Hi all,
Just wanted to introduce myself here on the boards as I dove head first and got a 1993 Volvo 240 wagon (my first Volvo). I always admired how those looked on the road and have heard that it "last forever" from a lot of people. Now that I own it, it is a very well thought out car that is very easy to work on and it is built to IMO, "over-spec" in terms of the body, electrical, mechanicals, etc.

The body is in really good shape, except for the rear tailgate is rusty on the bottom.

Interior is great, except the driver seat bottom has a rip in it and the visor folder is cracked on one side. The car even came with a trunk cover that coils away that hides the contents of the rear compartment.

Mechanically, the previous owner spent a lot of money and time in upkeep (new factory remanufactured transmission, cam oil seals and new oil pan, tires, brakes including new calipers/discs/pads, timing belt/tensioner/waterpump, new radiator/hoses, fuel pumps and filter, etc.) all within the last two years or so and thus it was in great shape when it came home with me.

I've had the car for a week and half and from reading on these boards, reading the Bentley manual, and using a bit of common sense, I have performed the following:

1) General Tune Up: Replaced the plugs, cap and rotor, airfilter, oil, oil filter, etc.

2) Flushed out the ATF using a tube on the transmission oil cooler plug on the radiator and 12 quarts of Dexron III (this was so easy on the 240, I had to laugh).

3) Tires balanced at a tire shop (It is amazing how $40 for balancing will do for your ride).

4) Installed a new aftermarket CD radio.

5) Removed and cleaned out the flame trap, MAF meter, and throttle body (this did wonders to my idle and smoothed out the engine at cruise speed - Also feels like I gained about 7HP as a result of this procedure, according to my butt dyno...)

6) Installed a tach-o-meter and small clock that I bought on the popular auction site. This was an easy install as I found out here that these cars are already pre-wired for the tach. Also replaced burnt out bulbs in the cluster (the bulbs were $15 per pop!!!).

My next step is to reupholster the front lower seat (it has a small rip in it) and try looking for a tailgate in better shape (although it works fine as it is now...). Also, thinking about new shocks / bushings / IPD anti-swaybars, but I might leave that as a summer project when it gets warmer outside.

I have been so excited about this purchase that I have driven it a lot and already have put on 1,200 miles in ten days! I can see why people have easily put 200k+ miles on these cars. The only thing I regret is not getting one earlier when I could have found ones with 20-40k miles on then.

Anyway, see you all around as I am sure I will have a lot of questions here as I get into some serious maintenance!
Cheers,
Junbug

 

Ya, those bulbs are a bear, I wonder why no aftermarket LEDs yet? Anyway, welcome to the Volvos'' owners club, but sounds like you're hip deep in it already.

 

Thanks for the welcome. I think I am still only knee deep and on the shallow side as nothing major has broken on my car...

I just got a used wiper delay today on the bay and some fuses to replace on the brick. BTW, the 8a and 16a fuses are no longer glass and are white and blue plastic? The ones in my fuse box were all glass but the store only had the plastic ones now.

 

the colors of the fuse body indicates the amperage. The list is on the fuse box cover and shows the correct current rating for each.

They never had OEM glass fuses that I'm aware of. I've seen ads for them but not in the US.

 

Its always nice to see someone appreciate the 240 for what it really is - a decent, well built car.

 

I blew a fuse for the stereo the other day and I noticed that all of my fuses are glass with nipples at the end (sort of looks like a dome light bulb). The plastic ones has the same part numbers, so I assumed that the fuses are same but that probably means that all of my fuses are original from 1993? That is awesome...

 

There has to be a reason why so many of them sold when new and also so many of them are still around today. I'm really appreciating mine

 

I have been taking care of a couple of mechanical things, but the 240 really is a robust car. I got busy with some mods recently.

I have installed e-code headlights, a MOMO steering wheel, and a set of Galaxies. My next move is redoing the whole suspension.

Here are the pics of my ride... sorry for the indoor poor photos. I'll try to get some more pics this weekend. Hope you like the photos.

 

It's nice to hear a very happy owner through his volvo.This car is durable and solid especially engine and maintenance cost is not very high.Fuel consumption rate is barely acceptable,10-11km/L on highway and 6-7km/L in urban area.Although the suspension is not tough, this car is quite easy-handling and is enough to evade some dangerous situations.

 

Nice e-codes. I'll be doing mine, it's near the top of the list. I have the goodies from FCP, extra bulbs from Dan Stern, and the wiring/relays/sockets from Rally Lights.

 

I have given it a tune-up, and changed the tires to the OE height, etc. but the best mileage is still around 23 to 24 MPG on highways. I get around 22 MPG combined.

These things have a really tight turning radius and so they are an easy car to live with in the city. My next project is going to be bushing replacement (front and rear) and also the shocks and springs for better suspension.

 

The e-code headlights makes a huge difference especially driving on highways that are not lit very well in rural areas. The high beams are blinding, so I always use the low beams.

I got the relay kit from Daniel and got wires from a local parts store, some protective plastic sheath and a good wiring tool from a local home center and spent a weekend planning it out and crimping connectors. It was pretty simple to do. Just takes a bit of planning and figuring out where to secure the relays, ground, wiring, etc.

I think the hardest part of the e-code conversion was getting the old headlights off due to the rusted bolts. I ended up pulling off the front plastic cover, and then breaking the inside reflector off (by yanking on it hard) so that I was able to drill out the black plastic plate from the front.

 

Hi, I also have a 1993 240 wagon....It's a limited addition model in good shape (just re-painted it) and another 240 wagon just put off the road and a sedan all for parts. For the most part these cars are good to work on ( I am no mechanic ) Mark

 

hey June bug,

Thanks for the message about your 240 Wagon. I've got an 86 4dr Sedan GL model. I would love to have a diagram of exactly where this flame trap is so I can clean it out.

Thanks,

Kevin Mac

p.s. you can also email me at kevo409@yahoo.com

 

Hi Kevin,
The flame trap is located between the third and fourth intake manifold. There should be a thick pipe and a thin pipe that goes into a plastic contraption. Once you pull those tubes out, you'll see this hard plastic contraption that houses the flame trap (a plastic filter). This needs to be changed. It is a good idea to change the ower hose, the upper hose if you have not cleaned this out in a while as the lower hose supposedly gets clogged. Mine was not bad, but it had a non original tube in there, meaning that someone mus thave cleaned it out in the past. The lower hose is a pain to get to. A long nosed pair of pliers will help jam the lower hose in place.

The kit is like $4. The upper hose is like $12. http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exe...category_id/16

Here is some reading on changing the trap.
http://www.swedishbricks.net/faq/flametrap.html

 

As you can see in my photos, I also found a 90+ tailgate at a junk yard for $50 (unfortunately it was gold instead of blue) and painted and installed. Has a couple of dents, but I can live with those.

I also picked up a nice passenger seat from the junk yard and reversed the controls (right to left), fixed the lumbar support and re-upholstered the seat so my driver seat is in great shape now with no sagging.

I am about to tackle the job of replacing all the suspension bushings this weekend.... From what I have read on the web, I am not looking forward to it....

 

love to have an update on this obviously great looking wagon