How do you change these over? I am changing over from Auto to M46 and I have the wiring for the O.D. M46 and relay. What do you need to do to change the Arrow light over to get the Green 5 light to work?

OK Charlie, you're the guinea pig in this 1st draft of how-to get an M46 OD relay to work in a (formerly) AW70 car. Although the Blue M46 relay looks a lot like the White AW70 relay, they have some differences that prevent them from just being swapped.

For example, compare the terminals in the photo below (generic relay) to your M46 and AW70 relays, and you'll see the terminal numbers don't all match to each other. So to simplify this relay swapping write-up, I'm just going to refer to terminal numbers as 1-2-3-4-5. In the generic photo below, the bottom terminal (30 in the photo, 15 on Blue relay) will be #1. Just above will be #2, with #3 above that. On the left, 86 will be #4, with 85 on the right being #5.

Relay Pin/Terminal Layout (ignore generic terminal numbering)


To hook up to the AW70 wiring you'll need some crimp splices (aka butt splices), wire strippers, and crimping pliers. I'm assuming you have the M46 relay socket with a bunch of wires dangling from it. To get started, and reduce the clutter, I would cut all those M46 wires about 6" or 8" from the socket. Then take those short ends one-at-a-time and butt-splice them where they need to go in the wiring from the AW70 Relay socket. Here goes...

M46 Terminal "1" Power from fuse 11 and one (of two) OD switch wires.
Splice one M46 relay Blue wire to the AW70 Blue wire from fuse 11.
Splice the other M46 Blue wire to one of the two AW70 Gray wires leading to OD switch.

M46 Terminal "2" Connecting to second gray wire from relay to OD switch.
Splice Black wire from Relay "2" to the "other" Gray AW70 wire

M46 Terminal "3" Power from Relay to OD Solenoid and OD On light.
Splice Yellow wire to White wire coming from AW70 relay "3".
[will need to adapt solenoid connecter at tranny end]
Splice Orange wire to Yellow wire coming from W70 relay "2" (yes 2).

M46 Terminal "4" Relay coil ground.
Splice Black wire to black wire from AW70 relay terminal "4" to ground.

M46 Terminal "5" Unique to M46., there's no AW70 wire to splice onto.
Factory runs a RED wire from relay terminal "5", to a connector, then to 4th gear switch at front-top-right of tranny. (Heard to access with tranny installed. One inch hex.)
See wire routing in Art's page 72 figure.

That's it for tonight...


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Bruce,
Hooked up wiring as per your Diagram and I have O.D. now.Thanks alot for you help,I don't think I would have that much luck doing it my self.
So Hat's Off To You!
Charlie

Thanks Charlie,

I've been sweating this out. I was certain it would work, but had a nagging suspicion that there was a simpler way.

I now think that 3 of those 5 relay socket connections could have been left "as is" and the other 2 swapped around, plus some minor splicing for indicator lights and running a wire to 4th gear switch.

I'll bet you got it working quicker than it took me to figure out the easier way. I just now got my head around it about an hour ago.

Thanks again for making my day.


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Ya it wasn't bad, in sted of splicing the wires I removed wires out of the connector then reinsert in correct places with exception of the 2 gear lever switch.
For the wire from the 5th gear switch I cut it out of the M46 wiring harness that I all ready hand hooked up to the trans. So the only wires I spliced was the 2 for the gear lever switch.

The only one I didn't hook up yet is the 5 gear light I will do that later because I know when it's in 5th gear so the light doesn't matter at the moment.

Now I need to look for a 3.73 or better yet a 3.54 (hard to find) rear end. I am only 2,000 RPM's lower then I was with the automatic. The 3.91 rear is just to low and my gold is to at least get 31 MPG highway.That's why I did this change over. Again thanks for all your help. Charlie

My '86 with M46 was 3.31:1
Probably scarce now, but that's the only one I'm sure of.

You did good.




--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

3.31's are easy to find but i'm afraid it may be too high. How's your gas mileage with that rear?

I don't remember now. It was years ago, but that's the stock ratio for M46 and 47, or so I read recently somewhere. I'll look for it again.
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

I got a feeling we are around the same age from when you said in your signature "Since 1966" I'm 65 and originally from Croton-on-Hudson,N.Y. I also had a 66 122,68 144 and a 70 164.

I'm just hoping a 3.31 is not to high because that would bring the best MPG.

Thanks Bruce it seems easy,I will give it a try after work tomarrow.

Thanks Bruce it seems easy,I will give it a try.

