VOLVO 240 1990 Workshop Manual

Volvo 1990 240 Model
pg. 41 Operating the car
42Service inspection
42Break-in period
43Driving economy, shift indicator light
44Starting the engine
45Manual transmission
46Automatic transmission
48Emergency towing
49Towing information
50Trailer hauling
51Automatic transmission, brake system
52Catalytic converter
pg. 42 Break-in period, Service inspection
A new car should be broken-in!

Manual transmission

During the break-in period do not exceed the following speeds*:
First 600 miles (1,000 km)
1st gear 20
mph
(30 km/h)
2nd
gear 30
mph
(50 km/h)
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Volvo 1990 240 Model
3rd
gear 50
mph
(80 km/h)
4th
gear 70
mph (110 km/
h)
5th
gear 80
mph (130 km/
h)
600 - 1,200 miles (1,000 - 2,000 km)
1st gear 25 mph
(40 km/h)
2nd gear 40 mph (65 km/in)
3rd gear 60 mph (100 km/h)
4th gear 80 mph (130 km/h)
5th gear 90 mph (150 km/h)

Avoid driving at low speed in high gear.

* These are the maximum speeds recommended by the factory. Note that leg\
islation in different
countries and states can stipulate other max. speeds than those given he\
re.

Automatic transmission

Do not depress the accelerator to the extent that "kick-down" is actuate\
d during the first 1,200 miles
(2,000 km) when driving a car equipped with an automatic transmission.\


Breaking in parking brakes
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Volvo 1990 240 Model

To obtain best parking brake performance, the brake linings should be br\
oken in.
Stop 5-7 times from 30 mph (50 km/h), transmission in neutral, applyin\
g the parking brake with the
release button pressed in during the stop. The force must not lock the r\
ear wheels. If this happens,
release the brake enough to let the wheels rotate. Drive a mile between \
each stop to cool the brakes.
Check for proper parking brake operation.
Note: The brake lights are not illuminated when applying the parking bra\
ke. To warn traffic from
behind it is therefore advisable to depress the brake pedal slightly to \
illuminate the brake lights.

600 - 1,200 mile maintenance service

To ensure proper operation the car should be taken to a Volvo dealer bet\
ween the first 600 - 1,200 miles
(1,000 - 2,000 km) for a maintenance service. The oil in the engine, m\
anual transmission and rear axle
will then be changed. This is very important since the oil rapidly colle\
cts impurities during the break-in
period.
pg. 43 Driving economy, Shift indicator light
Economical driving does not necessarily mean driving slowly

Better driving economy may be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid\
starts and stops and
adjusting the speed of your vehicle to immediate traffic conditions. Obs\
erve the following rules:

l Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by \
driving with a light foot on
the accelerator pedal instead of allowing the engine to idle for a prolo\
nged period. A cold engine uses
more fuel and is subject to increased wear.
l When possible avoid using the car for driving short distances. This does\
not allow the engine to reach
normal operating temperature.
l Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
l Do not exceed speed limit.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the car.
l Check tire pressures regularly (cold tires).
l Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
l Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc., increase air resistance and there\
by fuel consumption.
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Volvo 1990 240 Model
l Avoid using automatic transmission kick-down feature unless necessary.

Other factors which decrease gas mileage are:
l Worn or dirty spark plugs
l Incorrect spark plug gap
l Dirty air filter
l Incorrect valve clearance
l Incorrect idle speed
l Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
l Dragging brakes
l Incorrect front end alignment
l Low tire pressure

Shift indicator light

(manual transmission models only)

The Volvo shift indicator light (S.I.L.) is a device designed to help \
you get even better gas mileage from
your Volvo car. Studies have shown that the best fuel economy is obtaine\
d by shifting gears at low
engine rpm and high relative engine load. The Volvo S.I.L. is calibrated\
to show you when to shift for
improved mileage without sacrificing smooth acceleration .

Use of the S.I.L. is simple. Shift to next higher gear as soon as the li\
ght comes on. You may find after
using the S.I.L. for some time that your natural shifting rhythm will ad\
apt to the S.I.L.'s suggestion.
Some drivers may even shift before the light comes on.
Obviously, there will be times when you need to shift later than the lig\
ht would indicate (for example,
when climbing hills or trailer towing). Using the light regularly, howe\
ver, should result in a mileage
improvement of six percent or more, depending on how you normally drive.\


Programming instructions for shift indicator

If the current supply to the control unit is cut (battery disconnected)\
, the control unit will have to be re-
programmed as the control unit memory will be erased.
Drive the car in each gear (first gear not necessary) for approximatel\
y 8 seconds.
The gear change indicator light will flicker once (0.5 seconds), as ea\
ch gear is programmed.
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Volvo 1990 240 Model
Note: Remove foot completely from the clutch pedal after each gear chang\
e when programming the
control unit.
pg. 44 Starting the engine
To start the engine;

1 Enter the car and check that the seat is adjusted properly. Make sure \
that the brake (and clutch) pedal
can be depressed completely. Move the seat closer if necessary.
2 Fasten the seat belt.
3 Apply the parking brake if not already set. Depress the brake pedal wi\
th your right foot.
4 Place the gear selector lever in neutral (position N or P, automatic \
transmission).
5 Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission).
6 Without touching the accelerator pedal turn the ignition key to starti\
ng position. Release the key as
soon as the engine starts.

