posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Mon Oct 31 21:53 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Hi Everyone!
Just replaced my first (and maybe last) blower motor with the help of a friend. The heat comes on just fine, but the AC does not. The AC was serviced and working fine about 2 years ago, when my son drove it out to Phoenix, AZ. Not long after that, the blower motor stopped working, so he didn't use the AC very long (maybe a few months, yet the motor was intermittently cutting out for a while).
The AC light doesn't come on either.
Any thoughts?
Thanks much for any insight you may have,
Susan
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Hi,
Sometimes the wires pop off before you can get the console up close and back in place.
Since there is no light, I would take it as a hint that the plug was not connected onto the switch.
The light could have fallen out too but it needs to power through a plug as I remember.
After that is connected there could be a loss of gas or a time delay relay malfunction.
The relay is behind the console as well. I think it is on the lower right side.
Al in all you might have missed a black ground wire and getting it back under a screw with several others.
It happens!
Phil
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Mon Oct 31 23:36 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Thanks, Phil!
I will check the connections tomorrow, and I do remember a little box that was connected to the base of a bracket on the right.
There is a plug that sits next to or above the bulb for the AC.
I used Art Benstein's instructions and did see a picture with ground wires, yet I didn't see those on my '92.
I'm going to see if the compressor kicks on, too. Didn't even think to look for that today!
Again, many thanks!
Susan
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hi susan- my kudos and respect for undertaking this hellacious job. it is regarded by popular acclaim as the worst repair job on a 240. rated truly a full 5 F job. yes thats what the F stands for. how did you find the job(equal to its reputation?). wonder what college the design engineer of this clusterf!@#k went to. which brand replacement motor did you use. thanks tons oldduke
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Tue Nov 1 13:07 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Hi oldduke!
It was quite a job for sure. I bought a VOD (Siemens) motor from IPDUSA. I also replaced the resistor (glad I did, as the old one had minor cracks). I don't remember what the old one sounded like, but this one is pretty loud when on high.
I followed the cleanflametrap.com guidelines, but the order of the images seemed to be repetitive at times. It could have been my brain, though. Had my friend/second cousin not have helped, I'm not sure I could have done it solely on my own. I'm an older Volvo enthusiast, though, so it was something I had to try, especially since the best price for an experienced repair person in Phoenix was about $1100.
It took about 17.5 hours to do this. Extra time was spent figuring out how to get the doggone clip off of the fan blades (it helped, after lots of time not getting them on, to hold the end of the clip with pliers and sliding it on that way). Also, the new motor's holes were too small for the original screws, so a trip had to be made back to Bob's house to drill them out larger. Unpinning the wires from the wire holder took a while, too.
I thought I adequately labeled all screws and took adequate pictures during disassembly, yet I didn't. I had a few leftover screws. All wiring was taped and labeled, which helped a lot. Putting back together the vents was again tedious, as I wasn't sometimes sure where wires should hang in relation to parts (again, more pictures would have been great). It also would have been beneficial to write down what I did each step of the way, even with following Art Benstein's instructions (again, I had issues following them).
All in all, I'd do it again but with better preparation (labeling of screws/pictures). I learned a lot about the inner workings of the car, too. I really don't believe that 17.5 hours is bad for the two of us as complete novices in this repair. At the shop I go to in PA, I am told that Jim can do this in 4 hours. I was told that it might take me 8 hours. But I'm still good with the time. Had I done it alone at the same level of experience, I'd give myself 4 solid days. Maybe now I could do it in 2 days on my own.
Hoping that the freon is just low since the compressor isn't kicking on.
Wishing you the best if you ever do this repair! I'd have to say that I'd think a heater core would be even more challenging!
Take care,
Susan
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If you're referring to Swedish Motors on Marietta, PA, then I have no doubt Jim could do a heater fan in 4 hours. Possibly the best 240 mechanic on the planet...
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Tue Nov 1 22:21 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Well yes, I am, Adirondack! I'll pass that on to Jim. He's my regular mechanic in PA, and I'm so very grateful to have him! :)
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hi susan and other sages- found this thread one of the most interesting since ive been reading the brick board for 6 years to stay ahead of the shysters when my knowledge, skills and tools are thin with my 92 245. this 240 blower r and r is close to the most ridiculous/outrageous repair i have heard of since wrenching cars since 65. have thought how can this happen on a car renowned for durability and engineering . my hypothesis keeps coming down to grossly incompetent or negligent engineering. if i was told this story before i started fooling with 240s i wouldnt have believed it. word is the 740s dont have this problem and the blower is easily and quickly replaceable. certainly my experience replacing this item on rwd fords, dodges and chevrolets (blowers, heater cores)while not simple is not a nightmare like the 240 . too bad the 740 system cant be retrofitted. any alternative hypotheses on my rant, sages? thanks tons oldduke btw have notebooked the mechanic at swedish motors in pa.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Wed Nov 2 09:35 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Hi oldduke!
How I wish I had some understanding as well. Maybe this would be a good new thread to start, as I'm not sure how many people are reading my post. Is your blower motor not working? Are you located on the East Coast?
