I have a nice '86 245 that I would like to restore and use as a daily driver here in Arizona.

Have a 940 - ice cold a/c in the summer (110+)
Had a 745 - adequate a/c in the summer

Have only had older 240's with a/c's that needed maintenance - have no basis to judge whether good 240 a/c is good enough.

Will the 245 with rebuilt, fully functioning a/c, do the job? (I'm also considering insulating the body pan, adding tint, sealing off any air leaks, etc.)

What say the folks who live in hot climates before I tear into this job (or look to trade for a 945?)

I have done every trick in the book for my 1990 240. It simply cannot cool the car in the hot summer months. I have owned it since new and it was never good. It feels like the fan simply doesn't push enough air, especially in recirculation mode.
--
1990 240- 270K- Original Owner-M-47, VX cam, bilstiens, turbo exh, euro lamps,- still slow but handles well- Near Houston- also 2004 XC90 T5 AWD

I have a 245 and live in Arkansas and it gets nice and chilly inside.
Window tint, I pulled the headliner down and added a nice layer of insulation in the ceiling which made a huge difference, Extra electric pusher fan in front of the condensor rigged to come on with the AC, The full Volvo r134a conversion kit with the upgrade evaporator,all orings replaced, and the real kicker, a Sanden 709 compressor ( which bolts right in, but you have to move the AMM up about an inch to clear the low presure hose. It's more efficient , larger capacity and puts less load on the engine than the stock compressor )

In mid summer it gets comfy in the back seat in about a block or two, the third seat in three or 4 blocks

One of these days I'm going to get energetic and add some more insulation in the doors and rear quarter panels.

-----------Robert
--
-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

Robert, I wss just feeling around yesterday through the headlliner and it seemed like bare metal. With Arizona summer sun beating down on dark gray paint, i would guess it would hit somewhere around 140+ degrees up there. I had insulated the roof in a Suburban I used to own. Pain in the rear, but it made a huge difference on cooling.

Did you scavenge the Sanden compressor, or get a new one? Any good sources for them?

Thanks for the post - more good information. Looks like I'll probably keep the old girl after all.

Yup, there is nothing over that headliner except a couple of thin chunks of what looks like tar paper to keep the bows from vibrating against the metal.

It's not hard to get the headliner off, just pad the jaws on some pliers and grab it at the corner, it comes off like a big shower cap, you will have to remove the dome lights. I used the stuff that has foil on bith sides and high density foam , about 1/4" in between and glued it up with 3m adhesive.I probably could have put an extra layer in leaving a relief for the bows. It made an instantanious difference in the temperature, no more hot head. It nice on a blazing hot day to put my hand up against the headliner and it's cool now.

I bought the compressor new from www.nostalgicairparts.com great folks( if you have any questionable hoses that need new rubber, send them to him, he'll put new rubber on them cheaper than anywhere else, if you get the volvo kit, it comes with a new high pressure hose from the compressor to the condensor). I paid a few bucks extra and had him put a back plate on it that has fill ports on it and had him drain the oil and fill it with ester oil to match the volvo retrofit system
To remount the AMM, all you have to do is once you have the compressor in and attached, set the mount for the amm up about an inch to clear the low pressure hose when the engine is vibrating , mark a hole and drill it and re attach it ( or just put a couple of cable ties on it and be done with it :-)
Wih that compressor it gets real cold fast and when getting on the freeway, it doesn't drag the engine down as bad. It's the one they put on the later 960s , that's where I got the idea, then a little research proved it to be a good idea.
--
-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

I like these passive cooling solutions very much as wagon esp is a very good glass house on wheels and is wickedly designed to absorb the heat. Moreover these are cheap methods

I like the idea of roof insulation very much .The only fear is of tearing of headliner .Can you provide some more detail about removing it .
I hope there will be a selection of insulation available at home depot.What are your suggestions on that.

