I have an 1986 240 DL wagon. Ten years ago the previous owner had the a/c converted to r134a. I believe he also added a condensor fan. Right now, the condensor fan is always running, even when I shut the car off. I believe the fan is turned on by a relay in the engine compartment but since I'm a wiring novice, I could use a little help.

Here is how it is wired.

The relay is a 4 lead relay made by Volkswagen with leads labeled 87, 85, 30, and 86. The 85 is wired to ground. The 30 goes to the "hot" strip next to the battery. The 86 wire has been cut and is not hooked to anything, and the 87 goes to a big green Resistor (also Volkswagen) and then to the condensor fan.

I found this diagram online which is similar except it says I should hook the 86 to ground and the 85 to the clutch wire.

http://personal.linkline.com/dbarton/FanDiagram/

1st question. Should the loose connection (86) just be spliced into the clutch wire or do I need to run that to ground and run the other wire to the clutch as per the diagram?

2nd question. Will replacing the relay cause the fan to stop running?

3rd question. I can get a $5 relay at Radioshack that looks the same except for an additional 87a lead in the middle. This will still fit in the connector. Will it still work although it isn't exactly what was there?


Sorry for the simple question but I'm going to school full time trying to finish a PhD, working part time, trying to raise 3 kids, and if I want to continue driving, I'm going to have to learn to be a Volvo mechanic. Thanks in advance, without your help I'd be back on the bus. :)