Volvo 240, 242, 244 & 245 Forum

Feature my ride Mark forum as read and return

Looking for any advice on tire choices for winter driving in my 1992 240 Volvo. I grew up on snow country, but haven't owned a RWD vehicle since 1983!..... On my FWD or AWD vehicles, I've only used very good All Season tires and they performed admirably in most conditions. So, here are my questions....

* Looking for brands/types of snow tires for my '92 240 that somebody has used and likes....
* Thoughts on chains or Spider Spikes for Winter driving?
* I live in NYC and do tend to drive in most winter conditions....

david
917.861.0701

I have a 1989 240 sedan and the passenger side brake light is giving me trouble. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The bulb works when the headlights are on, but will not work as a brake light. The rest of the housing unit lights up fine, as does the left housing unit (brake light included). I've tried the basics thus far, including changing the bulb, bulb casing, and light housing circuit pannel. No difference noted with the new circuit pannel. I lubricated the connectors as well, and this didn't work either. The fuse looks good with no corrosion or break.

Am I looking at a switch here, or perhaps a wiring issue? Thus far I am stuck, and since I have little electrical experience, a few pointers would greatly help.

I have a 1980 245 DL. The back windows only go down half way, is there any way of getting them down all the way or are thay made this way?
Does anyone know a good place to get at repair manual for this car?

Hi all, I am looking into changing my tranny fluid when I hit 60,000 miles, and would like to know the basic procedure for draining. I assume the filter is in the pan and that will be changed as well. What is the process for draining all of the fluid? Is there a means for draining the torque converter as well? Also, I want to change the driveshaft support ring since it is getting quite sloppy and there is sometimes a clunk when engaging the gears. Are there any special tools needed and should I replace the carrier bearing too? Thanks.

I am purchasing a `80 240 Needs some work. I recall the earlier volvo engines you could buy a weber carb conversion and install on the engine. Weber does not list the later cars as able to use the conversion due to emmisions ect. I was wondering if the earlier cars had the same intake manifold bolt pattern as the later `80 engine or if anyone has known of or done the carb conversion on a car of `80 era.

Thanks

Would anyone be able to give me specific installation instructions for installation of a tachometer?

Thanks,

Pmg

My 1980 240 air conditioner has about had it. I've recharged it and it still does not do the job. I would like to replace all the air conditioner parts with parts made to support R134A. My idea is to replace everything needed for R134A and have a professional lube and charge it. Can someone tell me what parts I need to replace in order to make my AC R134A compliant? Do I need to get into the dash, because that's a ****? (replaced my fan motor earlier this year).

Thanks, Mike

Hey gues got a 1990 Volvo 240 with heated seats. The passenger side wasnt originally working so i switched swtiches with the driver switch and the passenger side now works. i got another switch from the yard and see if my driver side would work but that doesnt work either. i cleaned the connectors and everything. should i try a nother switch? thanks.

Hey all, new member here. A couple weeks ago, I tuned-up my '92 245 with 191,000 on the clock. New plugs (properly gapped!), new cap and rotor. Shortly thereafter, it started to idle rough. I checked all my vacuum lines but found nothing disconnected. I thought it may be a bad tankful of petrol since the problem started just after my last fill-up. I have since filled it with petrol from a different station, but no change. It runs fine at cruising speeds and my mpg has not suffered, but its embarrassing AND frustrating to be sitting at a red light in a brick that jiggles like a huge vibrator! Lately, it has been around 50 degrees in the morning. When I first start up, smooth idle! As is warms, it gets more choppy. Ideas, please!!

I bought a 1986 240DL station wagon recently and I can't get the speedometer/odometer to work. More than one person told me it was most likely the speedometer that needed to be replaced. I bought a replacement cluster from a junk yard and plugged everything in - nothing. Then I took the car to a Volvo dealership and they said I fried the speedo unit because I plugged in the tachometer wire (this cluster doesn't have a tachometer). I finally bought a new speedometer and it doesn't work either. Other than plugging everything in, is there something else that needs to be done? I'm out of ideas and my temporary registration will run out soon. - Speedo model is K9800.

I dont know why, but my brakes on my 1992 Volvo 240 Sedan make a really annoying and embarassing humming noise when I use them. If I brake hard, there usualy isnt a noise, but if I am putting half pressure to the brakes, then they make this really loud humming noise that even vibrates my head. Its really embarassing and I want to know what it is before I take it to the shop and have them charge me for just looking it over.

