Hello.

sorry in advance for all the noobish questions I have been asking .. but as I can't seem to find any auto place by me that doesn't SUCK

(one shop wanted $1200 to replace AMM and Intake hose...HAHAHAHA so I changed my self for under $200)

and the other shop that told me they would need to remove instrument cluster to reset sevice light for $70~ ..... pushed lever problem SOLVED.

so now on to the next little issue.

sometimes the "up arrow" light comes on and won't go off... sometimes go for months without issue other times light comes on frequently then goes off shortly after starting car

other times light comes on and Stays on for several miles.. finally turning itself off.

I have heard that there is a relay in the dash somewheres that can be the cause ?? or wiring fault on shifter (pulled cover could really tell what was going on didn't see any freyed / loose looking wires??? ... what do I look for???)

or some selinoid... thing on the tranny????

a couple questions???

how to i get to the Relay? / what do I look for at shifter ? and (i hope this isn't it..i'm scared) what about the selinoid thingy how do you test it/ find it / (god help me) replace it should it be the cause???

anyways I realize I may be "NOOBING UP" the joint so hopefully i'm not driving anyone knutz or anything =)

I greatly appriciate the help I have gotten so far and hope that maybe someday I will know more with the help of nice folks such as y'all to be more comfortable working on my volvo and maybe even be able to help some other "newbie" down the line.

anyway much love to the volvo peeps.... peace.

It is the overdrive relay. Get a couple at the boneyard they are a dime a dozen for the automatic. You will need to pull the glove box and the relay is to the left tucked under the dash vent clipped to the metal frame of the center console. You may want to get a couple of fuel pump relays located under the passenger kickpanel. It's a large white rectangular relay. You may also want to get a bulb out sensor located under the steering column behind the kickpanel. It's red and cylinderic(sp?) in shape. These relays commonly fail in the 200-900 series. I'm speaking from experience with a family owning soon to be 8 Volvos (I will have to change my moniker.)

Click here to read about the auto transmission overdrive in the 700/900 FAQ's. These are accessed in the upper right corner of the RWD Forum homepage. Other than the location being different the rest of the information is pretty much the same for your 200 series car.

Your relay is tucked in on the left side of the opening of the glove box. Simply remove the screws holding the box in place and pull it out. Should be a white relay about 1" square and 3" tall.

Randy

from your message it sounds like the car is shifting into OD properly. If this is the case, I'd rule out a failure of the transmission, the button on the shifter or the wiring inbetween. On my OD equipped Volvos (an 83, 85, 90 and 93) this symptom (intermittent up arrow light) was usually a sign that the OD relay was about to give up. You can drive the car the way it is until the relay dies completely or you can easily replace it - remove the panel above the passenger footwell for access. Try Groton or eBay for new relay @ reasonable prices. good luck...

hi thanx for the info.. if it helps the car does shift to OD (usually) the the uparrow light is on it "seems" like it is won't shift to OD... once light goes out it will shift to OD without difficulty.

anyhow I'm torn now between just Ignoring it till relay dies entirely =) or trying to fix it.

I have already fixed faulty AMM / replaced air hose and replace the little thermostate thing in the airbox... this morning I cleaned the little flame trap thing.. (what a pain the butt) why did the bury it under the intake manifold like that... oh well... and just minutes ago reset the service light.

all of these items listed were with the gracious held of the brickboard peeps soo since i'm on a roll I thought maybe i'd figure the dang OD thing out too.

does the relay just plug in?? do you have to solder it???

Bob,the OD control is really not very complex: Voltage from fuse to switch to relay to solenoid/arrow light
Relay ON=>OD solenoid ON=>Arrow OFF
Relay OFF=>OD solenoid OFF=>Arrow ON

OD operation involves 5 components and the wiring that connects them...

1) Fuse 11 (200) or 12 (700/900) supplies voltage to items #2, #3, #4, and #5

2) The Shifter button/switch turns the OD relay off and on

3) The OD relay controls the Upshift (not "OD") Arrow light and Solenoid (separate wires)

4) The Upshift Arrow light ON means the relay and OD are OFF

5) The OD solenoid allows OD engagement when ON, (the "default" Relay state at Key On)

If the Shifter switch turns the Arrow light (#4) on and off, then items 1, 2, and 3 are OK, and the problem is most likely the undercar wire to the Solenoid (#5) or the wire connector terminal at the solenoid.
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

hi thanx for the reply and clarification on how the OD system works.

I'm a tad confused... several people say it is likely the relay? and am I understanding you to be saying it is the Solenoid?

usually the botton turns OD on and off (with indicator no problem) but sometimes I start the car and the OD is OFF (arrow ON) and button does JACK... then after some time (between seconds to a minute or two.. the OD turns itself on.. and button starts working again...

In dollar tersm, you want it to be the wiring among the components, rather than either the relay or the solenoid. It it turns out to be one of those, though, you want it to be the relay rather than the solenoid. It's cheaper new, easier to get at the junkyard, and a cinch to install. The solenoid is expensive and more difficult to install.
--
jds

It probably is the relay. You can open it up and look for cracks in the soldering of the pins on the circuit card.

Your relay is tucked in on the left side of the opening of the glove box. Simply remove the screws holding the box in place and pull it out. Should be a white relay about 1" square and 3" tall.

Stan

Sometimes it's not easy to grasp what is going on.

Overdrive system in your 240:

Parts:

Light on dash (up arrow)

Relay

Switch on shifter

Solenoid on tranny.


How it's Supposed to work:

When the car is started, the system is in the default "not inhibited" condition. The arrow is off, and the solenoid is energized. When the car gets to the speed and throttle position that allow overdrive to engage, it will. That is Usually on flat road about 40 mph. Watch the tach for engine speed drop by about 20%.

Use of the button on the shifter. Each time it's pushed, the relay toggles between inhibited and not inhibited. When the arrow is lit, the solenoid is not energized and thus the tranny is inhibited from upshifting into overdrive.

The button does not directly engage the overdrive, it allows the tranny to "decide". Arrow on = tranny is inhibited from deciding.


I hope this makes sense.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

PS: A lot of my driving is on 45mph roads. When passing is appropriate I find that dropping out of overdrive and adding a little more throttle gives a passing gear without flooring the gas pedal. Flooring it at 45mph can shift down to 2nd, gives a strong acceleration, warn your passengers.

When I bought my 89, I, too, was new to the 200 series. The first thing I noticed was the same up arrow (sometimes on - sometimes off) with the same shifting concidences. My Volvo guy pointed me to the relay switch (got one for about $50 US) and yes, even I, who can't do a helluva lot, removed the glove box with a phillips screwdriver, looked in to the left for said matching item and unplugged it . Plugged in the new one and all has been well with overdrive for over a year now.

My 740 of the same year did this and the shift lever button had little effect on it. Replaced solenoid on the trans and that was that

Inexplicable.

The solenoid has no effect on the "up arrow" light, although they are both controlled by the OD relay.

Relay ON turns solenoid ON and Light OFF. (the normal "default" state)

Relay OFF turns solenoid OFF and Light ON. (switch actuation or relay/circuit problem)
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.