Déjà Vu Mid-Blue - 1989 Volvo 245 DL

[volvowagoon]

I fixed it!



I just need to button up some ugliness and twiddle my thumbs until the trim arrives.

[volvowagoon]

Just kidding. It's still broken. Blank square is back in place.

[IansPlatinum]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

Just kidding. It's still broken. Blank square is back in place.

The redneck tachometer I use for my 145 is a piano tuner app- the loudest resonance tends to be the first harmonic, so I just multiply hz by 60 and divide by 4 to achieve my rpm value

but yeah that's probably the most inconvenient thing possible

I do understand why you want to keep the big clock, it's very quirky. But I'll also offer you my big tach that I have that requires shaft repair (broken needle shaft). If you want it, just cover shipping. But it might not be easy to fix

I wonder if you could do similar with your in tank pump and rig a multimeter to watch the wire signal real time as you drive? I'm thinking the duty cycle mode would be applicable. I'm thinking the tach reads pulse off the ignition coil? Or I could be making that up.

But yeah it'd be useful to see if the pulse is disappearing all together (goes to 0hz or open circuit), or just dropping in amplitude below some critical threshold (frequency still present but voltage drops)

But now I'm not even sure if that tach wire pulses.

At least it's a non-essential item, just a nice little luxury

[volvowagoon]

Originally Posted by IansPlatinum

The redneck tachometer I use for my 145 is a piano tuner app- the loudest resonance tends to be the first harmonic, so I just multiply hz by 60 and divide by 4 to achieve my rpm value

but yeah that's probably the most inconvenient thing possible

I do understand why you want to keep the big clock, it's very quirky. But I'll also offer you my big tach that I have that requires shaft repair (broken needle shaft). If you want it, just cover shipping. But it might not be easy to fix

I wonder if you could do similar with your in tank pump and rig a multimeter to watch the wire signal real time as you drive? I'm thinking the duty cycle mode would be applicable. I'm thinking the tach reads pulse off the ignition coil? Or I could be making that up.

But yeah it'd be useful to see if the pulse is disappearing all together (goes to 0hz or open circuit), or just dropping in amplitude below some critical threshold (frequency still present but voltage drops)

But now I'm not even sure if that tach wire pulses.

At least it's a non-essential item, just a nice little luxury

Thanks for the offer, but I'm set on keeping my cluster the way it is. I'm not dead set on using THIS small tach, but at the same time I'm kinda pissed at myself for getting into this situation. I only bought a trim ring so that I could fill my cart high enough for free shipping. Then I bought this tach because I ASSUMED that it would be a super simple installation and place holder. The car doesn't need a tach at all. In fact, I'm more upset about adding another broken piece to the car I've been working so hard to make "fully functional"

It might seem silly to others. Just take the tach out and forget about it, right? I guess I just feel too invested in this dumb novelty to give up on it. Then again, I guess it's kinda the story of owning a 30 year old Volvo in general.

[volvowagoon]

After several days of trouble-free operation, I'm calling the tach "fixed!" Also, I finally got the brand new trim ring from Volvo today. I can't believe Volvo still makes them.




This is the longest and most expensive broken trim square repair ever! No regrets. We love the new gauge.

[Harlard]

Quick note on the +T: the engine will handle everything a 15G will throw at it. The transmission won't. Would definitely get/go over a later AW71L before feeding the AW70 any torque.

Also, expect sub-20 MPG around town if you do that. Worth it? Yes.

[volvowagoon]

Originally Posted by Harlard

Quick note on the +T: the engine will handle everything a 15G will throw at it. The transmission won't. Would definitely get/go over a later AW71L before feeding the AW70 any torque.

Also, expect sub-20 MPG around town if you do that. Worth it? Yes.

Great to know! Thank you. I feel like a massive newb for asking this, but for the most simple of conversions, is it really as easy as plugging in the turbo ecms, extending the AMM harness, and bolting on the turbo parts? Would I need to turn the boost lower than stock for a +T or will it not detonate on 93? I don't know what factory turbo fuel requirements are.

None of this would happen any time soon, but it's nice to have the information.

