I'm looking at a 92 240 4 door for my wife. I presently drive an 85 BMW 325e 2 door and I know of a volov down the street from me that is in decent condition. I haven't taken it for a test drive yet, I might try it out tomorow.

It has 130K miles on it and the carfax came back clean.
Its an automatic transmission, the owner, a 20 year old girl has had it in a shop constantly for repairs on the engine, I think the mechanic is stupid and doesn't know what he is doing. If I buy the car I'll do the same I do for my bmw and get the bently or haynes manual.

What are some key points to look for in these cars? I know the usual things about checking the body & suspension etc. But what are the trouble spots I should examine closely?

Also, is this car maintenace intensive? I know with my BMW I do a little every weekend but thats because I put 900 miles a week on it, its almost worn out the syncros are gone for my 2nd gear and its only 180K miles.

What are the typical repairs I should expect with this car, how often does the timing belt need to be replaced?

Also being rear wheel drive It is heavier than my car, how well does it handle in the snow? I drove mine all winter and just threw some sand bags in the trunk for extra weight.

Also what about the automatic transmission, I tend to stay away from them if at all possible, I just don't like them. Do they last awhile? or is 130K too much for a possible original transmission?


TIA
~bigmoose

I have a 1992 240 for the last 3 years. It has been a great car, with very few problems. I have been able to do all the maintainence myself. I have not changed the timing belt yet, it only has 88k on it. However, I find it to be not so good in the snow. Good luck.

Thanks alot for the info. So this car isn't any more nickle & dime than my BMW ;-). Its nice to know that if the timing belt goes in this it doesn't mean a whole new top end for the engine. LIke you guys said I will do a test drive, without the owner in it. But I won't go so hard that I'll have to buy the car from being my abusive self on cars. ANd I'll take it to my dads place and put it on jack stands (too cheap to pay to get it on a lift) and inspect the under side.

Do you recomend going to synthetic? I run amsoil 10w-30 in the BMW and i go 5K filter changes & 10K oil changes. What about servicing the transmission. I doubt its been serviced at all, or since the first owner sold it. If I service it (I mean take it to a shop and have the flush the torque converter as well) weill it ruin it? I know bimmers have that problem if it hasn't been serviced don't service it.

Assuming nothing has been done, what kind of shopping spree do I need to do? and where is the best place to get parts? I know theeurodepot.com doesn't stock volvo's in the junk yard :-(

RWD isn't that bad. I drive route 2 in vermont all winter with a RWD car and never went off the road, in fact I was pissed that awd subarus were going slower than me ... like 25 when they can safely do 35 or 40. ... but anyways thats just the rules of that road ... if your in a hurry nobody goes the minimum speed limit.

Also with my BMW being the eta model I still get 31 mpg on the interstate and still have balls enough to pass on a 2 lane highway if I need to.

Anything else I might have forgotten or thatyou guys might have forgotten?

btw it has a small bit of rust but I'm used to it, my car has it too. This is only a temp. car for my wife & baby, 2 or 3 years max and she only drives about 10K miles / year.


~bigmoose

TIA

1) snow - Get 4 Nokia Hakkapaletta snow tires or Yoko Gaurdex Snows and you will do fine.
2) Synthetic oil - After 130K the engine is loaded with goo at the seals acting as an exrea sealing surface. If you do run synth, be prepared to change uit at 3500-5000 to clean out the goo that has been flushed out by the synth. And then get ready for seal leaks, which can be taken care of at the 150K timing belt change.

3) Rust - 1 answer - POR 15! They make kits for floorboards and trunks and the basic $36.00 kit will take care of the rest. Pull the trunk plastic on the right side and check the wheel arch to body seams and same on left side, front fenders just behind the wheel and the same on the rear.

4) 92's have Anti Locks and if they don't get 12v it fails but brakes still work. AW70/71 tranny is bullet proof, just flush it every 30K. Toss the original Radiator and get a all metal 3 row Modine or Nissen. Check the wiring harness under the front of the engine and at the alternator for corrosion/damage as well as the air box thermostatic switch for proper functioning.

5) radio/speakers suck-toss 'em..
6) R-134A AC. Works OK, but if the condenser goes replace it with a larger one with a vertical pipe pattern that allows R134A molecules to move easier (less friction=more cooling).
7) Buy an extra AMM on ebay and keep it for the night the original goes south, cheap and beats driving home at 12 mph!
8) Buy a REAL JACK!!and a REAL SPARE!!!
9)Buy the Track Top arm rest w/ cupholder if you really drive 900 miles a week (former 1K a week commuter that I am 8=)
10) Don't worry about an alarm/anti theft-25 yrs in NYC in #1 precinct for Auto Theft I have lost 1 POS radio while my neighbors Lexus/Infiniti/SUV has been RAPED countless times...

Don't count on it being a temporary car...If you are like any of us - you will be hooked on the 240's utilitarian and modern design, mechanical simplicity and longevity, and resource communities like brickboard. Cars you never noticed before - a yellow 79 wagon, a black 93 Classic, an 83 rust heap with 480K miles on it running around a college town in the Northeast as though it was new - you will now look twice, or three times. You will check the mileage of Volvos you walk by on the street...

Anyway, you pose some good questions. If there aren't many responses, you may want to post them again. Brickboard gets dozens of posts a day and this will probably move into "archives" (or at least off the first page) later today.

I am also tempted to move to synthetic for longevity reasons. My 244 loses no oil whatsoever right now, and I am hesitant to move to synthetic an have it find my tiny leaks.

