The wiring to the shifter switch has died beyond repair (actually, several repairs). The car is my winter beater, so I'm not concerned about looks, only making it work.

I've had a couple of thoughts:

1] use a spare momentary-type rear defog switch mounted in the console - but this would be confusing unless I relabel the switch.

2] use the existing cruise control trigger button. Hey, the cruise has been dead for years now, so why not? And this switch is reachable with my left hand on the wheel and my right on the shifter. Decent ergonomics.

I think I'm gonna choose option #2. Question: is the (milli) amp rating on this switch good enough for the (milli)amps required to trigger the o/d relay?

Don Foster should know :)

Evan

Metered a spare switch today. Don was right, I have several!

Guess what? The CC switch is Normally Closed. That won't work, as I obviously need a Normally Open switch!

Guess I ought to listen to Don and rewire it.

If the car is that much of a beater and you just want to "rig" it, you could even by-pass the shifter and relay switches and just wire the solenoid to receive 12 volts from wherever via toggle switch. The OD only needs 12 volts at the solenoid to work.

What you are suggesting will work fine. I ran my

OD for about three years with just a jumper from

the cigarette lighter directly to the OD solenoid.

(I had to plug it in to get the OD to engage) I

never measured the current, but used a 16 gauge wire

to verify that I was not going to melt the wire's

insulation and I used the cigarette lighter because

its 20 Amp rating had plenty of current to spare.

However, when I finally figured out that my problem

was a cold solder joint in the relay. I resoldered

the contacts, and the system has worked ever since.

However, I just want to point out beyond the current

capacity of the wire and switch, there are a few

things the you might not want to get rid of.

1) The OD relay with the momentary button will

only let you engage the OD in fourth gear.

With the jumper or direct switch as you

describe, you can get first+OD. That can

put a strain on your transmission. Or

worse you can have Reverse+OD, and that can

shred your transmission.

2) The OD relay will also disengage your OD

solenoid when you shift out of fourth.

This would be something you would have to

do manually each time you down shift.

3) Finally this modification might be a problem

if you have to loan your car to a friend.

(Of course even with a working OD it still

takes some getting use to for a non-Volvo

driver)

My suggestion is to replace the wires in the gear

shift. It is not that hard, and the device will

work as designed.

Don and Evan:

I would think that since you're just actuating the OD relay, the CC switch on the stalk would be able to handle it. It's not as though the entire current draw for the OD solenoid will be passing through it. That said, however, faced with a similiar situation on my '85 245 DL, I went with solution #1 and put a cheapo (1.99) Radio Shack momentary push button in one of the "blanks" in the center console area. After you've used it once or twice, it becomes second nature. And you're still using your right hand to turn on the OD as you clutch with your left foot. Using your left hand to actuate the OD as you would using the CC switch might cause some kind of a "right brain/left brain meltdown" - at least I think it would for me !

"Don Foster should know..."

But he doesn't, the fool.

But If I were that moron, I'd simply try it. What's the worst that could happen? Cook the switch? Then I'd email my friend Evan, who probably has a box of spares. And I'm so cheap I'd probably get a free replacement from that nice Evan, 'cause he's a generous guy.

Don would try the CC switch, and probably burn himself with the soldering iron. Me, I'd fix the wire so it stayed fixed.

Some moron with a hot iron near Cape Cod, MA