Got an idiot light coming on when I start my '86 244 manual. its the one to the far left, green light with what looks like the parking lamp symbol from the headlight switch. Goes off after 2 min whether the parking lamps are on or not. Couldnt find it in bentley, the hanynes had a good diagram w/ labels of all sensors that trip other idiot lights, but nothing for that particular one (of course). I'm guessing someone out there knows what this light is, please help!

Thanks,
John

After reading everyone's posts, I remembered that I swapped an inst cluster from an '89 a friend was scrapping to my '86 for it's working odometer so I could calculate gas mileage. I sincerely apologize for this omission, i was trying to post my query during a short break at my work.

I think that the car is trying to tell me to change the oil but the lights are shuffled around on the 89 cluster. Guess it's time for some tlc! thanks to everyone for their time in responding. Again, sorry for not including all relevant info in the origional post. I will try to be thorough in future posts.

Thanks,
John

Hi John,

This thread is a stunning example of brickboard collaboration. All that remains now is for you to reach up behind the cluster, feel for the black lever indicated here, and pull it to reset the service reminder counter. Amazing work guys.

Edit: I think that should be "push it up" to reset. Mine is broken.


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

It's obviously item #234 on the '86 wiring diagram and the greenbook for electrical confirms this.

So, the alpha/numeric listings for the '86 wiring diagram have no entry for 234.

However, all the subsequent model year diagrams identify it as "Indicator Lamp, Parking Lights." I think Bruce was on the right track.

In later model U.S. market cars, this indicator lamp is for the service reminder. Which goes off a couple of minutes after starting the car. So it's trying to tell you that it's time for an oil change. Just in a different language is all.
--
'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

Okay, you got me curious. A green indicator lamp? On the very far left?

I note you've had cluster problems with this beast, so I presume this is a cluster from some other 240 and I'm guessing it's either from a diesel or more likely a California car with Lambda-Sond (O2 sensor system). I don't have a definitive answer, but I discovered a few things in my quest.

I pulled up a bunch of owner manuals from Volvo North America, including diesels, and couldn't find this indicator shown or described anywhere.

I did find a factory manual with the 1985 240 international wiring diagrams on Jon-Erik's 240 Site (in Swedish). You can find the manual here (9.5 MB PDF). Page 103 shows the combined instrument cluster with the leftmost indicator just as you describe (the 240 headlamp switch park light starred double D symbol).

Indicator lamps (starting at the far left) go
1) The starred double D symbol - the mystery lamp
2) Lambda (symbol) Sond -system reminder lamp (California market among others)
3) Filament symbol -diesel glow plug on indicator
4) Butterfly valve symbol -choke on indicator
5) Battery symbol -charging system (alternator) failure (all other lamps light)
6...12) the other usual ones.

Unfortunately the mystery indicator isn't identified like all the others.

My initial guess was that it had something to do with diesel start-up and meant it's okay to let go of the ignition switch once the engine is fully started and the glow plugs are no longer needed, but the glow plug indicator goes out to tell you that. Staring at the wiring diagram long enough also said this wasn't it.

This lamp normally goes to pin 4 on connector 32 at the rear of the instrument cluster and this would appear to be a ground. But note the dashed lines connecting it to a Lambda-Sond switch (meaning certain configurations only). Being located next to the Lambda-Sond indicator would make that a sensible relationship. There are a number of contact closures in the Lambda-Sond system. Unfortunately the Lambda-Sond page doesn't show any of these contacts connecting to the instrument cluster.

So I'm guessing it's an initial confirmation telling you the Lambda-Sond system has kicked in. You say it's a green lamp so that has to mean something is "okay". You also say it appears to be on a 2 minute timer, so that may mean it's just an initial indicator and not meant to stay lit and bug you while you're driving. Why the park symbol? -I'm really not sure. Maybe in California you're supposed to stay parked until the O2 system is operating.

Hopefully somebody will chime in with a definitive answer. In the meantime, just remove the lamp from the back of the cluster if your car doesn't have Lambda-Sond.
--
Dave -940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

I have manuals here for '83 and '90.
Sorry to say, neither of those showed a light as you described.
I suspect the light is on non-USA cars or was added by a previous owner.

The Volvo USA web site has viewable manuals for just about every Volvo sold in the US but finding them is less than easy.

My best recommendation is to go to
http://www.volvocars.com/us/Pages/default.aspx
Now, under the tab "Sales and Services, choose Volvo Owners Info.
That's http://www.volvocars.com/us/tools/OwnersInfo/Pages/VolvoOwners.aspx

There are tabs to click on the left side.
Click "Your Volvo",
then "Search the Owners Library"
I think the rest is reasonably sensible - you find your year, model, etc.

OK, I looked up the manual for '86 GL.
The left-most warning light is the alternator warning light, located down below where the left turn signal is. Three blank spots are to the left of that.

So I figure your green light is from a non-USA car.
Hope that helps.
--
Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, expanded air dam, forward belly pan reaches oem belly pan, airbox heater upgraded, E-fan, 205/65-15 at 50 psi, IPD sways, no a/c-p/s belt, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, aero front face, quad horns, tach, small clock.