Worn Air Intake hose & Air Box thermostats 1982-1993 240 Models
240 models with Bosch LH electronic fuel injection have a large plastic accordion style intake hose that connects the air mass meter to the intake manifold. This hose rests on the inner fender, over time a hole will wear through where it touches. The problem is that you now have unfiltered and unmetered air entering the engine, which causes all sorts of erratic behavior. The car will be running lean and if you attempt to correct the mixture and get a decent idle unaware of the cause, you will introduce even more issues. Inspect the hose at every oil change and replace as necessary.Also related to the intake system is the air box thermostat. This is a small valve located in the air box that routes hot air from the exhaust manifold to aid in cold start performance until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. It commonly fails in the open position allowing super heated air to be drawn into the engine, which reduces performance as well as dramatically shortening the life of the expensive air mass meter. | Air Intake Hose | | 240 series non-turbo | 1983-93 | | MR-1367454 | Reg. $37.56 | | Each |
| Air Box Thermostat Valve | | 200 series non-turbo (1982-93), 700 series all (1984-92) | | MR-1266826 | Reg. $7.98 | | Each |
700 series air intake hose
900 series air intake hose
Lumbar System and Seat Grid 1975-1993 240 Models
The seats in the 240 are very comfortable when they are in good condition. 240 seats offer excellent adjustable lumbar back support. The lumbar system is very effective, but not the best design when it comes to longevity. These lumbar support systems commonly fail between 50-100,000 miles. We developed an easy to install lumbar repair kit about 15 years ago and is still one of our top sellers! The bottom seat cushion support grid is also a weak spot, causing drivers to struggle when trying to see over the steering wheel when it fails. This part was discontinued by Volvo a few years ago and we will be introducing an improved version this fall. | Lumbar Rebuild Kits | | 240, 260 series | | MR-9K3500 | Reg. $37.78 | | Each |
For 700/900 series lumbar kits click here
Odometer/Tripmeter Gear failure 1986-1993 240 Models
The odometer is driven off of the main speedometer drive shaft by a small plastic gear. The plastic gear eventually splits and loses it’s grip on the drive shaft resulting in erratic or complete loss of odometer & trip meter function. The repair can be done by the average do it yourselfer in an about 1-2 hours using our repair kit with instructional DVD.
Includes gear and DVD | odometer/tripmeter repair kit | 240 series | 1986-93 | | | MR-13200 | Reg. $49.95 | | Kit |
Fuel injection Relay 1978-1985 240 Models
The main fuel pump relay can be troublesome causing intermittent stalls and hard starting. The most common failure is overheating of the main 12V power connection to the point that the solder joint fails. This is usually caused by a failed pre pump in the gas tank, which in turn causes the main fuel pump to be overworked and draw excessive amperage that overheats the circuit. You can confirm this failure by popping the cover off the relay and inspecting the solder joints on the circuit board. | 240, 260 series | B21, B21FT, B27 & B28 | 1978-85 | fuel pump relay K-Jet only(1) | Stribel | MR-1348600 | Reg. $36.89 | | Each | | 240 series | B21, B23 | 1982-84 | fuel pump relay LH-jet (2 req.) (2) | Bosch | MR-1348657 | Reg. $15.50 | | Each | | 240, 740, 940 series | | 1985-95 | fuel pump relay(3) | Stribel | MR-3523608 | Reg. $42.42 | | Each |
1 - Not for 1983-84 with LH-jet
2 - Two relays on B23 (1983-84) LH-jet, one for main system and one for fuel pump.
3 - Not for 1988 and later 760 turbos or V6 models or 1991 SE models.
Fuel System Pre Pump 1978-1993 240 Models
The pre pump is a low-pressure, high-volume pump that sits inside the gas tank and supplies fuel to the main high pressure pump under the car. When it fails, symptoms include poor idle quality, hesitation when accelerating, reduced fuel economy, loud humming noises emanating from the main pump and accelerated wear of the main pump. Faulty pre pumps can also lead to hi amperage loading of the fuel pump electrical circuit resulting in blown fuses and or failed relays as mentioned above. | 200 series | B20, B21, B21FT, B23, B27 | 1978-83 | | MR-1276330 | Reg. $51.56 | | Each | | 200 series | B23, B230 | 1984-93 | | MR-1389721 | Reg. $56.04 | | Each |
700 series pre pumps
900 series pre pumps
Other common issues
Heater core & heater control valves leaking into the interior
Worn out ignition switch resulting in the loss of some major electrical circuits
Failed wiring insulation on the main engine wiring harness 1982-1985
Please keep in mind these issues arise due to the fact 240 Volvos, as a whole were built very robust and probably ended up being on the road longer than Volvo ever anticipated. It's one tough car! In general these are not “defects” or poor design, just stuff to be on the lookout for if you find yourself driving one of our favorite Volvos of all time! |