[Harlard]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

Great to know! Thank you. I feel like a massive newb for asking this, but for the most simple of conversions, is it really as easy as plugging in the turbo ecms, extending the AMM harness, and bolting on the turbo parts? Would I need to turn the boost lower than stock for a +T or will it not detonate on 93? I don't know what factory turbo fuel requirements are.

None of this would happen any time soon, but it's nice to have the information.

yep, other than splicing in an extra couple feet of wire length and adding an oil return, it's all plug and play.

That said, I'd get some chips for LH 2.4. The extra compression is no problem, but throwing boost at a stock computer is not ideal.

Even more ideal would be a microsquirt or better. Not necessary, but way better.

[volvowagoon]

More run-ins with junk parts.

I went to address a reverse light that hadn't been working for a long time. Of course the bulb socket needed to be bent up a little and was fixed in five minutes. Since I was back there, I decided to look into another issue that was bothering me. The cargo light has never worked.

I quickly found out that the bulb was fine, there was no power, and no ground to the door switched side. Fun! I pulled the lift gate switch out on a hunch. The connector was broken, so I replaced that.
About a year ago, I tried to fix this issue with a new switch without diagnosis in sort of a "hero" attempt. Now that I know how the lamp works I know that this couldn't have fixed it, but oh well.

Then it broke when I reinstalled the connector. Does anybody know where I can get a nice one? This design is pretty awful, and I wish I kept the original.

I also never found power, but I don't know where to test other than at the fuse or the lamp connector. Is there a connection somewhere in the middle I can check? Times like these make me really miss volvowiringdiagrams.com. I left the car with more knowledge and working reverse lights, but I'm a lot more frustrated! We are going to be taking this car on another trip next weekend so I don't want to start it feeling bitter toward the car.

[volvowagoon]

Fiancé says she drove the whole way to work with the rear dome light on. That would be the first reported sighting of that light working, so I guess I'll have to play with it a little more later. Weird.

[Scaramanga]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

Fiancé says she drove the whole way to work with the rear dome light on. That would be the first reported sighting of that light working, so I guess I'll have to play with it a little more later. Weird.

I guess the light itself has a switch? These tend to break down and such. Check it out.

[volvowagoon]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga

I guess the light itself has a switch? These tend to break down and such. Check it out.

I definitely have multiple issues because the door switch is known bad and the light will only come on when the key is on even though the power wire should be hot at all times. I never tested the light switch, but I know the door switch is toast. I'll probably have to deal with that first.

I found the dome light diagrams. Apparently there is a 4-pin connector up by the dash I can test, but then it's just a solid wire all the way to the back. Hopefully I can find out what's going on from there.

[volvowagoon]

However this light is getting power is certainly not stock. I unplugged the mentioned 4 pin connector with the key on and the light stayed on. There's something really goofy going on there. I'm not prepared to go digging much further though. The best thing to do would be to remove or rewire the remote start. It's ugly to say the least, and massive pain to work around. Does anybody else know of a better place to check? Let me know.

Until then, I decided to fix the door switch. I'm guessing there isn't a quality replacement for these anymore anyway.




Yeah, that's right. I went there. $0.17 an hour. I live it.

[volvowagoon]

I gave up on the lighting issue. Once I realized that I dove into an issue much bigger than I anticipated, I started focusing on more important stuff.

Also, we went on another road trip! Moose visited his 6th state with us.




...and the 7th!






Glam rack after a successful arrival


And glam caps


Great Smoky Mountains National Park


I think there was some sort of Bronco gathering going on while we were in the Smokies, because I had never seen so many first gens in my life.












Massive centipede is massive nope.




The new chairlift and glass Skybridge in Gatlinburg are pretty cool. I remember feeling scared on the old lift (pre-fire), but the new one is so smooth that even I felt safe. I still hate heights though.















I helped a little buddy cross the road. He was clearly scared.




Ending mileage:


Moose is a champ! He's not great in the steep sections of mountain roads, but you can bet that we got where we needed to go. More power would be nice, but I have higher priorities.

[IansPlatinum]

Awesome & wholesome update. Thanks for sharing these photos.
Such a gorgeous vehicle, and you're doing it justice by taking it on drives like that.

Keep it up!

[swedishiron.com]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

I helped a little buddy cross the road. He was clearly scared.

Thank you for doing that. Your karma bank account has been updated!

