How much should it cost at a shop to replace the fuel pump on a 1989 244 DL? I had this done on my 1982 242 about five years ago and recall it costing around $600. My fuel pump has been whiny for a few months now and I was hoping (in vain!) it wasn't going bad, but my car refused to start last Friday after my dad and I had been working on a headlight problem*. Everything else is fine -- fuses are all good, battery is cranking, added some extra fuel to the low tank. We can't hear the pump turning on, though. I think it could be the relay or one of the fuel pumps.

Much as I love this car, I decided a long time ago that once the fuel pump went, I would rather just start sinking money into another (newer) vehicle. Either these problems are simple, or are symptomatic of widespread and mysterious electrical problems. Do you think it's worth it to tow it to a shop for diagnosis?

* Not sure if this is relevant at all, but about two weeks ago, my headlights stopped working. They had been flickery for a while. Now only the high beams & parking lights work. Fuses are all great, tried a new headlamp switch from IPD, still the same issue. My dad, in a typically Tim-Taylor-meets-MacGyver moment, decides he can get me home by wiring the headlamps directly to the battery. The headlamps work! BUT... now the car doesn't start.

Re. headlights problem:
See ground screw on steering column, slightly down from the turn signal, hi/low beam stalk. Hi/low switch grounds via that screw and so a dropped-out screw or bad ground there will disable the hi-low selection. Happened to my son's '83 240 once. Horn also didn't work - same ground screw.

Even more interesting:
I've been working on a headlight modification on my '89.
Have installed a new relay located behind driver's side headlight, electrically spliced into the path between the high-low ("step") relay and it's incoming yellow hedlight power lead.

Yesterday while tightening a nut on the rear of that headlamp, I hit or jogged a relay wire, heard a medium-loud electrical "pop", and now the car won't start. There is an electrical path from headlights back to ignition switch; I don't know yet what got messed up. My shop will tell me; I'm giving up on this one and having him do it.
--
Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, electric rad. fan conversion, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 850 mi/week commute. '89 245 #2 (wifemobile). '90 244 (spare, runs).

It would be crazy to 1) assume it is a pump. Rather 25 amp fuse, relay, CPS and 2) crazier still to retire it even if it is a pump, which I really doubt. Do you have a plan for safe spiffy transportation the beats a $200 pump swap at the worst? Doubt it.

Sorry Serena26, it seems you got advice from the holiday crew, all of it well intentioned but incorrect. Look for your headlight relay above your left foot, identified by a large yellow wire being among those on the plug and that it clicks when you turn on the light switch. One wire going in the plug will be fried crispy. You'll need to replace that wire end to clear up the headlight problem. Dan was trying to get you to bypass the fuel injection relay, but the fuse that needs the jumper is 4 not 5. Jumper left side of 6 to 4. 4 supplies the tank pump, but this also gets power around the 25A fuse by the battery which is the probable cause of your no-start. The fuse out there is probably OK, but its wiring is exposed to the weather and not making good connection.

It could be a bad fuel pump relay. Put a jumper across left side of fuses # 5 and 6 this will by pass the relay, if it starts resolder or replace the relay.

If you need a main pump you can get a good used Bosch fuel pump at the junk yard for $10 or so, don't bother with the aftermarket pumps. Dan

I am not an expert on '89 240's, but I think the crumbling wiring problem was fixed by that year. If it were an earlier model, I would suspect bare wires somewhere. If you have a cheap voltmeter, a wiring diagram and patience you can start the process of determining what areas have electric power and what does not. I think you have a general wiring problem, like a bad ground. Good luck.

Replacing a fuel pump is not difficult with basic mechanical skills, but it is messy.

If you get rid of it and it has a good body/engine, sell it intact. There are too many good 240s being junked/parted, and someone might want it as a driver.

Cheers,
-b.

Yeah, what are you going to buy to repalce it? If y ou buy a new volvo you will hate it. Also, if you buy a honda you will also hate it...they are cheap cars. So, you can either fix your car, or buy a $50,000 BMW and repalce it after the warranty period if you want to drive a quality car and never deal with a problem yourself.