hello!
someone attempted to steal my 1990 Volvo 240 last night, they got into my garage and took my keys. then tried to drive off but it appears they got stuck in my wet yard and ran away?

I'm not sure what the story is but my car will not even crank over. it's acting like I don't have It in park.

for some odd reason my gearshift (automatic trans) is feeling strange. the big center push button is now popped up way higher than it used to be. it still will move between gears but something seems off.

really not sure what to do was hoping to get some help here before towing it to a shop. let me know if you had any ideas thank you!!

 

Sounds like the shifter was damaged by being forced out of Park, more precisely the Neutral Safety Switch is preventing cranking as a result. Hard to recommend a fix without seeing it. You have to take it apart to see what exactly is going on. Did you try starting it in Neutral? Try different positions of the shifter, the button, etc. Trial and error, may get you going but someone will need to get in there and sort it all out eventually.

 

ok so I popped off the gearshift cover and there was a broken piece of plastic hanging out. il upload pics if I can. it seems to be a weird plastic piece with set ridges to keep the switch button in the right places? idk I trie looking through the Bentley but I can't find anything on it

 

Your neutral safety switch sits to the right of the inside shifter console. Its held by two screws I believe and is shaped like a piece of pizza or pie. If you notice, there is a little plastic pin that meets the neutral safety switch and the shifter and the pin goes inside a plastic arm connected to the neutral switch (the entire piece of pie looking thing is the neutral safety switch, its the only thing inside your shifter console). When these shifters get loose the pin gets disconnected from the arm thus disallowing starting. This helps to identify the shifter placement for the neutral safety switch so it can know whether you are in park, drive, etc. Check to make sure this pin is engaged and you may even have to hold the shifter to the right some so it can meet the switch in case the perp really fuc*** your shifter. Check the wiring as well in there I do believe the ground and such is found nearby within the shifter console.

 

alright I see the nss but I don't really get how the other stuff works in there. it's not the safety switch it's something else. I don't know what it's called maybe you can help me Indentify the part.

it's a grey plastic piece that sits in the center of the shifter console

 

that looks like *PART* of the shift lock gate that the button on top of the shifter engages to keep you from going from park to reverse or drive to neutral without pushing the button first.

see piece '8' here,

 

oh, I think thats a earlier version, late model 90s was like

and its part 7 on this drawing.

 

ok thank you! that diagram helps a lot. that is the part. hopefully I can find a replacement. a few questions.


1-can I undo the linkage and pull the whole box out?

2-how to I get to the linkage from underneath? do I need to put it on stands?

3-would the broken piece stop me from starting the car or is the problem with the safety switch?

4- is there a way that I can physically put the switch in the right place so I can start the car and move it out of the yard?

thank you I really appreciate the help!!

 

ok I just looked at it again and now I see exactly what's going on. the metal pin on the shifter was not connected to the switch. my problem now is that without the plastic guide the shifter has a lot of play. I think if I get the switch In the right spot it should work but my battery is also dead so I can't get it yet

 

On the left side of the gear shift, under the carpeting you will find the 2 connectors for the PNP switch

jump the appropriate one and you get "Neutral" on your switch and therefore can start the car (jump the wrong one and your reverse lights will turn one) so no body with trial and error on this one

the grey piece is the gear shift gate, without that your great won't stay in place. Basically if you need to move it to your garage to repair it then its cool, if you have to drive it to a ship, get it towed.

 

ok I got the car started. all I had to do was realign the shifter pin into the plastic wiper on the switch. thanks for everyone's help. now to get it unstuck from the yard...

is it a bad idea to drive without the gate?

 

you just run the risk of it shifting itself out of gear. If it shifts up to N and then to R on the highway you will die....so yes its bad lol

take it easy on backroads and you will be ok

 

to repair it you'll want to remove the whole assembly from the car, then its easy. following is referencing the 2nd picture for the 91-92 parts... under the car, disconnect the linkage rod #38 via clip #40. on top, remove the trim bezel #20 via removing screws 21, then remove the whole shifter assembly by removing screws 19, and the assembly should lift straight up. unplug the wires, of course (park-neutral switch, overdrive button, and interlock relay)

once its out of the car, it should be pretty straight forward to diassemble and replace said part 7, assuming its still available from the mothership (otherwise, its a trip to the junk yard. you should be able to use the shifter assembly out of most any 240 automatic from the mid 80s forward, older ones won't have the park lock). I'd check the state of the park safety relay 51 and some of the other bits while its out.

part 7 on a 1991-1992 auto is 3520529. wow, its cheap, Shift control AW70/71, 1991-1992. AW70, 1991-1992.. Fits: Volvo 240 | Volvo Parts Warehouse

 

thanks!!! I wasn't able to find the part prior, I had no idea about that site holy cow. I looked at the linkage and there are no bushings currently. looks petty rusty should be fun. thanks again!!

 

I just scrolled back and read the top of the thread, and realize you have a 1990, that parts diagram I pasted was for a 91-92... 1988-1990 uses part 1220155, and that first drawing. thats part #8 here,
Volvo Shift control AW70/71, 1988-1990. AW70, 1988-1990.