Avoid repeated short attempts to start (fuel is injected every time the\
starter is engaged when engine is
cold).
Allow the starter to operate for a longer time (but not more than 15-20\
seconds).
Do not race a cold engine immediately starting.

Engine warm-up-initial driving procedure

Experience shows that engines in vehicles driven short distances are sub\
ject to abnormally rapid wear
because the engine never reaches normal operating temperature.
It is therefore beneficial to reach normal operating temperature as soon\
as possible by driving with a
light foot on the accelerator pedal.
Warning: Always open the garage doors fully before starting the engine i\
nside the garage to ensure
adequate ventilation. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which i\
s invisible and odorless but
very poisonous.


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Volvo 1990 240 Model


Contents | Top of Page
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Volvo 1990 240 Model
pg. 45 Manual transmission


5-speed manual transmission

Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears.
Remove the foot from the clutch pedal after every gear shift.
See "Shift indicator light" section for more information on economical u\
se of the manual transmission.
Recommended minimum and maximum speeds for each gear are listed in the s\
pecification section.



Reverse gear (R)

The detent collar on the gear shift lever must be lifted prior to engagi\
ng reverse gear. This prevents
inadvertent selection of reverse gear.
pg. 46 Automatic transmission
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Volvo 1990 240 Model


Shift positions

P park D drive
R reverse 2 intermediate
N neutral 1 low

The gear selector can be moved freely between D and 2. Selections of oth\
er positions are obtained by
depressing the selector knob prior to moving the selector.
Depressing the selector knob slightly allows selection of positions N an\
d 1 .
Depressing the selector knob fully allows selection of positions R and P\
. This is also necessary when
initially bringing the selector out of position P .
Depressing the selector knob fully thus permits shifting freely between \
all positions.

P Park
Use this position when parked with the engine running or stopped.
Never use P while car is in motion.
The transmission is mechanically locked in position P. Also use the park\
ing brake when parking on
grades for added safety.

R Reverse
Never use R while car Is moving forward.

N Neutral
Neutral position = no gear is engaged. Use parking brake.
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Volvo 1990 240 Model

D Drive
D is the normal driving position. Upshift and downshift of the forward g\
ears occurs automatically and is
governed by acceleration and vehicle speed.

2 Intermediate position
Upshift and downshift of first two gears (low and intermediate) occurs\
automatically.
No upshift to 3rd (top) gear occurs.
Position 2 may be used to obtain forced downshift to 2nd gear for increa\
sed engine braking effect.
Position 2 can also be used...
l for relatively slow highway driving.
l for city driving.
l when driving on mountain roads where precise speed control is desirable.\

l for passing.

1 Low position
If position 1 is selected when driving at high speeds, 2 is engaged firs\
t and 1 when the speed has
dropped to approx. 30 mph (50 km/h).
NOTE: No upshift once 1 is
engaged.

Use position 1 to select low gear with no upshift. Use for instance, whe\
n ascending and descending steep
grades.
CAUTION:
l Never select P or R while the car is in motion.
l When initially selecting D, 2, 1 or R, your right foot should press firm\
ly on the brake and the engine
must be idling.
l Never downshift to 2 or 1 at speeds above 75 mph (125 km/h)*.
*Always observe local speed limits!
pg. 47 Automatic Transmission
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Volvo 1990 240 Model
Button on gear selector knob and indicator light
symbol.
Disengaging 4th gear

The transmission will engage 4th gear automatically after upshifting thr\
ough first, second and third gears
unless the disengagement button on the side of the gear knob is pushed. \

When the button is pushed to disengage 4th gear, the transmission operat\
es as a 3-speed unit. If the
button is pushed while 4th gear is engaged, then a downshift to 3rd gear\
will occur. The transmission,
then, cannot upshift to 4th gear until the button is pushed again. As a \
reminder, when 4th gear is
disengaged, the indicator light (
) in the instrument panel is illuminated.
Be aware that, if 4th gear is disengaged (reminder light illuminated) \
when the engine is switched off, the
transmission will revert automatically to 4-speed operation (reminder l\
ight not illuminated) when the
engine is restarted.

Disengage 4th gear (reminder light illuminated) when:
* towing a trailer
* driving on hilly roads where precise speed control is desired.

Kick-down

Automatic down-shift to a lower gear is achieved by depressing the throt\
tle pedal fully and briskly.
An up-shift will be achieved when approaching the top speed for a partic\
ular gear or by releasing the
throttle pedal slightly.
Kick-down can be used for maximum acceleration or when passing at highwa\
y speeds.

Starting and stopping a car equipped with automatic transmission
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