740 / 760

1982-1992 / Sedan / Estate / Sweden

All 740 / 760 problems All workshop issues

Critical Cooling System

Radiator and Heater Core Leaks

Symptoms

Sweet smell in the cabin, puddles of coolant under the car, overheating, fogged windscreen that won't clear.

Cause

Plastic end tanks on the radiator crack with age. The heater core (buried in the dashboard) corrodes and leaks. Both are 30+ years old now.

Fix

Radiator is straightforward, two hours, new radiator, bleed the system.

Heater core is a dashboard-out job, which is as miserable as it sounds.

Budget a full day and possibly some swearing.

Use OEM Volvo or Nissens parts, cheap eBay radiators fail within a year.

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// More 740 / 760 problems

Other known issues

Common Cooling System

Expansion Tank Cracking

Coolant level drops, small puddle under the passenger side of the engine bay, sometimes a pressure release hiss.

Critical Cooling System

Thermostat Sticking

Engine takes forever to warm up, heater blows lukewarm air, or (if stuck closed) the engine overheats.

Critical Engine

Oil Leaks from Cam Seals and Valve Cover Gasket

Oil puddles under the front of the engine, sometimes dripping onto the exhaust manifold and smoking. The valve cover gasket weeps oil down the side of the block.

Critical Engine

Timing Belt Failure

The engine dies instantly, often with a loud slap or clatter. Won't restart. If you're lucky, it just stops; if you're unlucky, bent valves and a destroyed head.

Common Engine

Flame Trap Clogging (PCV System)

Rough idle, oil leaks from every seal, oil in the intake tract, sometimes a whistling noise from the crankcase breather.

Critical Engine

Oil Consumption (Turbo Models)

Blue smoke on startup or under boost. Oil level drops a quart every 500-1000 miles.

View all 27 740 / 760 problems