Another creative idea which I impelmented last year (read that here) was to insulate all the AC hoses with pipe insulation and alumunium tape bought from home depot . It did make some difference esp on long drives when the cool/hot coolant is already flowing (At least engine bay heat does not affect the coolant)
Regards
Gopesh

Actually another very good idea "as seen on TV" was to put insulation on top of roof . That is where it will be most effective . What it will need is a thin (1/2" th colored white reflective paint)finished panel of insulation with sides etc finished and trimmed and ofcourse water proof, best if it is removable . Esp in case of wagons it can be safely put in between the roof rack and will not look that bad also . I saw it on some african safari SUVs in a documentary. That guy i think had solar panels there also .

I will like to do it if a good looking cheap insulation panel is available so that it does not look crap and could be elegantly secured on roof top between the racks so that it does not add to wind sound

Sorry for this half baked idea .


Regards
Gopesh

THANK YOU TO ALL. YOUR RESPONSES ARE VERY ENCOURAGING. ONCE AGAIN, DON'T KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE WITHOUT THE 'BOARD.

hello
remove ac evap coil and clean or upgrade. (covered in some kind of gunk)
flush complete system. (important)
replace hoses.
remove and replace compressor oil if going with R-134.
add fan in front of radiator.
will get very very cold (38 degrees)on the open road but not great (52 degrees)in heavy traffic.
thats my experience.
living in south florida, very humid and pretty hot also.
good luck
mike
--
85 244 turbo 225,000. 95 944 turbo 120,000

Volvo offers a 134 comversion kit which contains a high effiency evaporator,special 134 expansion valve,dryer,2 hoses,o-rings,and no instructions.It is easy to install,no dash or heater box dis-assembly.Fits all round compressor 240's,under $300 IIRC.I installed one on a 85 244 with good results.Hope that helps,Bill

I just want to add a more positive and emphatic Yes to answer your question. Apart from BC's common sense remarks about parking in the shade, etc., both my 84 Sedan and 85 Wagon both cool so well that I have the cycle control on about 45' or less once the car has cooled down from being parked in full Florida sun.
The 84 has the basic O ring R134 conversion.
So I would highly recommend it as worthwhile if all else about the car warrants it.
Good luck.
--
84 244GL and 85 245DL

Wow, that is encouraging. How do you set the "cyle control?"

Rob -

I think that my "Cycle Control" Clive Alive means the knob that, on a 1985 to 1988 or more, turns on the a/c by twisting it. Turning it all the way for coldest is maybe 270 degrees, so 45 degrees is not much.

Many 240s have a diffrent type of a/c control. My first, 1975, had a rocker on-off switch, e.g.

Regards,

Bob

:>)

The 245 a/c system can do OK, but you must occasionally help it. Here in Houston, the problem is often hot temp, though lower than AZ, with higher humidity.

Here is what I have done in summers past:

In every case possible, park so that when you return to the car it will be in the shade.

If possible, put the aluminized windshield thing on the outside, held on with the wipers and maybe caught in the right front door. If it is on the inside, the air between the glass and the cover will become superheated, often above 120F.

Leave all windows down about a half-inch. Install lock knobs that have no knob on their tops. Have no "burglar-bait" things visible.

When preparing to get into a hot car, open the driver's door, then walk around the car opening all the other doors. Any tiny breeze will remove the car-full of heated air in a few seconds.

Get in and start the car. Set the fan at #4 for a few seconds, to get the hot air out of the ducts, then switch to #1. Next get out and walk around closing the doors.

Get in and drive away. Leave the switch fan on #1 until you chilled air feel at a vent. Before the air through the evaporator gets chilled, the system must remove the heat from the evaporator itself. You get cooler air quicker this way. BTDT Once the aire is getting chilled, set the fan on whatever you like. Set the left dash vent so that when you lay your hand on the dash above it you get a blast right up your left sleeve. Feels GRRRRREAT !

With power windows it is possible to roll down the two on the passenger side maybe 4 to 6 inches. At 30 mph or more that creates a whirlwind inside the car, which will remove heated air and flying critters quickly. Do this if getting chilled air takes longer, then button up.

Be sure that when the heat control slide valve is in Full Cold position, the heater valve is truly closed tightly. Every one of my 240s was not.

