bricksters,

my '87 244 has a rear defrost that won't stay on, if you hold the button down, the rear windshield defrosts but as soon as you release the button, the light goes off and so does the defrost, is this a relay problem (and if so, where is it) or am i looking at another something else?

I'd be careful about replacing the timed defrost with a switched one that stays on all the time. We had an '80 240 with the defroster on as long as the switch was on (no timer). The defrost overheated one day and shattered the rear window. You could see where the cracks started at the edges of the heater grid.

Really, shattered the window? Maybe Volvo is pumping more current through there than most cars. I think I'll take the risk. Thanks for the mod. tip all, looks like another thing to add to my next junkyard run.

Peter P.
Portland, OR

Yes, it really happened. The glass shattered into a zillion pieces but remained in the tailgate frame. You could see that the pattern of cracks originated at points where the power fed into the grid. Of course the grid may have been faulty and had a hotspot there. I seem to recall a discussion of this cracking awhile back. Anyway, I like the timed defrost, you can always hit the switch again for another 15 minutes. I live in Eugene, OR and your weather should be somewhat similar to ours. (Except when a cold air mass swooshes down the gorge.)

>>Anyway, I like the timed defrost, you can always hit the switch again for another 15 minutes. I live in Eugene, OR and your weather should be somewhat similar to ours. (Except when a cold air mass swooshes down the gorge.)

Yes, exactly. I live in NE Portland at the mouth of the Gorge. We had to go to a funeral two weeks ago Tuesday when the snow turned to freezing rain. I had to keep the defrost on to keep the ice soft enough for the wiper to push it out of the way. The front was worse!

Peter P.
Portland, OR

Those of us down south got out from under that ice days before you did. Sorry you had to suffer through it. We saw the stranded air travelers on the news. I think that I like Portland better than any other large city I've been in (San Fransico is close) but your weather can be much harder than here in Eugene.

Resolder the relay.

$0, 15 minutes, no risk, clean 'n easy work. If it helps nothing, you're out nothing.

Do your OD and fuel pump relays, too.
--
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Try this modification,get an earlier switch from a 240, late 70s early 80s.This switch clicks to on and stays there till you click it off.Locate the defrost relay and replace it with a 5 terminal bosch relay.This is a very common relay rated at 30 amps.It plugs right in.Now you have manual control of the rear window defrost.The light in the switch will tell you when it is on and it will go off with the ignition switch.This is how it worked on the earlier cars till someone decided that the average person couldn't remember to turn it off when it;s no longer needed.

It very well could be the relay like suggested by yourself and the other posts... but it kind of sounds like a switch issue. If you hold the switch down then the defrost works right? And then when you release the switch its doesnt work. I would at least look at the contacts on the switch and maybe swap one in from a junk yard...while your there grab a relay and then you would at least have both leads ready to solve in one sitting.

Just a thought
Ryan
--
VOLVO LOVER WITH AN 80 AND AN 82

What's the easiest way to *eliminate* the "timer" feature of this relay and switch. I considered getting an extra hazard switch and a generic relay. It is driving me nuts when the rear fogs again after the relay shuts off.

Peter P.
Portland, OR

The time delay relay is, as said, tucked up under the driver's side of the dash.

Picture of it in the Wiring Diagram manual, looks like it's about the sixe of the overdrive relay.

Identify it by the colors of the wires into it. Look for Blue, Yellow (2 wires one terminal) black, and Yellow-red.

If the relay is easy to get out, do the re-soldering. If it's a PITA, put in another one - used or new. Then re-solder the one you get out. None of my 240s have had this one to fail.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

My wiring diagram shows a relay "below left side of dash". This relay has the time delay circuit in it. You might try resoldering it first. If that doesn't work, replace it.