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240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Steve LeFever on
Monday, 22 December 1997, at 2:12 p.m.
My 1984 245 automatic has a balky overdrive. After driving for about 20 miles at 65 it will drop out of overdrive and refuses to re-engage. The red light on the dash, "O/D OFF" does not light, although it is working. There is plenty of fluid and the o/d switch is engaged. Could this be an electrical problem or do i need a new solenoid? How can i test?
Thanks for any and all help and advice.
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Henry T. Mui on
Monday, 22 December 1997, at 5:51 p.m.
It's your overdrive reley located behind your front passenger glove box (behind it).Just replace it and this should solve your OD problems.
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Norm Lizotte on
Monday, 22 December 1997, at 10:19 p.m.
Steve,
There's a possibility of frayed wires where the overdrive wires from the button on the gearshift knob exit the hollow shift lever under the console. I've seen 2 of my own Volvo 240's ('84 & '87) and three other friends 240's fray wires at this point. Frayed wires here will short out and cause the overdrive to malfunction. Very easy to check:
Remove plastic boot (two phillips screws) and look at the wires. They fray from the back and forth motion of shifting. There isn't much slack. Tape up the wires with electrical tape and check the operation again.
Good luck.
Norm Lizotte nlizotte@iconn.net
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Jim Rearick on
Tuesday, 23 December 1997, at 12:18 a.m.
Had the same symptoms on my 84 245. My problem was the insulation on the wire between the grommet that goes through the shifter bucket and the connector to the solenoid at the back of the transmission had disintigrated. Spliced new wire in and has been shifting fine since. Suggest checking this first before laying out money on relay or solenoid.
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Mr. Tool on
Tuesday, 23 December 1997, at 8:53 a.m.
the light should be on. check for a burnt out bulb also. new relay is about $28. easy to fix. ............. check for a blown fuse also...
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Dick Grinnell on
Tuesday, 23 December 1997, at 9:38 p.m.
I recently had similar problems with my '85 240 GL. The problem was not electrical. It was a problem with leakage in the valve body, not enough fluid pressure to keep it in 4th gear.
The purpose of the button on the shift lever is to lock out 4th gear. When you push the button, the relay behind the dash pulls in, lighing the orange arrow on the dash, and energizes the solenoid on the transmission, causing a down shift to third gear. If you disconnect the wires from solenoid (connector on the other side of the trans by the shifter) the trans will shift normally through all 4 gears and you can "kick down" with the gas pedal. If you cannot find a transmission shop that understands the problem and knows how to fix it, I will provide the phone number of the shop that did my repair.
Dick
Re: 240 Auto/overdrive Switching Problem[ALL/1998] posted by Steve Fry on
Monday, 29 December 1997, at 9:57 a.m.
I have an '84 S/W with the same problem, except that the light works. Sometimes at start-up the O/D Disabled light will come on. It was suggested that the relay was bad. A short-term solution was to bang (yes, bang) on the top left of the Glovebox door. Lo and behold, it works! And it will certainly fool your friends.