Hello:
I've tried the stuff I could find on the web, now I'm a bit stumped.
I have a 1992 Volvo 240, 151,000 miles. Automatic.
One day, I'm going down the road, the "Up Arrow" turns on, car downshifts...
I play with the button, it doesn't go off. A random bump later, it goes off and upshifts. Another random bump, we're stuck in 3rd again.
Next couple of mornings, started off w/o the Up Arrow...mile or so down the road Up Arrow goes on, car downshifts.
As I understand it, my car has a 4 speed automatic, with 4th being essentially a 1:1 gearing. So it's not a true overdrive, still it's my highest gear.
I pulled the o/d relay. I thought that fixed the problem...but either it didn't or it was just temporary.
Without the relay, I don't get the Up Arrow...but I can tell the car isn't using 4th. Today did a number of stop-and-starts getting up to
60mph...I can feel the shift to 2nd, the shift to 3rd...then I don't feel or hear another shift.Stopped at a "local" (15 miles) Volvo garage since a dealership is a special trip for me -- not bad, but still an hour's drive. Picked up a new relay just off the delivery truck.
Plug it in, UP arrow goes on. Grrrrrr. Not quite ready to go back to the dealership to claim it's defective though...could something else be happening?
Took out my meter and determined the following to be true:
On the socket, referencing the pins on the relay:
Pin 15: Always hot. Pin 86: Hot when I depress the o/d lockout switch on the transmission shift. Pin 87a: Hot when the relay is out; I can't get a probe in on it easily to test with the relay in position. Pin 87: Cold Pin 31: Cold
Putting the relay most of the way in, everything stays the same (except I can't test 87a). I get power on pin 15, I get power on Pin 86 when I depress the switch...although both cases the voltage is significantly lower w/relay then w/out (assuming it's finding a lower resistance path...). Talking 2-3 volts v. 12+ volts just with the empty socket. I'm not metering anything on pin 87 or 31...although if my theory why the voltage is lower (path of least resistance) goes out one of those, maybe my meter just is not an attractive alternative...
I don't even mind at this point if there was just a way to bypass the o/d lockout -- and always have 4th gear available. Car desn't tow or see mountains...I have a pickup truck for that stuff!
Thanks!
Matt