Venting in 1980 240?

It's a vent... it lets air in, what else is there to say about it? Open it while you're driving and you get a nice breeze on your feet.

Please forgive me if this response sounds crass, I do not mean to offend. However, this post appears quite often and granted, my 1987 740 does not have this.

So, for the purpose of knowledge, I ask this: Is it not obvious that something that looks like a vent, acts like a vent and is a vent - must be a vent?

Now that this question is solved, I guess I must ask this. Was this just some bonus vent that the Volvo engineers invented? Does every Volvo not have a fresh air option in the dash board vents? I know not all have A/C, but even those with heating only - does this not allow fresh air?

So the question I ask, is even if the obvious answer is the vent, is a vent, is a vent, why add another vent? Why there? Because they COULD, or because they SHOULD. If the former - great, more air. If the latter, why?

Takers?

James Sweet wrote:

I think I may have an answer! Alas -- should someone be driving along and feel a sudden onset of flatulance, he might stealthily release the noxious fumes by casually opening the vent and allowing the scent to escape the cockpit without the passenger (beautiful Swedish swimsuit model) knowing (or smelling).

That's my best guess.

?????

Jamie wrote:

Smoooth. :]

Jamie wrote:

The inner fender where this is installed hollow and connected to the air intake grille at the base of the windshield. It continues down into the rocker panels where rainwater drains out. Also air is forced through the rocker panels by the car's motion and helps to dry them out after the rainwater cleans them. Next time you're washing your car, spray water down the grille and watch it flow out the rocker panel holes.

240s have these air vent holes on both sides, but since on the later cars the fuel computer is mounted on the passenger side in front of this area, that is blocked by a galvanized plate. Early ones had vents on both sides. 740s have this feature too, but in all North American cars the holes are filled with a plastic plug. Cars with the base heating system and no computers have plastic vents in these holes, similar to the metal ones in 240s. As an aside, the plastic plugs often get broken, if you have water on the floor of your 740 after a rain storm, look at the condition of these plugs.

... And I owned my '83 245 for 3 years before I even found that vent one day while crawling around under the dash, looking for the sond reset.