I'm still in the process of fixing up a 1990 240 GL that had been somewhat neglected the last few years. It's getting a new oxygen sensor soon, and it already has new spark plugs and new transmission fluid, with wires and distributor on the way.

But the car still needs a new mass airflow sensor, and in looking for one, I keep seeing these parts websites talking about needing a new air temp sensor that goes in the air filter box, because without it they will void the warranty on the new MAF. Now this really doesn't make sense to me.

I'm really puzzled about the second air intake this car has that routes the air right through the exhaust manifold. What is the point of sucking in hot air? The metal hose on my car was broken to pieces, so I removed it along with the pieces that mounted it to the manifold, since it wasn't doing any good anyway.

So my question is, how is this all related? Do I absolutely need to get a new hose for the "pre-heated" air intake? Where the heck is this thermostat that goes in the air filter box and supposedly switches from cold to hot air, and what is even the point of that? I thought all cars were supposed to run better on cold air, but I guess I don't know everything....

Please enlighten me in the ways of this strange Volvo design!

Thanks,

Adam

FOR SALE: One set of Spike Spider snow attachments for Volvo 240 DL tires. These are easily attached over the tire in less than a minute! Comes complete with all wheel attachments and carrying bag. If you are not familar with these amazing devices made in Switzerland, contact me for information. They are quite expensive new, but I have sold my Volvo and have no use for them. $50 plus shipping. This is a very good deal!

Chris Borden
209-295-1898
ccborden9@yahoo.com

Hello, I need some help. Our '86 240DL has a fuel problem that is eluding me. I changed the fuel filter and can get it started only by pumping on the gas whilst starting. It will run only if I keep pumping and racing the accelrator. It dies immediantly after you let off of the gas.

I can hear both fuel pumps functioning. Any thoughts?

Thanks.
Wrangler

hi gang well the worst thing happen to me today,i was driving to work when a drunk driver ran a stop sign, and slamb in to the driner side fender.he hit me so hard that the car spun around,i was verry shaken in side the car but i was ok. got out of the car and could not belive what i saw,86 volvo 240 gl wagon side and front was all pushed to the right side.the hood looked like a roller coster.my baby was in verry good shape fpr her age she still had the origanell paint on her. i have take verry good care of her and she has taken verry good care of me too.the driver of the othe car was so drunk that he did not know that his motor was in his lap,he was driving a 98 ford escort.well when the police did there thing and ask if i need a tow truck i said i dont know i got in my car she started right up and i drove her home.now she sits in my back yard waiting for the inshurance people to do there thing.as i walk by my oll pall its so sad to see her this way as she protected me from danger and keep me safe all of the years.im shure going to miss her. time to look for another volvo.i love volvos

I have 1990 240 with an automatic transmission and repaired the wire to the solenoid that had shorted out due to chafing. I’m not sure if the tran’s is shifting into overdrive and that I may have a bad relay or solenoid. Once I repaired the wire and engaged the O/D the O/D off panel light didn’t come on. What is good test to verify that the trans is shifting into overdrive? Also, at what speed does the tran’s shift into O/D?

and I'll have to say, this was the strangest brake system I've ever seen. I'm used to working on VW/audi!! The twin opposing rear piston caliper is different. As is the front 4 piston with 3 bleeders per side. Amazing. I love the twin brake lines leading to each front caliper. The entire system looks fail proof.

Do all Volvo 240's use ATF fluid in the power steering system, ....and is there any way to tell the difference between ATF and Type F (when they are in the reservoir ).

I have a 1984 240 DL 2.3L. I bought it a a couple months ago and drove it from Oregon to Arizona with no problems. Then last week I drove from AZ to California and on the way the car died and wouldnt start. I push started it a couple times and finally it just died. I had it towed to a pep boys where they tested the Alternator, Battery and Starter and told me my alternator was bad. SO I replaced the Alternator myself in the parking lot, drove 30 miles and filled up the tank. When I tried to start it, it wouldnt start so I push started again and drove to an autozone where they tested the battery and it was completly dead. So I replaced the battery and drove the rest of the way without any problems. The car started fine for a couple days but then i was back to push starting it. I found that the alternator belt was loose so I adjusted it properly. I drove it for a few miles on the freeway to see if the alternator could charge the battery but it didnt help. It died again and now I cant even push start it again. My starter is working, but could something be draining the battery? OR is it possible that I got a faulty Alternator? Im not sure what to do at this point...

Also, there is an orange arrow warning (?) light (that points up) that is on all the time now. My owners manual doesnt list that dash light, does anyone know what it means?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

hey guys...yeah just great..i just had my master brake cylinder and front struts replaced like a week ago...and now??? fuel problems...ok i start my car up and it starts fine....it doesnt idle smoothly nemore...even when revved up or even if its warm....it idles like goes up to 2K rpm to 1K rpm...its messd. also..when i stop and accelerate...i push the throttle down...and nothing happens....even floored it doesnt send gas to the engine...it will kick in after 20 seconds later...also while running...and i floor the car...white smoke comes outta my tail pipe?? AHHH is this a fuel problem?? fuel pump...??? relay? what is it! thanks

I pulled the vacuum pump from our 76 245 wagon today and found it full of debris and caked with residue. Any thoughts on why? I am having a hard time splitting the diaphram apart. Anyone ever to do this with success? The car has poor idle control until it warms ut and then seems to miss/backfire with carbon deposits coming out of tailpipe. Any suggestions? I have ordered tune up parts, hoses and the rebuild for the pump. Thank you. George

Hello,

I recently bought a 1986 Volvo 240 (245) DL wagon with 199K miles on it. It came with a surging problem, where the engine RPM oscillated when it was first started, but then the engine ran more uniformly once it was warm. When the car is first started and this surging is at its worst, the engine slows, then there is a ping and then the engine instantly picks up speed. Then it starts to slow and the process repeats. When I unplug a vacuum hose connected to the intake manifold to feel the vacuum, I can tell that the vacuum builds as the engine slows (more and more negative pressure), then when that ping happens there is positive pressure for a moment, then building vacuum again.

I read a few related articles on this web site and so I have been working on it.

First I cleaned the throttle body, which was dirty, but this did not help. Cleaning the idling motor was also recommended, but I could not find a part by this name in the manual. I did clean the adjustable valve connected to the throttling body.

Later I found a leaking vacuum hose leading from the intake manifold to a vacuum chamber in the center console. Patching this fixed the surging, but then the car ran very poorly. It just ran rough and seemed to run rich. The exhaust was black and putrid.

Next I pulled out and cleaned the PCV valves and hoses, etc. I found that the previous owner had disconnected the flame guard from the engine (underneath the intake manifold) After cleaning this out and hooking everything up, the car surged badly again!

If I unplug the mass air flow sensor, the car starts beautifully with no surging, but unless I depress the accelerator very slowly, the car stalls. It is not driveable this way, but this is what I do at the moment to warm up the car.

It makes no difference whether or not the oxygen sensor is unplugged.

I would appreciate any advice.

Hi I have a all stock 1992 Volvo 240 sedan and I was wondering what my radio's wattage rating is. I have a picture below and if you know the wattage, can I have it in terms of x 4 (like 50 x 4). I think its around 10 x 4 or somehthing like that. thx guys

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Just trying to figure out why my wiper delay doesn't work. Could it be a bad relay? The reguar (down) wiper speeds work. If I push the stalk up, nothing happens. Where is relay located?

1985 Volvo DL (240) Hubcaps, centers needed

I have a reasonably cherry '85 DL which needs two caps and centers. Any sources short of paying Volvo for what are apparently solid Platinum ones?

Best,

George

Car will not idle, runs rough as a cob when I make the car run about 2500. I can gradually bring the RPM down but it still misses like the devil. This car has run like a top until now. I had to replace suspension parts that were absolutely worn out and the clutch, rotors etc, just things that normally wear out. This is something different and becoming quite aggravating.

Any ideas?

Hi, I'm new to this forum and was hoping to get some information on changing the ball joints on my 81 245. Is this a very difficult process, I have some mechanical experience and am not afraid of tackling most jobs. I have the haynes manual but am not quite sure how difficult this will be. any replies will be appreciated. Thanks Dale

This only happens when I slow the car down to a stop, like at a stop light. When I slow down from highway speed say, 65 mph to 50 mph, there is no vibration.
The virbation can be felt through the seat and I have already changed the rear rotors and brake pads. I can almost feel the virbation in the brake pedal so I might do the front rotors next. But why is it that I do not feel the vibrations in high speed?

Thanks for any input.

