It’s become a relatively common sight that my 1991 Volvo 940 GLE ends up on jack stands in my garage. I think age is starting to catch up to the old guy, but believe it or not, it has never left me...
My car seems to be a never ending case of replacement. Not that this is a bad thing, because otherwise I wouldn't have anything to write about. But in the case of the engine, I've been slowly changing all sorts of things to bring it back to what it used to be. I have been chasing what I think is...
Adding an auxiliary input to a car designed in the 1990s is one of the best ways to increase overall enjoyment of the vehicle. Cassette adapters work, but often look sloppy and offer only marginal audio quality. The BlitzSafe VOL / M-Link V.1 is one of the best bang for your buck upgrades for...
Last week, I posted about understanding wheel spacers for RWD Volvos. In case you might be wondering no, I am not planning on joining the hellaflush stanced car club, but instead simply changing the offset of my car to allow the installation of a new set of wheels. In order to install my set of...
A few weeks back, the instrument cluster lights on my Volvo S70 seemed to go off randomly while I was driving and only half my speedometer would become illuminated. The lights would usually come back on with a good smack of the top of the dash board. Despite my best efforts of continually hitting...
While many people seem to enjoy the idea of eliminating their catalytic converter, it is an essential part of the automotive emissions system. The catalytic converter works to change toxic pollutants into less toxic CO2 and water. When such an important mechanism is failing or has failed there...
Maintaining a European car often involves shopping for parts that meet or exceed OE quality, but aren't. This is almost always in the interest of cost-savings. Depending on the part, Original Equipment (OE) parts can sometimes be exorbitantly priced when similar OEM alternatives do the same job...
We live in a throw-away society. If it doesn’t work, we tend to toss it in the bin. Bike tire has a hole? Toss it instead of patching it. Oven stopped working? Get a new one. Wiper blades start streaking? Buy a new one. Hold on there. Wipers are commonly tossed out in their entirety because the...
A relay is a simple device, but when a relay fails, its can be very difficult to diagnose. The Volvo 940 has a very common failure of the Radio Suppression Relay. Despite the name, it neither suppresses anything nor is it related to the radio. What it does is simply give power to the fuel...
It's unfortunate that winters are so harsh on our cars. With a tenfold increase in road debris this time of the year, it's no wonder a winter car takes some serious clean-up work in the spring to get ready for the shows again. If you've got a new addition to the family that must be driven in the...