Hi Guys,

About a week ago I was given a non-turbo, 240 DL Wagon, free of charge, except for the taxes, etc. I have a few basic questions. The car is right now temporarily parked at a relatives house so I haven't gotten to looking it over real close. It is a 1980's vehicle. I am still waiting for that info from the donor, along with the keys, owners manual. I wad told that they did not keep any documentation on the vehicle, but that it was maintained when needed. I saw the outside. The body has no rust or dings. It is a dark blue or black? The interior is tan leather with no tears or worn spots. It does have a lot of mileage, but then again from what I have read at this site for mileage, some of you might consider it to be low mileage. Anyway, it has 140,000 on it.

What I would like to know is this: Do the 40 DL Wagons have any idiosyncrasies or inherent problems that I need to know up front? (for example, my Mom has a 91, 740, sedan, non-turbo, and the Achilles heel on that car is the front brakes. Man, that car goes thru brake pads quick. But it rarely has other problems).

Any mechanical similarities between the 240 DL Wagons and the 740, B230 non-turbo sedans?

The Donor has told me that the 240 wagon fishtails and is not good in the snow. It does need a set of tires, but other than tires causing the fishtailing, do Volvo wagons or Volvos period suffer from fishtailing?

Any recommendations as to what you would check or test before operating or restoring?

Thanks,

Rob

These cars are very predictable as far as wear and tear goes.

I just got an 88 240 wagon and all of the typical issues were present in my car. Our 240's were made for like 20 years so there is a lot of data out there. One very easy way to check out your car is to get a catalog from IPD [IPDUSA.com] and use it for a reference. If they carry a part for your car,it is a good indication that it commonly breaks or wears out. If not they wouldn't offer the part. A good thing to do is start with the 60,000mi tune up kit they offer. It is an extremely good deal and without a well tuned engine it's difficult to troubleshoot any other problems that the car may have.

FYI

Check this site and look at the two "tips" links

I inherited an '85 245 DL three years ago. It now has 141K; the B230F will run forever if properly maintained; this beater runs like a top. These are the repairs I've had, which I suspect will arise in any 15 year old vehicle:

-- steering rack;

-- shocks all around (Boge Automatic) and IPD overload springs in rear;

-- timing belt and other belts in front;

-- Brake pads all around (PBR from IPDUSA.com); check out condition of rotors as well

Look for rust in rocker panels; mine has them -- as it spent winters outisde in PA for 13 years.

Things still needing to be done:

-- Fan blower motor whines

-- rear tailgate wiring harnesses

-- I have a slow oil leak-- more of an ooze actually-- in the pan gasket; check to see if the rear main has been done; do it when you get the clutch done.

-- rear bushings

-- rust needs to be done

-- R2130 Radio really sucks; I get maybe two stations out of 1 channel.

Just a checklist for other things yu might need to look for.

Good luck

James Russell

'85 245 w/141K

'93 945T w/58K

'96 854 w/38K

A good deal at twice the price!

I received a "free" '82 245DL this weekend (not counting the $150 towing), but found out the engine threw a rod. 125,000 miles. It's the fourth 245 in my yard at the moment (three registered). Good thing I have an engine to drop in.

If yours has 140k, it's a mere baby.

Weak points include the tailgate hinges and wiring harnesses, blower motor, fuse panel, and access to the fuel distributor and oil separator (if yours has the K-jet injection).

The engine wiring harness is well known for crumbling, particularly behind the alternator at the oil sender, and also where it loops under the front crank pulley. (In fact, this can be the source for a car-consuming fire.)

At 140k miles, consider new engine seals, clutch, and timing belt.

The car might be ready for a water pump (replace while doing the t-belt) and radiator.

Examine the motor mounts. When the right mount breaks, the motor will sit on the oil filter.

Give the (PCV) flame trap, and stuff, a thorough cleaning. If your car has the B230 engine, check the big plug in the back of the head.

Resolder ALL your relays.

Typical rust spots include the spare tire wells, and also the floorpan. Look directly underneath the driver's seat. Examine the lower edges of the doors, tailgate, around the windows and windshield, and along the rocker panels.

The older 240s (pre '86) sometimes suffered from rusted front spring cups.

Relocate your wiper relays to under the dash (but away from the wiper linkage).

