Volvo: Compression&Converter, cat converter, valve guide

Question

Hello Ray,

my 95 850 glt non turbo has two big problems.one of these are the third cylinder has %50 less compression than the others.. but sometimes the 3 rd cylinder works properly for a minute or two then lacks the power again.. this makes me think I have a valve problem whats your comment? the other problem is poor acceleration, I was told that by the dealer my converter is bad and causing the car to lack power too expecially when going uphill. does the converter really cause to lack power this bad?? (the exhaust and the converter on my car are factory system 12 yrs old and were never replaced)cause going uphill is so difficult the low compression and the converter both were diagnosed by the dealer so if you approve too I'll take the car to the dealer to get them fixed..

thanks,

Answer
Mete,
The valve maybe hanging due to too much carbon build up or bad valve guide. If the cat converter is clogged it will limit the power of the vehicle. Make sure that the dealer stands behind their diagnosis and if there is a mistake you will not be held for additional labor, just the cost of the parts.