I have a Volvo 240, automatic, '92. Slowly, things are starting to die on my car! First, it was the lighting on the air conditioning, hazzard light pannel. My car is stuck in overdrive and will not come out. Now, the rear defroster will not work when the button is pushed. I hear a definate click, but no defrosting. My temperature gauge is also faulty. Are all of these problems linked? Could it possibly be fuses that are dying?
Please help. I am hoping this might be something I myself could fix. (I have the Volvo part bible.)

Thank you

wow you sure have a lot of different things happening.first the lighting, there are 3 lights on the center panel on lights the top, all the switches the second lights the fan switch, and the third lights where the heater cable lever is, if all three lights are out you may have a bad rheostat, but if only one is out then you have a burned out bulb. When you say stuck in overdrive,if you have an automatic transimission, overdrive is a 4th gear operated with a small button on your shifter, so if you go through 3 gears and the 4th never engages your not stuck in overdrive, you dont have overdrive operating. Is the light on your instrument cluster lit all the time, its either and arrow pointing straight up or it says od-off. if so you may have a faulty od relay. If the light works when you push the button on and off but you dont have 4th gear you probably have a bad solenoid on the trans. The rear dofogger is different too, do you have a wagon or a sedan? need to know that cause they could be different problems.You didnt explain what is happening to your temp guage so i dont know what to tell you there. good luck

Sart with basic maintenance. CHeck fuses for corrosion ('cept the 92 I think uses the the plug in type which usually don't have problems with the points of contact, re:previous post). Check that the alternator is charging, what you describe could be a faulty alt., wtih only the battery carrying all the electrical duties. If you don't have a multimeter, get one, a cheap $10.00 one is fine. re: the o.d. that's probably a wire grounding out against the frame or a bad relay or switch. Your o.d. is going in and outwhen you re in Reverse thru 3rd gear ot you would have destroyed the o.d. by now. This is simply a switching problem of some sort. Work out the charging first before you trouble shoot the o.d. but I'ts probably the relay. Good luck, Patrick.

My newest is an 88 244, so this is a generic approach. All the symptoms are electrical, so I wonder if the fuses have developed oxide on their tips. Have you "spun" them lately?

Also, it may be that a ground connection has weakened. That situation causes power to "back-feed" other things grounded at the same place, and really weird things happen. Ghostly.

Do you have the Volvo Service Manual Wiring Diagrams for the car?

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)