What does my 240 need?
 

Hello all. I just bought my first car and dream car (1989 240 dl wagon) with only 50k original miles. Even though the service records (which range from 1990-2014) show the wagon was well maintained, I believe it may need some general work since it is technically an older car.

Basically I would like a list of what this wagon needs to have replaced/redone.
The only thing I have done to it is replace the odometer gear which broke around a year ago according to the previous (and also original) owner. The odometer has not started to function yet but I am still hopeful that it will suddenly start counting like many volvo owners have reported.

So far this wagon has had no major problems. It does take a while to start but after driving other 240s this seems to be normal. It also loves to blow the heater fan fuse for some reason. If the fan stays on the 1 or 2 setting it works fine but the AC needs a good charge. The original owner charged it in 1995 and 2005. Also the radio was having problems but 2 hours of soldering fixed that :)

Keep in mind that I am learning about the mechanical functions of vehicles in general so I am not very experienced. Many suggestions might be kinda confusing...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Good score on the records, sounds like you got a fine deal.

I would start with a basic "Stage Zero", check your plugs, air filter, oil, transmission fluid, fuses, see if all thats in good shape.

How is the interior? Are the plastic door pockets in good shape?

Also inspect the car under the engine, is there a huge plastic tray underneath?

Hows the right and suspension? Might need bushings after all these years.

with an older car, you should go through those records, see if/when the timing belt was changed (normally its changed at 60k miles, but if its 25 years old, you should change it now unless its been done in the last 5-10 years), radiator and heater hoses (heater hoses often get neglected as they are hidden behin dthe engine)... has the transmission fluid and brake fluid been flushed in the last 2-3 years? motor oil should be changed annually even if no miles were put on the engine.

how old are the tires? even if they have tread, if they are 10 eyars old, you run a risk of sidewall cracking and rupturing.

Plugs, oil , air filter, tranny fluid and fuses are all good. Somehow the fuses had absolutely no corrosion which is pretty odd for an old 240.

Overall the interior is in great shape. The seats have absolutely no wear but a few pieces of trim around the interior door releases are cracked . Other than that the interior is good.

Plastic tray? I didn't notice a plastic tray under there but I will check again. I was only under there looking for leaks, broken hoses, and rust.

Suspension seems fine. The bushings have been replaced recently but there is no mention in the service records of any replacements but they are very new.

Thanks for your reply!

The lady I got this wagon from had the timing belt replaced 3 times according to the records. Not sure why she had the belt replaced so many times but it was last replaced in 2012 according to the records . Hoses seem to all be newer but the records are kinda vague about what hoses were replaced. The transmission fluid was replaced almost 3 years ago and it mentions a mount was replaced as well. Oil was also changed annually from 1999-2014 according to the records. Before that it was replaced ever 2000 miles.

Tires are from 2013. The previous owner had a small accident in a store parking lot which caused the front passenger fender to get smashed and caused a tire to blow. Instead of replacing 1 tire she replaced all 4 . The tires have around 600 miles on them.

Thanks for your reply!

Good good, maybe one of the previous owners kept an eye on the fuses.

Most 240s end up loosing that tray, cracks easy and wears out over time, a bit of a hassle to get on and off every oil change.

A good method of checking for leaks is to stick some paper underneath your car overnight, old phone book pages or newspaper.

Thats good if the bushings have been worked with.

Anytime!

Blowing heater fan fuses makes me thing your resistor is bad, or your motor is pulling too much current. Probably both are about dead. Leaning mostly towards resistor. time to buy a VDO blower and new resistor. get from IPD Have fun with the 6 hour job to do it right. USE VOLVO RESISTOR!



You are a very BAD resistor!!!!:

Attachment 15478

Does they tray need to be replaced or is the car fine without it?

Actually I did try just watching for fluids on my garage floor and came up with nothing. Paper will be the next step though. Hopefully nothing will leak.

In the engine compartment there is black sludge all over the walls and top of the hood. What is this? I cleaned most of it off and it has not returned . This might be normal but the engine itself is really clean.

