240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Bugjam1999]

All makes sense- you might be able to remove the heated seats image with some sort of solvent. There’s a guy on turbobricks that makes replacement stickers for the switches allowing full customisation, which might appeal.

I recommend swapping to a later style alternator adjustment bracket when you take the fan belts and pulley off- the b21 engine has a bracket that’s just a securing bolt in a slot, but the later brackets have a screwthread adjustment to get the belt to the right tension before tightening the securing bolt.

See post 9 on my project thread for a photo of the two together

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=268976

Makes sense to swap the sensors until you’re happy- I’d suggest not pushing the sensor all the way ‘home’ but leaving it out just a bit, so you can get a tool onto it to remove it- they are a very tight fit. In retrospect I’m glad mine worked out as expected, since I’m not convinced I’ll be able to remove it!

Cheers

Originally Posted by Othen

Many thanks. I’ll try out the 50050, but I’m happy to do some experimentation, that is the beauty of such a simple car as the Royal Barge. The override switch will allow me to experiment a bit as well.

Thank you for the idea about using a spare indicator light - I’ve decided to go for a Volvo ‘heated seats’ switch that illuminates, which I think will be a good solution.

Best wishes,

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

All makes sense- you might be able to remove the heated seats image with some sort of solvent. There’s a guy on turbobricks that makes replacement stickers for the switches allowing full customisation, which might appeal.

I recommend swapping to a later style alternator adjustment bracket when you take the fan belts and pulley off- the b21 engine has a bracket that’s just a securing bolt in a slot, but the later brackets have a screwthread adjustment to get the belt to the right tension before tightening the securing bolt.

See post 9 on my project thread for a photo of the two together

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=268976

Makes sense to swap the sensors until you’re happy- I’d suggest not pushing the sensor all the way ‘home’ but leaving it out just a bit, so you can get a tool onto it to remove it- they are a very tight fit. In retrospect I’m glad mine worked out as expected, since I’m not convinced I’ll be able to remove it!

Cheers

Do you think it would be watertight if not pushed all the way home?

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Do you think it would be watertight if not pushed all the way home?

Alan

No, once the pressure in the cooling system rises, it will get blown out. Makes a hell of a row like a heavy duty champagne cork popping.

Then coolant gets thrown round the whole engine bay!

The seal has an internal groove to fit round the slight lip on the switch body, amazingly that is enough to hold it in.
That was on an Austin Ambassador, later models (Mini, Rover 800, Jag XJ40 etc) had a plastic retainer, two sorts available, one was a slotted one that slid into place and the other was a bayonet ring. A smear of RTV sealant helps to not only seal it but to hold things in place.

However, some silicone grease on the switch while in the experimental stages would work well, the groove in the seal does hold it in but the silicone grease, should you need to change it, makes life easier to pop the switch out by running a terminal driver round the edge of the switch to ease the switch out.

[Bugjam1999]

I’d recommend using the seal that’s already in the radiator, since that extends both sides of the hole in the radiator to grip it- this will be fairly obvious when you take the plug out and compare the seal already there and the seal that comes with the sensor.

I’d expect that the sensor pushed nearly all the way in, but not quite so you can get a screwdriver behind it if necessary to remove it (as suggested above) will be watertight, but a zip tie through the radiator fins and looped over the sensor would work as a safety- look half way down this page, someone has done the same with a length of silver wire as a temporary fix:

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Cooling.html

Oh- thermostat, I’d still check it, even though the car does eventually get up to temperature it could be failing to close properly or half broken etc. Easy to test in a pan of water.

Cheers

[Othen]

The postie didn't bring much this morn, so I've just completed one little job: the instruments lights are back to standard. It didn't take long to fit new BA7s bulb holders and bulbs.

Bits and pieces are arriving, but not enough to complete another whole job from my list...

I've decided to go with just the fog lights for the time being (I think the driving lamps above the bumper will make the front look too cluttered, and now I've sorted out the headlamps I'm not sure I need them). I have everything I need to install except a relay, so once Bob and I have been for his second walk I may mount the lamps back under the bumper and install all the wiring up to where the relay will go.

Bis spaeter...

[Othen]

Just a new air filter fitted today - the old one did look a bit manky.

I think I have enough bits and pieces accumulated to finish the fog lamps tomorrow :-)

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

... the numbers on the cables in the diagram refer to AWG so the 14 next to the wire refers to 14 AWG which is just over 2mm^2

A few points that might help when working it all out, the full beam uses the 55W filament in the H4 lamps and the the H3 (usually) lamps in the auxiliary lights are 55W each.
That's rated at 12V though, remember when the engine is running and the alternator is charging, the voltage will be 14V so the output will be around 66W on each.

That said, if you look on pg3 of the pdf wiring diagram i linked to previously, (also pg30) you will see the driving lamps are simply connected in parallel with the outer main beam filaments. I'd suggest 2.5mm stranded or 28/0.30, although on a short run you'd probably get away with 14/0.30 :

To save confusion on the front fog lamp wiring, here's what i would do.

Run a +ve feed from the sidelight circuit to the front fog lamp switch. Use a relay with a flywheel diode and also use a series diode (1N4000 series is fine) in the switched feed from the switch output.

A relay like this is what i mean with a flywheel diode.

From the switch, go through the diode (the series diode, not the one in the relay) to terminal 86 on the relay. Take a cable from terminal 85 on the relay to the main beam feed.
Run a 15A fused feed from battery +ve to terminal 30 on the relay and then from termial 87, run two feeds, one to each front fog lamp. This should go to the flying lead on the lamp, there is a tab on the holder for the erth terminal. Run an earth wire from the light to a convenient earth point, usually the mounting bolt of the light is a good point if it's on the bumper.
In diagram form :

Hope that makes sense and is useful!

Hi Dave,

I know the above was some time ago, but I'm just getting round to doing it (tomorrow, I think I have all all the components).

I'm just looking for somewhere to tap into the high beam, it looks to me (from pp30 of the excellent wiring diagrams you sent me some time ago) that the white/red wire from post 56a of the lighting relay that goes off to the high beam telltale lamp in the instruments would be best - this looks simple enough, but I don't want to start cutting wires I don't need to.

I had a look at the problem this afternoon and have based my plan on that excellent diagram you sent previously, the only simplification is to take the 12v switch feed from the rear fog lamp, which sits next to it in the fascia, rather than the side lamp cct, like this:



(all credit to you).

If you do know the answer about the colour of the high beam feed wire, then that would be much appreciated, but if not I'm sure it wont take me long to sort out tomorrow.

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Yes, that would work Alan. I assume you're running small cables from inside the cabin to the relay under the bonnet to keep the heavy cable runs as short as possible?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Yes, that would work Alan. I assume you're running small cables from inside the cabin to the relay under the bonnet to keep the heavy cable runs as short as possible?

Thank you Dave.

Exactly that, the switch that is already there (the Volvo looking one, although I suspect it may be from another manufacturer because it is not illuminated) already has a 2 wire loom attached that leads through the bulkhead to nearby the coil. These are fairly fine, but they will only be carrying a small current.

I’ll put the relay close to the electrical distribution bar on the left wing and use some heavier flex. The cable run down to the lights will be longest, but only a couple of feet. I was planning to just run a single cable to the lights and have the -ve return via body earth close to the lights. I think that will be adequate, although it would hardly be any more work to use some 2 core and bring the -ve return back to an earth close to the battery -ve post connection.

Do you think I have the right wire for the high beam connection (white/red).

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Do you think I have the right wire for the high beam comnnection (white/red).

Alan

I think so Alan but double-check which powers up with a 12V test lamp when you switch full beam on.