What are the top 10 problems with the 440/460 models?

[B20F]

The reararches have a design fault. The inner and outer part are spotwelded, wetness and mud creeps in between it and the rust starts at the welding points. The spotweldings are protected by just an anti-rust coating, the zink protection had to be removed before the welding is done. If the owners don't renew the anti-rust coating regularly, rust takes over.

[CharlesStevenson]

Originally Posted by B20F

The reararches have a design fault. The inner and outer part are spotwelded, wetness and mud creeps in between it and the rust starts at the welding points. The spotweldings are protected by just an anti-rust coating, the zink protection had to be removed before the welding is done. If the owners don't renew the anti-rust coating regularly, rust takes over.

Thank you.

So it's something which can be protected against if the protection is commenced from new.

I guess I must make sure I've a magnet with me when I go to look at one.

[B20F]

You should also check the point where the doorsill meets the rearwheelarch while you're on your knees magneting the arches!

[Adi2727]

Yesterday i changed the front stabilizer bushes... because i got a knock sound which i don't know from were it comes.
I thought that this will be a 15 minutes job, but turned to be about 4 hours full of "fun".
The fact is, that there is no space and room to reach those bushes... at list on turbo models. I barely managed to stop my mechanic from dismantling my brake pumps to reach the left bush... and finally we hardly managed to reach that left bush from a water drainage hole (were the windshield wipers motor is located).
Another thing i noticed:
I think that somehow/sometime those bushes were exchanged in design, because looking for hints on how to deal with the problem, I noticed that vadis instructions are showing something else (a different design part).
Also, i think that this bush should have a different position, regarding his design. Maybe, Volvo changed this bush but didn't change the fitting on the body.

Sorry for this long post but parts that are hard to reach/exchange, is definitely a top 10 problem.

[nomashedswede]

Originally Posted by B20F

The reararches have a design fault. The inner and outer part are spotwelded, wetness and mud creeps in between it and the rust starts at the welding points. The spotweldings are protected by just an anti-rust coating, the zink protection had to be removed before the welding is done. If the owners don't renew the anti-rust coating regularly, rust takes over.

I am lucky enough to have a 460 with no corrosion whatsoever in the rear arches. The arches are religiously hosed out and brushed every week, and so far all appears well. I would like to try to preserve them in this condition, and would like some advice/ opinions on any further preventative measures. I am not a fan of underseal - have seen too many problems caused by damp getting underneath - and wondered whether a good coat of Hammerite would be effective ?

[B20F]

Hammerite is good stuff, but for the surface only. It can't penetrate inbetween the sandwiched plates. For that purpose you should use a good anti-rust product that has good penetrating qualities such as Tectyl ML, dinitrol, waxoil, RX5, RX10. My personal favorite is Dinitrol. You can use it also for protection of the insides of the chassis, door sills, doors etc. It has a very high viscosity and reaches every nook and cranny. Apply plentifull till it drips out of every corner of the car. It's a dirty job, but worth your while!

[ericgardener9]

Hi all, regarding my earlier post which I posted something like, "the volvo 440's biggest problem was actually being built in the first place"

I realise that there may be a few who have jumped on since my post and have poited out there may have been error in the brashness of my ways.

Well not really - we are on a thread listing the top 10 problems these cars have, irony perhaps? I'm posting what the thread title says.

I have a 440auto and it's ok it goes from A to B I fill it up with petrol and I use a fair degree of hope - which seems to have paid off so far.

It's surprisingly good in the snow ( my theory is auto box - heavier, more weight over front wheels)


But as a car in terms of quality and reliability it leaves a lot to be desired, I had a honda auto before this and there is no comparison.

The volvo just has one thing after another just go wrong, now the latest thing is yes....clunking and a chudd when changing gear i suspect a bush or a mount or something worse has developed under the bonnet.

I refuse to spend any more money on it, it's just a money pit.

what the hell is that auxiallary electric water pump all about?? I took that out and plummbed it straight through without that stupid T piece in the rad top hose. car works fine - did the car ever need that ? ...no.

Day running lights?? battery draining crap - disconnected those and everything ok. Did it need any of that?? .....no

Stupid loud seat bealt warning light, TICK TOCK TICK TOCK.....jeeze. disconnected that everything ok.


I have a point here folks - I speak truth and sometimes thats hard to swallow if you spent another £400 on your volvo this month.

I will never spend another pence on mine I will drive it till it literally falls apart and they get it towed away - it it's a patch on my old honda but somehow in a moment of madness I parted with cash for this thing....never again.

[harry89]

Nice topic. Good (or not) to see that other people have comparable problems.

- Problems with my 440 2.0 gl (1993)
Had to clean up my bougies regularly. For some reason 1 of the 4 (random) cilinders shutted down. After cleaning bougies problem was solved. probably some flaps were leaking in the motor....
- at the end the exhaust broke because of to much rust. -Beside primair problems the interior became old. Soundbox plastic died, belt holder plastic died.

When the exhaust broke off, the car went to his last owner. I think he used it in a autocross or something like it.

- Problems with my 440 2.0gl (1994)
Some water leaking to the rear windows/rubbers.
None untill winter drops in. Start motor is asking to much power of the battery and is not starting. (a second battery did the job, but this is not a perm solution) I will fix a new startmotor soon and i believe that i can use the car for at least another year.

------
About driving a Volvo 440 nowadays
It's a big car for a small amount of money.
Problem is that they are getting old and not everyone is lucky that the 440 keeps on driving. Good thing about this, is that there are no big computers in the car so you can fix stuff youreself.

I still like it !!!!!

[ericgardener9]

Dare I say this but as a car I hate it and like it simultaneosly. I just think these cars left the factory 80% of the car they should have been. I suspect the bean counters got in and shaved everything they could off the car and we ended up with the things we are driving today.

It has an old car slightly oppulent feel to the ride and the best thing is you can "potter around" unashamedly.

Unlike a fidgety stiff sprung new car which whcih doesn't seem to have any feel to it.

It reminds me of a temperamental woman you meet when you're 21 and can't ever quite understand what makes her tick - you're never sure whether this week she'll love you or be leaving you for someone else, and then possibly back with you the next week.

You spend money and time liberally and still the very quandary you ask yourself is an artful juxtaposition in itself - what do I do next?

[Smugtugboat]

@nomashedswede

I use ACF 50 to protect my motorbike from rust and i can not recomend this stuff enough my bikes been through 3 wet gritty winters and still the chrome and unpainted parts are rust free, have a look on ebay or something. This stuff is used by the US navy to stop jets getting rusty whilst at sea on aircraft carriers.

Also a problems i have had with my 440 are the boot leaks through the roof and flooded my rear light cluster and gave me a wet carpet in the boot, Also the strip on the roof has peeled and it just looks tacky. And my rear drivers side door has rusted from the inside out so check the seals on the doors.