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Should be brake and plate light are the left harness. Wiper and lock are the right harness. Both are still available as Genuine Volvo (will last much longer) and ProParts Sweden (quite adequate for everyday use and the ones I've used the last few times I did this job).
Tips:
o Definitely a two person job the first time you do this to keep the tailgate under control and avoid damage. Last three times I did it by myself being extra careful.
o To get the panel off, you need to remove the plastic handle to remove the plastic surround. The handle often won't come off without damage, so slit the surround (I recall top center made the smallest slit) using a razor or serrated knife to be able to twist it over the handle without breaking it. Careful not to work in the cold as they can be brittle (especially the beige ones). Warm with a hairdryer if needed. Use a bit of butyl caulk/putty behind the split when you put it back.
o Work your way around popping the pins straight out of the metal trying to grip close in on both sides of the pins with two blades so as not to tear the pressboard. There are trim tools meant for the job.
o Support the open tailgate with a step ladder and boxes so it won't twist and damage the other hinge.
o Always keep a folded blanket or towel wedged between the open gate and the roof to protect the paint.
o Stretch the corner of the roofliner out and off the surrounding metal roof lip either with (clean) fingers or carefully inserting a blunt hook (to grab above the plastic hem strip). Again, best done when warm, use a hair drier if needed. You need only 6"-8" of corner free to get at the fasteners and connector.
o Two bolts up underneath needing a socket (on a short extension) plus you may need an extra large Phillips as I recall.
o Once the hinge is off check the pin for wear and slop. A sloppy hinge speeds the demise of the flex wire and affects a proper tailgate seal. If it's really bad they should ideally be replaced, but they're difficult to source and not cheap. Two styles, early chrome and later black anodized, different left/right, same fitment for all 140/240 years. I see IPD still has the left one available in chrome for over $200, saying the right chrome one is available by order for Volvo (I don't believe it as they're shown as NLA in the Volvo parts chain). The black ones are seemingly still available in the Volvo parts chain and from Genuine Volvo suppliers, similarly expensive, well over $200. Use a bit of moly or lithium hinge grease.
o When you replace the wire harness, not too tight, not too loose, so it won't pull or buckle when bent closed.
o Just a little bit of putty around the roof hole under the plastic will keep water out.
o Consider opening up the other hinge and sliding the good cable back an inch or so to move the old flex point away. I've even added a little wire in the gate to be able to do this a second time. Better to simply replace both harnesses now that you've got it open. The second one usually goes within two years if you just leave it.
o Check final adjustment of the hinge by closing the tailgate over newspaper strips and pulling them out to check the seal.
o Pat yourself on the back for having now mastered this well known 240 issue.
BTW The 700/900 wagons do not have this problem. It was a well known problem even in the 145s (same hinge) and Volvo should be ashamed of never having changed the 245 tailgate wire feed design in almost 20 years of production. Every hatchback in the world had this figured out by then. It would seemingly have been so simple. Some people have run a separate cable in a horizontal rubber sleeve, but it's a pain to feed the wires. Everyday auto run wire is not good for this job and the lower (thicker) the guage, the worse it is. Copper hardens under bending and under heat when being soldered. The strands get brittle and break. If you ever try to mend a flex cable, get fine stranded meter/instrument test lead wire, available in bulk lengths and a couple of gauges if you shop around.
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Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now
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