1990 Volvo 760 GLE from North America - Comments

Engine oil light illuminates whenever the rpm drops below 1000.

Cause: Bad oil sensor.

Resolution: I had to order the replacement from Sweden, and it took a week for delivery.

Regarding the power passenger seat; The forward/back control switch activates in the forward position whenever a passenger sits in the seat. Humorous, but it can become very annoying at times. Especially if the passenger is a tall person.

Solution: Replace the entire power seat switch assembly. Under the power seat switch assembly are two screws that secure it down into the cosmetic casing. After these screws are removed you'll need to pull up the front seat and disconnect all the wiring harnesses.

Reverse process to put in a new or working assembly. Note: There is a thin bar that attaches the run of the front seat at the base. Be careful not to damage this bar when removing. It took me more time to correct my mistake than it did the whole job.

I've had to replace all the little lights throughout the dash and console area. Some are soldered into their holder and become a tedious task to replace. Melting plastic and solder to replace them takes a firm hand, good eyes, and a lot of patience (like threading a needle). Note: make sure that the replacement bulbs have long wire extensions so they'll reach the connectors of the bulb holder. I had to cut the wires off the old bulbs and solder them to the new bulbs to obtain the reach I needed. Not fun. Furthermore, I had to melt some of the plastic on the wee little bulb holder to feed the wire through the holder to the connector.

The prism type of light channels for the dash and console were very brittle, and some were cracked and falling apart where the bulbs actually mounted. This issue caused problems with remounting the bulbs (since the mounting area was literally cracked-up into splinters).

Solution: Improvised with Teflon tape and a heat resistant liquid silicone. Rap the holder a few times leaving a few inches of extra tape, add a little silicone around the rap (not to let anything touch the bulbs), then insert the holder into the tube as securely as possible followed by raping the excess tape around the tube. Let it all set to dry before proceeding any further, checking to ensure the holder is firmly mounted in the tube before reassembly.

The engine is one of the best V-6's I've ever owned. It provides plenty of torque for the heavy body it supports, and runs very smooth throughout all power bands.

It loves its gasoline. I'm averaging 15mpg. I would like to see 21mpg some day.

Excellent turning radius. The best I've ever experienced for a car of its size. One of the finer attributes.

The 760GLE body will never go out of style, and will last for as many years as you desire to maintain it, or until you can no longer get parts for it. And that could be a very long, long, long time. You could count on adding it to your will... if you're a devoted Volvo atavist.

I believe that the 760 is a great car as long as it is not the four cylinder turbo. We owned one for a year and had nothing, but problems. However I did own a 240 gl (?), and it was one of the best wagons I have ever owned. What a mistake to sell it. What a great car easy to repair, when it needed it. Good luck with the 760.

I couldn't agree more with your review of this car! I also own one of the last 760 GLE's (1989/90) and it is superb. The gas and parts are a little expensive for sure, but worth it for the stylish and reliable ride. Be sure to re-do the front gasket at 180,000 miles at the latest... they ALWAYS fail on these models (a design flaw). The timing chains (there are two complete systems) will last up to 300,000 miles, but to be safe, change them a little earlier.

Some of my lights are also a out, but I will change them eventually. Apart from these issues this car is amazing indeed. A bargain as well! (They can be found for a couple thousand in great condition). Try and find one of you can!!

I own a 760 GLE from 1990. Somewhat expensive to have, because of the fuel prices in Holland (EUR 1,30 per liter, and the car uses 12 or 13 liter/60 miles) but the driving is GREAT.

Mileage by purchase - 170.000 kms

Actual mileage - 278.000 kms.

This is a wonderful car.

I just also picked up a 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon and then I realized that the turbo on the 760 is also a safety feature. When you are passing a car on the highway it is nice to know that you can keep going faster and get things taken care of in short order, rather than hanging your butt out there with an underpowered 4-cylinder non-turbo engine.

My sister and I drive major miles everyday commuting to work. The Volvo will be our fair-weather driver for most of the year, and works OK with snow tires, but the combination of turbo and RWD scares me for some of the conditions we go through in winter, so on most days during the winter the Subaru will be our main car.

This is a great car, and everytime I drive it it makes me smile. It's comfortable and fun to drive, and safe, and well-built, so what more could you ask?

Actually, one could ask for one more thing. The AM/FM cassette display occasionally conks out and the multi-button interface on the 760's sound system is very frustrating without the display. It's like radio station roulette.

Fortunately, I mostly use the sound system with a cassette adapter and my iPod, so it's not that much of a problem.

Otherwise, great car.