Any Advice, Part 2!

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Chris152

we have headlamp reflectors to do next.

I forget which 240 you have. Assuming a usual model. Begin to apply penetrant e.g. Plus Gas now and daily to all the headlamp retaining nuts, three per headlamp as I remember. If you do this diligently and over a period of time, the nuts should undo very nicely and easily. Well, they did that for me.

Otherwise, see the many tales of woe in forum threads.

Enjoy.



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[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Thanks Dave - I've read Haynes and it doesn't mention raising the engine at all, but that might just be one of their little omissions. We're in no hurry, so will do as you say, get some miles on once we can and continue to change the fluid. And yes, first time we tried to change the fluid we did short journeys and lots of turns, but following your advice want to put some miles in before each replacement.

OK, we have headlamp reflectors to do next, then it's on to the rear shocks. One's self-levelling, the other's not, apparently. I believe self levelling is better, so will order some of those (apparently best to do both). Do we want the gas filled kind - does gas filled mean self levelling?

Thank again.

If Haynes doesn't mention lifting the engine Chris there's a good chance you don't have to. When i said "some cars" i meant some from the whole lot of different cars available everywhere, not just Volvo. I know on my Rover it's easier to lift the engine a little but apparently can be done without it but it's a lot harder.

You're are brave man tackling headlamp reflectors! It's not the job itself, it's removing and refitting the lens that presents the possible problems. Broken a couple of lenses in my time literally by accident, nothing i did wrong, just happened.

As for your dampers, if you have one self-leveling and one normal it shouldn't have passed the MoT like that.

If you can find new self-leveling dampers you'll be looking at ~£700 for the pair.

A new pair of normal (non self-leveling) dampers is likely to be £50-100 depending on whether they're gas or oil filled.

There is another problem that you haven't mentioned, that's the springs. If someone fitted a normal damper to a spring designed for self-leveling, it's almost certainly dead by now and the rear will be sagging.
Likewise if the side with the self-leveling damper has a weak damper, that also will be sagging.

On that basis i would suggest finding a new pair of normal springs and a new pair of dampers and fitting those.
As for gas or oil filled, this is where it can get confusing. Both have oil in, the gas ones also have gas to give improved response and a little more cushioning.

Out of the two, the gas ones will give a better ride and control over undulating surfaces but will be dearer, the oil filled ones will do the job nicely if budget restrictions don't permit gas ones at this stage.

However, if you're saving £700 on not buying a new pair of Nivos then a few quid extra for gas filled dampers shouldn't be a problem!

[Stephen Edwin]

David is the first pwerson I have heard brave enough to admit breaking headlamp lenses. Respect to David. But then I guess he has changed many.

Thinking back including to the posts of experience you will find in the forum there are three possible little difficulties in changingthe reflectors.

Those headlamp securing nuts ccupy a lot of space and time in the forum. My technique of diligently applying penetrating oil worked for me.

The clips that secure the reflectors can "fly off" in directions. I did the job in the load area of the estate, a contaned area.

There are some anchorage plastic clips not included with most reflector kits. They rarely survive the job. Be sure to have new ones ready.

Subject to such little points as those, it's an easy job to change reflectors. Well. Simplistic me managed it. Just be methodical.

If you need more assurance, just search the forum. Those are the only three issues I have seen reported about doing the job.

Enjoy !!!!


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[Stephen Edwin]

P.S. Chris ...

Whilst doing the simple reflectors change job, enjoy a few coffees, and ahem, reflect, that if you paid a garage to do it they would very likely be learning the job, at your expense .....


ENJOY !!!!




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[Chris152]

Thanks both.

Hm. 'You're are brave man tackling headlamp reflectors!' In my case, 'brave' could also be read as 'foolish'! I only found one video that was at all helpful showed removal and refitting of the clips, and highlighted the danger of prizing against the lens - are there other stages that can lead to breaking the glass? Apart from dropping it...

Stephen, I'll start looking for anchorage plastic clips, I'd certainly not heard that. [Edit - I can't find any reference to them in the shops - any suggestions? Thanks.]

On the shocks, Dave - it all seems balanced at the back, I'm wondering if the garage had it right - I'd no idea how expensive self-levelling ones are and can't think why anyone would have wrongly fitted one at that cost. So we'll replace both with gas ones, the price difference from oil is minimal.

Anyway, got to go spray stuff on the headlamp nuts!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Thanks both.

Hm. 'You're are brave man tackling headlamp reflectors!' In my case, 'brave' could also be read as 'foolish'! I only found one video that was at all helpful showed removal and refitting of the clips, and highlighted the danger of prizing against the lens - are there other stages that can lead to breaking the glass? Apart from dropping it...

