I purchased my first volvo two weeks ago. Yesterday, I drove my volvo to a friends house to perform some maintenance. I have a 1989 Volvo 240 DL. My odometer has not worked since I bought the car but my speedometer did. After my friend and I removed the cluster and replaced the gear that is common to have teeth broken off, we started the car and the odometer still did not work. My speedometer does not work now. The speedometer arm was fluctuating all over. It would go to zero, then fully peg to the top end and bounce everywhere in between. So I went to a salvage yard today and purchased another complete cluster. I put in the new gear from my other cluster and assembled.

The speedometer in this new cluster will not do anything and the odometer does not work. I now have a check engine light that is on when the car is started and running. This check engine light does not come on when I just turn the key and all the idiot lights come on, only after the car is started. Does the new 25 tooth gear have to placed in an exact location? What would cause my speedometer to fail? The whole cluster is electronic, even the speedometer. There is not a speedometer or odometer cable like in some cars.

What do I do? I'm very frustrated. Can anyone give me ideas about what to do? Thank you very much.

 

The speedometer is driven by electric pulses from a sensor mounted in the differential casing. As you say there is no cable but it is possible that you have disturbed the wiring and are not getting a firm contact.

The check engine light is telling you that a fault code has been stored in the diagnostic system. It may well be the code related to the speedometer.

If you do not know how to read the codes there is a write-up at:

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/cha...c&start=12

It is headed for the '92 740 but applies to your car as well.

Read the codes and go from there.

 

Thanks billofdurham. The speedometer is workin. After changing the 25 toothplastic gear, which normally a tooth or two breaks off causing the odometer to stop working, in the speedometer gauge cluster, the odometer still does not work. I have went back a couple of times to make sure the tooth gears are aligned. Any ideas? Thanks.