After looking through the car it does seem like the lady who had it loved it dearly. She bought it new in 89 and kept it until she was unable to drive.


Now heres an odd question. I have been told by a few individuals that volvo did not make a 240 wagon in 1989. What in the world are they talking about? The son of the owner said that any parts that the engine needed had to be 1990 model parts and not 1989. He though the wagon was maybe a 1989.5 year model.

Thanks! I will get on that later and research everything about the resistor and its location.

I personally prefer having a tray, but your car will be perfectly fine without it. Pierce has run his 240 with no tray nor spoiler. Just make sure snow doesnt get up in there.

If theres nothing on the ground thats good

I'm fairly certain the sludge is just engine filth, every gas-driven car does this over the years, perfectly normal.

I'm pretty sure they made wagons in '89, I have a friend with a white '89 wagon (assembled in '88, sold in '89), mine was assembled in '89, sold in '90.

Mine looked even worse. You can see how the insulation melts and the wires short and that is what is causing you to blow fuses.

Blower switch position:
Position 1 has most resistance
Position 2 goes thru a second wire there. even less resistance
Position 3 goes thru wire three at resistor. even LESS resistance
Postion 4 bypasses resistor

Now that I have typed that all out and reminded myself how it works, I say your fan pulls too much juice and blows fuses. Looks like its time for BOTH. You do BOTH anyways when you do the job unless you are too cheap. The aftermarket resistors are known to be sub par.

When you install resistor you have to "de-pin" the plug to get it to fit thru a grommet, and like many others, I had problems getting the wiring to release and then stay in the plug later. You have to be very careful and use a VERY fine pick to get the wires to release from the plug without damage. If you have ever tried to release a Volvo wire from the plug you will know what I am talking about!



POST PICTURES!

I suggest anything that is rubber should be replaced/inspected. My 1990 245 has 400k it is and endless task keeping up on the failing and broken parts. My poor rear bushings!

I would start from the ground up. SAFETY FIRST! Tires----yours are good. Brakes-----pads, inspect EVERYTHING, bleed system. SUSPENSION-----inspect all front ball joints for suspension and steering. Driveshaft----grab your shaft and check for play in balljoints. Inspect center support bearing. REAR END----inspect brake hoses from body to axle. Inspect all bushings.

Once you know you are SAFE on the road. Then you worry about the engine.



My car has the tray OFF right now and engine is getting much dirtier. I suggest installing it. There are also airguide/s I have missing from spoiler to radiator. I need to replace that too.

actually, the 240 has a tray, but no spoiler. it did run without a tray for a few years. tray keeps the engine cleaner, and improves cooling as long as you're moving.

my new BENZ is missing its tray. I need to get one.

http://pierce.smugmug.com/By-Date/20...MG_3674-X2.jpg
1993 Mercedes 300CE Cabriolet, which has a 3.2L twin cam inline 6 thats 217 HP and 229 ft-lbs.

I had a really nice 240 sedan that was missing its tray for a long time, ended up getting some rust under the battery, the tray really keeps things cleaner.

That little air guide is a truly rare piece, most of the 240s I see have spoilers, some trays, almost none of them ever have that air guide. Usually there will be one or two on ebay.

The only guide I did fine I immediately brought, was off an '84 turbo that fit onto my '90 so years not a big issue, just scarcity.

Nice find with that 300E, back when Benz's looked as luxurious as they were!

If you live in the rust belt, the tray does keep the salt off of the lower components in the engine compartment. My daughter's 240 was missing the tray when we bought it and the rust had eaten through the pressure lines on the steering rack. One of the reasons I got the car cheap.

Attachment 27108

This is a set of air guides as they should look on a 240, mine kinda stick out since they were intended for an older model.

If I were you I would check out all the motor mounts. Look for whether or not they are sagging in place. If any of the mounts are bad, it can cause some pretty serious side effects. Another sign of potentially worn motor mounts, is if the motor shakes quite a bit when firing up.

