I'm sitting here trying to mellow out, listening to the LA group, Love, fronted by a guy named Arthur Lee (any of you other old timers remember Love no pun intended?). Why the need to mellow? I had one of those Volvo weekends from hell. Replaced the compressor (clutch burned up on the old one) on the '88 240GL and found I needed to remove the ps pump, splash guard, and most of the induction system. While under the car, I got a nasty surprise: one of the steering rack boots was ripped. Neither of the boots had the plastic ties that are supposed to keep them in place. I inspected the inner tie rod end on both sides. The one on the side with the torn boot looked great - new, in fact. There was some dirt on the ripped side, but the spherical joint itself still had grease around it. I cleaned everything out, packed both sides with new grease, and as a temporary measure, used duct tape on the split and secured both boots with heavy gauge electrical wire. I'll have to order new boots tomorrow. While under the car, I also discovered that the bushings and outer tie rod ends need replaced. I have those parts, but it looks like I'll be back under the '88 next weekend. At least I now have power steering!

That was not the end of my troubles - not by a long shot. I spilled a couple of ounces of ps fluid on my wife's nice aggregate cement drive. Man, I hope that absorbent gravel works on dextron III as well as it does motor oil. I discovered I have lost my favorite large crescent wrench. I think I left in a PnP yard. Oh well, somebody's in for a nice surprise! I thought I had lost my 1/4" drive ratchet, spent the whole day wishing I had it to help me get into tight places, and then while cleaning up, found it in the bottom compartment of my toolbox... in plain sight. While under the '88 at a critical juncture of reassembly, a huge rainstorm blew in. I was soaked to the bone! To help find solace with an easy accomplishment, I decided to repair the front of the glovebox, which has been loose since I've owned the car. Disassembly was a snap, then while scraping the old glue with a BRAND NEW cold chisel, I slipped and cut a nasty gash in my right index finger. I went inside to dress the wound, and discovered that we had run out of adhesive tape. Like any good FIYer, I used electrical tape. Somehow, it seemed appropriate. I went back downstairs and completed the job. By the way, I used the same GE silicone adhesive/sealant I used to replace the yellowed lenses on the car. Highly recommended.

Well, that has to be one man's quota of bad luck, right? Nope. I started the weekend trying to repair the inoperable brake lights on the 1990 240DL. The first thing I noticed that the resistance function on my little multimeter has stopped working. The circuits from the lights forward to the red "bulb out can" are ok, but I am having some problems with the brake light switch. Specifically, I am not sure I have located it! This car has cruise control. I found a vacuum switch for the cruise control, mounted to a bracket in plain sight, and actuated by the pedal arm. Like the brake light switch, two wires are attached to this switch. Unlike the brake light switch (according to my Haynes wiring diagram) this switch is ON when the pedal is up, and is turned OFF when the pedal is depressed. Does this single switch serve two purposes by controlling disengagement of the cruise and turning on the brake lights? Or, could there be ANOTHER switch higher on the pedal somewhere up in the nether regions under the dash? I felt around up there and seemed to encounter something that could be a simple limit switch, but in my state then, that could have been wistful thinking. In an attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, I pulled the red BOC to check for solder joint failures. No such luck - it looked perfect!

I'm looking for two things here, fellow volvophiles: sympathy, tempered with assurances that things can only get better, and an answer to the brake light switch mystery. Thanks, this has been cathartic!
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'88 240DL, '91 240