I am a new member looking for help with a odometer/cruise control problem that I caused on our 90 240. While reinstalling the instrument cluster, I mistakenly attached a stray red/white wire to the U shaped connector shared by a yellow wire. The car would not start. I realize now that the r/w wire must have been the tach signal (no tach in this car) and attaching it must have grounded the ignition. After removing that wire the car started, but the odometer and cruise no longer work. Searching the archives, I have learned that the yellow wire is the signal to the cruise, and the cruise and odometer share an IC that I probably smoked by attaching that wire.

I am now looking for either the IC or a used speedometer. Can any listers help or recommend a salvage yard?

thank you,
Dan Nelson
Conrad, MT

I appreciate the replies, this is a great list! I think a used unit will be the way to go. Though I miss the cruise, I think I miss the odometer more--not being able to see the miles pile up. 168K when I broke it.

Thanks all,
Dan Nelson

Don't feel bad about your mishap. I've spoken to the head mechanic at my local Volvo dealership and he told me that occasionally they place orders for spedometer parts and tachometers because of this very problems. A mechanic is in a hurry to re-install the instrument cluster (on cars with a tach and cruise control) and he switches the wires accidentally. -Fizzt! At the very minimum he will have to replace the Tach (which can not survive the cruise control hookup) and if he's lucky the spedometer will be ok. (but many times it will have to be replaced too) I'd check out the scrap yards, but I don't know how much time you can spare. The car will be back on the road sooner, but it will take more of your time to do the pulling and repairing.

Sorry to hear that yours didn't make it. Good luck with finding a new one and God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 245, NA 214K

COuple options-
send it out for a rebuild to a shop like Overseas Speedometer (www.speedometer.com) who is a VCOA supporter by the way....
or check the local junkyards for hopefully a good deal on a cluster with a non-functional speedometer. The usual failure is a broken plastic gear that drives the odometer. So you've got a good gear- you install that into another cluster and everything is good and you don't spend much money.
Either way, you've got to take out the cluster and disassemble to remove the speedometer, and you'll probably be pretty good at it by the time it's all over.

One thing to note- you do need to match up the speedo type number on the bottom of the dial- it's either K9800 or K10042. This is for wagon or sedan, respectively. Make sure your new one matches. And hey, while you're in there.. it's a great time to install a tach! I did!
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: "Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!"

Dan,

You surely smoked the circuitry in the speedo that drives the odometer and the cruise control. I did the same thing.

There are a few places to get your speedo rebuilt. It's not too tough to remove from the cluster, as you know. I got mine done at Volpar. You can get some info from them at volpar@volpar.com. There are other places listed in this group, too, but I can't remember what they are. It costs about $200 to rebuild the speedo.

You can run the car without the speedo installed, but the alternator won't charge. You can't trust any of the other instrument readings, either. I'd recommend parking it while the speedo's out, if you can live without it for a few days.

Jess