Hello all. I am a new member out here in Houston, Tx. I was looking to buy a 1989 240DL wagon. I bought a 83 240DL wagon from the same guy but it got totaled when I was hit by a drunk driver on 5/31. Anyways, I went to look at the 89 today. I let it idle for a while, then it started with the black smoke. It seemed to get worse the longer it ran. The man told me some sensors were bad and if replaced them would stop the black smoke. I was wondering if this is the case or if the black smoke is a sign for me to look elsewhere. The car only has 170k on it, and the 83 i bought from him before had 235k (I drove it from Houston TX to Newark NJ and back without missing a beat!). Thanks for your time y'all! Hope to hear something as i'm a bit skeptical about buying it.

This year of car has a self diagnostic computer that should be able to give you a fault code that will tell you if any of the sensoprs are bad! It is under the hood. Do you have a manual that will tell you how to use it? If you not sure if it is the o2 sensor or not, but want to try it. You can buy one for a 1980+- volvo that should have only one wire and should only be around $15.00. If you have an autozone down there they will lend you the right socket to remove it. You can make your own wiring harness for this procedure out of, I think, 18 gauge wire. Ignore the other two smaller wires for the time being as they ony preheat the sensor. Before you remove the sensor make sure the system is warmed up as it will help the o2 sensor come out. I hope you are only considering doing all this 'cause the price is right!
Good luck

I guess it could be many things. But my '89 gave me a Check Engine Light on the dash and billowed black smoke because the Oxegen Sensor was NG.
Changed the sensor (not cheap) changed the very gassy oil and the fouled plugs and It's been good for many years.

The Computers are known to be flakey in the '89-90 cars. I have a spare Computer but have yet to need it ( 255000 miles on my car). That may cause a rich fuel issue.
I wouldn't abandon the idea, I ask why the guy hasn't fixed the sensors himself.

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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

Before making a buying decision, ask him to replace the sensors (cheap) and see if it still smokes. Black smoke usually indicates it is running rich. You need to find out why it smokes before buying. Also evaluate the condition of the rest of the car and factor that in when making your decision....

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90 244DL 253K - original engine/drivetrain :)

I'd be skeptical. I'm sure there are alot of nice old Volvo's in Huston. Here in N.W. Ohio they become rust buckets if you don't keep the winter salt off them.

If you getting it a killer price, great condition (other than black smoke) and the engine isn't noisy, then maybe its worth it. It could be running rich because of (as previously posted) the AMM (expensive) or temperature sensor (inexpensive), but it would idle rough when first started cold from temp sensor and all the time with AMM. If you don't have a rough idle, it could be as simple as a clogged flame trap, which will push oil out the oil filler cap (check for oily engine) and engine seals (not to say thats the only issue). I picked up my 740 at half market value because of oil leaking(simply dirty flame trap) and bad flex plate. Fixed myself and have been driving reliably for 6 years now.

You might want to pay a little and have a mechanic look at it to make certain there is not a major problem and then make a determination from there. Take a look at the FAQ section of the brickboard, it may give you some tips, even though primarily for 940 and 740, the engines are basically the same as 240.

Gary

It depends. If he has up to date service records and receipts, then it would be worth considering at a fair price ( reduced from the asking price, minus the estimate cost of making it run correctly) as it probably needs an AMM ,engine temp sensor, FPR or other service.
If he has no records, and it has been neglected and run like that for a while,then consider it a parts car and worth only a couple of hundred depending on the shape of the body and interior.

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Gary Gilliam Sumerduck VA, '94 940 na Regina 150k, '86 240 180k