ok, basics, 1986 245 (240 wagon) b230f, manual tranny.
got in the car just a few minutes ago, started it up and backed out of my driveway. started going down the street, turned the corner, and all of a sudden a bunch of warning lights on the dash turn on. the Battery light, Parking break indicator light, parking break light, break failure light, and the orange 'light bulb' looking light, that indicates when one of the break lights is out, i think. being the paranoid person i am, i turned the car around right away and parked it in my drive way and observed it for a few seconds, poked it with a stick, and then decided that i would need to post on here about it. if anyone has any clue what is going on, please let me know. i haven't the slightest clue what would cause all those lights to turn on. oh and i tried turning off the car and turning it back on, but the lights remain on, but there's nothing wrong with the car that i can tell. thanks for anyone that can help me out.

bill

My 86 did this intermittently just the other day:
The big ring terminal on the back of the alternator, for the big red "hot" lead had broken through. Fortunately the stiffness of the wire kept it in place and it didn't hit the alternator case or engine block, it more or less stayed put and just wasn't charging the battery.
Cut it off, install new big yellow crimp lug, and back on the road in 15 minutes.
Be aware that this lug can hit ground and start a FIRE! Disconnect the battery FIRST before even trying to service anything on the alternator.
While you're in there, inspect the small red wire- it may well have broken off or gotten shorted to something. That's the wire from the alternator's internal voltage regulator to the light on the dash, and it's usually the first victim of Wiring Harness Disease. (mine is re-routed due to my own crappy wiring harness that I meant to replace about 50K miles ago).
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 'Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!'

My first thought would be the brushes in the alternator, about a $40 fix with a new brush pack from the local imports parts store. When the alternator stops charging the dash lights act just like they do before you start the car ie. all on.

'86 was also in the latter years for the infamous degrading harness, insulation flakes off the wires causing all kinds of wierdness like you describe. If you look at the wires down by the oil filter (passenger's side front of engine) and see bare spots on the small red wire that feeds the alternator the harness has not been changed. There are 3 options for fixing the harness, dealer replacement ($$$$$) a used replacement harness (I have changed 3 in my bricks) or doing a wire by wire fix with solder and shrink tubing.

I hope it is the brush pack, but replacing the harness is fairly easy and not too much money, see my web page for pics of 2 of the jobs I did on my cars, yours would be the same as the '84.
Dave Shannon
Spring Valley, California (San Diego area)
'84-245 200K+
'84-245T 190K+ being dropped off this morning (YAY)
'85-244Ti 200K+
'86-740 230K+
'88-240 180K+
www.volvo2.homestead.com (Opens new window)

Dave Thanks for the webpage photos, they made the harness job a breeze. Even though its still not running right at least i know the harness is good lol.
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Dan D. '85 245 DL , '93 945 .Delanisdjd@aol.com