My trusty 86 240 wagon crapped out last night and was towed to a local garage. Probably an alternator. Usually I would do that job in a heartbeat and use our spare car, but......

Had two other options to drive - a recent 740 purchase on jack stands that I had just put a new exhuast and neutral safety swich on, or a 1993 850 with bad brakes and bald tires. Went with the 850 and succeded in the rescue mission. Normally I tow cars home and fix them myself, but I still had the 740 on stands, so the 240 went to my favorite local guys and I was tired from doing an entire exhaust system!

After that debacle, last night I brought the 740 down off stands, gave it new trans fluid (had changed the kick cable on it) and got it roadworthy for this morning's commute for my sister. Test drove it around to get the new exhuast smell off it and see how it was running - fine no problem. No leaks this morning from the new trans gasket and she fired right up.

Car is driven 15 miles away, parked and the then will not re-start?? Shifter linkage and the new neutral safety switch are not functioning after being replaced by me? No way!!! Maybe the o-ring pin holder on the linkage has fallen off?? My other thought is a possible ignition switch failure?? I just had put the new rubber bush in the linkage and had the neutral saftey switch cleanly installed - I noticed some play in the shifter housing but nothing more than usual on other 240s and 740s I have worked on. The previous owner did not disclose this non-starting issue before purchase (ebay) and it had not started the day we bought it - owner then showed how they started it by moving the shifter. I assumed it had to be a worn sfatey switch and bought the car. The 740 is now towed to a local garage in Oxford (15 miles from me) and is being worked on today.

Two cars towed in less than 12 hours and I am not working on either one! Ahhhgggggg! I'm now out to the garage to put new brakes and a front set of tires on my beater 93 850 - the only car left running! Why do breakdowns happen in bunches? Waiting for the third breakdown in the triad!!

Ahhhggggggggggggggggggggggggg!


Bob Weber
55 Volvos since 1979
95 850 138K (140 miles away)
93 850 166K (running with bad tires and brakes)
90 740 145K (sitting at a garage or on a tow truck)
86 240 142K ( sitting at garage #2 waiting for repair)