Volvo 240 4cylinder sedan

[GMCSonoma]

I have a lead on a 1991 Volvo 240 DL sedan....4 cylinder auto matic with ABS...about 70K miles...I won't divulge further details other than I can get it for a good deal. I saw all the paperwork on the car from Day 1 & with a clean carfax...no rust...a Florida transplant...very little done to the car other than normal maintenence...


Any Volvo opinions? I sat in it...very comfy for my crippled body!

Pros?

Cons?

[Be serious....I'll delete out the BS, if posted...]

not the car...just a picture

[King Riffle]

What car would this be replacing? Or will it just be an addition?

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by King Riffle

What car would this be replacing? Or will it just be an addition?

not certain...maybe an add for now...so this would make car #3....however I could replace the Park Avenue??

Not certain at this point.

[eurohazard]

I always respected those cars. They were safe and functional. However they always seems to be "in the shop'.......but then again I did live near a Swedish car repair station, so their lot was full of Volvos and Saabs.

I actually remember a Click and Clack type article where this lady complained that her 80's Ford Escort was too fast for her. (I am NOT joking here) They recommended that she buy a Volvo DL. True story.

[CheetahDC]

It is made of Volvonium, the hardest metal known to man.

[jry]

Bullet proof. Remember, its not fast off the line. Thats not why folks bought the 240, though. Mileage isn't real good as its too heavy for the size of the engine.

[Rex Raider]

That looks just like the box that they ship the new Volvos in.

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by jry

Bullet proof. Remember, its not fast off the line. Thats not why folks bought the 240, though. Mileage isn't real good as its too heavy for the size of the engine.

Neither are a concern...I drove it...and it was very smooth & quiet...almost Buick-like...

Originally Posted by Rex Raider

That looks just like the box that they ship the new Volvos in.

What are you talking about?

[tbirderic]

I'm broke and the lease on my Sonata expires in 13 days. I'm strongly considering replacing it with an old Volvo 240, though this is by no means certain.

They're wonderfully quirky cars and a refreshing change from modern vehicles, and as a car enthusiast, there is a strong appeal.

The have a well deserved reputation for reliability, but like all cars with such a reputation (Accords and Camrys come to mind), the reputation tends to get blown entirely out of proportion. Like all cars, Volvo 240's have their share of problem areas.

It's been 16 years since these cars were produced, so even pristine cars like the one you're considering are far from new.

I'm not an expert, just someone with more than a passing interest who'se bothered to read up and talk to a few people in the know. I have never owned one, but I've looked 4 of them over in the past few months, and read up what I could find on the internet. Here are a few things (as I understand it)to look for:

Engine: B230's are generally reliable, though higher mileage examples tend to lose power and oil leaks can be common. Nothing new here. They're simple motors, and not much tends to go, though MAF sensors can be a problem area.

If you can, find out when the timing belt was last replaced.

These aren't fast cars, but a good one should feel reasonably strong off the line. If you have to floor it to get up to 60 on a flat surface, then there's a problem!

Transmissions: The Aisin-Warner AW71 that these use is pretty strong, and from what I've heard, if properly cared for, can last upwards of 200,000 miles. For what it's worth, the same transmission is used in some RWD Toyota products. It's a 4 speed unit (you may call it 3 speed with OD). Not totally certain, but I believe the OD is engaged via either a relay or switch mounted on the transmission. On higher mileage examples, these tend to go. I've already driven two that would not go into 4th. This is not a hard problem to discern; if it sounds like it's revving like crazy at 65 it's a safe bet OD is not working.

When driving the car at speed, flick the OD switch on the shifter on and off a few times to see if it engages.

I've read that this isn't a hard or expensive fix; but I don't know for certain.

Electrics: Here's where it gets tricky. Pre-1988 240's have a problem with the wiring harness, but that's not an issue here. Fuses are known to go; they use those older style European fuses. I'd definitely check the fuse box under the dash to make sure the fuses looked good and that the contact points are not corroded.

Various relays too have been known to fail on high mileage examples.

Check the power windows carefully. Even good one's will be agonizingly slow by today's standards. Still, make sure, all the window switches work; it's not uncommon for the one of the passenger switches to be inoperable. As to be expected, gears and regulators also go with time.

Blower motors can also go. Supposedly these are a pain for the novice to replace. Make sure it works at all speeds.

Wipers go too. I've read conflicting accounts as to what's to blame; some say the motor (which appears an easy fix), others the linkage, which is obviously more difficult.

Suspension. Make sure there are no clunks. Try to find a vacant parking lot, get the car up to 25-30, and rapidly zig zag around like you would in a slalom course. That will give you a good indication of how tight the suspension is.

Only other common problem I've heard of is the fuel pump relay. Supposedly that's under the dash and is also a cheap and easy fix.

Finally, they're prone to rust. So if you live in the snowbelt and suffer pangs of concious seeing a car dramatically deteriorate, this might not be the car for you.

Much of what I'm spitting out here is online in more detail. Just google Volvo 240 and you'll come up with a ton of personal pages with a lot of info. SweedishBricks is a good source too.

Anyway, best of luck to you, and let us all know how you make out. If I wind up buying one of these, I'll definitely post pics!

[GMCSonoma]

Eric, thanks for the very-very insightful post...it helps!!!

[benroethig]

Interiors's pretty cheap, but my old wagon was a pretty good first car. They'll run forever, unless something break and oil seeps into your plugs.

[377Z]

I think its cool, and would own one if the opportunity came up.

[jry]

I'd take one of those 2 door bertone's from the 70's or 80's that Volvo did. Nice.

[GMCSonoma]

Here is a follow-up....

I had found one that was used as a company car for certain "events" we'll say and it was sold to an employee of that company who brought it north from Florida...

I was sadly too late in deciding to buy it, as I preferred to liquidate one or both my Buicks before buying this one....upon almost breaking a deal to sell off my Park Avenue....I had waited too long and the vehicle was sold...

I looked @ another 240 series @ a suburban Chicago new car dealer last weekend....and sold myself off to look for something newer and less complicated & American in heritage, as I saw was needed to do the safety inspection on the one in Illinois & the parts pricing alone almost caused my hair to turn green in color!!!!


Thanks to those who took the time for the insight...I appreciate it much...

GMCSonoma

[jry]

Originally Posted by GMCSonoma

Here is a follow-up....

I had found one that was used as a company car for certain "events" we'll say and it was sold to an employee of that company who brought it north from Florida...

I was sadly too late in deciding to buy it, as I preferred to liquidate one or both my Buicks before buying this one....upon almost breaking a deal to sell off my Park Avenue....I had waited too long and the vehicle was sold...

I looked @ another 240 series @ a suburban Chicago new car dealer last weekend....and sold myself off to look for something newer and less complicated & American in heritage, as I saw was needed to do the safety inspection on the one in Illinois & the parts pricing alone almost caused my hair to turn green in color!!!!


Thanks to those who took the time for the insight...I appreciate it much...

GMCSonoma

Just in case.... there is a burgundy one on E Bay, in Texas, cheap.