My Green book shows that both the Automatic and OD relays activate their respective cluster lights by sending 12V on a Yellow wire from the relay to pin 31/4 on the large, round mulltipin connector on the cluster. How can this be?

Both my M46/OD cars have the Yellow wire going into that round connector at 31/4. The wire is dualled on relay terminal 87 with the Yellow that goes to the OD solenoid.

I do recall on 240 clusters I've pulled in the PnP that there is a male spade connector all by itself on the left - as you look at the back of the removed cluster - and it seemed to me its circuit board trace went to the "OD OFF" light for automatics.

Absent some expertise here, you could pull the cluster and ground pin 4 on the 1/4-moon connector (Black wire) then put 12V to the other pin/terminal I mentioned and see which light activates. Make sure there's a bulb in the socket. IIRC, Black holder = bulb, Brown holder = blanking plug.













--
Bob: son's XC70, dtr's '94-940, my 81GL, 83-DL, 89-745(V8) and 98-S90. Also 77-MGB and some old motorcycles.

"Both my M46/OD cars have the Yellow wire going into that round connector at 31/4. The wire is dualled on relay terminal 87 with the Yellow that goes to the OD solenoid."

Right Bob, that's how the M46 relay works. When energized, terminal 87 sends +12v on Yellow to 31/4, leading to bulb 44 which has ground on the other side, and the bulb lights, meaning "Overdrive On".

The White AW70/71 relay plugs into the same harness socket, and when energized, terminal 87-87a puts +12 on Yellow-Red to 34, leading to bulb 39, which has hard-wired +12v on the other side. So with no ground, the Up Arrow light is off. This is the normal power-on state — OD automatically selected On.

When the AW70/71 relay is switched off, 87-87a now puts ground on the Yellow-Red wire and bulb 39, so it turns ON. I think this Up-Arrow light is to remind the driver that an up-shift is available. The 1984-5-6 owners manuals call it the "Overdrive Off" light.


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Hi, Bruce - I should have asked the OP for the year of car before referring to my 1983 Green Book. It shows both the M46 OD bulb and the automatic's OD-off bulb are constantly grounded and receive 12V from their respective relay, through a Yellow wire to 31/4. (M46 when the OD is on, AW70 when off).

This prompted my puzzlement that the exact same wiring setup could activate different bulbs. The owners manual shows the OD-off bulb is the farthest R. position, the OD bulb is just L. of the odo reset. How do the cluster know which tranny is down there? I assume the diagram is in error.

Sounds like Volvo changed the scheme in later years. My early-80's cars have the Blue M46/OD relay.
--
Bob: son's XC70, dtr's '94-940, my 81GL, 83-DL, 89-745(V8) and 98-S90. Also 77-MGB and some old motorcycles.

Hi Bob,
Is your 1983 Green Manual the kind with pictorial schematics on left hand pages, with corresponding component locations on the right? I ask because Art gave me one for the 87-88 240. Both he and I have found several errors in it, which led us to see it as less than gospel. My theory for the questionable accuracy in that level of documentation is based on my experiences (eons ago) in IBM product development and service training, where early life errors were common and compounded by frequent changes and upgrades. Add to that the fact that those Green Books are pretty much frozen in time, with maybe one early update, if that.

Even the factory fold-outs (as copied in Bentley) are not all that pure. Looking at the '83 OD circuit on page 390-17, grid M3 you'll see the "AW 71" relay 108 with a yellow wire going off page to cluster terminal 34. That's fine but:
• Item 34 is not shown in the Numerical list on page 390-13
• Nor is it shown graphically with the other cluster connections on 390-17 grid M5.
Now imagine the budding tech writer using that reference material for his Green Book project on the OD circuit.

The '84 diagrams are a bit better. Relay 108 on 390-23 is correct, but it's output destination (cluster terminal 34) is still missing lower down in grid G5. At least terminal 34 is now listed on page 390-19, along with it's partner 39, the OD bulb socket. And both 34 and 39 are shown on 390-20 at grid D2. But shown wrong. Bulb 39 is not tied to ground path G1. It should be shown tied to the +12 path feeding item 40 and more, the +12 that comes into the cluster at half-moon connector 32-A (page 21 Grid D2).

I think the '85 diagrams are finally right. The OD part at least. But what was new that year???

--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

I got my 1983 Green books in 1983 - the entire package of 20+ books in 4 or 5 green binders. Cost was about $125, direct from Volvo! The wiring diagram book is for 1982, and was accompanied by a slim supplement book containing the changes for 1983 - largely relating to the LH 2.0 injection system.