How's the fuel system on it? Filter, pump, lifter, tank, lines, injectors?

The Fuel system is in great shape but the condition of the injectors is unknown. I just learning how to repair cars so I'm not sure how to check their condition.

Motor mounts look good but it would be best to get a second opinion on them. Without a lift it is difficult to see the mounts but after crawling under the wagon they seem alright. If they do need to be replaced I will probably have to find someone else to do it since I am lacking in experience and tools so hopefully they are okay.

So I cleaned the plugs and man does she run smooth. I was kinda surprised by the improvement of the vehicle and the unusual ease of starting.

The odo is still annoying. The gear I purchased from ebay was actually a 26 tooth gear instead of a 25. The add did advertise it for "1984-1993" but those are supposed to use a 25 tooth gear aren't they?

Here is the link: Odometer Gear Volvo 240 1984 93 Audi 5000 1982 1991 3515295 | eBay

For odo problems see Dave Barton's web page--lots of good info there.
Also, do you have good history of this thing re the 50,000 miles? 240 with their odo problems, one can't really depend on the current reading. Sorry to be a wet blanket but whenever I see a very low mileage car, I suspect... Carfax may be useful, as well as records of maintenance. Absent that, well... It can still be a fine car, condition is more important to me than a number especially on a 25 year old car but it makes a difference when it comes to deciding on what to do to it.

Dave's page is what I used to get through the repair haha.

I have every service record from when the car was new. All the records came from volvo and have the mileage shown at the top . From 2001-2014 the car was only getting around 200 miles a year. The owner is elderly (93) so she did very little driving and mainly relied on family members for transportation.

She did file a complaint in 2013 saying "mileage counter don't work" according to the paper work.

Carfax has no record of this car but the mountain of recents and paperwork was all I needed .

I do understand what you are saying though and appreciate your concern.

When I look for good used ones (INSTALLED in a junk car) I just know if the odometer shows zero miles, it's probably broken.

>Pierce: sooner or later I figured you'd be rolling in an early 90's 300 after extolling the virtues of your wife's wagon. Nice ride! Enjoy!

Roy

Well today was the first time the wagon was driven in rain and she did not perform as well as I had hoped... The windows did not want to unfog (the AC needs charged so this is my fault) but the rear defroster only half worked. The top of the glass was nice and clear but the bottom was fogged up.

I do also have a pretty bad squeak that sounds like power steering but is coming from the left of the engine. After lubing the belts this goes away but it comes back after a day or so. Kinda annoying.

Any ideas on what to do?

well, the rear window defroster is electrical, its painted onto the glass, the strips that don't work have probably been scratched. there are repair kits where you paint new conductor strips over the broken spots, which are located via careful visual inspection.

re: belt squeaking... check the tension of the belts, check the alignment of the pulleys. the alternator, in particular, has rubber things in its mounts, and when they stretch and harden it can be out of alignment so the pulley isn't dead square. most people replace those rubber washers with poly ones.

the heater should have been sufficient to defrost the windshield, albeit a little slower than if the A/C is working. question: when the engine is running, and you press teh defroster and footwell(heater) buttons, to the corresponding flaps open and close? for max defrost close the center dashboard vents too (via the wheel next to the vents), leave the heater button out, and the defrost button in, max heat, medium to high fan.

Upon visual inspection the conductor strips did have some corrosion so after some cleaning they might all work.

Belt tension is good and everything seems aligned but those alternator rubbers might need replacing. I will have to check .

Flaps? I'm afraid I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about. I know the air vents on top of the dash work but only out of the corners. The center of the vents have no air coming out which is odd.