As for gas mileage, I just drove the 244 from San Diego to San Francisco and back last weekend, and I got 28mpg. I'd like to do better, but it is a heavy car and a large 4cyl engine. I usually get about 24 driving around town. My fiance's 245 got about 26-27mpg on a cross-country drive last summer (Northampton MA to San Francisco CA) with an absolutely FULL load - I was absolutely impressed with how that car did.

Best of luck.
-pu
--
((1992 244, 100K)) ((1987 245, 270K)) San Diego

240's are great! A 245 (i.e. a wagon) is greater. I have a '91 240 these days, and it is a super car. Recently the wiper motor died, so I went to the local "pick and pull" and got another, installed it, and now I'm back in business for nearly nothing. That illustrates a real advantage of the 240 series in that Volvo made nearly 3 million of them and really made few changes in body parts and many accessories, i.e. wiper motors. If something breaks, it is generally easy to find for cheap in a bone yard. Many yards have a complete Volvo section.

As to your trans question, I have a 740 wagon with the identical transmission, the AW70. I have logged 230k on it with nothing more than routine maintenance. Those things shift strong and last as long as the car(almost).

Finally, please double check a posting by "aye roll." He is a very knowledgable sourse, but I believe he mistated (or I misread) his suggestion for oil seal changes. I think he meant to say that the front oil seals and timing belt tensioner should be changed with every other belt change (not oil change). Certainly, that is what I have done through five Volvos and with good results.

The great thing is between the manuels and the brickboard I have yet to be totally stumped. These guys here know a lot of liitle tips that local mechanics around here anyway don't know. The only other thing I can add is to maintain the undercoating of the car. You can buy cans of undercoating spray even at Wal-mart. My 86/dl has far less rust than my wife 98 Chevy because of this. I tried to tell her! And the automatic transmitions are almost bomb proof from my experience. I've got 187,00 on one and 182,000 on another with no problems.."knock on wood". Good luck Sean in Taxachusetts

In general, the 240 is a tough, simple car. There's very little on it that you won't be able to service yourself. You probably won't even need much in the way of extra tools, if you're already servicing your BMW with success.

Rust is the worst possibility, but this car's a bit new to have any trouble with it. Even here, where EVERYTHING rusts, my '88s are just starting to show the beginning signs. 15 years is pretty darn good in Connecticut winters.

The automatic is a 4-spd overdrive unit made by Aisin-Warner: it's a Japanese improvement on a Borg-Warner. They're strong and simple. This particular unit is an AW70. They do not have electronic controls, but they do have a relay and solenoid to activate 4th gear (overdrive). OD ought to be in use when you select Drive, and you turn it on or off with a button on the side of the shifter. If the light (an up arrow) is on all the time, it means the relay needs a little work. It should engage smoothly above 40 mph under normal driving. I personally prefer 5-speeds, but Volvo's automatic is decent and responds well to shifting manually. (I have 1 5-speed and 3 automatics, they followed me home.) The automatic is good for at least twice the mileage on the car now, and the engine should be good for 3X, over 300K anyway before major work.
As for scheduled maintenance, the regular items are a tuneup every 30K: plugs, cap rotor air filter. Regular 3K oil changes. Timing belt service every 50K (100K for 93+ 4-cylinder cars). It's not critical and it's not an interference engine- belts have been known to go 100K anyway, and they're only $22 from the dealer, much less aftermarket. Fuel filter -100K, usually also replace the timing belt tensioner and oil seals every other oil change. There are a couple of other little $5 services that should be done as needed but we can go over those items if you get the car.
Basically the car improved through the years, and a 92 is almost as new as you can find.
It would be worthwhile to get the car on a lift before purchase so you can evaluate a few things: engine oil leaks, transmission tailshaft leaks, pinion seal leaks, front end joints and bushings, and rear suspension bushings. Also lets you look at the exhaust and inspect the brakes so you know how much work to budget for.
Prices are generally cheap for most items- see www.fcpgroton.com for a good price list for typical maintenance items. About the only things that can cost serious money on this car are the Air Mass Meter ($300 new) and the heater fan ($75+ about 8 hours labor if you pay someone to do it).
Compare prices and if it's a reasonable price, get it! See www.bargainnews.com and www.theautowerkes.com for a comparison.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 220K, 87 244DL- 230K, 88 744GLE- 198K, 91 244 180K, 88 244GL 145K

Rob, so you don't scare the guy, you meant to say replace the timing belt tensioner and oil seals every other BELT CHANGE -- right?

I'd say you'd want to drive it and check it out beforehand, even if you think the mechanic's idiocy is the only reason it was in the shop. I can't help much with stuff to look for, but I do have some comments about your latter questions. I presume Volvos handle well in the snow. Front wheel drive is used in many situations because it's easier and "safer" to drive, but then I point out to my friends that the 240s are RWD and they're made for SWEDEN! As long as you don't do anything stupid, like deliberately over-accelerating while turning in a blizzard (something I'd do), I think the car will drive fine. My auto transmission is 14 years old with about 105K miles on it and works pretty much fine. I don't think 130K would be too much if the car has been well cared-for. Lots of Brickboards have bricks with many more miles on them than 130K.

If this car has the VX Cam it is a good engine, good on the highway and quite economical. I have had to replace quite a lot on mine which has done less miles. Mainly the Air Mass Metre and a range of others BOSCH sensors and all brakes and shock..... Still it is a nice car when it is running well. The main problem I have had is because of mechanics who didn't know the car. Now we have someone who does it makes a big difference.