Hello, I am trying to decipher which cluster came factory with the car i just bought. The PO had a spare cluster in the trunk so I am not sure which one of the two if any was the original cluster. One is a K10042 and the other is a K40168. I had used parts from each to make one work. Is their a way to determine the right cluster via VIN? Do replacements need to be the same year vehicle?

 

I know that they did vary from year-to-year in the early '90s. Don't know about the eighties versions though. In '91, ABS was an option and all '91s that had ABS used a different cluster. I think in '92 all 240s shared the same cluster regardless of whether the car had ABS or not. I just pulled the instrument cluster from my daughter's '91 (no ABS) and found that it is different than the one from my '90.

 

No and no way. There may be some Colored paint markings on it that matches something else behind the dash.

 

So no way to determine which one it came with and it does not matter what year replacement? Is there one with a tach I can slap in there that will work?

 

I am going to assume that you are asking about a 240 cluster? If not ignore my post

Well yes and no, from my taking apart Volvo 240clusters and reading about them, the 1992 and 1993 clusters will only work in 92-93 240's. Pre 1986 Volvo's used a speedometer with a cable. The 86-93 was electric driven.

Any cluster from 86-91 should plug in without issues except for the ones with airbag(90-) and ABS(91-) and that you would switch the little light chart at the bottom(the thing that shows Brake, tail light out etc)

1989-1993 clusters use a supper expensive($13 each) halogen lightbulb to light up the cluster lights

Now bits and bobs of the clusters will work with all clusters. For instance say you have a 1990 240 and you find a tach from a 1984, this tach will work on your cluster. just unscrew the clock bolts and remove the clock and replace it with the tach(you have to hook up a wire(I think red and white) that is hidden in the hole behind the cluster and that allows the tach to work. Cosmetically there is a small difference in tachs from early years of the 1980's to the early 1990's but that is only that some years were painted flat black and the others glossy, so that it may not match the black of the other gauges.

If you want to keep the clock, you can get the small clock and the harness from the small clock to the cluster from a junk yard(remember to get the 3 little rubber "feet" that hold the clock in place. The clock relocates to one of those panels to the left of the radio.

NOW there was something I saw in a junked 1992 240 a few months ago. It seems Volvo sold a small tach that could sit in that same hole as the relocated clock so you could keep the big clock in the gauge cluster It was smashed or i would have bought it but I thought it was neat.

Good luck

 

in those small holes to the right of the instrument panel I've also seen a OEM kit with volt meter and oil pressure gauges. I think these may have been used on a GT model or something, or maybe were a dealer installed option, dunno.

 

Most of those 52mm gauges were done at the dealer level. Ambient temp, oil temp, fuel economy (vac gauge), mini-tach, volts, oil pressure. The GLT turbos came with oil pressure, volts and boost gauges mounted in the upper cuddy where late model 240's have the radio. I think every 240 should have a volt gauge installed. Saves folks from a lot of breakdowns.