This is an unusual request, not made lightly.

My dad (who spent most of his working life with one of the largest Volvo dealerships) has gotten too old to drive safely. Trouble is that his insight is not always there and he might be tempted to take a ride to the store.

Our family has talked to him about this for some time now. Truth is, I'm scared that he might loose his judgment and I'd like to disable his car to make sure that he doesn't take a ride and hurt someone. I disconnected the coil wire but he complained that he needs to start the car to keep the battery charged. I've since reconnected the coil. Besides, just sitting in the driveway with the engine running gives him a sense of well-being.

Any suggestions on a quick (reversible) 'drive-disable' that will allow him to turn the engine on once in a while? I know I could take the wheels off but I don't think the neighbors would appreciate it and I don't want to embarrass my father either. He has 1989 960 intercooled Turbo sedan.

I know this is a potentially controversial issue and it is not without mixed feelings that I write this. I am asking for technical advice only.

Thank you.
longhorizon

another other easy thing you could do if he knows how to do any type of troubleshooting is,break a post/lead off of the fuel pump relay.dremmel it smooth and you could fool just about anyone.or find a relay that doesn't require removal of panels.just pop the hood and swap is what you want.
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92-965-221k, 94-965-220k, 92-944t-211k

Many thanks for your thoughtful suggestions. For now I will go with the Club suggestion (so obvious; why didn't I think of it??). I'm sure he won't be pleased but in case he wants to go out for a ride (with one of us driving) it will be the easiest way to get the car going again.

Thanks again!

I have the exact same problem; my dad was a mechanic all his life - built custom cars, race cars, etc. It would be hard to 'disable' a vehicle in such a way that he couldn't get it running again in short order.

Dad turned 80 this year, and he's not in very good shape. He's had two major heart surgeries in the past year, and at the moment he has an infection behind his left eyeball that has made him virtualy blind on that side. Add the fact that he drinks 'way too much, and you can see that he's heading for disaster.

He has a whole bunch of cars at the moment, and I've tried to set things up so ha can't drive, but he manages to find a way no matter what I do. When I got all his car and truck batteries run down so nothing would start, he went out and started up an old golf cart he has and began driving it instead.

He lives out in the mountains, and finding him travelling at 15 mph on blind curves is bad. Even worse when he's wandered over to the wrong side of the road!

I have alerted the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles to have him tested again, hoping they will pull his license, even though I know it won't stop him from driving. He'll just drive with no license or insurance!

Dear Barongrey,

May this find you well. I empathize deeply. Might I suggest disconnecting the transmission linkages - wherever possible? This will make the cars immovable, but still allow the engines to be run.

Re-connecting the linkages will require jacking-up the cars and the handling of small parts. Jacking-up a car takes a certain amount of raw physical strength and coordination. Would that not prevent their being reactivated, even by a pro mechanic, with impaired vision?

Yours faithfully,

spook

you could do what i did to my sons car.he had to pay it off before it became his.find what fuse/fuses you want to pull and replace it it/them with a blown fuse.all looks in order.
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92-965-217k, 94-965-220k, 92-944t-205k, 83-242dl,totaled(8/04), 84-242GLT,totaled(2/03),83-245GLT,retired(03)

A length of log chain, a padlock and a tree would keep it from going anywhere and would be fairly inconspicuous ( could even roll it back and forth a few feet now and again to keep thedriveline seals from drying and the tires from getting flat moldy spots.
I was on the other end of that situation after a head injury a number of years back and couldn't drive for a couple of years. He won't be happy, but he'll thank you later.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD for sale

Good evening,
from my point of view the best way is something that will allow the drivebility of the car almost istantaneously in case of an emergency. The idea of the Club seems to me the easiest and cheaper one.
I might also suggest a permanent steering locking device that we use in Italy:
www.blindocar.it has a nice device and they will be happy to ship it in US.

