I just bought my first Volvo on New Year's Eve (starting off the 2014 right I think), and love the car. It's a 1986 740 GLE with the M46 (I believe) and the B230F. I'm new to Volvos and this one has a list of relatively minor things that I plan on fixing myself with a bit of help.

Anyways, I had no idea how the overdrive worked on the four-speed manual prior to purchasing it and learned about having to push the button to engage it in fourth with the clutch pressed. The shift **** on my car pops off easily and I found the two wires inside the shift **** disconnected and not making contact. They seem to be a bit short to even touch the two prongs inside the shift **** when it's resting on the stalk.

Any advice on how to reconnect these? I just drove two hours the other day on the Interstate without a muffler (soon to be installed) and overdrive and my head is still buzzing from the trip. I don't want to tug on these wires and disconnect them, causing an even bigger headache.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resi...t=photo%2c.jpg
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=645fa...HkkimBDCBbhkEs

 

get under the car, find the bottom of the shifter, those wires should feed up it, there's probably a little slack down there you can feed up.

 

Great, thanks for the help!

I was thinking there may be something under there but with this frigid weather, I was hoping there was an easier solution inside the car.

 

this is more or less how it goes together, I think this drawing is from a 240, and the mount bracket [1] and boot and stuff is different than yours, but the rest is pretty much the same



what it doesn't show is where the wire comes out the bottom. and I don't actually know, never worked on a stick shift Volvo.

before wasting too much time on it, with the engine stopped but switched on, and the gearshift in 4th, if you use a jumper (paper clip, etc) to momentarily connect those two spadelugs, does the OD light toggle? try not to short said jumper to ground.

 

I ended up getting pretty mad while tinkering with the shift **** and taking it apart, and pulled on the wires and got just enough slack to reconnect them to the switch. I finally have overdrive and am saving on fuel!

Thanks for the help, pierce!