|
You can see by my user name that I have 4 Volvos and on some days, plenty of trouble. I have a number of questions so here goes:
1. 1987 245
Electrical short? One night 7 electrical circuits died at once. The engine still ran, but I had no interior light, no emergency flashers, no brake lights, no head lights, no dash lights, no radio. The only things that worked were the radio, the turn signals, and the heater fan. As I checked the fuses, which were fine, the fuel pump fuse was sparking if I tried to move it or rotate it in its housing. I even checked the fuel pump itself to see if it was shorting out or the ground wire was off, but it wasn't. After spending 6 freezing hours on my driveway trying to find the problem, I gave up! As I put the parts and relays under the dash back together again, I moved the wires behind the fuse box and the electrical system came back to life! What gives? What is my problem, exactly and how can I fix it permanently so it doesn't happen again? I did find some wires with crumbling insulation at a junction box located at the top of the engine comparment, near the windshield, and re-taped the wires carefully, but it didn't change anything. The lights were still "out" until I moved the wires behind the fuse box.
Rear window defroster doesn't work, so I bought the repair kit and the repair spots (that epoxy stuff) fell off the window in a few days. Yes, I had first cleaned the glass very carefully with window cleaner and then alcohol. Now what?
2. 1984 245
The "battery" light on dash flashes on and off with the rhythm of the turn signals. Alternator voltage reads about 14 volts. What is wrong? Never have trouble starting that car. In fact, the last battery I had in it lasted 10 years, which is fabulous in this cold Canadian climate! That battery, by the way, was a Delco bought at Costco.
The rear window wiper won't stop! Other people have written in about the motor failing, but mine won't shut off! I have pulled out the fuse for the moment, so that the motor doesn't burn itself out, but it leaves me with no radio for the time being. I located the relay for the front wipers, but can't find the one for the rear wiper. There is a large rust hole just above the motor itself in the tailgate, and I was wondering if water in the motor could be the problem, or the terminals rotted or shorting out, but how do I get the motor off to check? A visual inspection turned up nothing, as I can't see the top of the motor, only the underside (the view from having removed the upholstered cover of the tailgate itself.) However, water is nonexistent in this cold snap we are having,(more like ice) and my problem just began this week.
3. 1989 240
The electric door locks won't function any more. Where is the relay box located? The problem is definitely not in the individual switches in the doors. If it is not the relay, what could it be? Yes, I checked the fuses right away and they are okay.
There is a "whistling" noise which rises and falls with acceleration. My mechanic tells me he still owes me a manifold gasket from the job he did when he replaced my head gasket last year, so could this be the source of the whistling?
|