On the topic of the heater, mine now goes to the max setting without blowing the fuse. The fuse it has in it is even a much lower amperage and its doing just fine. Kinda odd.

behind hte center of the dash is the heater/ac air box, with the fan and everything. it sucks air in from the cowl vents, and the fan blows the air past the heater core and past the a/c condensor. the output side of it has various distribution 'flaps', these are vacuum activated when you push those control buttons on the hvac control panel. the defroster button should open flaps on top that let air blow out the defroster panel, while the heater button shoudl open flaps on the sides that let air blow out the footwell and rear seat heater vents (which are under the front seats). the recirculation button closes a flap on the intake side so it blocks the air coming in from the cowl and instead sucks up air from under the dash.

there's a vacuum line from the engine through the firewall that has a 1-way valve inline... this vacuum line goes to the hvac control panel, and from there a vacuum line goes to each of the bellows that actuate those various flaps. oh, there might be a vacuum storage bottle (looks like a few plastic bubbles) under the dash between that vacuum line from the engine and the ventilation control panel.


the fuse/fan thing.... its quite likely just driving the car and using the fan motor has 'loosened it up' so its turning easier, and drawing less current. 240's are about the worst fan motor of any car to replace, its buried directly under the center of the dash (740/940, its easily accessible under the glove box)

re: your rear window defroster... corrosion is metal that has oxidized. remove it, and there's nothing there. the painted-on conductor strips are painted over with an insulator layer, often orange from the inside. the repair kit has you scrape off a bit of that insulator so you see the conductive metallic strip, lay down two strips of masking tape the width of the conductor strip, and paint the silver paint over them to reconnect said strip... once that silver paint dries, you remove the masking tape, and put new masking tape at the width of the insulation cover paint, and paint THAT over it. I recommend testing before renewing the insulation on this as its quite possible a single conductor will need repairs in 2-3 places. before starting the repairs, I'd circle each place you think it needs repair with a grease pencil on the OUTSIDE of the glass. oh, and clean the inside of the glass thoroughly before starting.

Well it appears that the buttons are not working so its a vacuum problem. The main problem is that I do not see any loose or damaged hoses.

Right now the defrosters actually appear to be on all the time along with the front foot vents. The rear vents under the seats do not work no matter what button is pushed.

Now should the defrost vents on top of the dash have air coming from the entire vent or just the sides? Air is coming out of the corner holes but the center holes have no flow.

Sorry about my constant stupid questions. I'm have no experience with auto repair.


The corrosion I am looking for is the corroison on the main contacts at the edge of the window. The 2 contacts on both sides have some corrosion which is what i'm trying to clean. Once the corrosion is gone the contacts can have a better electron flow .

yes, air should be evenly coming out of the entire defroster.

here, see this thread, it explains the control system better than I could.
Heater Vent Vacuum Lines & Cargo Vent - RWD - Volvospeed Forums

there is a reservoir.... but the first thing I'd check would be the vacuum line under the hood into the 1-way fitting (looks like a little disk spliced into the vacuum line) and through the firewall. I just looked at our 87 240... I *think* this is correct... larger vacuum hose off center/top of intake manifold, 1-way valve right there, thinner hose off that one-way valve goes to a T, and one leg of the T goes through teh firewall just above the right-hand corner of the valve cover, and just left of the connectors for the O2 sensor. that piece of hose gets really crispy from the heat that comes off the exhaust manifold on the righthand side of the engine.

here's an exploded diagram of the core HVAC parts behind the dash...

http://www.vlvworld.com/photo_pieces/240heat.jpg

part 34 is the vacuum reservoir 'bottle' we've mentioned. part 12 in the insert box is one of the control flapper control bellow things, 7 is another. air is sucked in from the cowl through '54'. the flap 11 is controlled by bellows 7 is the fresh/recirc air flap, while flap 50 (on each side) is floor heat on/off.

this does NOT show the rest of the ducting. oh, and I guess I was a bit wrong, on the 240, the fans '44' (one on each side) suck the air past the heater '30' and condensor, rather than pushing it through them. I don't see the defroster controls on this diagram.

the mess at he lower left, parts 14 etc, thats the water valve for the heater control, when you move the hot-cold lever, this valve is opened/closed via a 'bowden cable'. that drawing is of the old style valve, these had a thermostat (thats the can shaped thing) which fails, and when it fails your heat will be'off' or 'full on' with no 'medium'. replace this valve with a new-style one and you'll get back fine control over how much heat.

