1993 Volvo 960 Wagon

Just picked up this Volvo wagon. Plans are to get it back running again and drive it while working on other projects. 
 

I met the seller about an hour from their house as it was in the middle for both of us. The guy said that the oil light had been flickering on and off and also that it was hard to start. 
 

The sellers drove two cars, the following driver had said it was smoking some on the drive down. 
 

They had just gotten an oil cooler line replaced or repaired. 
 

They went to start it up so I could do a test drive,  wouldn't start back up. I checked dip stick and it was dry and there was some oil puddles under the car. 
 

They got it towed to their house and I went down and bought it and trailered it home. 
 

Any advice on where to start to get it running? Other than finding the oil leak?

Is there any low oil switches that won't let you start it if the oil is low? 

No low oil switch that I am aware of but I'm not familiar with the whiteblocks. Step one pour some cheap oil in and see what happens? Step two, swap to redblock. 

I charged up the battery. Tried to start again. I noticed the shifter is stuck in park. And the shift lock over ride is not working?

1. could a bad neutral safety switch be my issue? It still cranks over fine so not sure if it would even crank if was a bad switch.  
 

2. how do I get this thing out of park? 
 

In reply to Somebeach (Forum Supporter) :

There should be a park bypass slot on the shifter, you'll have to remove a trim piece to get to it. Then you stick a screwdriver in the slot and off you go.

I do loooove a nice silver brick

Looks like a sweet car you got there despite the problems

In reply to petey :

Thanks your silver brick looks great too, is that the one you put a 4.6 into? 

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Is it different than this bypass button? 
 

In reply to Somebeach (Forum Supporter) :

It is

Sooooo much love for this car

Super easy swap too

The bypass button sometimes can be tricky, try it with brake on and off, jiggling the shifter button while you press it.

It should happily start with no oil pressure.

Those sixes were bad for the upper half of the cylinder head leaking at the seams, and leaking from the end plugs.  Both are engine out jobs, could possibly do in chassis but it would be all the suck. It LOOKS like a valve cover but it is not, it is the upper half of the cam journals and valve cover all in one.

It took Volvo about a decade to figure out a good sealant for that joint that actually sealed.

The oil pan has oil passages in it, that can also leak.

The fact that the park release is not working suggests to me that there is an Important Fuse that has popped.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Thanks. Checking fuses and the fuel pump relay are my next step for the starting issue. But I think the fuel pump relay I need to move the shifter out of park to access.  As it seems to be behind the ash tray area. 
 

In reply to Somebeach (Forum Supporter) :

As are the fuses, IIRC.

Not the most service friendly setup...

See if the brake lights come on. If not it's the switch at the pedal, and that's why it's stuck in park. 

Fuses are on the drivers side of the dash where the door covers it when closed. Those shifter interlocks can be stubborn sometimes. Keep pressing the bypass button, jiggling the shifter, maybe spray some WD 40 down inside the shifter mechanism.

nedc said:

Fuses are on the drivers side of the dash where the door covers it when closed. Those shifter interlocks can be stubborn sometimes. Keep pressing the bypass button, jiggling the shifter, maybe spray some WD 40 down inside the shifter mechanism.

 

Thanks. Yes the fuse panel is drivers  door dash area. I checked the number 30 and 31 fuses which I think were the two that had to do with the fuel pump they were both good.  
 

I read somewhere that you could do a jumper wire between those two fuses and by pass the fuel pump relay, but it was too cold and windy today for me to try that. 
 

I was able to get it out of park, so thanks for all the good advice. Basically just held down the shift override and did the same thing I had already done 100 times and then it finally just worked. 
 

I could see the relays back behind the ashtray area. But couldn't see how to get access to the relays. 
 

I will try to find a video or a step by step and try again. 

Iirc it's easier if you take the radio and storage cubby out, it's been a few years since I've worked on one though.

Update on the no start 960. I jumped fuse 31 to 30 with a fused link. I heard the fuel pump kick on. 

Still no start. I looked at the timing belt, not broken. Still looked in good shape. Notice some coolant inside the timing belt cover. 

Checked coolant. Empty. Rechecked the oil, very low, which it wasn’t a couple weeks ago. 

I am guessing bad head gasket. Once it warms up outside some I will do a leak down  test.

Coolant inside timing cover is probably just the water pump, no big deal.

If the head gasket fails, it generally just uses coolant, it doesn't mix or burn oil.  The cylinder liners shrink/get crushed/otherwise start to sit lower than the rest of the deck.