Volvo 480 Club Europe

Hi there,

My name is Robert, I live in the country of origin of the 480 and I own a 1994 Vase Green 480 GT 2.0 with 331133 kms on the clock (and counting).

Tried, but can't seem to post pics here, because "Your post looks too spamy [sic!] for a new user, please remove off-site URLs". Bummer.

Fell in love with this pretty example in May 2014 and have been trying to rectify this mistake ever since, by throwing in endless amounts of money in a seemingly bottomless pit:
- new engine/gearbox mount suspension (the oil filled one that always breaks)
- new front brake discs and pads
- new coolant thermostat
- replaced the hydraulic brake/ABS unit after it started to leak
- new DRL/indicator units, bought in the nick of time before the price skyrocketed
- new rear light clusters, bought a little later (still "cheap" at 150 Euro a piece...)
- new rear wheel arches, removed the rust off the door edges; fresh paint on the rear side of the car
- APK (MoT) failure because of worn front suspension bushes, made a radical decision to replace everything, so...
- new suspension front and aft! NOS red Koni shocks, new springs (original riding height), new ball joints, new drop links, new rubber bits, rear axle sandblasted, rustproofed and painted.
- refurbished leather of the driver's seat
- new idle control valve
- new temperature sensors
- new exhaust down pipe and lambda sond
- fixed the electric antenna
- filled the a/c system
- valve clearances adjusted
- bought new ATF fluid for the power steering and within a week...
- needed to replace the steering rack after a loud bang and sudden loss of power steering; the ATF fluid came in very handy
- last Saturday, all other fluids have been replaced: oil, coolant, transmission fluid.

One of the 7 previous owners was so kind to fit a luggage blind, armrest with cupholders, oil- and voltage gauges, new floor mats and speakers in the rear pockets. Also, he invested heavily in new brake lines, new alternator, new exhaust and maintenance in general, which was a Good Thing(tm). He did do a poor job to replace the Taurus wheels with Pictors, though, because he fitted the wrong tire size (185/65R15 instead of 195/55R15).
The guy I bought the car from had just replaced the timing belt, fixed the rear hatch wiring loom and fixed the water leaks.

To do:
- fix the noises; better door panels have been acquired
- replace the speakers in the rear pockets with proper speakers in the rear panels (already acquired)
- install original Volvo audio stuff (already acquired)
- fix the roof (dents, antenna hole)
- fix the nose (scratched)
- fill the a/c again, won't do that until Spring
- fit proper tires
- find the reason why one of the cilinders only has 8 bar compression

There's much more to tell, but this is already way too much for an introduction post.

By the way, I like to tinker with electronics, I have a stack of speedometers, info centres and VEMs...

Cheers,

Robert
(also treasurer of the Volvo 480-Register at the moment)

Hi and welcome

Good work on your 480!

I'd be very interested to hear how you adjusted your valve clearences, mine are very noisy now (B18FT) and I'm finding it impossible to find the shims for adjustment

Cheers!

I haven't done the work myself, but it was no problem at all to get the shims here, though not through the official Volvo dealerships.
Have you tried a Renault dealer? The same engines have been used up till 2001 in Renault Mégane, Laguna and Espace 2.0-8V.
I know a former Renault mechanic in Harrow (London) who might be of assistance. Contact Roy Gillard through roy 'at' matraclub 'dot' org 'dot' uk

Hmm...

Perhaps it's a little different then for the B18FT. That's based on the earlier F2N engine, not sure if the shims are the same.
My B20F that's covered twice the mileage has always ran quieter so perhaps the arrangement is a little different.

Unless the parts book is incorrect at pages 82/83, shims are listed as "Adjusting washer" varying in thickness from 3.25 till 4.50 mm, for all engines. The Renault engines are of the same F3-family (1.7 B18E/F/FT = F3N, 1.8 B18U = F3P, 2.0 B20F = F3R, 1.6 B16F is unique to Volvo but related to both B18U and B20F)
If you look for the "Adjusting washer set" p/n 3287965 on the interwebs, you will find that it will suit the full range of Renault-based OHC engines, from the Volvo 300-series 1.7 to the 400-series 2.0 engine.
The 1.7 is noisier than the 2.0, always been. Not as noisy as a Simca engine though, they really sound like a typewriter...

