Hey guys, long time on the board, but I almost never pop into the 200-series forums, because I've never had a working one myself.

I'm about to take possession of 1991 245, painted purple and in fairly good mechanical shape. It is free, so aside from titling and transport it shouldn't cost me anything. It has the typical issues with rusty areas but weirdly it is reported to have several unspecified "electrical issues." The only one I know for sure is that the wipers are not working.

I can probably sort these issues out. I am also familiar with the shorts and such that occur back on the tailgate and I know about the biodegradable wiring harness that were found in the earlier model years.

From what little else I know, the last few years of the 240 are supposed to be the best and most rust-proof. I am wondering if this thing is a rex-regina car. were any of those 240-series?

Are there any problems known to this model year (e.g. puckered door panels on the 1995 940s)? Does this year feature any unusual mechanical fitments (e.g. 1967 120 sedan axle being unique)?

Any info you guys can provide will help me prepare for this car and bring it back to fully functional. I plan to use it as a daily driver and a pseudo-pickup (when I'm not riding my moped).

thanks for any info you can provide.

Sounds good! Can't beat FREE, that's for sure.

It will have a Bosch system. If it's stick shift, it may be LH3.1 otherwise it will be LH2.4.

1991 w/ LH2.4 would have come with a problematic ECU. Get a -951 Bosch unit from the pick and pull and replace yours if you have a pink-label -561. This may have already been done.

I suspect you will find that interior fittings are closer to your 60's Volvos than the 940's with puckering door panels. These are basic automobiles.

I love my 245. It is much more pleasant to work on than the 945. The only complaint I have is that the rear seat folding system on the 945 is far superior.

Good luck!

john

Hi John,
Thanks for the tip on the ECU. I had a chance to drive this car a couple years ago. I know that it is automatic so I'm guessing it has the problematic ECU. hat could explain a lot right there.

Supposedly leaked when it rained with might explain some of the electrical "issues" as well.

Am I correct in my assumption that this car does *not* have the infamous biodegradable wiring harness?

Regards

Wiring harness does not biodegrade on a '91, but the fuses corrode just like older bricks. There is no longer a main ignition fuse under the hood.

The only wire that disintegrates spontaneously is the lead to the crank position sensor. It runs down between the back of the engine and the firewall. That has most likely already been replaced.

If the wipers don't work and it leaks on the passenger side, I suspect that someone tried to fix the wipers and didn't get the seal in correctly when they put the wiper motor back on the firewall. It will leak badly if not properly assembled. The newer, larger style windshields use conventional seals and are not as prone to leaks as the older style, and Volvo figured out how to seal the seam in the firewall in the later years so that does not leak. If it has a sunroof, the drain hose has shrunk, and may have pulled up far enough to cause a leak. Also, run a hose into the air inlet at the base of the windshield and make sure the water drains out vigorously from the door sills beneath the front doors. If not, pull back the carpet and pop out the plastic plugs and clean the leaves out of the inside of the door sills. Leaves in the door sills cause rust.

The bulb-out sensor under the dash is prone to fail after a couple of decades and is quite expensive to replace. When the headlight circuit failed in mine, I just bypassed that circuit. I can tell when one of my low beams fails without a warning light on the dash.

The last three years were indeed the best for the bricks. When they finally got all the bugs out - they stopped making them. Virtually all parts are common with earlier bricks except for the glass (bigger in '91+) and the fuel injection system.

Headlight lenses probably need to be buffed out, but the lenses in '90+ were more sun resistant than earlier brick plastic lenses.

A free '91 probably has worn-out front struts. Those are a PITA to replace on a brick. Check the engine mounts as well. That is another job that is surprisingly difficult on a brick. If you don't know how old the timing belt is, replace it soon. Engine is non-interference, but you don't want it to strand you on the roadside.

I have a 91 245 and like it.

Agree with the struts, engine mount and timing belt advice. Plan on doing those parts.

Nonworking wipers may be a loose magnet in the wiper motor from water hitting it and rusting. Fix is posted in FAQ.

As for the bulb fail light, I just removed the bulb from my dash.

The later cruise control works well and a 91 might have front ABS brakes. Look for big brake booster box next to coil. If the ABS idiot light comes on just clean the sensor by the rotors.

I did a number on my 91 245 5-speed and it changed the way it drives for the better.
Unitek V15 cam with 6 degree advanced cam gear.
Header into turbo single muffler exhaust.
Full underhood braces.
Bilstein shocks.
IPD heavy duty rear springs.
IDP anti-sway bars.
new bushings with some urethane.
15" wheels with wide Michelin rubber

Bert

This is great stuff guys, I appreciate it very much!

I've wanted a 245 since I was was approximately 13 years old. Weirdly, though this will be my first one (excepting a 1983 that my wife briefly owned). I really fell in love with the simplicity and styling of the Amazons (120 series) but I gotta admit that they are not so wonderful on a modern interstate and not as indestructible as the 140 to 900 series models.

I'm heading down to get the car this afternoon and will be bringing it home on Sunday. I may post from there if I run into some immediate issues when I get it.

I think I see a number of wonderful mods and upgrades in my future...

Best Regards