Who cares what the vents are doing when you have an almost dead fan motor and probably burned wires crossed at the resistor!?

time to swap your fan and resistor and take a look at your vac hose system while you are in there. good luck.

Well I went through the records and found the fan was replaced around 7 years ago. I am good for another 10 at least.


Well where the air goes matters quite a bit when you're driving and the rain and all your windows fog up. That's what happened while I was trying to drive home today.

Well the hose that comes out of the firewall was the problem. Apparently it had just snapped in half. Unfortunately I can't see where it hooks up to. Any pictures of where it should hook up?

You could end up melting wires. When a circuit is blowing fuses it should be fixed.

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1...ub?w=960&h=720

arrow points to the one way valve its hooked up to...

(i swiped this picture. my is a little different but its the same idea. one way valve from intake manifold).

Your fan may be good, but you probably have burned wires that are shorting out at the resistor.

Odds are you won't start a fire, but it is possible. Most likely will just melt wire insulation at worst.

When a circuit is blowing fuses you don't just simply put a lower load on it and hope for the best, but it isn't my car so...


My suggestion is to do your research on the different methods to pulling the blower motor. Some pull the dash. Some dont. Some are too lazy to do it right and CUT the motor out.

When you are in there doing the fan job, you get out your hand vacuum pump and check all hoses, fittings, servos, etc to make sure they work and don't leak.

Or you could just say **** it and run the fan at position one and two and hope for the best, but it's a bad idea. You are probably just running power thru crossed wires at the resistor. You can't defog your windows when the fuse pops! Not to mention new fuses aren't cheap.

One of the mounts is right next to the oil filter and should be fairly easy to see, particularly if you check it when you have removed the filter for an oil change.
I understand this one is the most likely to fail as well, often being contaminated with oil during filter changes. The mounts should be very cylindrical, and the rubber just a shade beyond the metal mounting plates. If the sides are significantly bulged out the mount is going bad.


The drivers side mount is very difficult to see, and should probably just be replaced when it is time to do the passenger side mount.

My mounts look alright but the engine rocks a little more than I think it should. New mounts would be a great idea at this point though. Just need something to safely lift the engine up with .

I do agree the motor does need to be replaced sometime in the near future but it can stay in for just a little longer. As an unemployed student cash is short so buying parts usually gets put on hold haha. When the fan does get replaced it will be done correctly with no corners cut. Same with the resistor replacement.

The fan no longer blows fuses and runs at the highest setting without a problem. Also all the flaps in the air system work now. Just had to find the time to reconnect the hose. So far the vac system doesn't seem to have leaks but there might be something that shows up later.

So far the only problems left are the odometer and the service light which only stays on for maybe 1 mile of driving. Service light is no big deal though.

I think you can just get it done with a floor jack and a block of wood under the oil pan. I havent done a 240 set IN the car yet. Looks like you can get the ORIGINAL VOLVO ones for less than $20 each new from IPD. I have the cheap aftermarket ones and I am still good over a year later. Turbo car, probably would be blown by now. I ran Diesel 240 mounts in another 240 I owned. About $80 from dealer. They are supposedly stiffer and stronger than the gasoline version. They lasted fine for years under turbo boost.




I hear ya dude. I drove around with a squeaky dying fan with blown bearings for about a year before I finally spent the $200 for the proper parts.

Problems that go away on their own, huh? We have all had those. Like I have said at least twice now, you COULD have burned wires coming off the resistor that are shorting out on each other. That is no way to treat your poor Volvo!

If your motor is still good, which sounds like it is because it blows at position 4 and WAS already replaced, the cheapest way to get the job done is a used resistor, or the cheaper $30 aftermarket one and just dig the old one out somehow and swap.


Service light is an easy fix. Hit the switch to reset it, or remove the bulb. 89 cluster you reset it by pushing the button in the bottom right corner of the cluster.