I was amazed that very few tools were used for this repair, and Art Benstein's PDFs were extremely helpful in gaining knowledge. The biggest necessity for this repair just seems to be the determination to tackle it with a lot of positivity. :)
Wishing you a nice day,
Susan
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hi susan- arty b has that excellent instruction detailing steps on how to dothis job. i live on the se coast of florida and have spent a lot of time in the lancaster area of pa. being from nj. would tackle the job although it is working fine now, rather than pay a shyster 1100 or 1300 todo it. might go for the 775 jobbut even that sounds a little stiff. mechanics here are high priced. dealers have to make a home run on every job. regards oldduke
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Wed Nov 2 13:36 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Hi! Yes, he does! I just called Volvo of Phoenix to get a breakdown of that $1283.80 price, and it $501.36 for the blower motor (e-gads!), $735.50 for labor (5 hours), and $46.94 for tax. If you ever need to do it and you'd like some help in your attempt, please let me know and I could take a trip to FL to help you out. For some reason, I have this thing about loving to work on old Volvos! :)
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hi susan- thanks for your offer to help with the motor job if mine goes to hell. it is a long haul from lancaster or phoenix. your itemized price is strange indeed. checked with rock auto on the motor and the resistor which one would replace if doing the motor job. hope you replaced yours since it is in the same difficult location as the motor. rock sells the four seasons motor for $49.i think that is a good name. there are two other motors listed from VDO which is a good name, but they are presently out of stock. rocks resistor is $77 and is available.$500 for the motor you found is typical dealer shysterism, a topic often complained about on this forum. did you or your helper shred your hands and arms going inside that dashboard. cant believe there isnt a sage here who has figured out a major shortcut or alternative plan to do this absurd job. thanks tons oldduke
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I have replaced two blower motors #1 was in a 1990 245 (Thanks Art for the photos and write up).
#2 was a 1992 245. One difference I clearly remember is the factory installed radio removal. The main fastener is behind the radio, and it's a bear to get to.
Here is a link I posted earlier with some part numbers. I had extra blower motor clips on hand, and had to use them on the 92. if one of those gets away from you, it does so at near the speed of light!!
The Link:
Blower Motor Information
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Hi Susan,
I find it flattering that my pictorials have been a help, and your description of the task as detailed as any I've ever read. Some things I'm learning: (1) someone actually wants $1100 to do that, (2) the fan clip continues to be a puzzle if not a lost item, (3) a replacement fan would need the holes enlarged, and (4) the lack of clarity to guide the placement of the wire bundles in relation to the various brackets, ducts, and obstacles they must clear.
So, I wonder, of the three pictorials, I assume you used the two-part write-up I did when doing my grandson's '90, and not the main page where I did my '84, or the heater core pictorial done with heater box removal on my daughter's '91. There's that word assume again.
Thing is, the AC is a big change 90 to 91, and one of those changes is concerned with your snowflake switch and the blue light. Things definitely look different under that console cover beginning '91, and I have no clue how much they changed in '92, when they started putting that plastic heater control valve in.
Try this on your AC. First be sure the windows go up and down. That's just to make sure your fuse 12 didn't blow along the way, as the blue light in the AC switch gets its power from there, as well as the AC itself. I'm just trying to save you from diving back into the console panel if a fuse could maybe fix it.
Assuming the fuse is not the problem, my next step would be to loosen the panel -- you know, the side screws and the two buried in the carpet nap -- and tug it back just enough so you can get a look at the switch back. The black wire to ground the blue lamp actually connects to the lamp holder, which must be inserted in the correct way, all the way, into the switch for its contact to deliver the lamp power. Most times the bulb falls apart from handling, so that might be all.
I'd put a test light to the green/red wire to be certain, with the key on KP-II, it gets power when the switch is on. If so, and the blue light still doesn't light, I'd fix the bulb or its ground before moving on to see why the AC doesn't get cold.
Assuming you've gotten the blue light to work now, and the AC still does not, the next place I'd take the test lamp is out under the hood at the low pressure switch on the accumulator just in front of the firewall. It should have two green wires there which should both have battery voltage on them after 10 seconds of having the key in KP-II and the snowflake switch lit up blue, even with the motor not running.
If only one does, suspect it needs a recharge. If none do, then look for a problem like the AC relay didn't get seated in its socket well, down by the right front leg of the console.
Please let me know which write-up you followed to do this heater fan job. Thanks,
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Susan
on
Tue Nov 1 16:25 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Hi Art! I appreciate your kind comments and feedback. You have assisted me in the past several times with 240 issues. I always wished I could just drive down from York to Baltimore to have you help me!
I used your 1990 files (the one on removing the dash and the one on blower motor replacement). I didn't find the switches at the console confusing whatsoever. Not sure if I followed your info there or not. The wires were just labeled as they were removed.
Volvo wanted $1300+ to do the repair! Swedish Motors in Marietta, PA, gave me the $775 estimate, but the car was in Phoenix with my son, and I just happened to be house-sitting for him there, so why not do the blower motor while I'm here? E-gads!
I will check out the AC issues that you've mentioned. I did check the fuse, and that's good. The compressor's not kicking in. I recently fixed the AC on my 1993 940 wagon and somewhat recall jumping the switch. I have an extra Pressostat out here that I could try, too.
As for your files, I found them extremely helpful and very well detailed. I did seem to jump around a lot with the pictures and next time (if ever) would have them printed and spiral bound at a copier store, which would be much easier to refer to than a PDF on a tablet.
In another post, I mentioned a slight thump when turning the steering wheel to the right, which I hear only when the car is off. I wonder if I didn't hook something up incorrectly and something's hitting a piece of plastic somewhere. I felt down the steering column, though, and all of the space seems clear.
As well, I mentioned how when I was straightening out the wheel to remove the instrument cluster, I turned the wheel about a quarter turn too far to the left, and the wheel locked up. I couldn't get my key to turn at all. After a lot of jiggling over about 15 minutes, the key finally turned. That happened twice, and I'm not sure why.
I also have a blob of yellow mushy stuff on the first freeze-out plug near the front of the engine. Hoping this isn't a head gasket issue. I've never seen a build-up like this before.
Again, I thank-you so very much for posting your informative files. I'm sure you put a lot of time and effort into providing this tool for all of us to use. You're a gem!
Wishing you a nice day,
Susan
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