
1996 Volvo 850
Maintenance Operation thousand miles
(thousand km) 10
(16) 20
(32) 30
(48) 40
(64) 50
(80) 60
(96)
ENGINE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
ENGINE
Fuel (Line) Filter¹
PCV Nipple (orifice)/hoses,clean I
Battery I I I I I I
BRAKES
Inspect brakes, replace components as necessary I I I I I I
Brake Fluid²
STEERING/SUSPENSION
Rotate tires/check wear (align front end if
needed.) I
I I I I I
Check power steering fluid level. I I I I I I
Grease front link arm stops L L L L L L
BODY
Power antenna (clean) I I I I I I
Trunk/hood, hinges and latches L L L L L L
1) Replace at 100,000 miles (160,000 km)
2) Brake fluid should be changed at owner request every second year (o\
nce a year if the car is driven in
mountainous areas or in areas with high humidity).
The following items should be checked weekly by the driver (it takes on\
ly a few minutes).
Engine oil level Horns
Brake fluid level Windshield wipers
Radiator coolant level Tire pressure (all five tires)
Operation of all lights Level of windshield washer fluid
The following should also be carried out at regular intervals:
Washing
Polishing
Cleaning
Rust protection
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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 8:6 Servicing (cont.)
The following precautions must be observed when carrying out repairs to \
the vehicle
WARNING! The distributor ignition system operates at very high voltages.\
Special safety precautions
must be followed to prevent injury. Always turn the ignition off when:
l Connecting engine test and diagnostic equipment to the vehicle (timing \
light, tach-dwell tester,
ignition oscilloscope, etc.).
l Replacing distributor ignition components e.g. plugs, coil, etc.
l Do not touch any part of the distributor ignition system while the engin\
e is running. This may result
in unintended movements and body injury.
Battery
l Check that the battery cables are correctly connected and properly tight\
ened.
l Never disconnect the battery when the engine is running, for example whe\
n changing the battery.
l The battery should be disconnected when a boost charger is used.
l Switch off the radio before disconnecting the battery. If your radio has\
an anti-theft code and the
battery is disconnected, the radio code has to be re-entered in order fo\
r the radio to function.
Replacing spark plugs
The spark plugs should be changed every 30,000 miles (48,000 km). Howe\
ver, city driving or fast
highway driving may necessitate changing after 15,000 miles (24,000 km)\
of driving. When installing
new plugs, be sure to fit the right type and use correct torque, see "Sp\
ecifications". When changing the
plugs, check that the suppressor connectors are in good condition. Crack\
ed or damaged connectors
should be replaced. When changing the spark plugs, clean the terminals a\
nd the rubber seals.
Hoisting the car
If a garage jack is used to lift the car, the two jack attachments point\
s should be used. They are specially
reinforced to bear the weight of the car. A garage jack can also be plac\
ed under the front of the engine
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1996 Volvo 850
Unstable idle, misfiring, or poor emission control is often caused by le\
aking vacuum hoses or
connections. Check all vacuum hoses and connections.
Checking and adjusting idle air control system
Your Volvo is equipped with an electronically controlled idle air contro\
l system that requires no
checking or adjustment.
Timing belt
For proper functioning of the vehicle and its emission control systems, \
Volvo recommends that the
timing belt be replaced every 70,000 miles (112,000 km).
Fuel system cap, tank and lines and connections
The effectiveness of the fuel system to contain hydrocarbons is dependen\
t largely on a leak-free system.
Check for proper sealing of the gasoline filler cap which contains "O" r\
ing type seals.
Fuel (line) filter
The fuel line filter is located next to the fuel pump. For proper functi\
oning of the vehicle and its
emission control systems, the fuel line filter should be replaced at 100\
,000 miles (160,000 km). The
filter is replaced as one complete unit. Replace more frequently if cont\
aminated fuel is introduced into
the tank (or if there is reason to suspect that this has occurred).
Charge air cooler (Intercooler)
The B 5234 Turbo engine employs a turbo-compressor to force air into the\
engine inlet manifold and a
charge air cooler to cool the compressed inlet air. The resulting increa\
se in air flow raises pressure in the
intake manifold by approx. 8.7 psi (over atmospheric pressure) and eng\
ine power output by approx. 50
horsepower over that developed by the normally-aspirated engine. The cha\
rge air cooler (which
resembles a radiator) is located between the turbo-compressor and inlet\
manifold.
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1996 Volvo 850
Evaporative control system
The car is equipped with a gas evaporative control system, which prevent\
s gasoline fumes from being
released into the atmosphere. The system is comprised of an expansion ch\
amber in the fuel tank, a roll-
over valve on the cross member in front of the fuel tank and a charcoal \
canister with a built-in vacuum
valve under the left-front wheel housing. The components are interconnec\
ted by hoses which channel
fuel vapor from the gas tank to the charcoal filter, where it is stored \
until the engine is started and then
drawn into the engine's air intake system.
