Electrical issues?

I'd start with the fuses behind the center console. Remove the two quarter-turn fasteners holding the console in place, then go across the fuseblock taking out a fuse, cleaning the ends with steel wool or fine sandpaper; clean the dimples in the clips with a small eraser or fine sandpaper; apply dielectric grease to both clips, reinstall fuse, and repeat.

The color of the fuses indicates the current rating, so don't swap them around.

It was amazing how many little gremlins went away when I did this.

Gary

Hi "b4_ford",

Regarding your fuses, I hope you haven't yet started to take the centre console apart ......... In my '74 142 & 145, the fuses were located on the side panel just ahead of the driver's door (Left-hand front door) under a plastic cover. They were in the same location in my '86 245 and incredibly STILL there in my '93 245 Classic. The old saying "The more things change, the more they remain the same" sure applies to the Volvo 140/240 series! and for that we should, perhaps, be eternally grateful. There's another saying which applies here, a Scottish one: "Better the De'il you know than the De'il you don't know!" (De'il = Devil)

Gary's advice about dealing with the fuses and fuse holders is right on. These repeatedly give trouble in the 140/240 series. In addition to doing Gary's thing, sometimes at the roadside in the dead of night............. I have finally resorted to scrapping all the fuses with grey metal ends, replacing them the brass/copper ended type. The snag is Volvo dealers don't stock the latter type. I found that suppliers of VW parts do, and no doubt other Auto Supply outfits.

Rightly or wrongly, I've convinced myself that "Galvanic Action" is the culprit (the reaction between dissimilar metals such as the brass contact clips and the zinc fuse ends) causing corrosion.

Good Luck. Andy I

Must be one of the things they moved with the '73 model; in my '72 145, they're behind the console.

Open console/remove side panel cover, go across the block giving each fuse a 1/4 twist back and forth a couple of times, replace console/cover, resume driving...

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Now that's a good thing--I wasn't aware that they were available with brass or copper ends. The tin plated ones corrode way too easily. I'll have to find some and swap mine out.

Gary

"Must be one of the things they moved with the '73 model; in my '72 145, they're behind the console."

Hi Gary,

You might be interested in this (from the "Green Book", factory service manual for 1967 140 series):

**The fuses are grouped in a fuse box attached to a bracket mounted on the heater element below the dashboard.**

So, right from the start (1967), the locati** The fuses are in a fusebox, which is located next to the left fresh air vent.**

I sure miss that "fresh air vent" in my '93 245 Classic!! Andy I.

The fuses moved starting with the '73 models from a nice protected place where corrosion problems were minimal to a spot where the corrosion problems were almost maximized (under the hood would have been worse).

I had a similar problem to the original poster in my '71 - the alternator was working but the amp light would stay on, the fuel and temp gauge wouldn't work when the car was cold - after warmup all was fine. The problem turned out to be corrosion at the connector between the wiring harness and dash cluster.