Thanks.

Yeah, tried the P/N there, no joy.
Everywhere has no stock

Beginning to think it's going to be easier to change the head!

Valve adjusting discs aren't exactly rocket science. They're just discs of a specific diameter and thickness. Shim plates for Renault F-engines should be widely available, with so many cars produced.
A new head should have its valve clearance adjusted as well, so you're not out of the woods if you choose to go that way.

Just noticed this..hello!!

I was recently reading some random threads about Volvo 480 in ths madhouse spanish car forum (forocoches). Mainly of people asking on opinions about the car in intention to buy one.

This guy told the story about when he went into his town Volvo dealer where they had a 480 Turbo for sale. When asked about it, the seller strongly adviced the guy against buying the car. He said Volvo had never built a car with so many faults, weaknesses and low reliability in his entire history. He adviced him to buy a C30 instead...

There's this comic book I read when I was a teenager about a thieve that allways dresses fine and uses fine cologne. His everyday saying was "In a rotten world, empty of ethics, all we have left is aesthetic."

So thanks to all of you sufferers for keeping things alive just for the beauty of them.

balto8 wrote:I was recently reading some random threads about Volvo 480 in ths madhouse spanish car forum (forocoches). Mainly of people asking on opinions about the car in intention to buy one.

This guy told the story about when he went into his town Volvo dealer where they had a 480 Turbo for sale. When asked about it, the seller strongly adviced the guy against buying the car. He said Volvo had never built a car with so many faults, weaknesses and low reliability in his entire history. He adviced him to buy a C30 instead...

There's this comic book I read when I was a teenager about a thieve that allways dresses fine and uses fine cologne. His everyday saying was "In a rotten world, empty of ethics, all we have left is aesthetic."

So thanks to all of you sufferers for keeping things alive just for the beauty of them.

That's pretty much how it is, Fella!

balto8 wrote:I was recently reading some random threads about Volvo 480 in ths madhouse spanish car forum (forocoches). Mainly of people asking on opinions about the car in intention to buy one.

This guy told the story about when he went into his town Volvo dealer where they had a 480 Turbo for sale. When asked about it, the seller strongly adviced the guy against buying the car. He said Volvo had never built a car with so many faults, weaknesses and low reliability in his entire history. He adviced him to buy a C30 instead...

There's this comic book I read when I was a teenager about a thieve that allways dresses fine and uses fine cologne. His everyday saying was "In a rotten world, empty of ethics, all we have left is aesthetic."

So thanks to all of you sufferers for keeping things alive just for the beauty of them.

Was the C30 on HP (loan from bank) with servicing package..? If so, not surprised the dealer persuaded him away from a 480 he could buy outright & probably never come back to the dealer for work. Whereas with the C30 he would be probably paying a fair amount more than the car is actually worth over a few years, plus likely return for servicing work....thus keeping the dealer in a job.

Just sayin thanks for the comment in the last line, we do suffer

I managed to exceed the mininum post count so for the beauty of it, here are some pictures...

Lovely

I do love a vase green

Me too. I also love Paris Blue. This car I bought at a bargain when the Vase Green was in the shop for new wheel arches, sold it for a small profit when the APK (our MOT) expired. Last thing I heard that the kid who bought the car (he needed one after he totaled his mother's 480) managed to break the gearbox, despite having only 155.000 kms on the clock, so it's currently "geschorst" (SORN'ed) while waiting for another gearbox.



This was a scrap car for donor parts, bought for a staggering 175 pound (250 Euro). MOT failure for rotten exhaust and worn suspension bushes, but it also had an endless list of problems, most notably a cracked cilinder head and a lot of rust hidden behind filler and poor paintwork. It managed to save the lives of at least three other 480's, so its death won't be in vain.



It will be taken to its final resting place next Saturday. Luckily my parents-in-law have quite some storage space, well, that is, they use to have space, it's filled with 480 parts now.

brinkie wrote:I managed to exceed the mininum post count so for the beauty of it, here are some pictures...

Absolutely beautiful!

And the cup holder centre console and the blind are very excellent bonuses too

I knew these were a Holy Grail for 480 owners, so I looked for a car which already had them.
(although the Ventian Blinds seem to be the utmost wanted accessory - and they're junk I'm told)