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What do you think? Not the greatest looking 240 on the road, but when it's running it's great. Smooth, quite w/good gas mileage. Paint is blotchy on the hood and trunk. I can't get it started and am pretty sure that it's due to a very loose shifter. I don't think it's making the connection necessary. Blower motor is out, but I could live with that. Odometer stopped at 171,000. My kid drove it to school and back in HS so I guessing that it's at 180,000, 185,000 would be very generous. Some cig burns on the seats, but that's about it. It passed inspection last year, 3/06 and is due again. Of course the tail lights have been an issue, but are working and have been for awhile.
I can live with the ugliness considering #3.00/gal. How much would it cost to get the gear thing fixed so that I have relibility? I'm not an idiot, have a basic sense of mechanics, but my knowledge in the area leaves a lot to be desired. I've got a manual that tells me to tighten the screw to the right of the shifter shaft. (done that. nothing)
Your thought?
With much appreciation
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Since you're already on the fence about even keeping the car... From your description, it sounds like the no-start condition is due to the automatic trans. shifter safety switch (the one that won't let you start the car unless it's in park or neutral). The shifter cover comes off with two screws in the front and a clip in the back. Get under there and check it out. You may get by by just leaning on the shifter a bit.
I drove a 240 for years with a funky switch. I couldn't get it adjusted right so just left the shifter cover loose and fiddled with it side-to-side when starting the car. Took two hands and a bit of finesse to every time you wanted to start the car, but I got by. Think of it as an anti-theft device.
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Shifter problem is probably easily solved once you figure out what the problem is. It is hard to explain, but if the neutral switch is screwed, you can get all sorts of problems like you're having. Make sure it isn't the ignition switch either.
Repaint = $cheap at Maaco if you do the prep. Or just forget it.
If you're handy, the blower motor is EAl not spend that long, but if you're not careful may end up trying to figure out SY. Time consuming, but easy. Forget trying to do it with the seats out and you lying on your back, remove the dashboard and replace it in style, sitting in the driver (or passenger) seat, depending on which side you're working on. I learned this the hard way, after trying to do it the hard way for years, and succeeding, angrily.
Long ago my boss used to tell me, 2hrs for blower motor. He was right. Well, 2.5 hrs the first time, 2hrs second time. He charged $250, the dealer $500. Hm.
So if you have never even tried it, expect a day. You wilwhat goes where. There are a lot of parts. For an experienced person under the 240 dash, a blower fan is not that hard to remember. Not a hard job either, if you remove the dash. But absolutely painful if you don't.
--------------------
Chris Herbst
Scottsdale, AZ
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Fix it, the shifter (if auto) loosness is 2- 79 cent bushings and the no start may be an out of adjust neutral safety switch. A 91 is too new to give up on. Dan
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Too many open questions to answer:
1: Does it have a manual or auto transmission?
2: By no-start, what does that mean? Does the engine turn over when you move the key to the start position or does it just lay there? Or is it an issue where the engine turns over but will not "start"? Huge difference there.
I don't mean to be "cranky", but with the info in your problem statement, I could apply that to: "I have a Chevy, it won't start, it's a 91, should I fix it or get rid of it?". The only "logical" response to that question that I could make is "You should have bought a Volvo in the first place!"
All kidding aside, on 240s, details are very important... like: Year, wagon/sedan, manual/auto trans, is the trans/engine original, if it's a (90's car), does it have a LH 2.4 or LH 3.1 fuel injection system...
I know that didn't help, but with info, I'm sure someone on the BB will give you the answer, who knows, it might even be me!
jorrell
--
92 245 245K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently close to running again!
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Thanks for all the input. You're right, too many open questions. It is an automatic, sedan. The trans./engine is the orginal and I don't know about the fuel injection. The engine doesn't turn over at all. Battery is new and charged. Everything electric works, but it won't turn over. There is a lot of play in the shifter. I did loosen the shifter cover and look inside. I can move the shaft so far to the left that the pin isn't in contact with anything.
You've given me new hope. I really don't want to part with it considering the quality of "new" car that I could afford.
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Info is empowering! For the first test, lift the shifter cover, push the shift handle towards the driver side of the car while in park. To the right of where the lever is, there should be a black plastic switch assembly that looks like a pie wedge from the side (hard to see). There should be an arm or pin coming out of the switch so it can "engage" the shift lever. Move that pin (white if I recall), so it lines up with either the "N" or "P" marking line on top of the switch.
