A couple of things come to mind. I would first ask these questions: Is this a no crank or a no start? I will address both scenarios below. A no crank is when the motor doesn't turn when you...
The Volvo 850's are notorious for having main fuel relay failures due to burned contacts in the relay. This will cause intermittent fuel delivery issues which result in stalling, shuddering, and no-starts. This is an inexpensive part to replace, and...
On the Volvo 850, there is a plastic gear on the odometer/trip meter unit inside the instrument cluster that is known to wear out. The instrument cluster will have to be removed, disassembled, and the gear replaced to correct the...
Yes, the micro-switch is a common failure, but not a too difficult repair for your Volvo 850. However, the shifter trim will need to be removed and the wiring connectors can be tricky to disconnect without damaging the harness. Just...
If you had excessive blowby from worn rings and all, then you would have excessive smoking and oil consumption through the engine. It almost sounds like your PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system is not feeding blowby gasses back to the...
A common cause for an intermittent no start on the Volvo 850 and stalling is a failing main fuel relay. The contacts in this relay over time can burn, causing no fuel delivery and ultimately a stall and subsequent no...
Based on the information you gave, these may be different issues. The loss of power and jerking are indicators that you probably have a misfire. I would suggest replacing your distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plug wires and spark plugs...
The noise you are hearing is likely the fuel pump. The fuel pump may be extra noisy when the fuel tank is low on fuel versus when it is full or nearly full. The noise could be the internal bearings...
Hi, thanks for writing in. Was there oil down in the spark plug wells also? If so, the rubber plug boots may still have enough oil on them to short to the cylinder head. It is also possible, with your...
Hi there and thanks for contacting YourMechanic. The best way is to look in your owner's manual and look up the fuel tank size. Then remove the fuel tank from the vehicle to gain access to the fuel filler neck....
Anytime a car doesn't want to idle, the first thing you want to do is check for air leaks. There are a handful of vacuum lines and large rubber molded parts under the hood that air passes through and if...
Hello. This may be a sign of a faulty transmission control solenoid. Modern automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car's computer activates a transmission solenoid, which directs transmission fluid...
Hey there. Your car has small diameter steel tubes (typically around 1/4 inch in diameter) that supply fuel under pressure to the fuel injectors. Some of this tubing runs underneath the vehicle to the engine compartment and thus is subject...
It sounds like you may have a battery that is too weak to turn the motor over or potentially a faulty starter solenoid. The starter solenoid is located on the starter and has internal electrical contacts that transmit electricity to...
If the transmission all of a sudden will not go into reverse, then check the shifter cable to see if the transmission is in alignment. To do this in the car, simply set the parking brake and put the transmission...
I'm afraid the previous owner is not going to be much help on this one. It sounds like they may have been confused and combined a few unrelated terms to describe a part that doesn't exist. The first step to...
This may be a sign of a weak battery, a failing voltage regulator or failing alternator. As you may know, the alternator is responsible for charging the battery while the engine runs by generating amperage and recharging the battery while...
The slave cylinder on your car slides into a mounting sleeve. The two can pretty much fuse together over time making it very difficult to remove. To start with, you might find that removing the radiator fan will give you...
For the condition of the engine rpm's changing either the Idle Air Control valve is not working properly and needs cleaned out or the EGR valve is sticking causing the engine to bog down and stall out. I recommend taking...
Hi there. Usually when your engine struggles to maintain a smooth idle while in gear it is attributed to fuel system issues ranging from dirty fuel injectors, to idle control valve that is damaged or a mass air flow sensor...
