Since pulling, opening, and reinstalling my dash cluster, when I turn on my headlights, my tach now dies, my turn signal indicators stick on (sometimes just one), and I lose my dash illumination. I've read to check pins, grounds, ground wires, fried diodes, etc. As mentioned before, I'm new to this whole car...not to mention electrical work in general. In layperson's terms, can someone tell me what/where to check on the gauges or the circuit board to see if I can fix this problem myself? I have so much money in this car already. Thanks :(

The only connection that I am aware of between the headlight switch and the instrument panel is the panel light dimmer switch/rheostat. Which, as I recall, has to be removed to take out the instrument panel.

Should be three wires to the rheostat - gray is power from fuse 16, brown runs to the instrument panel, and black goes to ground. Any chance you mixed up those wires when you re-assembled?

This is from memory - I try to avoid having to pull an instrument cluster.

Most wires connected to the cluster will fit only one way, but there are some that are otherwise.

Tach connections should be a single wire R/W with insulated female connector. that is the signal from the coil, and if connected to something else there is a possibility of fried elecronics. The other tach connection is a 3-wire harness to the small clock. It provides to the clock its ground(SB), its constant power(R) and its lamp power(GN)which is part of the dash/control panel lighting.

There is an orange lead for the cruise control. Looking from the back side of the cluster, it goes on to either of the two male spades at the upper left of the speedo.

There may bo others, I don't remember. Last time I was in there was to install a Volvo Cruise Control system.

Over the time I have owned Volvos I have obtained for each car the Volvo Service Manual Wiring Diagrams manual, including the one for the 1987-88 240s. Not a low-cost manual, but contains info unavailable elsewhere. 1-800-25-VOLVO and ask if it still available.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

THanks I have a feeling I fried something the other day because of the little clock. Some wires touched together when I was trying to re install it and made a little fireworks display. I have since removed the clock and its harness(never worked anyway), taken the whole cluster apart...I'm an expert at that at least, tightened every bolt and screw I can find, reinstalled the cluster and bam...lights on, no tach, no illumination lighting and stuck turn signal indicators. Lights off, tach works great. There's always a bad bulb somewhere in the tail lights too..either the right or the left, and either the dummy light comes on at all times or just when I brake...depending upon it's mood that day. Also now I'm noticing my license plate lights are blowing too. This car is killing me. Mechanically, awesome. electrically, a nightmare. I'm so far it it now, with a $2300 purchase price and about 700 dollars in repairs, I'm disgusted. I really don't want to pay some volvo tech (whom I must get on a waiting list to see) to figure out this electrical/dash stuff. But it looks like I'm going to have to toss another couple hundred in the hole. It's nice though: cold a/c, stick shift, 3rd seat, decent interior. It's just the gremlins that are driving me nuts. Meanwhile, I've found a nice 91 sedan with power options, one owner, service records, new exhaust and tires...750. I don't see how I'm going to pay for it with all my other car's shenanigans. Well, thanks for your help and wish me luck.

that wiring diagram is available for download from Ryan's website.

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~ridgely/Volvo_docs/