1983 Volvo 240 review from UK and Ireland

Very little.

Routine replacement items only.

VOLVO 240 - Not as Thirsty as Most People Think.

I have noticed a number of reviews and comments from people complaining that the 240 has poor fuel consumption.

I disagree, and having owned or serviced several over the years I would like to pass on my tips for ensuring economical running.

1) Everything assumes that the engine is in good condition mechanically. Check the compression. 150psi is good, 125 acceptable. Investigate any discrepancies of more than 10psi. Pour some thick oil down the bores to determine whether the wear is in the rings/bores, or the valves.

2) Set the valve clearances accurately. The engine is sensitive to errors, because it alters the timing if a gap is wrong.

3) Fit a new timing belt. Don't exceed 40,000 miles anyway, but an old belt stretches and alters the timing, also it causes the camshaft to dither if the belt is stretchy. Check that the marks etc are aligned correctly, including the distributor drive sprocket.

4) Clean out the carburettor thoroughly, and check all rubber bits for leaks or flexibility. Replace the the needle float valve, and check that the float pivot is not worn. Wear here can cause the float to stick momentarily, causing either a flat spot, flooding, or mysterious cutting out.

5) Clean out all flame traps, breather pipes, etc, and pass a suitable drill bit down the suction fitting in the inlet manifold.

6) Check that the idle bypass valve is clean, and operates with a snap when voltage is applied. Follow the book for checking the other electrical valves and vents attached to the carb or to float chamber breather pipes.

7) Check the operation of the manual choke. Make sure it really is fully off when the knob is pushed in, and that the fast idle screw bearing on the choke quadrant is set correctly. If necessary remove and file the quadrant to restore its progressive shape. (The first movement of the choke knob should increase the idling speed, but not give excessive enrichment)

8) If you have the version that injects air into the exhaust, disconnect it and block up the pipes. The valves are very subject to rust and sticking, and it is not worth messing with it trying to make it work. A symptom of it not working is popping in the exhaust, sometimes explosions that can blast the silencer to bits.

9) File and set the ignition contact points before every major journey, ie every few hundred miles. In my experience this is the bigest single cause of poor performance and increased fuel consumption. I strongly recommend fitting luminition, and then you can forget about this chore.

10) The second is forgetting to keep the carburettor dashpot filled with oil. Use engine oil, not ATF as advised, as it is thicker, and check it every hundred miles. Keep a little squirty bottle handy.

11) Fit an overdrive gearbox, and use it. It is so much easier than a 5-speed box.

12) Finally, remember speed counts. The most economical speed is 55-60 mph. Let the car slow up on hills, but give it its head going downhill. Over 60, the economy drops off sharply.

If you do all this you should get 27mpg on average, 30 or more on a long careful run.

I hope this helps someone.

Cliff Pope.