Now try starting the car, does it start? If yes, you will need to align that pin so it goes into the receptacle on the side of the shift lever. Then climb under the car and look at the bottom of the "shifter can (what I call it)", There should be three bolts on the bottom of the can towards the center. If they are loose, use an 11mm open ended wrench to tighten them up, if one or more are missing, replace them. If the bottom of the "can" is broken out, replace the can or repair it via welding once it is out of the car. While you are under there, go ahead and replace the rubber/plastic shifter bushings in the linkage.
If the car does not start, here are the other options for the cause:
1: Dead starter.
2: Worn out starter switch (pretty common if you have a lot of keys on your key ring)... $30 in parts and a half hour in labor if you do it yourself.
3: Wiring/harness issues
Let me know if it still does not start and I'll try and help out where I can. At least the above will correct the sloppy shifter and prove or rule out the neutral safety switch issue.
In any case, let us know what you find... that's how we learn!
jorrell
--
92 245 245K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently close to running again!
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With the new info, here's some things to check:
If the key goes to III "Start" and there is NO SOUND, not even a click, I would assume that power is not getting to the starter solenoid.
If there's under-hood "Click" but no cranking over, it should be a stuck starter solenoid. Fixable.
Next - E-brake on. Dome light on. Turn key to III with left hand. With right hand move shifter lever Park to "D" to Park, several times. While doing that watch either your in-dash voltmeter or the dome light. If you see a voltage drop as you move the shift lever, current is flowing but not doing the job. You may learn that the engine starts. That pinpoints the neutral-Park switch.
Next - is there a lot of "slop" in the shifter? Is there a mis-match between what gear shows on the cover and the gear that you feel "click" into on the tranny? When the bushings on the under-car tranny linkage fail, you can show neutral but be in drive. Or vice-versa. That problem requires an immediate fix, as the linkage can fall off the car leaving you stuck in whatever gear you were in. Easy fix.
Don't sell, unless you want only $500 and sell it to me.
Good Luck,
Bob
:>)
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[Now I see - Jorrell wrote on pretty much the same thing as I did. Great minds think alike?]
Take another look under the shift lever housing cover.
If the pie-shaped gray metal casting in the center is loose, it WAS held in place by four screws/nuts, accessible from below. Just about guaranteed that they've come loose. Easy to get at with a full shop lift; I don't know about access when in a driveway.
If this is the case then you likely can get the engine started this way:
Foot on brake and keep it there.
Right hand on shifter and keep it there.
Left hand reaches across to key, turn it to "start" position.
Work the shifter through its positions at moderate-slow speed till it hopefully finds the position where it makes the electrical contact. You'll hear the starter motor when it does.
I think BC is right re. don't try driving with a really sloppy shifter. I didn't think of the hazard - however I was able to feel the gear positions once it was started, and I drove that one around the lot a bit.
Repair is apparently pretty quick using a full shop lift, based on the ridiculously low price my mechanic charged. About 20 minutes or so. Not so sure about doing it in a driveway though - I never tried.
--
Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, open-front airbox, E-fan, 205/65-15's, IPD sways, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, quad horns, tach, small clock. Wifemobile '89 245 NA stock. 90 244 NA spare, runs.
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Maintainer sez:
Repair is apparently pretty quick using a full shop lift, based on the ridiculously low price my mechanic charged. About 20 minutes or so. Not so sure about doing it in a driveway though - I never tried.
Those that I have repaired were 240s, having a bit more ground clearance than a 740/940. Did the job in the driveway, used scissor jack and jackstands on left front and rear jack points. Lotsa room underneath.
It is usually the bushings that fail, or just disappear. I never figured out how they could be MIA, but they were.
Get two new bushings and three of the clips that hold them in place. The clips tend to "twang" into invisibility with ease.
Just some tips and ideas.
Regards,
Bob
:>)
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Wingding17:
Listen to Sven's Maintainer... he has over 3000 posts on the BB so he knows his Bricks! Unfortunately, I know (based on my feeble memory) that there are 3 bolts that hold the shifter assembly to the can. I'll see if I can find one in the garage and take a pic of it if I'm that lucky.
So, for now, it might be three bolts, or four bolts but in any case, an 11mm open ended wrench will do the job.
jorrell
--
92 245 245K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently close to running again!
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