Car Forum World

My 96 volvo 850 sometimes shakes violently while idling, then shuts off on its own?
recently my 1996 volvo 850 will start to shake while I am idling, and if I don't now give it gas or start to move at a constant speed, it begins to shake more violently, and if I do not shut the car off myself, it'll shut itself off. I can get it to start back up, and I have checked the coolant levels, the oil levels, everything I can think of. anybody have an idea what may be wrong?

1 year ago
recently my 1996 volvo 850 will start to shake while I am idling, and if I don't now give it gas or start to move at a constant speed, it begins to shake more violently, and if I do not shut the car off myself, it'll shut itself off. I can get it to start back up, and I have checked the coolant levels, the oil levels, everything I can think of. anybody have an idea what may be wrong? any idea as to costs?

it's in desparate need of a tune up. Get your spark plugs and spark plug wires changed. My car just went through the same experience. I had to sit at stop lights with my left foot on the brake and my right foot giving the engine some gas or I could shudder and stall. Having a nine year old car that had never had a tune up was the problem.

Take it to a mechanic. My '02 German car is feeling alike behavior, but not to the same extreme as yours. My problem is a flawed ignition coil. Years ago my wife's car was feeling problems same to yours. Bad ignition coil.

Liquid levels will not have anything to do with it.

It could also be something relating to the flow of oxygen in your system, like a flawed O2 sensor. I had two Buicks that acted like your car is and they both had failed O2 sensors.

may be the fuel pump im not sure thow

Sounds like an O2 sensor. When was the last time you had a tune up or oil change? The 850 is a great engine but needs to be maintained.

suspect flawed oxygen sensor, for your case . but you may have a mid sized vacuum leak fooling the sensor and will be able to hear the "hiss" at the origin of the leak. also I have seen many 850 coils with white burn spots on their sides and have had some number of towed in that had given up so they now get replaced at white spot condition.[ dealer parts departments seem to keep a big supply of these on hand.