Means pulling the left side kick panel of the central control panel and loosening the wire to the valve. Close the valve manually, then set the heat slide to not quite Full Cold, tighten. When you push the valve to Full Cold, the cable should bow out just a little.

If you go the route of RS-134a conversion, spring for the Volvo kit, and be sure to change all the "O" rings. If you stay with R-12, find a source for Freeze-12. Compatible with R-12 at a lower cost, and some BB folks use it, rhaire for one.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I brought my '92 245 out to the Phoenix area 4 years ago when I relocated from CT. It remains my only vehicle. My first summer out here, the original compressor died and was replaced, and a year later I replaced the radiator (OEM style, plastic and aluminum) and water pump. The cooling system works just fine no matter what the temperature, load or altitude. FWIW, my car is white and I use an 88C thermostat.

I use the AC about 8 months of the year. About the best I can say is that it's adequate. Don't expect to cool off the whole interior of a wagon in 10 minutes if the car's been parked in the sun all afternoon, but you will have cool air blowing on you from the dash vents within a couple of minutes. Use the recirc setting unless you're on a long drive.

I would definitely tint the windows, and use a sun screen for the windshield when you park outdoors. If you're rebuilding an AC system, note that the system got a LOT better with the '91 model year - better evaporator, and a pusher fan in front of the condenser and radiator. I would also switch over to R134 - the last time I had my AC serviced I paid about $70 a pound for R12.
--
Thank goodness we don't get all the government we pay for. -- Wiley Post

I did a quick and dirty Photoshop to my 1985 245 with the mods I'd like to start with. I added tinted windows, Virgos, and the A/C upgrade I want.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamiebabineaux/405013464/

I'm wondering the same thing here in NE Texas with my 1985 245 Wagon. It's still R12 and I think may only need O-rings and a recharge. Having had SUVs in the past, I know having extra cubic feet does not help cool the car.

It'll be interesting to see.

Jamie

SoCal, and I agree with the statement about adequate. I had mine redone 1/5 years ago. Blew cold enough, but not like a newer car. I had an 03 outlander, and that was fine in 118 degree heat on the way to Vegas. Volvo AC in a 240 - you can expect to be comfortably warm-ish, but it'll never get 'cold' in your car, if it's truly hot out (like 85+).

I note by the way, that that wasn't true of my old 88 Volks. Fox. That thing could and did cool like a pro.

Best,

Lanval

Thanks for all the replies, gentlemen. The damn car just runs and meets my needs so well, I hate to think of giving it up for something else! Am also teetering on going FWD to an 850, but I understand that they will have major A/C issues as well (evaporators go bad).

My habits are definitely like lizard's habits in the summer in the Phoenix area. Park in shade no matter how far the walk is. Use dark tint. Use a front window shade. Keep windows cracked.

What you gain in hauling room in a wagon, you lose in cooling efficiency. Unless I'm on a trip, it's pretty much just me in the front seat, and trust me all vents are pointed my direction. Actually, when it's really hot, I drive the open CJ-7 anyway.

If I'm going to rebuild the A/C, I am definitely interested in learning more about the '91+ improvements. I'll have to look into whether the compressor is the same. The car needs a blower motor anyway, so guess I'll be visiting near the evaporator soon. Probably should make a decision before tearing into the blower replacement.

Keep those Volvo's rolling!

Rob,
Don't give up just yet, there is another option. My father has a series of work vans and in the summer it's the same story - trying to cool so many cubic feet of air. The air comes out the vents cool, but there's no way to cool off the whole van.

One day he hung a sheet of heavy clear vinyl behind the driver's & passenger seats. This creates a clear barrier from the cab to the back of the van. Suddenly there was only a fraction of the space to cool, and the passenger area was nice!

So, what I'm thinking of doing is making a maybe Plexiglas wall behind the back seat and frame around the edges to seal the air. I'd want it to be easily removed and very low profile. The idea is to divide the interior and make the passenger area the size of a sedan. There is no need to cool the rear cargo area. I might make a cardboard model wall that goes from floor to roof and wall to wall, trim it to custom fit and then pattern a sheet of Plexiglas with a rubber trim for a snug fit.

