Hi everyone,

My Name is Nikki. I'm a new Volvo owner - well, not NEW persay, but new to us!

Our Volvo (awaiting name) is a 240 GL Estate from 1992. She's got a rather unatractive sun-bleached paintjob - but other than that seems very sweet! Standard UK spec - with Electric front windows etc.

It's a huge switch from our other two cars - a Smart ForTwo CDi and a 1985 VW Rabbit Mk II (Golf Mk II) electric car! - Yes, VW did build electric cars back in the 1980s!

The Volvo is going to be our long-distance car. My wife Kate and I are just about to become moms thanks to our local adoption agency and we needed something for longer distance trips (greater than the 50 mile radius our EV can cope with) that can carry us, two daughters and two dogs, plus luggage!

The car has 162,200 miles on her and runs very sweetly. It's a stickshift (manual) five speed box. There's a slight whine from the clutch occasionally, but we're putting that down to the car not being used for about eight months prior to us buying her. She cost us just over £600. - £200 to buy, £205 to tax (licence) and £200 to insure. Now we're shocked by the 70 litre tank! (As a green car journlaist used to driving hybrids, alternative fuels etc. I'm reeling at the cost to fill up!) - But as a car to use maybe four or five times a month she's going to be just great! It's cheaper than hiring a car when we need one.

So... onto the questions.

The tailgate got hit by a garbage truck a few years back and was replaced. None of the tailgate electrics work, except the right-hand numberplate light. (Wiper, heated window, upper brake light) I understand this is a common problem - so we're going to whip the hinges off and try to fix the loom. Electrics don't scare me - Any tips before we do it? Has anyone made their own loom? - I've re-wired two of my previous cars myself so I'm thinking that may be the way to go and build something a bit more study than the original?

The Tailgate has a little leak (we found out this going through the car-wash yesterday) - which we think is due to the trim not being fitted properly. Any way we can check how to fit that?

All of the interior lights are blown - but the fuses are fine. Is this age and laziness (old owner never fixing them) or something sinister? I need to get in there and clean up contacts etc.

The centre console doesn't light up. Is it meant to? We went out last night and none of the heater controls showed up. Is the bulb easy to replace?

Finally, someone has managed to get the radio locked - and I don't have the radio code. Any way I can retrieve that, or should I go talk to our Volvo dealer?

Sorry for the silly questions - and the mix of atlantic and british termenology. (My wife is American and I'm half Canadian, Half British). We've yet to get a Bently manual or Haynes manual for the car. We've covered about 60 miles since yesterday and the car feels great. Even the seat heaters work (we think!)

Here's our new car. I got trigger happy on Flickr !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aminorj...869927/detail/


Anyway. Hi and Waves!

Nikki.

 

Welcome to the forums!
I'll answer a few of your questions.
The best way to find a leak is to use a garden hose, set it to a trickleand starting at the bottom, work your way around teh window etc, till the leak appears. It will be easy to trace the source of the leak then.
Is the tailgate leaking around the window or the tailgate seal in the door shut area? If it's the window, you can squeeze in some sealant between the rubber and the sheet metal, start from teh top when doing this, and clean any dirt out beforehand.
If it's leaking elsewhere, loosening any trim around teh area and aplying sealant will also fix it.
If it's leaking around the door shut gasket, it is possible teh frame is bent slightly or teh door needs adjustment, yu'll have to assess that by having a good look, then moving the tailgate around to eliminate the gap.
Old cars often have failed bulbs, I am willing to bet merely replacing all teh bulbs will restore light. People don't know how to do these simple things anymore and won't pay mechanics to do it for them, so they just ignore the problem.
The big fuel tank, if you are only going to drive the car a couple of times a month, keep it full to the brim. It greatly reduces condensation, which ruins fuel pumps etc due to corrosion and can also cause poor running if you get enough water in the tank.
For teh radio, merely present yourself at a Volvo dealer with the VIN and you should be able to get the code, but check your car's documents first, my car had the code written in the handbook by the dealer when it was new!
Oh, by the way, an afternoon with some good cut and polish will bring that red paint back up to a great shine!

Regards, Andrew.

 

Most likely the problem with the tailgate is the wiring - but check the bulbs first. The wiring always seems to break right where it bends in the hinge.

It isn't easy to repair the wiring harness because of the way the wire is routed through the hinge. It uses a very fine strand wire - not easy to find. Also, it is a real tight fit where it goes through the hinges. When I replaced mine, I purchased a new wire harness from volvo. It lasted another 10 years before it started to go bad again. To replace the harness, you need to pull the entire tailgate off. Make sure to note where the washers go back on for properl alignment.

Good luck.