Sincerely, Davide


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79 244 ; 91 240DL ; 91 POLAR ; 91 940SE Wagon

Interesting looking lock, but according to their list, it won't work on that car.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD for sale

How about "The Club" theft deterant that locks on the steering wheel. Or even better is the one that locks around the bottom of the steering wheel and on the break pedal. The latter is more discreet, so as not to cause your dad embarassment. And if someone did see it, he could say he'd heard about some cars being stolen in the area, and he wanted to make sure his was secure.

This is a tricky position you're in -- I don't envy you. Good luck.

Jeff
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'93 945 Turbo ( one kickass family car ! ) 197K miles, '92 Mercedes 190E (my daily driver) 170K miles, '85 Jeep CJ-7 w/ Fisher plow 225K miles, ’95 Lawn Chief

If you unplug the AMM, the car should start and idle fine, but won't run over ~15-20 mph. (This is known as the "limp home mode.")

If you decide to try this, be sure to unplug-replug the AMM with the KEY OFF.

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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Remember what dad did before he retired? All he has to do is replug it back in instant drive-ability.

Yeah, I saw that he retired from a Volvo dealership -- but he coulda been a salesman, accountant, vice president, president, owner -- none of those would likely know technical stuff, particularly concerning a 15 year old car.

OK, unplug the fuel suppression relay but leave the connector "almost connected" so it looks OK.

Or pull the ashtray and yank the fuel pump relay.

Or disconnect the crank sensor.

Or pull the fuel pump fuse.

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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Those ideas are way better than my mechanical idea of the gear linkage. Better than just removing a fuse, disconnect a wire on the underside of the fuse box. He'd never find that.

On the downside.... My ideas (except unplugging the AMM) disable the engine, and one of the criteria is that Dad can jump in and run the engine -- just not drive the car.

I wonder...... does an '89 have the electric gearshift lock?

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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Too bad it has an Air bag or you could just remove the steering wheel.
Any thoughts on placing a U bolt (Exhaust clamp)around the shifter and bolting it to something permanent and metal under the cover. This way the car could not be shifted out of park with out removing the u-bolt. Also a kill switch could be placed in the shifter area. When in park it is energized due to the button/ plunger being depressed.
If the shifter is moved out of park the plunger is released killing the motor instantly. Hook it up to the fuel pump power source. Just some ideas.

You did not mention if it was a manual or automatic. Easier (? - definitely won't unbalance things like trying to reconnect a driveshaft) than removing the driveshaft is that you could put the car in neutral, then disconnect where the shift lever connects below to the transmission control arm. It is just held in by a hex bolt, but you'll have to reach around the transmission and it is hard to see. Then press the cylinder that the bolt held in and the stick should flop around. (Check your shop manual first, this is from memory for a 740.)

A mirror is helpul, and maybe an assistant.

-Nathan

Dear squeaks,

Good p.m. You're on to something!! In the linkage on the AW-71 tranny, on the underside of the car, that connects the transmission shift lever, to the transmission, there are two pins. Could the AW30/43 trannies be the same?

On the AW-71 tranny, one of these pins,connects the bottom of the shift lever, with the metal linkage, that actually signals a gear shift, to the transmission. If I recall correctly, there is a E-clip, that secures this pin. Thus, you can remove the pin, separate the linkage, and put the pin back, securing it with its e-clip. That way, it won't get lost.

If you remove the pin, from the linkage, the transmission cannot be moved out of "park". The lever can be moved out of "park", but nothing will happen, as the lever will be disconnected from the transmission mechanism.

Thus, the engine can be turned on, but the car cannot be driven. Indeed, so long as the car is not parked pointing down an incline, it cannot be moved at all, until it jacked up, and the transmission linkage re-connected. This process will take about 15 minutes, so the car can be made road-worthy pretty quickly.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

The only sure way I can think of is to paint mark for orientation, and then remove the driveshaft.
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Gary Gilliam Sumerduck VA, '94 940 na Regina 150k, '86 240 180k