My 84 turbo sedan just quit telling me how fast I am going. I am sure that 70% of the volvos out there have this same problem. What is the first thing I should check to see what is broken? Is my speedo cable the culprit, or would it be the speedometer itself? I am sure there is lots of good knowledge floating around out there about this topic. Thanks in advance for the help.

After I replaced the cable on my '84 it still would not work. I thought the speedo itself was OK cuz I could make the needle move by turning the brass collar that can be seen when instrument panel is removed from car. My problem turned out to be the gear driven sending unit on the transmission. The drive gear was slipping on a shaft that drives the speedo cable. I'd check the cable first though.

The speedometers are a notorious part on the Volvo 240! The odo is unreliable, and will usually be the first to break. The Speedometer (speed indication) is not much better. I would suggest that you check the speedo cable by unhooking it from the rear of the speedometer, and attempt to turn the rotating part in the centre by hand. If it turns, the cable is broken. Next try driving the car up and down the driveway while observing the cable end to see if it rotates. If the cable is rotating when the car is moving, it's time to remove your instrument cluster and send it off for repairs. It should only cost about $65 to $100 US to be repaired at a reputable shop.

This is cable drive so watch the odometer. If the odometer is working the cable is fine. If the odometer is not advancing the cable is broken or fallen out of one end or the other. You can reach up under the dash and feel if the cable is plugged in or not. Goiung to check the end on the transmission is up to you.

Bill D.

Ahhh, But Bill ..... what if the problem is NOT the cable like with my venerable 122 ? New cable ... SPEEDO works Fine .... ODOMETER and TRIP METER Don't ..... now what's your solution ????