[volvowagoon]

Originally Posted by IansPlatinum

Awesome & wholesome update. Thanks for sharing these photos.
Such a gorgeous vehicle, and you're doing it justice by taking it on drives like that.

Keep it up!

Thanks! I have delicate garage queens, but Volvo's cockroach reputation makes me feel obligated to keep that odometer rolling. It may not stay Volvo powered forever, but it will be a reliable and efficient driver for as long as we own it.

Originally Posted by swedishiron.com

Thank you for doing that. Your karma bank account has been updated!

I like turtles.

I bought two of my own when I was in middle school. Had I known what I know now, I would never have done it. Turtles are wild animals, and the wild is the only place they belong. Unfortunately, mine have been in my care for too long and would never survive in the wild. Therefore, I'm in this for the long haul. I hope they're relatively happy.

[swedishiron.com]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

I like turtles.

I bought two of my own when I was in middle school. Had I known what I know now, I would never have done it. Turtles are wild animals, and the wild is the only place they belong. Unfortunately, mine have been in my care for too long and would never survive in the wild. Therefore, I'm in this for the long haul. I hope they're relatively happy.

I do too!

You make very salient facts that are often lost on the potential owner of a turtle, when they spot the hatchling in the aquarium at the pet store.

Turtles have never been domesticated and have a lifespan that, with proper care, can outlast the lifespan of their caretaker.

Good thing you got them when you were young.

[volvowagoon]

The odometer started doing it's thing again so I started doing my thing again. I won't go into too much detail because it's all here. https://forums.turbobricks.com/showt...=350828&page=2


I'm hoping the new cap fixed it once and for all. So far so good! I didn't want to stop at 9AM though. There are other little things that bug me. First of all, the floor is wet all the time. I'm going to check that drain that everybody talks about.




Oops! Judging by the placement of the heater hose, it looks like somebody was not careful when installing their updated valve.


But there was plenty of slack to get it routed around the drain.


After a good vacuum job, I sucked up a lot of water from the floor and a big wad of leaves behind the dash. Is there any secret to keeping junk out of there, short of parking your car in a garage? It seems like it's way too easy for entire leaves to drop into the cowl and then get stuck behind the evaporator in these cars. At least cleaning it up seems relatively easy.

[volvowagoon]

I decided to finally finish the brake failure switch while I was on a roll.








Then I wanted to finish the day with an oil change. Karma never seems to happen with me and my cars. There's always something in need of a repair.

I have no idea where to get a connector like this. Is there a standard bullet connector I can use? I never even noticed that the oil light wasn't illuminating during bulb check. lame. Beer time.

[volvowagoon]

.

[white855T]

Link to bullet connector. https://www.prancingmoose.com/blackv...tml#volvo1pole

[Harlard]

Originally Posted by volvowagoon

After a good vacuum job, I sucked up a lot of water from the floor and a big wad of leaves behind the dash. Is there any secret to keeping junk out of there, short of parking your car in a garage? It seems like it's way too easy for entire leaves to drop into the cowl and then get stuck behind the evaporator in these cars. At least cleaning it up seems relatively easy.

Snow scoops are popular in that regard. Wish a cabin air filter were remotely feasible.

[Alex Mcknz]

You are optimistic with all the modification stuff that you do. I feel like maintaining an old car is expensive nowadays. Finding auto parts is not easy and there will always a problem along the way.

[volvowagoon]

Originally Posted by white855T

Link to bullet connector. https://www.prancingmoose.com/blackv...tml#volvo1pole

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Harlard

Snow scoops are popular in that regard. Wish a cabin air filter were remotely feasible.

I figured that would be the best solution. I'm not a fan of the cost or the looks though. I'd rather just clean my drain every now ant then.

Originally Posted by Alex Mcknz

You are optimistic with all the modification stuff that you do. I feel like maintaining an old car is expensive nowadays. Finding auto parts is not easy and there will always a problem along the way.

After 30 years of road time, I swear these cars are ready to yeet in any way possible. There's only so much we can do. There will come a time where repairs and or keeping the car original just aren't worth the headache anymore. I just adapt and overcome as those issues arise.

I do think this car will get turbo 3800 power if it remains in the fleet for another few years. If not, you'll probably see it for sale around 2022.