heater matrix and condenser behind the dash. Do the heater fan and Resistor at the same time, save yourself the hassle later. Replace AC dryer at front of car. Shim ac compressor clutch. Fill with gas. It might work then....no promises.
6. Interior. Rear boot cover, new clips will be required. De bobble alcantara on drivers seat. Feed/recolour leather elsewhere. Track down various squeeks and eliminate with new clips & or tape.

God knows.what else you'll find. But I promise it'll be a lovely feeling when you get through it all and end up with a 27 year old daily that is fast, reliable, comfortable and considerably more stylish than most modern tat on the roads!!

Shame your selling the saloon, but they are limited in terms of space, so understand your reasoning- think you might miss the manual though, Autos are sooo boring 😴 😉


Cheers, Morgan

P.S....admin, this thread is in.the wrong section, could.do with shunting to general:)

Good luck with getting your 850R estate in great shape. I too was going to suggest a Stage 0 prep, as Shinsplintz 101 suggested. I too can vouch for forum member RollingThunder who has a wealth of knowledge, that has helped me. I did it to mine when I got my 98 V70R last year. The previous owners kept her in good condition and on top of maintenance, so there wasn't much for me to carry out. My indie gave her a clean bill of health and she is my daily driver, well, more like once a week to the office if need be and the rest of the time just blasts on nice roads. So much more interesting than these modern boxes on the roads these days. Keep us posted on your progress. It's great to hear another 850R will be kept on the roads.

Thanks for the above Morgan,

Yeah I'm sure there will be a bit of me that will always miss the manual but I'm getting into cruisers nowadays and have been developing an itch for the the estate over the past few years. Plus with the auto my missus and Mum can also drive it without having a panic attack. It feels and sounds great esp. with the exhaust the last owner has had installed! What's funny is that it's the exact same interior and exterior spec as the manual I got off you - they're both twins (aside from the gearbox). Soon to be parted sobsob.

I've made a list of observations whilst it's SORN - the key bits below (aside from visual imperfections and the odd bit of flaking/rust here and there - nothing major):

-Front spoiler is split/cracked
-Wing mirrors don’t fold back
-Passenger wing mirror makes a noise when motor is moving but mirror doesn't move
-Reverse lights and rear number plate lamps not working
-Flow rate of footwell heaters and main vents inside very very low even with heater on full
-No illumination on panels around gearstick. For someone used to a manual I need to see what gear I am selecting at night!
-Steering wheel external leather layer is split and needs a refurb
-Gearstick leather is falling to pieces and needs refurb

I will be adding to my list based on what you've recommended. Thoughts on the above points would be much appreciated on how to rectify/fix affectively.

I will attached a few pics to get the juices flowing for all Volvo 850R nerds

Love the first photo of the 'twins' parked together :) The 850R wagon looks fantastic. I bet the exhaust sounds great too. I'd like to get a stainless CAT or turbo back exhaust, for my V70R, when I've sorted out the more important bits she needs.

In case you haven't already had the info for removing the centre console to replace the bulb for illuminating the panel around the gearstick, this is a great link, plus many others Robert DIY has on the P80 cars - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqMY5BqMY84

Good luck and keep us posted on your 850Rs progress.

Thanks for the video buddy.
Yeah a good exhaust does make a world of difference - I'm only realising this now with the new estate as my existing saloon was kept stock. I've attached a few more pics of the estate exhaust - it's mental - I am sure my whole leg can fit inside! It sounds so amazing. No idea what type of exhaust it is though.