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

240 wagon problems: wiring harness (pre-'87?), tailgate wiring harness, leaking rear side window seals, blower motor repair (inevitable...), rust (typically pre-'88?).

Regarding the snow problems -- I drove a VW bug as a teenager and VW front-wheel drivers (Rabbits, Dasher) during early adult years. I greatly prefer the 240 RWD in the snow. Get *good* snow tires on all four wheels, and go practice on a snowy high school parking lot some Sunday morning -- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. In 6 years with two 240s, I've yet to get stuck. BTW, I think this FWD/RWD in the snow question is missing the point -- I've found that the problems in snow aren't related to getting going, they're related to getting stopped. FWD is absolutely no advantage in that regard. Front-mounted snowtires is the best thing you can do.

Enjoy your gift -- 140,000 is mighty young yet.

Rob

"240 wagon problems: wiring harness (pre-'87?), tailgate wiring harness, leaking rear side window seals, blower motor repair (inevitable...), rust (typically pre-'88?)."

'87 was the last year subject to a poor wiring harness, AFAIK (I thought I was safe with my '87, but I've had to replace it)

The cars more likely to have rust should be pre-'86 since '86 was the first year of galvinized body panels, but I'm not sure if Volvo got it right on the first try.

Michael:

Environment has much to do with it; buncha rust holes in the floors of my '87 245 DL which "grew up" in New Jersey, my '85 245 DL which has spent its entire life in Texas and Florida is essentially rust free, floors are still solid in my '79 242 GT which originally came from Idaho...

I'll disagree about the handling in snow. I use all season tires, good Michelins to be sure, but I have never felt the need for snow tires and I live in Maine. I do not carry any extra weight. I always wonder what will happen to that heavy stuff if I do manage to go dirty side up. MittenHed's rule of thumb: If the back tires break loose in third gear or higher, it is REALLY slippery.

Get the car, pay the taxes, put tires all around and maybe throw a 100lbs of barbell plates in the rear when it snows.

As far as idiosyncrasies go; toggle down and look at all titles with 200 next to it. There are some dumb stuff like wiring out the tailgate but the info is right here. The 200's have been around a long time. A very sound car. Drive it.

Tony H

200DL 186K

Tony H wrote:

> [snip!]...and maybe throw a

> 100lbs of barbell plates in the rear when it snows.

Ack! No! If you crash, the barbell plates become missiles. They could kill someone inside or outside of the car, after passing through the back seat or windows. It wouldn't surpise me if they could go through sheet metal.

Use bags of sand for weight. They will (hopefully) split open in a crash, dispersing the kinetic energy into many teeny-tiny objects instead of a few big ones.

That said, tires and driving skill make all the difference. With good tires, the 240 series goes just fine in the snow. It will fishtail, as will any rear wheel drive car - that's where the skill comes in. The 240 is well balanced and corrects easily. And don't freak out when going up a hill sideways - it's not a big deal.

That last comment is sure to start the FWD vs. RWD religious battles. I'll just say that I prefer the option of steering with my right foot when necessary.

Point taken. On the long island expressway, traffic comes to a halt when it snows so I guess the fear of it "Flying" at me never came to mind. It would more likely shift a bit. Driving to work in first gear at an idle is the overpopulated pace for Long Island driving in rush hour. Excellent point for the states that see snow and speed together.

140,000 miles isn't that much. If the body is in good shape and it was cared for, you might have just gotten a really good car.

If your car is an 85 or up, it is virtually the same as the 740 non-turbo engine. With the obvious exception of the accessory placement and a couple other things, including fuel injection systems (again, depending on the year).

I can't even keep the rear wheels conencted to the ground in the RAIN, much less the snow. The 240 can be really greasy, or it can be really good. Tires and driving habits are the two important factors! 150# of livestock salt in the rear floor storage area has helped me out a lot. Also keep the gas tank full for that extra weight. Other than that, despite the back end of the car breaking loose easily in slippery conditions, it is hardly dangerous. The car is very well balanced and if you catch the back breaking out, it is easily corrected.

Just check the obvious things, fluids, etc. You could go hog wild, but see what it's like first. Make especially sure that you check for cooling system leakage, especially the radiator. And clean the flame trap. Check out the 700/900 FAQ for more information. It is close enough to most 240 info to serve you well.