20 Most Recent 1997 Volvo 850 Questions & Answers


Probably not. There are often vacant positions in fuseboxes, relay boxes and the various other locations electrical and electronic equipment is sited..

If you need to locate the ABS ECU you need to discover the official location, which could be almost anywhere - behind the dash or behind kick panels, behind the glovebox...

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Mar 01, 2018


Normally the ac shouldnt be starting when you turn on the vehicle. This shows that there is a faulty ac switch. You need to check the ac switch and then followed by the ac thermostat.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Feb 07, 2018


If you want to solve your problem, click on the link I attached
https://www.reliable-store.com/products/volvo-850-service-repair-manual-1992-1996-download

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Jan 24, 2018


This is a common problem with 850s. The speedometer is driven electrically, while the odometer is mechanical.

There's a tiny little gear inside the odometer that runs it from a motor; it's no longer tied directly to a speedometer cable like older models. What happens is the gear gets old and brittle and loses teeth, at which point it can no longer turn the odometer.

My wife's '96 850 had the same issue when I got it, and a little internet research turned up the answer above. There are companies that make replacement gears you can buy fairly cheaply, but it does require a fair amount of mechanical aptitude to pull the instrument panel and disassemble the speedometer assembly.

One note of caution that I learned the hard way: you have to take the front cover off the instrument panel, exposing all of the gauges. Be very careful not to disturb the position of those little needles; I ended up messing up the gas gauge, speedometer and temperature gauge, and it took a lot of trial and error to get them put back in so they showed the right readings.

If I recall correctly, I found instructions for doing the gear replacement online, but it's been so long that I don't have the web page(s) I found any more. A lot of times the manufacturer of the replacement gears have instructions on their web sites.

IPD USA sells them and has instructions.

850 Odometer Gear

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Dec 06, 2017


Outside of the oil filter, there aren't a lot of places oil can exit the engine under normal circumstances, but my wife's '96 850 had a similar problem.

The source of the leak in her case was the dipstick tube. We'd had the transmission replaced a few months before, and as it turns out, they had to pull the engine and transmission as a unit in order to get the tranny out. (They Hayes manual says to drop the subframe beneath the car, but given a full auto shop, it was probably just as easy for them to just pull the entire assembly.)

Anyway, in the process I assume they disconnected the dipstick to give themselves more room to work. From the looks of the o-ring between the block and the dipstick tube, it appears it got deformed when being reinstalled so it failed to seal correctly, letting the oil leak out of it. Between the action of the cooling fans on the radiator and wind coming through the grille while driving, it was throwing the oil all over the place, making it hard to determine exactly where it was coming from.

I ended up wiping down the entire bottom of the engine, driving the car and looking for oil. Repeat several times until I finally isolated it to the dipstick.

You can buy just the o-ring online for just a few bucks. That solved the majority of the issue for me, but then I found oil leaking out of the top of the dipstick as well! There's another o-ring there, but they don't sell those by themselves; you have to either buy the whole dipstick (without the tube) to get it, or take the old one to an auto parts store and try to match up the existing o-ring to something they have in stock. I found one that was close enough, and that seems to have put to bed my engine leaks.

Of course, I don't imagine you've had your engine pulled, but since your car is almost of legal drinking age, it's entirely possible the seal has simply failed due to age. Definitely recommend replacing both the top and bottom seals. There's only one bolt holding the dipstick in place, so it's not hard to swap out the one between the tube and the block.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Dec 06, 2017

1997 Volvo 850 | Posted on Nov 30, 2017 | Be the first to answer


Blown head gasket, cracked block.
check for milky color of oil.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Sep 02, 2017

1997 Volvo 850 | Posted on May 31, 2017 | Be the first to answer


Fuel injection relay. It is located under the hood inside the fuse box. It is either red or green in color. It is one of the larger relays. This is classic symptom of these things going bad. The heat causes the relay to swell and not engage properly. They die out every couple of years. Usually the car will start again after it cools down.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Apr 28, 2017

1997 Volvo 850 | Posted on Feb 09, 2017 | Be the first to answer

1997 Volvo 850 | Posted on Jan 25, 2017 | Be the first to answer


Follow the link to the youtube video of the whole job, a very well done video. This is a difficult repair. Alternator Replacement not charging bad noisy etc Volvo 850 S70 Auto...

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Nov 29, 2016


Most parts stores will test this on the car for free.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Nov 17, 2016

1997 Volvo 850 | Posted on Nov 15, 2016 | Be the first to answer


p0120 throttle position sensor/switch
p0172 system to rich bank 1
p0440 Evaporative Emissions failure

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Oct 31, 2016


The world is littered with specialists who will repair just about anything or make new stuff to order and fuel tanks are not an exception. Every now and again somebody working in one of those companies fails to take proper precautions and is killed or injured by an exploding tank and then for a time getting a repair done becomes very difficult. Mostly accidents occur when the customer is in a hurry and the guy is trying to do a favour...

Fuel tank repair is usually a sideline for small companies that supply, build or repair radiators so check your local directory.

A tank sourced from a breaker or salvage yard through one of the many computer-find-a-part services might produce a good clean and rust-free replacement but a new replacement either from the dealer or an aftermarket supplier might not be as expensive as you imagine. This is the best option.

I suggest you ring the dealer for a price and then check the prices of those offering aftermarket replacements. Make the decision after you have the information and new or old, ensure the tank isn't fitted without a few coats of rust protection.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Oct 24, 2016


if your getting an orange spark then change the coil it is obviously failing, quite possibly. leaky

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Oct 03, 2016


Check sensors for aircon as this share the 5 V supply for the throttlebody sensor

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Jun 21, 2016


Remove interior door panel and inspect linkage.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on May 25, 2016


It probably needs lifter treatment, ad it to the engine oil.

1997 Volvo 850 | Answered on Mar 11, 2016

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