Hey, I’m new to this forum and am hoping to get some insight on my used 240

i have just purchased a used 1988 240 and have been driving it for less than 24 hours, within the first 24 hours the car had stalled and left me stranded on the side of the road for about 40 minutes, everytime I turned the key to start it, the dashboard lit up with “brake failure, parking brake, bulb light, oil light, and battery light” as well as the engine refusing to crank.

I’ve never seen anything like this before and am hoping someone knows a solution to this issue

 

You may have 2 problems
"Car stalling" - that could be as simple as cracked connections in the fuel pump relay, high resistance connection at the fuel system fuse - many other simple thing can cause that. Or fuel pump failure (it might be pretty old)

"Dashboard lights lit up" - all of those are normal and come on in the first key position. 2 brakes, bulb out (and check engine on some cars) come on to test the bulbs and will go out once the alternator starts charging. Battery and oil are on because the alternator is not charging and there is not oil pressure (without the engine running)

"Engine won't turn over for 40 minutes" If that means the engine spins over and won't start - for instance if a cracked connection in a fuel relay makes the car stall - and it won't run until the relay cools back down (or any other overheated connection/component) and the connection becomes small enough for the fuel system to work.

OR - if that means the starter is not spinning the engine over - sometimes with bosch starters - when they become hot (after driving the car for a while) They seize and won't work until they cool back down. Using water or other cold liquids poured on the starter helps prove that theory.

 

When I mean “won’t crank” I can’t even get the starter to spin to turn the engine over

and it stalled out while I was driving

my co-worker thinks it could be the starter circuit


and would the cracked relay prevent the engine from cranking?

 

No - the relay is for the fuel system.

The starter - power goes from the battery to the ignition switch to the Neutral starting switch (if auto trans) then directly to the starter. No relay, no fuse, just wires. (on a 240 there is actually a starter wire connection under the hood, plastic insulated wire near the middle of the firewall - you can connect your remote starter switch to that)

When the starter is inoperative - with your $12 harbor freight remote starter switch, and connected to the positive terminal and the small terminal on the starter - does the starter work? (or you could simply use a jumper wire to energize the small terminal on the starter solenoid)

Does the car run now?

 

The only part that's common I can think of is the ignition switch.