Stephen, I'll start looking for anchorage plastic clips, I'd certainly not heard that. [Edit - I can't find any reference to them in the shops - any suggestions? Thanks.]

On the shocks, Dave - it all seems balanced at the back, I'm wondering if the garage had it right - I'd no idea how expensive self-levelling ones are and can't think why anyone would have wrongly fitted one at that cost. So we'll replace both with gas ones, the price difference from oil is minimal.

Anyway, got to go spray stuff on the headlamp nuts!

When fitting the lens back, getting the first clips on is the time when mine cracked, luckily i had a spare lens but if i hadn't i would have been up the creek without a paddle with a canoe stuck in a painful place sideways!

Better to leave it until it's generally warmer if possible so the plastic housing is more flexible and compliant for all parts of the procedure.

On the dampers Chris, it's more likely that someone fitted a normal damper to scrape it through the MoT, as far as i'm aware though it shouldn't have passed with two wildly different dampers but maybe they just went on the "leaking or not" idea.

If you're replacing with normal dampers, you need to replace the springs with the normal sort as well or the back end will sag badly and kill the new dampers in short order.
The springs for self-leveling dampers are much softer and longer to allow the back end to move more to pump up the self-leveling dampers.

They never worked even when new as they would only bring the ride height "within 30mm of unladen" if there was a load on - to me that does not constitute self-leveling!
To me, self-leveling would restore the ride height to the same as it was unladen.

I know that the 7xx series Nivos are NLA from Volvo, some places have old stock but few and far between. I suspect the same will apply to the 2xx series.

[Chris152]

Ok, thanks Dave. I'm going to try to get pics of the two dampers when this horrid weather passes, can you tell if one really is self-levelling by looking at them?
(I just went through all the paperwork that came with the car - it was one owner and he was very fastidious, tho that doesn't mean things didn't disappear - and can only find three references to shock absorbers - one is to both front being replaced ages back, one ref to 2 x 'gas springs' being done in 2007 at £36 each, and one to o/s rear shock absorber being replaced in 2017 at £39, labour £44. I'm putting costs in as I guess they're cheap, so would indicate that they're not self-levelling? So unless the car came with self levelling there's no indication it was fitted later. Just me rambling, no idea really!)

[loki_the_glt]

Perhaps the rear shock absorbers are Monroe Ride-Levellers, which use a conventional Schroeder (bicycle) valve and small-bore pipe to raise the damper height; my GLT has them. There would be a pressure gauge and valve in the load area while the plumbing is very discreet.

If there's no rear anti-roll bar then this is the likeliest set-up, as the ARB was deleted if the Monroes were the original set-up; my GLT has the ARB so was probably retro-fitted with them and a tow-bar.

Over time they lose their damping but seem to come back to life when re-inflated. And they DO raise the rear of the car quite markedly.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Ok, thanks Dave. I'm going to try to get pics of the two dampers when this horrid weather passes, can you tell if one really is self-levelling by looking at them?
(I just went through all the paperwork that came with the car - it was one owner and he was very fastidious, tho that doesn't mean things didn't disappear - and can only find three references to shock absorbers - one is to both front being replaced ages back, one ref to 2 x 'gas springs' being done in 2007 at £36 each, and one to o/s rear shock absorber being replaced in 2017 at £39, labour £44. I'm putting costs in as I guess they're cheap, so would indicate that they're not self-levelling? So unless the car came with self levelling there's no indication it was fitted later. Just me rambling, no idea really!)

Yes, there's a big difference between a normal damper (even a gas on) and a Nivo (self-leveling) so they're fairly easily identified.

Both front dampers will be the McPherson strut inserts, the 2 "gas springs" will likely be the tailgate struts and one O/S/R damper for £39 is likely an oil filled damper.
The likelihood is the car came with self-leveling rear suspension, hence the suggestion one is a Nivo and the other is a normal damper.

All those dates are way too late for the dampers to be Monroe Load Levelers as Loki suggests, as far as i've been able to ascertain they went out of production in the late 90s and weren't self-leveling, they had to be pumped up via the Schrader valve as Loki says.

Because of the cost, there is almost zero chance of self-leveling rear dampers being retrofitted so if you have one on the rear, it's almost certainly original. If so that suggests the rear springs are original and therefore the softer, longer ones ONLY suitable for Nivos.

[Stephen Edwin]

Chris. Re headlight headamp reflectors. I am cogitating what can most usefully be said. However you will already be searching the forum already for the wisdom of members with experience of the reflectors. In learning about maintaining the 240 the forum search facility is the invaluable first port of call. Kushti. Otherwise you suffer from the ideas of Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber.