240 General: Mpg

[CaptainAhab]

That sounds like your viscous coupling is shot and the fan is on all the time.

[Jungle_Jim]

There's a recent discussion about viscous coupling fan vs electric fan on this thread...

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=266475

This also links to another good thread about fan conversions
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=149127

It's just a shame that many of the photos on those threads are not displaying anymore.

It looks like a replacement viscous coupling hub for a 240 isn't super cheap - can't see one under £78 on ebay - so as 200 series parts get more rare, electric fan conversions may be more common, particularly using cheap 2nd hand fans from later cars.

John

[BrianH]

Viscous hubs can loosend. Use a screwdriver to see if its free by inserting the flat it into the spring and rotating.

It should rotate easily. If not use a release. If not cover hub in hot water and if necessary boil on the cooker.

Evan got a spare now

[AlexO]

Basically what everyone else has said!

I find I get 32-35MPG on long journeys relatively unladen on the motorway but most of my motorway driving is with a couple of racing dinghies hanging off a heavy double trailer on the back so I'm happy to get 28-30 in that instance. If I'm pottering round home/work I'm happy to average 25

That's on a '92 B230F, 180K miles this year, LH2.4 with an electric fan conversion (makes a huge difference). Don't underestimate the value of fresh transmission fluid if you're running an auto as well, over reving isn't good if you're not changing gears on time.

Alex

[morsing]

Originally Posted by Antz

Also, you wont need V Power in it. It wont do a great deal except burn a smidge cleaner but for the overall cost. You're not getting your moneys worth from it.

That is really bad advice, sorry! Depending on which engine OP has, several years requires 98 octane, which standard fuels aren’t but V-power is!

Running too low octane is a quick way of burning out your engine.

[liamcafs]

I just ran through the first tank on my new (to me) 87 GLT Auto (B230E engine) and managed 21.6 on the daily commute, hilly urban 17 mile each way

[Antz]

Originally Posted by morsing

That is really bad advice, sorry! Depending on which engine OP has, several years requires 98 octane, which standard fuels aren’t but V-power is!

Running too low octane is a quick way of burning out your engine.

Happy to be schooled. Which years? I've never had a 240 that requires high octane. Running a car thats designed for high octane on 95 wont kill it in a week. It might affect it over the course of years and years but not immediately. For instance my V40 is designed for 98 but it'll run on fuel as low as 91. It just wouldnt run as well as it does on 98.

[morsing]

Originally Posted by Antz

Happy to be schooled. Which years? I've never had a 240 that requires high octane. Running a car thats designed for high octane on 95 wont kill it in a week. It might affect it over the course of years and years but not immediately. For instance my V40 is designed for 98 but it'll run on fuel as low as 91. It just wouldnt run as well as it does on 98.

Which years: Most of them, to be honest. And don't mean to be insulting but you're dangerously wrong.

As little as a 1000 miles on too low octane can burn your engine out to a point where it is unusable. Your V40 has a knock sensor and is also designed to be able to run on lower octane fuels, that is completely different. Red blocks are not and do not have knock sensors. Don't think white blocks do either.

Please refer to this list to see if you require V-power/98 or not:

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/unleaded.shtml

Thanks

[liamcafs]

What about 240s in the states?? Are the engines setup differently maybe because isn't their normal gasoline 88 or 90 Octane??

Originally Posted by morsing

Which years: Most of them, to be honest. And don't mean to be insulting but you're dangerously wrong.

As little as a 1000 miles on too low octane can burn your engine out to a point where it is unusable. Your V40 has a knock sensor and is also designed to be able to run on lower octane fuels, that is completely different. Red blocks are not and do not have knock sensors. Don't think white blocks do either.

Please refer to this list to see if you require V-power/98 or not:

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/unleaded.shtml

Thanks

[Antz]

Originally Posted by morsing

Which years: Most of them, to be honest. And don't mean to be insulting but you're dangerously wrong.

As little as a 1000 miles on too low octane can burn your engine out to a point where it is unusable. Your V40 has a knock sensor and is also designed to be able to run on lower octane fuels, that is completely different. Red blocks are not and do not have knock sensors. Don't think white blocks do either.

Please refer to this list to see if you require V-power/98 or not:

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/unleaded.shtml

Thanks

There is a few minor errors in your argument too though.

1. Redblocks do have knock sensors from 1990. These cars run on LH fuel injection and they do have knock sensors.
2. The guide you linked me to only covers up to 1989 which is for carb or mechanical fuel injection cars. After this date they switched to LH and the ECU would automatically adjust for the fuel mix.
3. The V40 uses a whiteblock. All cars from the 940 onward use the whiteblock variant which was introduced in 1993 (I think) in the 960. These do have knock sensors fitted as they are all electronically fuel injected. There is only the redblock or the whiteblock......and diesels....oh and the GDI variant of the S40/V40 but that's a Mitsubishi engine and is definitely recommended to run 98 otherwise it runs like utter crap and cokes itself up.

What I should have said in my original post is that if your car runs a carburettor or mechanical fuel injection then it is recommended to re-jet and adjust this for 95 or 98 octane fuel to avoid detonation and reap the benefits. In a electronic fuel injected car then it doesn't matter although turbo equipped cars will benefit from the high octane much more than your B200F with a camshaft made of a piece of straight pipe producing roughly 14bhp (gutless things).

But just slapping some V-Power in your 240 without doing anything is a complete waste of money because you wont get any benefit from it. The reality of it being a pre-89 and being run on high octane fuel all its life is pretty much zero and with it having survived 27 years so far, its safe to say that it'll have been adjusted by now and that running it on 95 won't make much difference now.