Hello,

I'm new to the forums, and considering an '84 240D (diesel) as a daily driver for basic transportation. Any basic gotchas or things to watch out for would be appreciated.

From what I've read, the engine is from VW. I've seen mixed reviews, but I am hoping that with TLC this can be a long running and economical mode of transportation.

Thanks!
Phil

 

In my personal opinion I would stay away from them. Those VW motors suck. The head gaskets like to crap out amongst other things and timing the injection pump with the belt against the firewall is a pain. (can you tell I'm not a fan) Most Volvo techs I know aren't too fond of working on them either.
As far as the car goes, general things to look for when buying any 240 are as follows:
1) Rust. They rust out around the rear wheels and the floorboards under the drivers seat/rear passenger footwell area real bad.
2) Noisy blower motor. If you get into the car and the interior fan is making noise, consider that most everything under the dash will have to be removed to service it.
3) Wiring Harnesses. Not a big deal on the diesel, but on all the other cars from the 80's the insulation on the wires tends to break down.
4) Water leaks. Take off the fuse cover and look for evidence of water leaking in from the windshield.
5)Seats. The seat foam breaks down. If you sit in it and feel the frame rails you'll be replacing the seat foam.
6)Door handles. If it feels loose or pulls up more at one end than the other when you open the door it's going bad.
7) Big end rear end bushings. The large bushings that hold the trailing arm and rear end together wear out badly and tend to go unreplaced. Take a light and look for pieces of metal working their way out of the bushing. You may be able to feel the effects of worn bushings by swerving the car while driving to see if the rear feels sluggish.
There are plenty more but this is the oft overlooked stuff that can cost much and be a great aggrevation.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The original owner of the car in question (until Summer '05) kept very detailed service records. I haven't seen the car yet, but I am hoping it was well maintained.

I was told that the a/c compressor is not engaging when the a/c is turned on. Low freon? The hvac system is otherwise in good working order.

 

Most likely low on freon.

I hope you will be happy with it.
They are really slow slugs.
Where I work they did MANY conversion to the gas engine and tossed the Diesel engine out.

 

Thanks! The jury is still out. I don't really care if it's slow, as it will be mostly city driving.

I made a post in another forum about a finding today. The owner says in 5000 miles he hasn't had to add any oil. Could this be a problem? I was reading elsewhere (swedishbricks FAQ) that an engine with a dead cylinder can affect the oil consumption (in a positive way). He also says the mileage is in the mid/high 20's which seems low.

 

Im not sure I am low on diesel Knowledge.

 

A couple of pictures. I have more, but wanted to post something.

http://www60.pair.com/philhyde/autos...G_2818_med.jpg
http://www60.pair.com/philhyde/autos/volvo/volvo.jpg

The first one is the engine. Looks like the valve cover is leaking. Fuel distributor looks like a replacement to me. Otherwise, not bad for a 23 yr old car.

 

Looks pretty good.

 

If it is a Peugot built motor, BAAAAAD. Be afraid, be very afraid. Not many around for a reason.

 

Phil; I bought a 1984 760 GLE TD. Busy sorting out how to keep the engine in good shape. Running great at the moment. Need to change the belts asap. Replace oil with Rotella T Synthetic plus a quart of Lucas Heavy duty Oil Stabilzer. I believe you have the same engine sans Turbo. I'm getting amazing fuel mileage. Its a pleasure to drive. I'll be restoring it as time permits as a kind ofbackup DD.

I've a link which is worth reading: http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Engi...singUsedDiesel

At first it was a bit scary, but contains lots of good info. Don't like "interference engines". But it is a robust engine, if you understand its care and feeding.

Did you buy yours?