Well, because I am getting fat and lazy I sold my '87 240 with the 5 speed manual and just bought a '89 240 DL automatic, with electric windows home to night. I knew the odometer was dead when I got it, but on the drive home the speedo started acting up. Like big swings of 30 mph or larger. So I plan to order a new gear for the odometer tonight, so what kind of lube will work on the gear? will vasaline work or do I need something else? how about the speedo acting up?
Where do I order new replacement front corner turn signal covers?
Thanks, and God bless.
mike

 

Nuttin lazy about moving onto to autos, for your speedometer I'd immediately remove it and check the wires to it, make sure the red/white tachometer wire isnt slowly killing it, it should be disconnected entirely if you have no tach. Check your wiring to the rear diff just in case too.

I dont think its entirely necessary to lubricate your odometer gear, but I could be wrong.

 

If the speedo moves at all, then it's not a gear issue but electrical capacitors.

 

the speedos will move but with wide 30 Mph swings! the Odometer is dead.
The Over drive is also inop. the arrow will come on and you hear a click, the guy gave me a $50 new trans mounted solenoid to fix it and I just finished watching a few videos on replacing that so after some home work, guess it will be time for some "fun".

 

the speedo on a late 240 is electronic, not mechanical. the pickup is a magnetic sensor in the back of the differential, this generates pulses at a frequency dependent on the speed, the speedometer circuit counts these pulses and turns them into a voltage that drives the needle. if its bouncing, it could be due either to a bad/flakey connection somewhere, or as lev said, bad capacitors on the speedometer circuit board.

 

I drove the car to school today and no problems with the speedo today tomorrow I will do the solenoid thing. I ordered the speedo gears.
As for some interior plastic trim pieces, can these still be ordered or is it a junk yard only thing?

 

if your car has a beige/tan interior, my suggestion is to replace that brittle tan plastic with black, the dark colors last longer. if you do it symmetrically it looks like it was made that way, since there's already some black in the tan interiors.

I doubt there's much factory 240 interior plastic left on Volvos shelves and they aren't going to order any more.

 

before you pull the overdrive solenoid check that its wires aren't just broken or the insulation is worn off etc...

 

Ok, I changed out the solenoid and found some bare wire on the car end. I fixed that with some liquid tape, and ohmd out the new solenoid at 14.6 ohm
When going for a test drive no worky da. bummer....Now I have the orange arrow and no click heard at all. What now? check the relay?

 

so the arrow stays on and doesn't toggle with the button ? that suggests a problem with the OD relay.

note, its a bit weird, but when the light is ON, the solenoid is OFF, and OD is disabled. when the light is OFF, the solenoid is POWERED, and OD is enabled.

 

Well, I know I have an alternator problem and so I got one from the junk yard a real Bosh that tested good electrically, but poor bushing wise, so the guy is going to rebuild it for me. On another note, I also got a overdrive relay out of the '87 at the yard, and overdrive worked for about 20 miles, then blew the 16 amp fuse, bummer....wonder what caused that? Sheeeeshhh what next? I better not ask that......

 

50% odds, your old alternator just needs a new regulator/brush assembly, which is an inexpensive part that screws onto the back of the alternator.

the other 50% says its got bad bushings, diodes, or rings.

 

blowing the fuse suggests there's a short in the wiring to the OD solenoid.

 

Maybe that bare wire I put some liquid tape on at the connector end for the new solenoid. Guess it's back under the car....or can this wire be pulled up through the trans mission floor hole?
Thanks, mike

 

both the pushbutton on the shifter, and the cable to the solenoid connect at a 3 pin connector on the right side the center hump just forward of the shifter. The white wire goes to the solenoid, the two grey wires go to the pushbutton.

 

you could by-pass the relay. on the OD relay connector plug jumper pin #15 to pin # 87 with a paper clip or jumper wire. this way the OD will always be 'on' if the relay is toast. if that doesn't work, then you can check other connections.

 

Wow, some sweet schematics! thank you! I hope to get my repaired alternator today and I'll let you folks know what I found out about the wire situation as well.

Thanks, and God bless.
mike

 

Ok, on the way home from school I stopped by a towing service yard that had a 240 Vovo there....and the poor thing had been in a wreck, and then the fire dept had their way with it...completely chopped off the roof! front to back..! So...I asked if I could scrounge some parts...for $25 I got the inst gauge cluster, and the overdrive relay, and a couple of other parts. Then I took out my gauge cluster from my '89 and low and behold the original gear is stone mint. No missing teeth! Say What! the Capacitors look good, no obvious burned out spots on the circuit board, and the "new" cluster I got today, is out of a '91 I think will that interchange?

I think the OD problem could be a grounding wire under the car, today I hit a bump and noted the orange arrow blinked on and off fro a few seconds.

 

the OD solenoid on the transmission only has one wire, which is the power from the relay for it. the solenoid is grounded by being bolted to the transmission, if the light is blinking, its possible the solenoid power wire has bad insulation somewhere and is shorting against chassis ground.... like the wire between "F" and connector "E" in the drawing I linked...

 

gotta check that wire going to the solenoid first. 99% of the time that is the problem if the relay checks out good.