We shall see!

...I did that in a full size Chevy Blazer with add-on a/c years ago. I glued a velcro strip to the ceiling and hung a clear shower curtain behind the front seats. Ugly, but functional. I like your fix alot better. Be sure to post results if you do it. Thx.

We've had an 89 244, 90 244, and a 92 245. The 89 and 90 were R12 cars with a receiver/dryer next to the radiator and an expansion valve under the dash. Both of these cars has multiple expansion valve failures and misc. R12 leaks. At best, bot h the 89 and 90 AC systems were sub-par, at worst, they sucked. I refilled both systems after numerous repairs with Freeze-12 (R-12 replacement), same performance... not too good.

When we bought the 92 245, the AC R-12 loaded barely ran due to a plugged orifice tube and a compressor that was coming apart at the seams (growling bearings). This system uses an accumulator, orifice tube, and no expansion valve. After replacing the compressor, accumulator, orifice tube, new O-rings, and flushing the system, I recharged it with R134A... this system kicks butt!

If I recall correctly though, to retro-fit this type of system into a pre-91 car, you will need to replace the entire heater/AC system under the dash as the evap coil is a bit larger than on the older systems (won't fit in the fan/core housing). Wiring changes would also be needed as there are high and low pressure switches and a few other goodies. Not an impossible job, but if you plan on doing this, I'd find a 91 thru 93 donor on the bone yard and take every AC part off of it, lines, compressor, fan unit under the dash (Jarvic 7), and every last hard and flex line. In my opinion, this would be the only economical way of doing the job. One last recommendation, try and find a 93, it is already converted to R134A.

jorrell
--
92 245 245K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently in pieces

Has anyone thought of transplanting an entire unit from a later Volvo? I am debating whether to do this or not on my 74 140. My unit works OK at the moment, but just in case it craters...
--
...and the bricks keep on rolling

I've done the conversion from a '92 donor car into my '87. I had the dash out to do the heater core and blower motor anyway. I was lucky to be able to keep the donor car around until the swap was complete; that way I was able to compare the two as the project moved along. If you have to leave the donor in the junkyard, takes lots of digital pics of all the major components and label the wiring harness as you remove it. Wiring diagrams of your car and the donor car will make swapping the harnesses pretty easy. Remember to take the firewall panel from the donor car because it's different from the earlier models and makes the swap easier. I used the original compressor from my '87 with terrific results. Post your results if you do it. The benefits of the swap are a less complicated conversion to R134, a larger evaporator, a more efficient system and the extra electric condenser cooling fan.

That sounds like a heck of a project. It's great that you were able to use the original compressor, creating a hybrid system of sorts. Having both cars together during the surgery would make it so much easier.

Does the '91+ 240 blower push more air than the pre-91? A definite weak point of my '86 is lower air flow through the vents, compared to our '93 940.

I think the blower motors push about the same amount of air, but with the pusher fan at the condenser, the air is cooler. The whole project took about three days to complete, but that included changing the blower motor, the heater core and removing/replacing the entire dashboard. The wiring harnesses for the a/c are separate from the other harnesses, so you can pull the whole thing from the donor car.

Well
I have a 92 dark green 240 and let me tell you, when this AC was working it could freeze you in mid dat sun easily. This is living in Puerto Rico at no less than 95~100 temps, humidity well over 80%
The trick was to make some ducting near the radiator to force air pass thru the condensor. Basically, radiator and condensor was a single unit. Some sheetmetal and self tapping screws worked great. Also helps the engie temps lower.
In top of this, I installed a pull electric fan after the stocker blades exploded.
Lower thermostat or a restrictor plate, 80/20 water/coolant mix with some WaterWetter.
Insulated AC lines (thermo sleeve) and dryer (heatshield)

If you have a wagon, you can also try fabbing up some sort of aux fan with some ducting located behind the rear seats. I like the idea of some sort of divider, but a plexi plane can be lethal in a crash, so beware.