Volvo Car Knowledge Needed

thats a sweet one...body is straight and remarkably in very nice condition...i never cared for those plastic wheel covers though..they never look clean and are difficult to keep as well...i opted for a set of older syled 240 rims 2 pcs that are all metal...cleaned up the look nicely...all in all you have a great car there...i know you will love it...also FWIW i have always found that the sedan models are less noisy on the road than were the wagon models...which i found quite noisy.....
I will reiterate however that my 960 wagon which is a top of the line RWD/240 platform is the best RWD Volvo has ever made...once you've driven one you will understand...while they are very plush compared to the 240...they are not any more maintainence intensive...however the engine is a more complicted affair being an inline 6 cyl...between myself and a very competant volvo specialist everything gets fixed...if it breaks.....I'm a Volvo for Life guy...

You're right about those plastic wheel covers, I had the same ones on my 740 wagon, probably went through more than 2 sets. They just fly off.

BUT, every now & then I'd see one by the side of the road & grab it.

There's a Volvo place in Atlanta I used to buy new & used stuff from when I was working over there, let you know if it comes up on the Google.

Voluparts in Atlanta.

Nice ride.


Great find.

Thanks, its hidden in the photo angles but its got a few dents and dings, but what would you expect for a car of this age and price. I agree the plastic wheels are pretty shotty, may have to keep my eyes out for a used upgrade. However, as long as they don't start going MIA I'll go with the flow and let the rough side drag.. Got the radio in it working yesterday- gonna have to pull it and see what the issue is.. I believe it just has a loose connection.. Works here and therre and has a mind of its own.. Its an aftermarket unit, with CD player, and for now only the CD player works. I believe the radio will work once I replace the antenna.. All in all its a good running little car and I'm very happy. Was shocked at how well the AC works :)

thanks for the tip on parts. I was wondering if parts were hard to find on a car of this age. I'm guessing they are not stocked by most local parts stores?? Or, is it just cheaper with better selection at the Voluparts in Atlanta place?


Yes, that pic was taken in Riverland Terrace, Good Eye, very good.. I take it you used to live over there or came to visit pretty often?

your AC doesnt work...its just cool outside...wait until summer and you will find the AC is inadequate......the 240s' are well known for their lack of good AC...the main reason is because the evaporator/condenser unit is too small...there is no upgrade as there isnt any space to install a larger unit...and I dont care how many volvo ads i see that state that the AC is cold...its just a big lie...now the FWD cars and the later model RWD's did get better air...my 960's is truly cold and I really need that down here...I'm in the Raleigh area BTW...

I'm sure you're right.. Honestly, I was just happy the dang thing cooled air at all.. On the flip side, the heater worked well this morning
Oddly, its a rarity for me to even use AC in my Vehicles. I'm more of a windows down kinda fella. If stuck in traffic and melting my face off, then Yes to AC, otherwise, driving in the shade in my little hop & a skip to and from work, its all nature and wind for me :)

Lots of the parts are available at your local store.

FCPGroton and IPDUSA are very good Volvo specific places to shop at. Helpfull repair videos and usefull product information (oem, cheap repro, etc).

rockauto also will carry quite a bit for your car.

May your heater fan never fail (research that one).

Thanks...I wish I still had that one...like Scott's mine was owned by a female college student in Fla...i the car was in NJ at her parents house...it was all of $1200...the car did have some issues but most of them were with the interior plastics which become very brittle over the years...it also needed new tires and a 4 wheel alignment...and the entire ehaust system was replaces with a stainless steel version... I found the rims and wheel covers on ebay... As for the Gold color...one of my least favorites but over time i grew to like it...

Voluparts was the place, thanks! They had new & used stuff. I know I bought a few of those wheel cover there.

I DID live in Riverland Terrace on Plymouth Ave, the ex/kids were on St James.

This was my favorite time of year there, miss the live oaks most of all.

