Hello,

hope this isn't too confusing.

i've changed out my old 86 instrument cluster in my 86 245 with a dec/90 matte black cluster.

after switching, my a/c delay relay will not click in & so my a/c won't turn on. it will with the old cluster installed.

i compared the wiring from bentley & i took my cluster circuit boards out and compared them.

in the bentley manual wiring diagram for the 86 240, page 390-35, box N-4, item 31 (instrument connection), slot 31/6 & 31/11 are Red (R) wires. and on the cluster circuit board, they are connected.

not so on the 1990 circuit board: see p. 390-35 box N-4. slot 31/11 has the red wire, but 31/6 is BL-SB (blue & black).

the 90 cluster had an srs, abs and service indicator lights on the front bottom of the cluster.

my 86 of course has no air bag, abs, service lights.

Question:
i was thinking of going ahead and connecting 31/6 & 31/11 together, but before i do this, to what does 31/6 connect to?

i don't have the volvo wiring books. i intend to get one.

thanks as always,
byron golden
86 245
92 245

Hi Byron,

That sneaky connection between the alternator D+ wire and the AC relay has caught us before. I have a WDM for a 92 handy; I suspect it may be similar to the 90, because the AC delay relay that used to be told when to begin timing (motor running = 12V) by the alternator, now gets its info from the LH2.4 Jetronic box. So I am guessing 89 is when this sneaky connection went away, and the 31-6 pin got used for, well, cruise and VSS.

So, yes, I think you should just splice your two red wires together so they both connect to 31-11, so you will retain the alternator-to-air conditioning linkup. You might be kind to the next owner by including a note or tag about the updated cluster, but we all know we will drive these things to the boneyard, right?
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Hello Art,

thanks for the write up.

yes, pretty sneaky of them. i traced the wire back to the LH2.4 box in the 92 diagram (bentley) and figured that's what the 31-6 pin was used for.

splicing should fix the dead cruise control, too. it went south after the switch.

and i certainly would pass on all info on my 245's to the next fellow (sounds like a Marine Corps general order). all work done is surely written down.

about our volvos, you're really talking about driving our volvos until we go to our boneyard, right?

thanks much Art,
byron

Hi Byron,

When I wrote, I thought cruise was out of the picture on yours, but then, I did not consult the '86 version of the map, now realizing cruise changed from what I have in my '84 sometime in the LH2.2 years. Anyway I hope that is the last of your retrofit issues, or you can smoothly deal with them as they pop up.

Your comment about which of us goes to the boneyard first was well taken. Up here, at risk of being called a crybaby by our Canadian friends, the salt will weaken the "bones" long before the rest gives way, so though I hope to prove otherwise, I suspect I'll be forced to bequeath a 940 or something when the time comes. At the very least we have a better chance of outliving our driving skills in the safety of a brick.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Hi Art,

You've stayed up pretty late covering the posts. I didn't expect such a quick reply, but honestly, I figured you might be answering this question.

i do have some rust issues on my 86, but nothing like that to kill the car down here. such selection of 240s up there and many destroyed by salt, unbelievable.

safety yes, it's protected these bones so far--i've always thought of painting small vehicles somewhere on my car of all the cars that had to be towed after hitting me on the bumpers--i'm almost an ace.

thanks, Art.

best regards,
byron