A few days ago, my instrument panel started going haywire. First, the fuel gauge and gas gauge stopped working, then the speedometer (electronic) went to 120 while sitting still, then quit altogether. The idiot lights stopped working (shift light, parking brake light), but the clock, turn signals, high beam indicator do work.

Tuesday night, I was on my way home when the battery light came on. I barely made it home with dim lights. The next morning, car started, but I couldn't go anywhere. It appeared the alternator was not charging. Battery light was on. I had a spare alternator, so I changed it out. Still no charge to battery. Battery was dead, so I had to wait for a buddy who brought over another alternator and my borrowed battery charger. Swapped it out, and charged the battery. This time, still no idiot lights when the key was turned, and no output from alternator. But...if I revved the engine high enough, the battery light came ON and the alternator was putting out 13.8-14.1! Still no gauges or other lights besides turn signal and high beam. And that glowing battery light.

I've looked on this forum for a similar issue, and have found some answers close, but didn't find any dealing with the alternator charging and the battery light on and all the other issues mentioned. Voltage stabilizer? I just don't know. Going to work and taking my battery charger with me, just in case.

 

Sounds like a voltage regulator issue.

 

A friend of mine took his instrument panel out and let me install it in mine. All things are as they should be. I suppose I need a new panel.

 

did you plug yours back in, and is it still wonky? if so, then yeah, its probably bad. if you haven't tried it yet, you probably should, as the problem may well have simply been the connections, and the act of removing and replugging it jiggered stuff back into their happy place.

 

Yep. Sure did. And it sure is.

Over and over that was done, with same results. I got a buddy (yes, another one) that works for BNF (Volvo hospital/graveyard) here in Chattanooga who is looking through the stockpile of Volvo dashes to find me another, hopefully, good one.

If that falls through, then on to eBay and Craigslist. Or maybe you. Or you. Or even...you.

 

Will the instrument panel from a '90 work with an '88 240? I know they should be the same on the front, but on the back, are they virtually identical? I can get a '90 panel for a good deal, but need to know if it will work.
Thanks.