Hi, I'm new here, and newish Volvo owner. I'm having some problems with my 240 dash and would greatly appreciate some help troubleshooting. I suspect there are multiple issues going on but still I'm a newbie with cars and still learning. I will follow up with my results when I have the chance to fiddle and won't need to drive for a while.

-The dash lights at the bottom do not light up appropriately at all. Interesting that they all do light up when the key is in position 2 before ignition, but parking break light, high beams light, and none of other lights comes on at any time when car is actually running.
-Right sided dash illuminator bulb intermittently goes in and out.
-Turn signals, tachometer function properly. Gas guage kinda works but likely has sending unit problems. Odometer broken, little plastic gears have been ordered.
-engine temp guage intermittently functions. Sometimes is fine, sometimes sits down at about 1/4, sometimes reads 0.

Any ideas why the cluster at the bottom does not light up? I will be taking the dash out to replace the odometer gear when I have some downtime next month and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

I would start by checking all of the fuses for the instrument cluster. Then pull the cluster and check and reseat all of the connectors. If that doesn't work then you need to have the cluster checked out.

 

Also, check the bulbs but mainly refloat all the solder points in the circuit board in the back of the cluster. If that doesn't help you have bad weak/dead capacitors in the cluster which need to be replaced.
Your speedo problems may be due to the gear having lost a tooth or may be also related to the capacitors or solder issues in the board.

 

Welcome! Hopefully we can help get you sorted out.
My odometer wasn't working, but the gears were perfectly fine. Turns out, it was the speed sensor chip, part number ITT UAF 2115 if you need one. I'm not saying that's what it is, but be prepared in case the gears are fine.
Sounds like the "Temp-Faker" board is out or going out, and is a common problem on 240s. Either the contacts are losing grip, or the chip is blown.
If the former, the board sits on four spikes that stick out of the cluster circuit board, and the contacts on the board where the spikes go can get old and tired. Use a small precision screwdriver to gently bend the grips back in.
If the latter, there are 3 ways to go about fixing it:
- Buy a new board. Part number 1363117. They are $193.95 USD from IPDUSA, $149.84 from Volvopartswebstore.com and sometimes pop up on eBay for cheaper. Do a Google sweep for the part number "Volvo 1363117"
- Fix it. If you're good with a soldering iron, you can replace the LM2902N quad op-amp chip; it's a cheap (~ 0.50 USD) and readily available part to replace.
- Chuck it and bypass the pins so you get the REAL temperature reading. See here: 240 Temp Faker (check out the rest of cleanflametrap.com as well; a lot of 240 knowledge to dig through)
I did the Lamp Cord bypass; cheap and easy.

 

Hey, thanks to all for your wisdom. Finally got around to removing the dash tonight and will be drinking a beer and fiddling with it for the next 24 hours or so, starting with replacing bulbs and trying to replace the odometer gear and trip counter. Will go from there over the next few weeks.

Lev, regarding the soldering, I'm not very well-versed in electronics - is that something that will be apparent to the untrained naked eye if there is a defect in the soldering on the board? Is soldering typically something an auto mechanic will do?

 

Well, it's not hard but it's fiddly as they say. I usually refloat all solder points since the cracks are tiny and may be even invisible. Just use a low voltage soldering iron, touch the point, it will melt and you'll see the solder liquify, then lift off the iron, this fills up the crack. "Real" mechanics don't usually do this, they opt to replace the part, this is more of a higher tech micro electronics job, like computer, radio repair, of old...

 

I've replaced the odometer gear, which was definitely broken, and the clock with one I bought on ebay. I looked around and nothing looked obviously broken. noticed this pin is missing (32A according to https://www.240turbo.com/240instruments1987-01med.jpg). That website says this is 12 V from fuse 16 which supplies Instruments and control panel lights, Shift indicator light. Is it possible this is the cause of failure of brake lights, seatbelt warning light, etc. to fail to illuminate once car is running? If so, can I fix this somehow?

 

Update since replacing everything. All instruments in the panel are working! Odometer fixed. The parking brake on warning light still doesn't work, and after replacing hazard lightbulb for the broken lightbulb warning signal, I realized one of my brake lights is out. Replacing the bulb failed to fix it. Could these two failures be related?

 

parking brake light is triggered by a switch at the base of the parking brake handle. this is completely independent of any other circuits.