Here's the deal. The car ran dead rich last week (smelly exhaust and poor fuel mileage) until I replaced the oxygen sensor and replaced a vacuum hose that fell out of the fuel pressure regulator.

Then, I noticed that my replacement wiring harness (replaced in Nov. 2000) had wire sheathing that flaked off like a warm candy cane.

Questions:

1. Is there a replacement harness that is heat-resistant?

2. What kind of heat-resistant sheathing can be added on to any new wiring harness to prevent this from happening in the first place?

3. What is the warranty, usually?

4. Who's got replacements? I know IPD goes for something line $450.

5. I know there are some folks who have done this themselves. What are the pitfalls? Is this worse than the blower motor (which, incidentally, I did myself)?

Of all things ... the spark plugs were fouled!!!!

Try
Phillip at www.swedishengineering.com (south)
Nick at www.fcpgroton.com
Scott at www.borton.com

I bought a new genuine Volvo harness from Phillip for a 760T for around $230

I got a price quote of around $287 today from a place in Arizona. Could that be right??

Wow, I feel lucky to have a turbo with simpler engine electrical stuff.

Check out Dave Barton's web site, follow the link to his wiring harness stuff. He resells wiring harnesses he pulls out of cars at local pick and pulls. Usually about $100-$150 for the harness.

http://www.linkline.com/personal/dbarton/

- alex

'85 244 Turbo

Looked at a 1989 760Ti yesterday. 129K, engine is noisy at idle, sounded like it needs a valve adjustment. No other major obvious things, the electric sun roof is non-op and both rear windows will go down but in going up they jamb in the tracks. Power seats, radio, a/c OK, Good paint and leather. Asking $2800. No records, it's on a broker lot, but the PO may be approachable.

BUT - expenses are scary to me, especially after BB posts about Nivomats which I think this model has. Also, I've never had a turbo, so I don't know how to determine if the turbo is failing and would need replacement, and what other points I should look at.

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,

Bob

:>)

It's not the heat that's causing the harness to go bad. The defect is in the materials the vendor used in the wiring insulation that causes the harness to biodegrade over time. The problem was fixed sometime in the late 80's.
So even if you get another harness from a junker, it could have the same problems. I bit the bullet and bought a brand new harness from Volvo for $300 and installed it myself. It takes a little time to install the new harness but it's not that difficult really. I labeled all of the connectors on the old harness before I removed it so I would have a reference while installing the new one. My old harness was so stiff that I had to cut in spots to get it out. Many people find it easier to remove the intake manifold for easier access. I was able to install mine without doing that but it took some unusual twisting of the hands and fingers to get at some of the connections under the manifold. 8~)

If you can install a blower motor, then you can install the engine harness.
My car ran much better after I installed the new harness and I don't regret buying the new one.


DeWayne

make your own,save time and $,to keep the colors correct strip wires out of a junker,be sure to get wire from the firewall side of the big grey bulk connector or the cockpit /not the engine side,for it is only the engine harness that goes bad.if you reroute the red and the black wire (alt& oil snd) along the rt.side inner fender well to firewall and then to connector it makes more sense.do this first,then pull the old red and black out of existing harness,this will give you more room in the harness to pull the rest of the replacement wires through.i usually clip the end off the old wire and solder the replacement to it, lube the new wire,go to the far end of old wire and pull,fishing the new wire into place.reuse the old ends with solder and heat shrink tube. half a days work with coffee and tunes.dont make the mistake of only replacing the last 4 inch's of rotting wires they are prob.not just screwed up on the ends.have done the above many times on many 240's

Hello Bricktech:
How about the wires to the washer pumps? where do they start? My son and I have done the 5 wires on the intake manifold side of the harness on his 83 245 and replaced all the wires from the grey connector. But now the wires to the 2 washer pumps are crubling.
Thanks for your imput.
Genaro.