Motor Mounts

The engine wobbles quite a bit when starting so I'm thinking the motor mounts need to be addressed.  I ordered Volvo OEM.  I'm going to do something like this to support the motor.

Shouldn't be too hard.  I also need to do the transmission mount.

Winter Floor Mats

By Rensi.  Sweden.  Rears are also available.

Snow Tires!

Goodyear Ultragrip Winter with $40 mail-in rebate.  What can I say, they're cheap :)

This Weekend

This weekend I did a coolant flush on the car.  Over time coolant loses its corrosion resistant properties so the system should be flushed and refilled.  Evidently Volvo used two different size belts for the crank to A/C and A/C to Power steering.  I ordered up a few.  I've also been chasing down a heat shield rattle.  I'm convinced that after I redo the motor mounts (which are kind of bulgy and wobbly) that it'll go away.  I also inspected the timing belt (it looks good).

1. Inspect alternator brushes
2. Clean throttle body and MAF (I'll do this when I change the PS and A/C belts)

Oil Light

Despite changing the bulb, my oil light wasn't working.  Fortunately, it was just an issue of the sender being unplugged.  The sender is right behind the alternator next to the oil filter.

Alternator

Someone broke off the alternator mounting bolt in the block and rigged up some sort of cable attached to the inside of the engine compartment to tension the alternator belts.  What a mess.  2.8 hours of labor to get it out and helicoil it.  A trip to the scrap yard and I was able to get a bracket and put things right with new belts.  The old belts were in pretty sad shape.  All the bolts are 10mm or 13mm.  I needed to remove the air mass meter to get at the back A/C compressor bolt to loosen it and get the A/C belt off.

Radio

The FM is all scratchy so I ordered a head unit from Crutchfield.  Hello 21st. Century!  It will have bluetooth connectivity with my phone.  In order to remove the old radio you need to take out the glove box to reach around back and bend the theft-deterrent metal tab.  Install was fairly straightforward.  The power wire harness from the head unit plugs into the harness that plugged into the radio.  The speaker wires harness plugs into the harness that plugged into the amp.  You need to remove the front panel of the center console to get at the amp plug.  It's kind of tight in there getting the plug off.