There hasn't been a car made in the last fifteen years that uses an intake air preheat system. It was designed for carburetors back in the seventies, and Volvo was stupid enough to use it on air mass meter systems. I don't know what they were thinking. Rip it off and forget about it.

I love living in a warm climate i just rip all that crap out including the heat shield which makes it easy to change the oil filter from the top. RH drive car.

So everyone has covered the uselessness of the hose.

Now, your cabin does not heat up fast enough with Volvo 240 heater? YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. There are a list of things that can cause this but I would start with a failed open thermostat, flush the heater core and check for vac leak causing the recirc door to not not function.

If none of that works, I suggest you dig deeper. My 1990 240 was slower to warm my sedan than my 1978 was to warm my wagon but both stopped barely short of causing pain at full tilt. The 1990, once warm, could melt an 1/8" of ice fog off the windshield in 10 minutes...the rest of the car in 10 more.

I think you might like a block heater. I use Kats brand. Using a timer, 10 or 15 cents worth of electricity will get you almost instant hot air in the cab as well as much reduced emissions for that first minute or 2.

does no good and can do real amm harm

No it does not get the car warmed up faster, just the intake air to the combustion chamber.

To my way of thinking, that hose being absent risks Volvo's ability to meet air quality specs during the first minute of warm-up after starting. In some states it may also risk your visual emissions inspection, but not the measurement.

The hose being present risks the AMM when (not if) the air box thermostat fails.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
- Dave Barry