Hi, all. I’m a stranger to working on cars, so please bear with me here.
I recently got a 1990 240 sedan, manual, 144k miles. It’s been in my family for years, and prior to coming my way, has sat for 1+ years. After a new battery, she starts up and runs just fine (as far as I can tell).

I *strongly* suspect that no routine maintenance has been done on this car in the last 10+ years, other than overdue oil changes and recent brake pads. I love this car, am using it as a daily driver, and would really like to… keep it running.

Any advice on where to begin here? What things do I need to have checked out/replaced to keep her running smoothly? I got the oil changed, replaced the tires, and changing the transmission fluid is next.

Also, my understanding is these cars are kind of a niche field. Do I need to be cautious about where I take her for maintenance? When I get the transmission fluid changed, can I take it anywhere, or should I try to find a place that’s experienced with Volvo’s?
While I don’t have any experience working on cars, I’m not inept- is it safer to just learn how to do the basic maintenance myself? My main concern would be some over-confident kid with limited knowledge of these cars accidentally damaging her; if she’s gonna get ruined, I might as well ruin her myself.

This may be a dumb question, but when it comes to things like spark plugs, distributor cap, etc- can I find these anywhere, or do I need to order them from somewhere? I just want to make sure she’s getting the correct parts.

I appreciate any advice, and I apologize for any questions here that sound really stupid. Thanks in advance!

 

1. Congratulations
2. Timing belt - should be changed every 10 years - no worries if it breaks, car stops running but does not bend valves. Loose the cover and inspect it for cracks, before it breaks.
3. It might be hard to find qualified people to work on a 33 year old car. Many places will not work on a car that old.
4. Do you have the 5 speed or the 4 speed with overdrive? (a button on the top of the shifter to shift into 5th) The correct fluid needs to be used for the electric overdrive cars.
5. As mentioned earlier, very few will know about or want to work on a car that old.
6. Try to always use the OEM brand - bosch ignition cap and rotor, ngk and others make a compatible (perfectly fine) copper spark plug (relatively cheap) - don't put in the modern iridium (expensive) or crap like that - the car might not run correctly

fcp parts might be a good place to find part numbers and what might be oem.

And find a Volvo junkyard near you - when stuff breaks a lot of things are no longer available new. Voluparts.com in
Atlanta 404-352-3402 or others mention erie parts.

 

I've had a lot of luck finding parts on IPD, 240's are fun cars to work on so if you have the time I'd encourage you to do some simple stuff and learn more about the car . I'd also recommend doing a cooling system flush and checking the thermostat especially if it's been sitting for a while. Melting the engine is about the only way you'll be able to kill that redblock.
Good luck!

 

There's a reason we all go to school and learn from books and teachers first. Save yourself money, time, frustration, and bad experiences. Make an effort first then ask for help. My apologies for sounding like a grand father.