Got acouple of electrical issues on my volvo 240
1 the tag lights don't work. I changed the fuses the bulbs and the tag light assembly and still dont work. How do I fix this? Ive wondered if I need to put a new wiring harness in the tail gate. how hard and or expensive is that?
2 The third brake light is busted. Where can I find a new (stock or custom) one?
Thanks!
Mike
Most likely tailgate harness is busted. It can be repaired, but replacement harnesses should still be available. Used to replace them all the time, but it's been 15 years since the last one I did.
Good luck with the brake light assembly. My guess is that the dealer is the only option, if it's still produced...
In reply to Cone_Junkie:
Would it be easier to repair or replace it?
Definitely the tailgate harness. I honestly don't remember if I repaired or replaced mine.
Richard Nixon wrote: Definitely the tailgate harness. I honestly don't remember if I repaired or replaced mine.
Rich saw your cars on your profile love the 240!
Might need to look on ebay or a junkyard for the 3rd brake light.
harness is probably broken right where the gate hinges. If you can't get a new harness, I would look for broken wires there
Anyone know how to replace the harness?
I've been able to do repairs, but honestly, it's just buying more time.
You'll need something to hold up the tailgate, pole jack works best. Then drop the rear of the headliner to gain access to the body side of the connectors and the hinge fasteners. You'll have to remove the hinges because the harness runs through them.
Cone_Junkie wrote: I've been able to do repairs, but honestly, it's just buying more time. You'll need something to hold up the tailgate, pole jack works best. Then drop the rear of the headliner to gain access to the body side of the connectors and the hinge fasteners. You'll have to remove the hinges because the harness runs through them.
Ok thanks man
Disconnect the gas struts after you have the hatch supported. Makes for a wee bit less fighting. Only do one side at a time. Grab the edge of the headliner with your fingers and pull it towards you at the back. There is a hard plastic strip that fits into a groove in the roof. There is a phillips or Torx screw behind the rubber on the door. You don't have to pull the rubber off to get the screw out. The two bolts in the roof have flat washers that need to be there, and may not come off with the bolt. Make sure each bolt has one, instead of stacking the two on the same bolt. Move the harness one way or the other to move the repaired section out of the hinge. There isn't enough room for the bigger bundle. I will often end up adding a section for length if I'm saving one, but the new harnesses are available from Volvo or IPD. If you decide to remove them to fix, ferchrissakes pull a wire through so you can feed the harness back in- its a real bitch trying to run the harness up beside the window without something to pull it through. When you bolt the hinges back down, be real careful not to pinch the wire. There will be a ground wire in the hinge, most likely- if its new enough to have a himount, its probably got plastic bushings in the hinge. The older cars were all metal, and didn't need the supplementary ground. If its broken, don't even try to repair it- just run another wire with the new or repaired harness. The right side has the wires for wiper and central locking, the left has highmount, defrost and licence plate lights.
Yeah, I might have done one or two in my time...
Would anyone happen to have a electrical diagram for a Volvo 240 wagon?
Google brought up a bunch of results: http://bit.ly/1pylP8u
In reply to SlickDizzy:
thanks!
I wrote the book (many years ago) on bypassing the stupid factory tailgate wiring:
http://home.blarg.net/~volvo242gt/tailgate.html
In reply to EvanR:
Thanks man I will definitely be using that!
No probs! Glad my buddy archived it. I sold my last 245 years ago, but as long as they're running, people will keep fixing them.
You'll need to log in to post.
