I am considering purchasing a 92 240dl wagon. it has high miles but owner claims it's well maintained....is there any common major issues with these vehicles? any thing i should look for?

 

A good friend just put his 240 out to pasture this past December. 436,000 miles and all he ever did was scheduled maintenance. The motor was still running fine, it threw a clutch and a family member gave him a VW van so he said enough was enough.

He said it averaged about $500 a year to keep her running smooth. Some years $200 some $800, but it averaged about $500 a year.

 

Sounds like you may have a good deal there. We have 2 wagons (88 and 89) and they run beautifully. We also have an 88 sedan, and previously owned an 86 wagon and 83 242.

The high mileage isn't really a big deal. You may need a new catalytic converter at some point, but that's an easy fix. The odometers are known to fail too but are rebuildable for cheap. Standard maintenance should be your top concern: oil changes, coolant, transmission, plugs and wires.

Much of these things you CAN do yourself and save a load of cash. There's a ton of knowledge on this site so don't hesitate to post with any questions. Read the threads and you may already answer some already (like me).

Good luck with your decision.

 

sounds like pretty good feedback....just out of curiosity..is the engine aluminum block? heads aluminum?..

 

Nope...240's are all-steel. I think they started aluminum with the 740's or 850's.

 

I found out more info on the car....it has 220,000 , a little surface rust on one of the fenders and one of the doors. He says it will need a new gas tank. he said he noticed a gas smell when ever he had it more then 2/3 full. is a gas tank replacement a major repair? something i could do myself? any input greatly appreciated.

 

It may not be the tank and could be one of the gas lines or hoses. I found the return gas lines rot out (I live wehere they salt the raods in winter) - this is a simple fix as aftermarket rubber hose works well with steel hose clamps.You need to look under the car and follow the smell. Also, you can get access of the top of the tank from inside the car (storage area).

If you buy a 240 I highly recommend getting a copy of the Bentley manual.

 

Ok so I'm gonna take a look at this tommorow. when looking at the ad again to get the phone # i seen in the description that it was push button start. when i asked the seller about it he said he had an issue a few years back when he shut off the ignition the starter kept going or something like that. so the mechanic he brought it to thought there may be a short somewhere between thetransmission safety switch and starter (I think) so heput in a push button switch so when you turn the ingnition to run and then push the button it will engage the starter. this did bring up a few red flags to me. I am still planning to look at it though

 

Someone did that push button start to my Volvo as well, though I don't know if it was the same issue, but it seems to work well still. The guy at the dealership commented on how it was like a race car...I commented on the irony. 107hp...imitating a racecar.

Wes

 

well i checked out the car and gave it a test drive. other things i noted were that the AC didnt work and its the R-12 type. one rear window didnt work and exterior shape was i guess acceptable....mostly rust around the fenderwell edges. but when i drove it i must say it seemed mechanically sound and handled very solidly. I dont know at this point if i am going to make an offer or anything but i am going to look at a couple of other vehicles. a 91 940 turbo and another 93' 240DL with 157k on it. Is the 940 series more reputable then teh 240 series? or is it just based on taste? I am mechanically inclined and must say when i seen the engine on the 240 i was quite impressed with the simplicity of it. Is the 940 similar? anyway i know its alot of questions but I think I'm going to purchase a volvo.

 

another question...are the engine heads on the 240 seriessteel too? and is it the same for the 940 series...sorry about the bombardment of questions.