January 2008 Newsletter for Rear Wheel Drive Models

Heater Control Tips

When your 240 heater valve works but not the vent control buttons in the center console it may loss of vacuum from the engine intake manifold. The fix is in two steps.

Step one:

Under the hood, you will see a narrow vacuum hose running from the intake manifold back to the firewall on the passenger side of the car. Check where the hose bends to get through the firewall. If it is cracked, split or leaking in any way, repair it by cutting off the bad part, pulling an inch or so out from the firewall if necessary(ipd part HK100). Now get a little spring, just wider than the tube and say three inches long. Put it over the vacuum line. Now cut about 1.5 inches of a plastic tube --the one that comes with spray paint cans or cans of WD40 work fine-- and push into each cut end and snug the hose back together. Move the spring over the repair section to keep it from bending too sharply as it goes into the firewall (which is why it failed).

Step two:

Go inside the car, and remove the top screw and bottom fastener from the passenger side leg panel in the center console. You will see the same vacuum hose coming into a black rubber fitting on a white plastic vacuum bottle. Pull the thin bent metal tube from the bottle and blow through it to see if it’s rusted shut. If so, replace it or just clean it out with a wire and reconnect the hose. Put the leg panel back on (it fits into a clip at the firewall) and your vent controls should work like new!

Heater/AC Blower Motors

If your Volvo’s heater and air conditioner blower is noisy or doesn’t work at all, it’s time for a new blower motor. Keep your windows clear and interior comfortable no matter what the season! Instructions included.

Heater Core

Climate Control Vacuum Reservoir Check Valve

Heater Control Valves

When your heater control valve fails it typically gets stuck either fully open or closed causing you to get stuck with either really hot air, or really cold air! If your interior temperature is difficult to adjust, your heater control valve may to blame. In nastier cases coolant can leak into the interior of the car when failure occurs. Currently Volvo only offers the later style valve found on the 1992 and later 240 models and requires an adaptor kit to install on pre 1992 cars. Our part is a direct fit for 1975-1991 240 models, making installation relatively painless! Rescue yourself from the sauna and drive comfortably again! Replacement can usually be performed in about 1 hour.