I Have a 1982 264 GLE which the Bosch Alternator in it has just FUBARED itself Majorly the alt warning light remains on but gets brighter as you acclerate harder any ideas?

i also got a quote here for a new replacement the same type and model one was 1,200 Yes you read correctly and 1,500 yes your not stoned can i use a alternator from another veichle like say a holden for example which is much cheaper and more down to earth also any sujestions as to an alternate alternator that uses a 1 wire setup would be helpful as id like to keep the car as much factory as i can

Dale.

good day, im beging to do odds and ends on the car i bought for my son and plan to buy the book,but here goes. the questions i have are on a 1984 240 dl auto.what is the type of motor oil used in the crankcase. what kind is used in the auto trons ,what does the filter look like when i drained the oil out of it it looked preeety dark.the tranny filter is it reusable and is it hard to find a gasket to reseal the pan.the front disc mus be warped when i step on the break i get a thrubing . i went to remove the the caliper and when i loosen the last bolt on it brake fluid started to weep out is that normal ,this is my 1st volvo i had many different make old cars and enjoy working on them. please e me at dad7751@juno.com

I'm an owner of a 240 1985 230A engine with a Pierburg 175CDUS, the carb is running perfect, but when I brake at 3000RPM to in a strong stop, the engine dies.
I changed the carb for an old version of the SU 175 CD of a 76 240 and it war5ks fine except fuel consuption.

I changed the needle, the jet, the inner valve, the carb membrane, everything that can be changed, calibration, CO2, and the problem is still there.

My car is almos perfect considering 20 years age in Ecuadorian roads!!!

No sounds inside, smotth as a goose feather but this problem is driving me NUT.

Please help!

I have a 1991 Volvo 240. I had the A/C system converted and charged earlier this summer for about $300. Whenever I run the A/C and am idling, the temperature gage creeps up near the red - it never goes into the red, but I'm worried about finding out what will happen if I do.

When I took it in to have it fixed, the part they needed is the A/C High Pressure Switch. They called Volvo Canada, and found out that this part is no longer in production or carried anywhere. They have tried a few wrecking yards so far with no luck.

Is it possible to bypass this switch without the fan staying on? What are my other options? The car is in mint condition with very low kms, and I have no intentions of selling it soon, so I really want to figure out the A/C problem. I can't believe they don't still stock this part. I've tried googling it to death but I can't find the high pressure switch - just the others (I assume there's more than one type). Maybe it goes by another name?

Also, is it possible that this problem is unrelated to the high pressure switch? Could it be something else that is causing the car to heat up like that? I've had the thermostat and temp sensor replaced already this year, just had the mass air flow sensor done last week.

Hi, All three of my brake lights stopped working recently. I'm new to this forum and have read about many similar problems, but I still cannot get the stop lights to work. I have checked and cleaned the fuse, fuse holder, grounds, bulbs and stop light switch and they all work. The tail lights and reverse lights work. The rear fog lights have not worked for several years. I can get the secong (brake) filament to light by jumping power from the tail light contact to the brake light contact. It seems like everything is normal except for something between the switch and the lights. Is there a relay? Any help is appreciated greatly! Gino

while replacing the spark plugs I noticed a relay beside the battery [and positive link and voltage reg] - I clipped it off for a peek and the base had disintegrated and was only remotely held in place by the spades into the socket

an inspection of wiring as well as wiring diag says it must be for headlight wipers [which I had removed long ago] so it does not matter if it still works or not

plus it is not a simple on-off relay but same as one of the fuel pump relays ie SPDT [ie a 2 way switch] ie terminals 87 AND 87A, a very rare beast to buy in my experience - seems it was needed because of some cunning operation of these wipers with the washers and screen wipers but I cant quite see WHAT, but dont matter anyway

as far as I know all other relays are inside the car - so looks like not smart design to have delicate semi sealed devices in heat and moisture of engine [for sure I had to replace the voltage regulator which had also rusted up and ceased to regulate]

My cruise control isn't working and I need help with some troubleshooting techniques or if someone knows of some common problems to look for. The car is 1990 240DL with an auto. trans.

My odometer only runs from time to time and does apparently need replacement. Can anyone tell me how to remove the instrument panel so that I can get to it? Any drawings (240, 1991) would be very much appreciated.

TheoRichel

hi gang, ok let me start by letting u know what my 86 540gl wagon has been doing it will out of the blu just shut off.all most in the same spot going to work and coming home.i have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump realy,new wiring harness,new pick up coil in the dist. ,new pin spacers in the controll mog.cleanes all the contacks on the dist.so i tried somthing new i let the car idel for about 10 min befor going to work and amazing it did not shutoff.i did the same on the way home and it did not shut off,could this be the temp sensor doing this.i bought a new temp sensor but cant seam to find a way to put it on with out taking off the hole intake manifold off. i need your help on this p