BIG Trouble with '96 850 GLT

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan Behr
  • Start date Start date
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Dan Behr

Not a good day. What appeared to be a simple flat tire on the left rear,
turned out to be much more. Here I am, cruising along about 60 and I
hear what sounds like I'm going over serations on the shoulder. About a
mile later, I hear flapping, indicating something's come loose and/or a
flat tire. Sure enough, I stop and I hear a loud hissing sound and the
tire going down fast. Quickly, I zip into a State highway maintenance
facility, so I'm off the road and I can change I tire if I need to.

Fortunately, I was with the mayor of the city, we called a city car to
get us to a meeting and I left the car there. When I came back, they
changed the tire and I fired up the car to leave, but heard a strange
metallic sound, much like something was rubbing on a pully. And, as I
was driving, every now and then, there would be an ever-so-slight
reduction in power, then the engine would pick up again.

All was normal, until I stopped for gas. I shut the car off and noticed
that the radio and lights were still on, despite the fact that I removed
the ignition key. Hmmm. So, I restarted the car (didn't want to be stuck
at a tollway oasis gas station 60 miles from home), and heard that muted
metallic scraping sound again.

So, I start heading home, not going too fast - 70 mph or below, since I
have one of those "space saver" spares on the right rear.

Enroute, from time-to-time, I start seeing almost all of the instrument
warning lights illuminate momentarily and then extinguish. I also
noticed that the temperature gauge is not working. The instrument lights
start flickering on and off with greater frequency, as I keep on.

About 49 miles later, the engine loses power and starts bucking. I pull
over to the side and try to keep the engine going, but it stops. Despite
the ignition being turned off the radio and lights remain on. I start
the engine again and it bucks and misses, then comes right back to
normal power.

Now, I'm beginning to smell an alarming smell; kind of an acrid, almost
sufuric acid smell. I keep going, as I'm only 10 miles from home, by
now.

There's less bucking and heaving after I get off the expressway, but I'm
still worried. Finally, I arrive at home, convinced I have a severe
electrical problem.

I pull into the driveway, get out the tools and remove the positive
battery cable from the battery. As I retrieve my items from the car, my
flashlight beam cuts a swath through what is now a slightly smoke filled
interior, which smells like a cross between a severe new car smell and
boiling battery.

I'm not in a good mood. What gives?
 
Dan Behr said:
Not a good day. What appeared to be a simple flat tire on the left rear,
turned out to be much more. Here I am, cruising along about 60 and I
hear what sounds like I'm going over serations on the shoulder. About a
mile later, I hear flapping, indicating something's come loose and/or a
flat tire. Sure enough, I stop and I hear a loud hissing sound and the
tire going down fast. Quickly, I zip into a State highway maintenance
facility, so I'm off the road and I can change I tire if I need to.

Fortunately, I was with the mayor of the city, we called a city car to
get us to a meeting and I left the car there. When I came back, they
changed the tire and I fired up the car to leave, but heard a strange
metallic sound, much like something was rubbing on a pully. And, as I
was driving, every now and then, there would be an ever-so-slight
reduction in power, then the engine would pick up again.

All was normal, until I stopped for gas. I shut the car off and noticed
that the radio and lights were still on, despite the fact that I removed
the ignition key. Hmmm. So, I restarted the car (didn't want to be stuck
at a tollway oasis gas station 60 miles from home), and heard that muted
metallic scraping sound again.

So, I start heading home, not going too fast - 70 mph or below, since I
have one of those "space saver" spares on the right rear.

Enroute, from time-to-time, I start seeing almost all of the instrument
warning lights illuminate momentarily and then extinguish. I also
noticed that the temperature gauge is not working. The instrument lights
start flickering on and off with greater frequency, as I keep on.

About 49 miles later, the engine loses power and starts bucking. I pull
over to the side and try to keep the engine going, but it stops. Despite
the ignition being turned off the radio and lights remain on. I start
the engine again and it bucks and misses, then comes right back to
normal power.

Now, I'm beginning to smell an alarming smell; kind of an acrid, almost
sufuric acid smell. I keep going, as I'm only 10 miles from home, by
now.

There's less bucking and heaving after I get off the expressway, but I'm
still worried. Finally, I arrive at home, convinced I have a severe
electrical problem.

I pull into the driveway, get out the tools and remove the positive
battery cable from the battery. As I retrieve my items from the car, my
flashlight beam cuts a swath through what is now a slightly smoke filled
interior, which smells like a cross between a severe new car smell and
boiling battery.

