Hello Everyone. I have recently become interested in Volvo 240s and would like to acquire a manual transmission wagon in the near future.

I'm wondering what challenges I'm likely to face with a 30+ year old car regarding parts availability?
Are all the fuel injection and ignition system parts readily available for late '80s through early '90s model years? Is there any significant possibility that some critical parts might become impossible to source in the future?
I appreciate any advice in this area. Cheers!!

 

I'd suggest you start accumulating bookmarks, not a parts bin. There's quite a few places that specialize in parts for 240s and you are a short day trip from Rancho Cordova (lol, the place with the most recycle yards in the country!). See if you can find a shop manual on ebay (Bentley etc not Haynes) - but I've found volvotips.com quite useful. Last comment is to have a maintenance schedule - keep a diary/folder so you know what's due.

 

Just my opinion but I always stuck with post-89 years. Reason being is they had the LH 2.4 fuel injection system which was used quite a bit on multiple models over a number of years making parts for that system more readily available.

 

I appreciate the valuable advice. Your information sounds encouraging and I'm feeling pretty confident about being able to keep a 240 wagon operating well. I have a Mercedes 300TD (W123) and it seems like a similar situation with parts. Many OEM parts are readily available and the salvage and refurbished parts market seems strong.
I grew up working on '60s and early '70s Chevys mostly so learning the more complex fuel injection and ignition systems in the Volvo will be a challenge. I'll just have to dive in and learn how to swim!! Thanks again!!

 

I grew up learning VWs. I still have my '55 bug. Given that, I find the fuel injection system on the 240s to be very simple once you understand its basic functioning. The LH 2.4 and 3.1 systems are very robust and easy to understand. The fuel injectors are simple on/off valves where the orifice provides a given amount of fuel flow at a certain fuel pressure. The amount of time the injector is on is controlled by the ECU. The longer it is on the more fuel is delivered and can be easily calculated. The ECU also looks at the AMM to determine the amount of air coming in and the oxygen sensor tells the ECU how much of the fuel is being burned.

Given the simple understanding, it becomes easy to troubleshoot. Newer fuel injection systems add more sensors that make them a bit more complicated.

 

I appreciate the nice summary of the fuel injection system. I will probably refer to that at some point in the future.
I understand good replacement air mass meters can be difficult to obtain. Is that a common wear item or do they sometimes go the distance? Not sure OEM is still available for LH2.4 I'll have to investigate. Thanks again!!

 

The Bosch AMMs were fairly reliable but what usually causes them to fail is a failure in the thermostat within the air filter box. There is an accordion hose that runs from the exhaust manifold to the air filter box. The air filter box has a thermostat within that controls a flapper to let in pre-heated air from the exhaust manifold into the air box during cold weather. This thermostat fails with the flapper in the open position which allows the hot air from the exhaust manifold all the time. During hot weather this air can be very hot and will fry the AMM over time. There are threads on the forum that recommends you cap off this path for warm air to avoid this problem. The downside of doing this is if you live in a cold climate you will see a decrease in gas mileage during cold weather.

 

the air mass meter is a different design from a modern MAF to achieve the same end. its an electro-mechanical device that uses a moving plate to sense the air flow (and then sets its sensor voltage based on the position) vs the MAF which uses a heated wire grid that is cooled by the airflow changing resistance and thus the sensor voltage. inspect and clean the AMM plate from time to time and it should last a good long time. More common issue is going to be intake air leaks due to old rubber bits cracking etc.

 

I appreciate all the useful information. It's a good start for my education in fuel injection. It's a shame I don't own a 240 yet so I could actually pop the hood and put eyes on the specific components.
Best Regards

 

TrailDuster, lots of good advice here . I would say that a solid, rust free '88 or newer would be a good choice. The years between '83 and 87 had the biodegradable wiring harnesses and can give one fits trying to diagnose electrical gremlins. Not many 245's were made with manuals. The little plastic bits and interior parts are getting hard to find in decent shape. The big Volvo and Saab recycler that another member mentioned that is in Rancho Cordova (Sacramento) had been a great source for parts here, and they shipped all over the country. However, the business changed hands here earlier this year...and scrapped out all the old RWD cars and parts! The new owners decided there wasn't enough money in the old stuff . The Pick and P**ls here have a few, but the parts quality is highly variable. I would not buy an engine, transmission or rear end from them. There are vendors that come to the big Volvo show here in Davis in April that are an excellent source for parts. I believe the SLO Rollers club in San Louis Obispo have a show , too. While you are in Half Moon Bay, check out the club there.