Hello,

The odometer seems to have stopped on my 87' 240dl wagon. Both regular and trip odometers are stuck. I understand this is fairly common. Is there a fix for it?

Thanks!

 

its usually a little plastic gear in the odometer mechanism, replacement gears are available from a number of sources, and fix probably 50-70% of the cases. the old gear gets brittle, and teeth break off

our 87 has been broken since 256,253 miles, about 12 years ago.

 

Thank you for the usual swift reply. I would like to sell this car with a working odometer. Is this a fixable component or does it require pulling a lot of the dash apart to reach?

Thanks.

 

I was using these instructions. I am beginner, but the job was very easy, you just need to get the instrument cluster out.

 

This will help you with removing the cluster itself out of the dash. Its a 5-10 mins job.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j1__NVM5fk

 

And then follow the link ms000 sent to replace the gears inside. Last time I saw they had them on ebay for like $30 or so.

 

You can get them here. However, it looks like there are two that could be bad so you will need to disassemble the cluster to find out which one (or both) needs replacing.

Volvo 240 Instrument Cluster Parts | FCP Euro

 

I pulled the odometer console and took it apart following the instructions someone linked above. I was able to locate the issue to one of the toothed gears having a couple broken teeth. I cleaned the broken teeth out and put it all back together, thinking it could functionally work still as there were enough teeth left.

At any rate, I put it all back together but... now it seems like no electricity is getting to the speedo/odometer because my speedo needle doesn't move at all, ugh. What have I done wrong?

 

any broken teeth on the big gear will cause a full stop when it gets to that spot.

hard to say what went wrong on reassembly.

 

It was the 25-tooth gear. What powers the speedo/odometer unit? The weird coupler that connects to the circuit board behind it? Also what's that black switch do? Any other common mistakes that can keep power from going to that unit? I also noticed one extra wire that didn't seem to have anywhere to go its red and white.

 

the speedometer gets power via a red/black wire on on 233/3 and the speedometer sensor signal from the rear axle is on 233/1 (blue wire) and /2 (black).

connector 233 is the 3 pin right angle thing pushed into the back of the speedo.

I assume when you disassembled your speedo, you were following this?
http://www.davebarton.com/pdf/240odo...r-electric.pdf
if not, study it, maybe you'll find something you missed ?

 

I hope you didn't find a home for the red/white wire. That goes to the tachometer - which I assume you do not have. If you connected it to the double male spade on the back of the cluster, you will fry it.

Power comes into the speedometer via the funny angled 3-wire edge connector as Pierce described. From there, it powers the rest of the cluster. Do you get power to the remainder of the cluster? Does the idiot lights come on when the key is in the II position?

 

hahaha, I figured it was for a component I don't have. I did not connect the red/white wire to anything.

The other stuff all gets power it's just the speedo unit so prob something having to do with that thing. hmm, maybe it just came loose or I didn't connect it properly I'll take another look. I didn't really do a whole lot more in there, so I dunno what else could've gone wrong.

 

Well I pulled the unit again, took it apart again, removed the little plastic gears and put them back in again, put it all back together and put it in the car and it works now.

Also the odometer moves too! I haven't driven it more than around the block so I may need to replace the 25-tooth gear anyways, but it's turning the numbers on the dial! It lost 3 teeth, maybe it will keep working, who knows.

Thanks for your help y'all.

 

it will keep working til the 3 teeth come around to the pinion again. thats probably a bunch of miles.

 

Ah, I see. Well I may be putting an order in for that gear then. At any rate, taking it apart is really quick/easy.

 

Here is another odometer replacement link:

cleanflametrap.com

 

that fuse will knock out the REST of the instruments, it won't affect the speedometer.

 

I ordered a new 25T gear, it wouldn't continue to work, but at least I know I could get it to work with a new gear.

One other question re: this unit. How do you replace the little light bulbs that light up the speedo unit for night time driving? I tried to pull the bulbs out but they seem stuck and I didn't want to break anything. Can you replace them with something from the auto parts store or do they need to be special ordered?

Thanks!

 

a 1/4 turn and the 2 sockets should come out with the bulbs. been so long since I been in there, I don't remember where I got my replacements, but it was probably from a Volvo indie parts shop.

down this page a ways is a paragraph describing how to the stock bulbs from the sockets, painting the inside of the bulb holders white, and soldering in newer style 5w halogen dashboard lights. White Face Gauges for the Volvo 240