[djfoster78]

Hello Volvo Folks,

I have been in three accidents in the last five years and was tired of getting hit and hurt by others. One person told me I needed to get a truck and another said a tank, but I settled for a Volvo since I heard they are supposed to keep you safe in an accident.

I got a little 93; 960 Station Wagon. It took me a long time to feel comfortable in a boxy little car, but figured since it was made mostly of steel, I should get used to it. However, mechanically I have been disappointed. At first it seemed like the usual stuff that needed to be done when one purchased a pre-owned vehicle, however lately, it is eating my lunch right out of my wallet.

During a road trip with my Scout Troop, my speedometer started acting squirrely, and jumping all over the place. My dash panel displayed an upward flashing arrow. Someone suggested my speed sensor. So, I had it replaced, but still hasn't fixed the problem.

And, I had my AC recharged last summer, but it didn't last until October. Had it tested and was told my lower-end pressure switch was out. Had it replaced. It worked for a few days and now it doesn't work.

$300.00 later and still neither thing is working yet. I've been told that once something was repaired on a Volvo, you don't usually have to worry about it again for quite awhile. But, right now I am feeling very frustrated and almost regretful I bought a Volvo.

I was so hoping that I would be happy with this model seeing how it supposed to be a very safe and reliable car. It doesn't seem reliable yet, and I don't want to find out about the safety in a car crash...my spine can't take too many more injuries.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom or comfort to offer? Feeling very frustrated in a hot southern summer.

DJ of Texas

 

[Admin]

DJ sorry to hear about your experiences. As with any used car you can run into issues. Hopefully the prior owner had some maintenance records for you and you did an inspection by a mechanic prior to purchasing. You issues are a bit complex but on the speedometer on your Volvo 960 try this:
A very, very common failure on the older Volvos is the wiring to the vehicle speed sensor. The sensor is located in the rear differential cover. It is a two pin connector with a Brown/White and a Green/White wire. Over time, the wires will become corroded or otherwise damaged and the speedometer dies.
It is relatively simple to repair the wires. Volvo sells replacement wire kits with the proper terminal already on the end. You would need to purchase two of the repair kits (they come with one wire each). Remove the metal wire that secures the connector to the sensor, unplug the sensor and disassemble to connector by releasing the catch on the plastic connector. Cut off the bad terminals and splice on the new ones. Reassemble to connector and you should be good to go. Keep in mind to notate which wire went into which side of the plastic connector, as the repair wires are both solid white.

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