Riverland Terrace is a great area and you're right that is something to see this time of the year.. The Oaks really are awesome :)

Not sure that I want to search the heater Fan switch, I take it that they're either impossible to find or a major PITA to replace.. Hmmm, maybe I'll do a search

Going after some seat covers today and picking up some upholstery glue for re-covering the rear dash.. The fabric is long gone back there. I just so happened to have a pc. approx 6' by 2' that my wife picked up a while back for recovering a seat.. High quality BLack Pleather, LOL.. Or should I call it Corinthian Leather hahaha.. It isn't kepping things original, but I think it'll turn out pretty good.. Oh, might I add I know nothing about sewing or upholstery but I've done a headliner or two over the years and this looks like it takes about the same amount of technology..

Fixed a tail light yesterday that was working intermittently.. Found it was a little weak on the connection where the bulb socket meets the 'Circuit-Board' terminal that feeds the rest of the lights in that housing.. Its really weird how Volvo set up the Brake/tail light/turn signal assembly.. Have never seen that before.. Whatever works though,,

It's not the heater fan switch, it's the fan itself. It's the proverbial belly-button of the 240. The theory is they hung a fan on a wire, and then built the car around it. Which considering what's involved with replacing one, seems plausable. There are some interesting cutting tricks that work. Cutting panels to access parts is a speciality of Volvo repairs it seems.

Congrats on the 240 (or did I already say that?). Didn't realize you were thinking of going back that far. To me, the 240 was the last of the rather simple Volvos.

Wasn't planning on getting one quite this old.. But when it came up for sale, with the low price, low miles considering age, and seems to run and drive well, I figured what the heck - why not..

So far, no fan issues, fingers are crossed not to run into an issue with it :)

I really like the simplicity of the mechanics on this car.. I could do a lot of part changing in less time than it would take to go after the parts, lol

I have a friend who is a Volvo specialist with over 30 yrs of experience and he loves the simplicity of the 240' s design...one that he much prefers to work on. Its his favorite Volvo and he has a few in his yard...

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Well, for my sake I hope I don't have to 'work' to much on this 240. Nevertheless, if & when I do, because I'm sure that day will come. I am very glad that its an easy vehicle to repair.. Hopefully, I can do most of the work myself. From what I hear, Volvo's don't require to many specialty tools to do repairs. I have all of the basic stuff, do most all of my own bike work/repairs and alike :) The bike is much newer than the car, so hopefull that means the car will be easier to work. Of course, if its like most things in life. It takes a few minutes the first go around. After that, you could almost do it in your sleep in half that of the first try..

Finally got some time in on the car Friday evening. Changed the nasty looking oil/filter, got the Antenna up, cleaned up the inside a little and replaced the material on the back dash.. Oil that came out was pretty nasty.. I had notice some knock/piston slap on it as well. It started after I put fuel in it the other dday. So, I did a little reading about the 240's and found many have slap that is 'ok' and keep on going for many more miles.
After my oil change I got to thinking .. Maybe the fuel I got was not the best, but more so it was regular unleaded with ethanol. I decided to run down the road yeasterday and filled the tank of with Non-Ethanol Premium fuel. Well Lord and behold - When I started the car today and ran some errands it was a totally different car. No more slap/knock and running better all around. I already run only non ethanol in my Bike, now it looks like the Volvo will get the same :) Not an issue if it'll run this happy on it :)

Scott, LKQ up in North Charleston always has a half dozen or so 240's. Quite often you see really nice ones with perfect seats. Well at least I always did when I wanted better seats for my '88 760 sedan. As for the ac down here, it sucks. Mine would run full blast all the time and just could keep the car cool.

I was going to suggest to keep a look out for a Subaru before I saw you bought a Volvo. Good thing I read the whole thread. I've switched from Volvo and Nissans over to Subarus. We have 2 1995 Legacy wagons now. If you see a red RHD wagon around, that's me.

Thanks for the tip on parts :)
I am a fan of the Sub's and could see myself driving one one day.. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a red one on the road..

Input on the good and the bad of that vehicle would be much appreciated.

Cheers.