Crankcase ventilation
The engine is provided with positive crankcase ventilation which prevent\
s crankcase gases from being
released into the atmosphere. Instead, the crankcase gases are admitted \
to the intake manifold and
cylinders.
PCV system
The orifice nipple in the intake manifold and the filter at the end of t\
he PCV hose in the air cleaner
should be inspected every 60,000 miles (96,000 km). Check/replace rubb\
er hoses at the same time. pg. 8:9 Lubrication
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1996 Volvo 850
No. Lubrication point lubricant No. Lubrication point lubricant
1 Hood lock and latch Oil 6 Window winder (on
inside of door) Oil, grease, low
temperature grease
2 Door stop and hinges Oil 7 Front seat slide rail
and latch Oil
3 Sun roof wind
deflector Oil
Low temperature
grease
8
Door locks Volvo teflon lock
spray
4 Door lock catch plate Oil
5 Trunk/tailgate lid lock Low temperature
grease
To avoid rattles and unnecessary wear, the body should be lubricated at \
regular service intervals. This
should be done by an authorized Volvo retailer.
pg. 8:10 Engine oil
Checking the oil level
The oil level should be checked every time the car is refuelled. This is\
especially important during the
engine break-in period (up to the first service).
CAUTION : Not checking the oil level regularly can result in serious eng\
ine damage if the oil
becomes too low.
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1996 Volvo 850
Park the car on a level surface and wait for at least 3 minutes after th\
e engine has been switched off. Be
sure the oil level is maintained between the upper and lower marks on th\
e dipstick. Low oil level can
cause internal damage to the engine and over-filling can result in high \
oil consumption. The distance
between the dipstick marks represents approx. 1 US qts (1 liter)*. The\
oil should preferably be checked
when cold, before the engine has been started.
* Certain models: 1.6 US qts (1.5 liters)
NOTE: The engine must be stopped when checking the oil.
Draining the oil
Drain the oil after driving while it is still warm.
WARNING! The oil may be very
hot.
If you change the engine oil and filter yourself, your Volvo retailer ca\
n assist you in disposing of the
used oil. Engine oil can be harmful to your skin - gloves should worn wh\
en performing this work.
To add or change oil
Add oil of the same kind as already used. Capacity (including filter):\
5.6 US qts (5.3 liters) (certain
models: 6.1 US qts/5.8 liters). Turbo models: 5.6 US qts (5.3 liters)\
.** The oil filter should be replaced
at every oil change
** Add 0.95 qts (0.9 liters) if the oil cooler has been drained.
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1996 Volvo 850
American Petroleum Institute (API) labels. These labels certify the oi\
l conforms to the
applicable standards and specifications of the API.
pg. 8:12 Power steering fluid, Brake/clutch fluid reservoir
Power steering fluid
The dipstick has marks for checking hot and cold oil. The oil level when\
the engine is cold must never
be higher than the COLD mark. After the engine has reached normal operat\
ing temperature, the level
may not be higher than the HOT mark. Top up when the level is at the ADD\
mark.
Check the level at every service.
Fluid type: ATF
Replace: no fluid change required.
Brake and clutch systems
The brake and clutch systems share the same fluid reservoir. The fluid l\
evel should be between the MIN
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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 8:13 Automatic transmission fluid
Check the oil level as follows:
Park the car on a level surface with the engine idling . Slowly move the\
gear selector lever through all
the shift positions and then to position P. Wait 3 minutes before checki\
ng the oil level.
As the illustration shows, the dipstick has a COLD and a HOT side. The o\
il level should between the
MIN and MAX marks. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth.
WARNING! The oil may be very
hot.
Do not use rags that could leave lint on the dipstick. The transmission \
is topped up via the dipstick tube.
The space between the MIN and MAX marks on the dipstick corresponds to 0\
.5 US qt. (0.5 liter). Do
not fill the transmission with too much oil, since this can result in oi\
l being ejected from the
transmission. Too little oil, on the other hand, can negatively affect t\
ransmission operation, particularly
in very cold weather.
A Cold transmission: oil temperature 105° F (40° C). This is a n\
ormal temperature for the transmission
after idling for about 10 minutes. At oil temperatures below 105° F (\
40° C), the level may be below the
MIN mark.
B Warm transmission: oil temperature 169° F (80° C). This temper\
ature after driving for about 30
minutes. At oil temperatures above 190° F (90° C), the level may\
be above the MAX mark.
Fluid type: ATF Dexron IIE/III and Mercon.
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