Yes, as you note, the book has the wiring schematic for a given system on the left page and drawings of components and their locations on the right.

I was referring to the individual diagrams for the manual and automatic wiring setup. The diagram for the instrument cluster shows the 12V supply for bulb 44 as an arrow pointing to the words "OD relay". The slot for a bulb beside the Bulb-Out warning is shown empty and sans any wiring connection, but in practice, that is where the automatic's "OD Off" bulb would be, and is shown as such in the owners manual!
--
Bob: son's XC70, dtr's '94-940, my 81GL, 83-DL, 89-745(V8) and 98-S90. Also 77-MGB and some old motorcycles.

I finished the change over and it went well. I was cleaning up and I spilled trans. fluid on the diagrams I had for the wiring of the O.D. I forgot to tell you that I have an 85 244ti because I have to call it an 84 when ordering parts or they will think I have a B230 when it's a B21 engine.
Anyway on the back of the round connector 31/4 is an orange wire not yellow,yellow is on 31/2. What does the Orange wire go to? I know the Blue wire from the relay goes to the fuse panel. So what can I do with the Yellow wire that is from the blue relay?
The trans and O.D. wiring came out of an 84 so I remove the O.D. wiring for the AW71. Any help with getting the O.D. to work would be great since I still have the 3.91 rear the RPM's are crazy High.
Charlie

"So what can I do with the Yellow wire that is from the blue relay?"

From my Tue Apr 24 09:56 EST above:
"...the '84 M46 relay (Blue?) will have to be replaced by a Red ('85-up) M46 relay (3523805) to work with your '85 wiring."

The Blue ('81-'84) relay and the Red ('85-up) relay look the same in the diagrams, but all the parts books are clear about the change from '84 Blue 1259750 to '85 Red 3523805. I can tell you what the wiring should be for the relay terminals. But I was hoping the car was pre-wired for either tranny, with the proper relay being plugged in when the tranny (AW70/M46) was installed. Are you sure there isn't an empty relay socket tucked away in that relay area? Please let me know.

You also say: "Anyway on the back of the round connector 31/4 is an orange wire not yellow,yellow is on 31/2. What does the Orange wire go to?"

Well, that's what I meant by "pre-wired". That Orange 31/4 wire is for the M46 OD On light, getting power from the (Red) M46 relay socket. [But it comes by way of an electronic "Shift Indicator Control Unit", which your '85 probably doesn't have, since it was built as an AW70 car.] But again, that wiring may be common to both M46 and AW70 cars, with a common junction at Shift Indicator CU socket. In which case, installing the correct M46 relay into an (up-to-now) unused relay socket is all you need. Look real hard for it.

BTW, the Yellow wire on 31/2 is from the Gauge temp sensor.

And just what "wiring" did you pull from each car?



--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Thanks Bruce, I will look for the unused pre-wired and socket.I didn't see it in there when I installed the 84 wireing and blue relay. I just thought I could use that set up from the 84 that the 5 speed came out of. I know the blue wire went to the fuse panel and the yellow went to the round connector on the back of the instrument cluster.
Charlie

"I just thought I could use that set up from the 84 that the 5 speed came out of."

I guess I was wrong about the "hidden" socket, based on those later "New Car Features" pics from Art. Especially pages 63 and 72. I think I'd start with the M46 Relay and socket with about 6" to 8" of the attached wires. Then carefully splice each '84 M46 wires to their corresponding '85 AW70 wire. Except you'll have to splice on a new wire to reach the 4th Gear switch in the M46.

What makes it tricky for me is the relay differences, even though they are both 5-pin and the same size. I'm working up something that I think I'd use if it was my project. Let me know if that would help you, and I'll post it here.


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

I went out to the car and switched back to the Aw70 wiring and plugging in the M46 Blue Relay and was able to hook up the re-verse wiring connector to the M46 wiring that goes to the trans.,it worked. So one thing done and I will wait for your work up.

..."was able to hook up the re-verse wiring connector to the M46 wiring that goes to the trans.,it worked."

You mean the backup light? That'll work with the Blue relay in your pocket.
Don't know what (if anything) might be damaged by plugging the M46 relay into AW70 wiring. Hope no damage done.
See you in the AM, if not later this PM.

--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Hi Bruce,
I'm a little confused,I just thought I could use the M46 wireing harness that I got from the 84 because all thought I had to do was run the Blue wire to the fuse panel and the Yellow to a spot on the back of the round connector but I guess it's more then that.