I'm not in a good mood. What gives?
Click to expand...

Sounds like belt problems on the engine, if this belt also drives the water
pump then you most likely destroyed your engine by continuing to drive, if
the engine is still ok you certainly caused a lot more damage. It sounds
like an idler pully had a bearing failure, the warning lights were coming on
because the alternator was stopping, the smoke is burning rubber from the
belts.
 
Dan Behr said:
Not a good day. What appeared to be a simple flat tire on the left rear,
turned out to be much more. Here I am, cruising along about 60 and I
hear what sounds like I'm going over serations on the shoulder. About a
mile later, I hear flapping, indicating something's come loose and/or a
flat tire. Sure enough, I stop and I hear a loud hissing sound and the
tire going down fast. Quickly, I zip into a State highway maintenance
facility, so I'm off the road and I can change I tire if I need to.

Fortunately, I was with the mayor of the city, we called a city car to
get us to a meeting and I left the car there. When I came back, they
changed the tire and I fired up the car to leave, but heard a strange
metallic sound, much like something was rubbing on a pully. And, as I
was driving, every now and then, there would be an ever-so-slight
reduction in power, then the engine would pick up again.

All was normal, until I stopped for gas. I shut the car off and noticed
that the radio and lights were still on, despite the fact that I removed
the ignition key. Hmmm. So, I restarted the car (didn't want to be stuck
at a tollway oasis gas station 60 miles from home), and heard that muted
metallic scraping sound again.

So, I start heading home, not going too fast - 70 mph or below, since I
have one of those "space saver" spares on the right rear.

Enroute, from time-to-time, I start seeing almost all of the instrument
warning lights illuminate momentarily and then extinguish. I also
noticed that the temperature gauge is not working. The instrument lights
start flickering on and off with greater frequency, as I keep on.

About 49 miles later, the engine loses power and starts bucking. I pull
over to the side and try to keep the engine going, but it stops. Despite
the ignition being turned off the radio and lights remain on. I start
the engine again and it bucks and misses, then comes right back to
normal power.

Now, I'm beginning to smell an alarming smell; kind of an acrid, almost
sufuric acid smell. I keep going, as I'm only 10 miles from home, by
now.

There's less bucking and heaving after I get off the expressway, but I'm
still worried. Finally, I arrive at home, convinced I have a severe
electrical problem.

I pull into the driveway, get out the tools and remove the positive
battery cable from the battery. As I retrieve my items from the car, my
flashlight beam cuts a swath through what is now a slightly smoke filled
interior, which smells like a cross between a severe new car smell and
boiling battery.

I'm not in a good mood. What gives?
Click to expand...


If you find out please let us know.

ttfn.....Alistair
 
Here's what's known thus far:

1) #5 fuse (30 amp) to heater fan 4, keeps blowing. When I touch the
contacts of the fuse to the terminal, the windshield wipers slowly begin to
operate and then the fuse blows.

2) #31 fuse (25 amp) for heater fan positions 1-2-3 was blown, but I
discovered that there was only a 15 amp fuse installed. I replaced it with
the proper fuse and started the car. The blower fan did not work in any
speed position. Numerous warning lights began dimly illuminating, flickered
and then illuminated fully. Those warning lights are:

- SMS (air bag)
- windshield washer fluid low
- low fuel
- hand brake
- abs (brakes)
- hot engine (fan symbol)
- alternator (battery symbol)
- check engine

There are a couple of others, which I don't remember right now.

3) When I start up the engine, there is a rasping mechanical noise, which
appears to be coming from either the alternator or the idler pulley (or
both?)

4) The burnt smell in the passenger cabin seems to be burnt insulation of
some form.

5) Belt is in place, in good condition and accessories appear to rotate
freely, noting #3 above.

6) The temperature gauge is still not functioning

7) The electric fan blade (I think there's only one fan) seems to rotate
freely

Any new ideas?
 
The ignition switch on these cars is prone to failure and does so with all
kinds of mysterious electrical strangeness symptoms. On my '96 850 the
instruments began to work and not work at random times.

See if wiggling the key in the ignition switch modulates any of the
behaviours.

Luckily the switch portion can be replaced without much difficulty. I used
the directions found at:

http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/ignit_switch.htm

Considering how often these seem to fail, the switch might be considered an
automatic 75k mile maintenance replacement item. I have read that the weight
of key chain the driver uses *might* correlate to the failure rate.

John
 
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