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3 years ago, not long after I got my 1994 940GL with just over 150,000km on the clock, the ignition module (also called the power stage or ignition transistor unit) failed. In line with Murphy's Law it failed at the worst possible time, namely in an underground tunnel linking the local sea port to the motorway, with 1 lane of traffic in each direction, so it caused a fair bit of disruption and stress!
Anyway, after having the car towed to the dealer, the faulty ignition module was diagnosed, and replaced. The Volvo dealer tried to save me some dollars and fitted an aftermarket ignition module, which was labelled "Intermotor 15015". This worked fine for another 50,000km or approx 3 years, and then it failed again this evening. Luckily this time I had a brand new Bosch replacement part (bought from FCP Groton) in the glovebox (figuring that lightning might strike twice!), and it was a relatively painless job replacing it myself. As suggested in the 700/900 FAQs I did resistance checks on the ignition coil and the measured values were in line with the guidelines.
I'm just surprised at the relatively short lifespan of the replacement Intermotor ignition module. What I believe to be the original Volvo/Bosch one lasted 9 years/150,000km so 3 years/50,000km for the replacement is 1/3 of the original lifespan. (Yes, there was heatsinking paste on the dealer fitted replacement part). Maybe Intermotor is a crap brand or aren't these parts very durable in general regardless of brand? Any idea how long these parts should typically last for ? Should I buy another one for my glovebox spares collection or am I being excessively paranoid?!
John
Christchurch NZ
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