Well, hello, i just mentioned my car in the welcome area post. Thats the link + pictures

Urgent stuff

-> Reverse lights not working when i shift into reverse gear
Well, i checked the bulbs on the left and right side. The electronic plate inside the trunk looks fine, at least on one side. All other lights on that car (at least on the outside) are functioning. So i am pretty much convinced the reserve light switch or the wiring nearby is malfunctioning. I heard there are 2 versions. One with the switch near the shifter and one plugged into the gearbox itself. I am pretty sure i have the switch on the gearbox. Can someone confirm any of this?

-> Odo and Speedometer did work (now don't)

Well, i had some bulbs inside the car dash not working, thought i replace or at least test them. I pulled it out as in the , but i did not remove any cables. My conclusion is:
I have a mechanical speedometer and when i pulled the dashboard out, the cable fell of. No problem, ill mount it again. I can see the cable inside there in the back. I can reach it with my hands, but i can't pull it towards me, unless i use quite some force, but i dont really want to do so yet.I don't see a way to mount the cable with the dashboard out,its simply too short. Otherwise i think design wise i should able plug it back into with the dash out. And why has it fallen off in the first place? I really need some advise on that one :/ Here are pics

Minor and other stuff
-> OD bulb does not work, but OD does work and relay clicks. bulb is okay
-> Right backpanel light won't function. I switched it with the left one, both bulbs are working.
-> is Bentleys repair manual the right book for me? Does it cover diesel engines or gasoline only?

Sorry if my english isn't the best if you made it reading so far

 

what year is your DL?

 

1984
D24 engine
M46 transmission (not 100%sure)

 

M46 is a 4 speed stick shift with electric overdrive acting as a 5th gear.


re mechanical speedo cable, I've never dealt with a Volvo that had one (later years were all electronic), but on my 1990s mercedes, you lift up the floor mat, and a kick panel under the mat (volvo probably doesn't have this kick panel), and the speedo cable is held down with a clip near where the steering column goes through the firewall, so you unclip it before messing with the dash, and that provides more slack... after replacing the dash, you re-clip the cable down

AFAIK, the two dashboard illumination lights are directly connected together in parallel, so the socket or circuit board must be bad on the one side.

the manual OD light gets its power from the same relay pin as drives the OD solenoid, so if its not working, its a wiring problem or on the instrument panel itself. its a yellow wire into pin 4 of connector 31, the full circle one. the ground for this light is a black wire into pin 4 of connector 32, the 'smile' shaped one, thats the same ground as everything else on the instrument panel.

 

Well thanks for the answer. Unfortunately i am pretty sure i broke that plastic collar holding it in place.

the solution for that answer i found here.
Reattaching '85 Volvo 240 DL speedometer cable to instrument cluster. - Turbobricks Forums

Guess i have to learn on the hard way.

 

I know that on at least one of our 3 early-90s cable-speedo mercedes, the speedo has gone twitchy, and the solution is a new cable, the people who've tried to lubricate it found that was very short lived...

oh great fun... lots of different cables in the parts catalog. and I'm just seeing the LHD variants because I'm looking at the USA catalog, somehow I'm guessing your diesel manual is NOT a US model, as those diesels are very rare in the USA.

 

I'm looking at this the whole evening But its 11PM, i should go to bed. I need to check the cable to see whats what. I hope its just the seal which has gone. Oh, i also do have LHD vehicle, its just britains who drive RHD vehicles in europe. All rings and housing i found so far are going

Found this so far

 

weird they call those 'tachometer cable' as the tach is the RPM gauge, and is always electrical and is driven by the timing signal that also goes to the ignition coil.