Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online!
Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! 
-
Latest | 0 Rplys
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Volvo > 240
Reply Show Printable Version Show Printable Version | Email this Page Email this Page | Subscription Subscribe to this Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 09-10-2007, 01:17 PM   #1
orty919
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Posts: 2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Newbie with a speedometer cable issue.

I haven't worked on cars very much. Just basic stuff, oil changes, spark plugs, belts, etc. How difficult would it be for me to change the speedometer cable on an 87 240dl? Is it fairly easy or should I suck it up and take it to a mechanic?
orty919 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2007, 12:25 PM   #2
Cyberr
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Gothenburg
Posts: 23
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Newbie with a speedometer cable issue.

Are you sure it’s a wire? I think it is:

It’s very easy. You have to remove some screws from the speedometer panel, drag it out and bend it up (speedometer pointing to the roof, between steering wheel and the board).

Then it’s just to remove the wire-nut. Then, go under the car, find the wire, I think on the driver side, on the transmission that is. And remove it – one screw I think.

And then to the tricky part – to drag a new wire thru the walls, well not so hard that either.


On newer 240 volvos did they start to use electronic system. So, If you cant find any wire its probably just to check so the cables are fully connecting, mount the panel. Go under the car to the rear axle and there is the electronic giver. It could be something wrong with it, should be possible to test it but don’t remember how.

(however, I think it’s a wire, not electronic)
Cyberr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2007, 08:18 PM   #3
denisond3
AF Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: VA in summer, TX in winter, Virginia
Posts: 1,323
Thanks: 2
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
Re: Newbie with a speedometer cable issue.

My father-in-law's 1988 240 has a cable for the speedometer. Its possible this is different on European 240s. His is the type with the very large plastic headlamp lenses. If yours has a cable, you can drag the entire cable out, working partly from below the car, or perhaps just replace the inner cable, (which can be done from right above the steering wheel) and leave the cable-housing where it is. If you need to replace the entire cable, you will likely need to work it down from below, because I think the end that screws onto the tailhousing of the transmission is the biggest part of the cable.
I am curious how you know the cable is bad though. Did the speedo needle stop indicating - or is it just the odometer that has quit changing? That is a different problem, well known and fixable with a little effort.
In order to get the instrument cluster & speedometer out from an American 240, you will need to take some phillips head screws out from around the sides/bottom of the instrument bezel, and remove the two knobs on the far left side of the bezel. One is the headlight switch, the other I think is the dashboard lamp rheostat. Both knobs will pull off - but will take a strong grip. With that bezel free, you can work the instrument cluster out - just enough to get a hand behind there, and undo the cables and connectors. You dont need to undo the steering wheel, really.
While you have the cluster out I would advise replacing all of the bulbs in it that look 'darkened'. They are the ones that would burn out in the next couple of years.
Let us know if its just the odometer that isnt working. Its a very common 240 problem.
denisond3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-16-2007, 08:24 AM   #4
Cyberr
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Gothenburg
Posts: 23
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Newbie with a speedometer cable issue.

Well, I guess that I wrote badly since Mr Denisond3 wrote almost the same but with correct words. No need to remove steering wheel. :-)

The 200 series used wire to transmission 1975-1985
The 200 series used electric cable to rear axle 1986-1993

The backside of the whole panel has a thin green plastic electric card; these connections might be bad so spray some cleaning on them and use a knife or something and remove the dark crap on the pins.

The sensor is in the rear axel can be different in the newer examples with ABS (91 optional, 92-93 standards) functions and mess-up the speedometer, don’t mount so new axel if yours brakes down.

I guess that you can’t find these cars easily on year salvage yards, here would we just check the connections, go and buy one more used speedometer package and try it and see if it was the speedometer before we touch the rear axle. If you have mounted a stereo or something then you might have messed with some cables, check the fuses, check so every cable sits properly and isn’t black on the connections.

There is a gearwheel inside the rear axel it shouldn’t get crap inside it so I guess its just the sensor then, if we would talk about ABS front wheels then it could be crap on the gearwheel so the sensor doesn’t understand that the wheel are rolling.



In short; the problem is probably on the backside of the panel. The green thin electronic cards are known to be failing, many make own solutions there(solder, cables). Let some electric man check it. A cleaning on the connections might help at the moment. Perhaps let him check the sensor on the rear axle also. (This if the speedometer is dead, if it shows the speed in a incorrect way then it’s an another story: minus cable which isn’t connecting enough – hard to find)
Cyberr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2007, 12:12 PM   #5
orty919
AF Newbie
Thread starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Posts: 2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Newbie with a speedometer cable issue.

Both the speedometer and the odometer have stopped working (actually, neither one have worked since we boughtthe car from a friend). I've been busy changing the alternator and giving it a tune-up, so I haven't had time to look at the speedometer problem...I'll probably get to that later this week.

Thanks for your help!
orty919 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD

Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Volvo > 240

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:22 AM.

Community Participation Guidelines | How to use your User Control Panel

Powered by: vBulletin | Copyright Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
 
 
no new posts