Looking at a 1991 240 wagon, 70,000 miles, imported from germany whichhas a diesel engine (runs on bio and normal diesel). I thought they stopped making 240 diesels 1n the 80's. Anyone know anything about this engine - reliability etc?

 

I thought most of the cars in germany are still diesel, so that volvo would most likely be a diesel?
Sorry, but I dont know much on those motors. Tedv might, so wait for him to come online.

 

Well, thank you for the vote of confidence!
Actually I did see this car for sale in Portland, right?
Yes, more than half of cars sold in Germany these days are diesel, and the 240 was available with diesel until its end, as were the 740 and 940's until 1998. All the new models are available with a diesel as well.
Now, these diesels were I believe all made by VW which is not a negative as they make a helluva diesel bUT that vintage diesel, actually ALL OLDER PRE 2004 diesels sold in Europe, are being PHASED OUT due to the fact that they emit too much soot. Phase out is done by issuing stickers for cars that pass, GREEN, to ORANGE, to RED, to NONE which is verboten to go into the cities. And the prohibition is being phased in gradually, so in a few years ONLY GREENS go to the cities. The rest? Well, many diesels as new as 2005s in some cases have to be retroffited or exported or never enter a major city.
OK, back to the issue at hand, the 1991 240. This car in Europe is nothing special worth may be E1000, here it is a rarity. The price they are asking if I am not mistaken is quite high and if one does the math, to come ahead you'll have to drive a couple of million miles! And I personally am not crazy about this whole "biodiesel" thing, but that's me...

 

Thank you for the info - I guess a vehicle is worth what a buyer will pay and a seller will accept. Sounds like this may be a vehicle that did not pass european standards!

 

It's not that this particular car did not pass EU standards. NO DIESELS of that vintage pass the new norms. Even much newer cars, mainly diesels as new as 2004, have to be fitted with aftermarket "soot" filters in order to be driven in big cities legally.