As for your offer of what you are working on that would be great.I'm not very good following wireing diagrams unless they are simple,it's just not my forte.

After going through the wireing diagrams that Art had I was holding my head,I wish I had your's and Art's talents. I really appreciate your help.
Thanks, Charlie

Hello my friends,

I haven't noodled much on the OP's specific challenge, but in the mean time here are some notes and manual pages that refer to 85 specifically. I dug them up for someone sometime or another-- just can't recall who or why.

http://cleanflametrap.com/odwiring.html
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Thanks Art,


I feel like I'm treading water with one leg tied behind me here. Just learned that the "assumed" the '81-'85 relay changeover didn't happen till '86, if the detail diagrams are correct. So much for my credibility.

But I still "assume" the car was wired for both M46 and AW71 relays, with the unused wiring and socket still tucked away there, making the tranny swap a true plug and play.


I'll try to get back with more detail before the edit window shuts, of contact you directly.
EDIT..............

Thanks again Art. Your greenbook pages confirm that the M46 OD relay did NOT change in '85. So my rants about the OP needing the red version were wrong, based on wrong info in parts sources (including the Volvo Quick Reference Parts Catalog).

That means 1 of 2 things, Dobber can use his '84 Blue M46 relay by either:

A - Plugging it into existing (but unused) wiring and relay socket (if it can be found like I suggested on a hunch).
or
B - Connect his wiring as needed to duplicate circuit shown primarily on your linked pages 114 and 115

What am I missing?

Picture showing odd pins on M46 Red OD relay (not needed now).




--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Hi Bruce,

I did read the part about expecting the dual wiring. I've had the dash apart in that area a number of times on 83's with automatics and an 83 with an M-46, and don't recall seeing a spare relay socket.

Looking at the drawing from the New Car Features, I was thinking maybe, just maybe, the terminals were plugged into the socket differently to make the difference manual to automatic. Now, I'm leaning toward the idea they have mutually exclusive harnesses for that function. That's a tough one to prove out, given the typically poor wiring harness drawings in the literature. More suited to an eyeball investigation. So far, it is only a guess on my part.

As to the correctness of those detailed drawings, I've always been in agreement with your theory that job got handed to the interns, or someone under intense pressure to get it done by Friday. I'll look around through some other books.

Edit: Found the pages in the 1985 New Car Features book. Comparing them, it seems very likely the harnesses are part of the transmission selection, just like the sheet metal supporting the clutch cable, and other parts made specific to one or the other mode of shifting gears. I've added the pages to http://cleanflametrap.com/odwiring.html.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Remember what Cardinal Cooke once said:
"A man would do nothing if he waited until such time as no one would find fault with what he has done". - originally John Henry Cardinal Newman

I just started tonight to pull the auto so I don't think I will get to that until late in the afternoon. That will be the last thing of the change over.

I want to take my time putting the M46 in so I do it rite the 1st. time. I will let you know how it goes.

"I am changing over from Auto to M46 and I have the wiring for the O.D. M46 and relay. What do you need to do to change the Arrow light over to get the Green 5 light to work?

You don't want to change the Arrow (OD Off) light to Green. You just won't use that Arrow light position anymore. But the '84 M46 relay (Blue?) will have to be replaced by a Red ('85-up) M46 relay (3523805) to work with your '85 wiring.

Then, with the Red M46 relay swapped in for the existing AW70/71 White relay, I think the existing '85 wiring should operate the existing Green light light on your panel (just to the left of the trip reset button). But you may need a bulb there.

--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

I'll be watching this too. I'm doing the same conversion.
--
'86 sedan with 477,000 miles on the original engine and automatic transmission

Wells as usual I had a hard time getting the trans. in because when I lined it up to go in I hit the clutch fork on the trans. jack and it pulled it out of the pivot point so I had to remove the trans.

That really sucked, so once I fixed it I reinstalled it and while I was bolting the trans. I dropped a bolt in that hole on top of the bell housing(I just layed there #%^&$*& ready to beat the hell out of something. Luckily it was sitting on top of the flywheel so I remembered that I had a strong magnet and was able to get it out.

Now 9hrs.of work and I am to tired so I quit for the day.I will start again in the A.M and hope to finish by 12P.M. I can't say I will tackle the O.D. light because it all depends how things go but I got some good info from all of the above and will tackle that soon. Thanks guy's for the replies and when I figure it out I will let you know.