Hello everyone,
New to me VOLVO owner. Looking forward to being a part of such a great group.

Recently purchased a really nice, low miles, mom's 1989 245. Garage find. flat tires, no brakes.
Rebuilt brakes, ignition spruce up, new but cheap 14"!! tires, new tailpipe, now DD.
Don't plan on much hotrodding as seems like money pit. Too old for hot rodding anyway.
PLANS DO INCLUDE: (on the cheap, cheap cheap)
15" wheels
mild suspension upgrade, larger sway bars and new bushings, and shocks.
mild exhaust upgrade.
auto trans replaced with manual if not too difficult or expensive.
LED rear lights.
cup holders (required down here in GA)
THANKS
Greg

 

You will need a complete manual car to do the swap - pedals, cables, trans, wiring for overdrive if 4+OD, driveshaft, - I've done it for a personal car, years ago.

LED - the brake, rear parking lights, and low beam headlamps have a bulb failure system - it compares the current each bulb uses - i.e. if one headlamp uses x current and the other uses none - the bulb out light is triggered. LED bulbs use very little and can/will cause bulb failure warnings - that can be easily stopped by cutting the wire to the warning light (many have chosen that route when they can't get light bulbs to work properly)

Volvo made an accessory cupholder armrest - that bolts to the center console and replaces the flat console top. That or the front of the door pockets can hold drinks.

 

Thanks for the tips. So that’s why the dash light light is on! Probably then pass on tranny swap.

 

The bulb out system only cares about the low beam headlamps, the 4 rear parking lights and the three brake lights. In that car there are 3 magnetic reed switches that will turn on the bulb warning lamp. One switch for each pair of lights/function - for instance the wiring/current for the 2 low beams will trigger it's reed switch if the current is different from side to side - so generally you will need the same brand of bulb in both sides. The 3rd brake light current is compared against a fixed resistance.

If the bulb out light comes on in the parking lamp position you have 1 or more rear parking lamps out, comes on in the headlamp position - either a headlamp or parking lamp, with brakes - any of the brake bulbs are out or mismatched. Since it compares current - if both low beam bulbs are out, or all brake lights, or all rear parking lights - the failure light does not come on. (if the fuse is blown for the brake lights, or the switch is bad - no warning light)

 

Thanks for the explanation. I needed it!
slightly different rear bulbs were the culprit!! Now on to the led swap.