volvo 740 safety problems: air conditioning, turn signals, power windows, fuse box, maintenance
Nobody
after service. It started to make strange noises while driving.
After a while we discovered the power windows would not roll down.
Then, we found the air conditioning did not work, resulting
in us baking while driving since the windows did not roll down.
I looked at the power windows fuse, #8. It appeared to be OK.
However, something like a fuse was still wrong since all
the windows would not roll down or up. Fuse #9 said
air conditioning, power windows, turn signals, and something else.
Checked turn signals and found they also did not work.
Looking at that, it was blown. At a gas stop I looked for
a spare 15 amp fuse, saw it had been used (liberated?)
apparently during a recent previous service visit.
I triaged the audio 15 amp fuse, popped it in and
the windows rolled down. However, after we pulled out
of the gas station I tried the windows again and now
they would not move again (two drivers side frozen
in the 3" down position now). I checked the (newly replaced)
#9 fuse and it was blown.
Now we had run out of spare and sacrificeable fuses,
and could not signal turns since the power windows
were mostly up and we could not get a hand out the driver's
side window.
Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same fuse???
Spouse keeps air conditioning on at level "0" all the time.
This is because spouse has allergies and the level "0"
ventilation with air conditioning on is the only setting
that recirculates air instead of gets it from the outside.
Why did Volvo make this the only way to get recirculating
air through the vents in any manner at all???
Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same
fuse with the air conditioning???
We called the mechanic at that time (difficult because
the windows were partially down and we were on the highway
at the time). Of course, the mechanic suggested the fuse
might be the problem and that we replace the fuse, whereupon
we answered that we already had and asked what they did
with our spare.
At the mechanic's the next day, after a $40 charge,
we were told that the air conditioner clutch had frozen,
causing an air conditioner circuit to overheat--
$950 parts and labor to fix.
We are currently considering: Repair? Replace? Push off a cliff? :-)]
Any Volvo engineers out there? What the **** do you all drive,
Mercedes??? I can't imagine that you or your spouses all drive
Volvos :-)
R51reed
I always carry SEVERAL extra fuses in all my Volvos. It seems that that is a
weak link in the car. Knowing that, carring extras has always been manditory,
and a small price to pay for the overall safety.
While it is extremely inconvent to blow a couple of fuses and loose a 10 year
old a/c compressor, it's a lot better to go down to the ER and carry your wife
home instead watching her being hauled off to surgery.
My wife drives a Volvo, most of my friends drive Volvos, and most of the people
that work for me drive Volvos. We drive them because they are safe. We have
totaled 5 in the past 6 years, and the drivers all WALKED AWAY from each and
every one. NONE of the drivers walked away.
Gee, a little problem with a fuse doesn't seem all that important to me, my
wife, nor any of my many Volvo buddies.
BTW, my wife had a pair of Lexus (ES 250 & ES 300). I traded the ES 250 for a
1990 745 Turbo (a trade up to me). Sold the 300 for 6 months house payment and
a perfectly matching 1990 744 Turbo, which was totalled 6 months later, and now
my wife drives a 1991 944 Turbo.
I tell folks all the time, crash a car hard one time, and then all the
cupholders in the world will not matter at all. I was lucky, in college I was
in a headon collission on the interstate. After that, the only thing that
mattered to me was arriving to my destination ALIVE. The driving world had
only gotten more and more scairier.
I personally know someone that put their family in a rat car that exploded on
impact, cremated their family and wonders for the rest of their life if the
remains are actually those of their family or friends that are in the grave he
visits each month, to get a few more miles a gallon.
<< Any Volvo engineers out there? What the **** do you all drive,Mercedes???
I can't imagine that you or your spouses all drive
Volvos :-) >>
While I'm not a Volvo engineer, you bet my family and those I care about are
ALL in Volvos.
Sorry about the rant to the flock, but for some reason, this one got to me.
Ronald W. Reed, MBA
1975 245 250K
1980 244 175K (RIP) Driver WALKED away
1980 244 225K
1990 745T 175K
1990 744T 75K (RIP) Wife WALKED away
1991 944T 80K Wife drives everyday
reply to my real e~mail account for faster response.
r51...@onyxcasino.com
Stormy One
Ronald -
I agree with you whole heartedly. That is precisely why I recently bought my
wife an '90 760 Turbo. I could've easily purchased any of the other
available American / Japanese vehicles with maybe better gas mileage, softer
ride, et cetera, but none of those virtues supplanted the need to keep her
and the kids safe. If safety was my ultimate concern I could probably buy a
surplas military vehicle and my family out with an escort. However, that
could get exceedingly expensive.
The Volvo on the otherhand is fully loaded (no cupholder (then again driving
while drinking is not too safe:))), fast, comfortable and sporty. I love it,
she loves, the kid loves it; happines.
My ride is an '81 MB 240D w/ 125k miles. I love the car, if a tad bit slow
w/ a DIESEL and only 65bhp.
- Nelson
Lee Meyer
> impact, cremated their family and wonders for the rest of their life
if the
> remains are actually those of their family or friends that are in the
grave he
> visits each month, to get a few more miles a gallon.
>
> << Any Volvo engineers out there? What the **** do you all
drive,Mercedes???
> I can't imagine that you or your spouses all drive
> Volvos :-) >>
>
> While I'm not a Volvo engineer, you bet my family and those I care
about are
> ALL in Volvos.
>
> Sorry about the rant to the flock, but for some reason, this one got
to me.
>
> Ronald W. Reed, MBA
>
> 1975 245 250K
> 1980 244 175K (RIP) Driver WALKED away
> 1980 244 225K
> 1990 745T 175K
> 1990 744T 75K (RIP) Wife WALKED away
> 1991 944T 80K Wife drives everyday
>
> reply to my real e~mail account for faster response.
> r51...@onyxcasino.com
>
This is consistent with the kind of responses I've seen on this board
when someone questions Volvo safety or reliability.
In this spirit, I offer the following. On Monday, my 19 year old son
totaled his 1992 Corolla (it may have been a 91, but it definitely was
before air bags). He walked away without a scratch and was back to his
teenage antics the same day (another story).
I now have proof positive that this car is the safest car in the world,
and will insist that he and everyone else I know drive nothing but
Corollas without airbags. :)
--
Lee Meyer
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Steve Rogers
> In this spirit, I offer the following. On Monday, my 19 year old son
> totaled his 1992 Corolla (it may have been a 91, but it definitely was
> before air bags). He walked away without a scratch and was back to his
> teenage antics the same day (another story).
My daughter totaled two old Hondas and walked away without pains of any
sort. She was the Cream in an Oreo sandwich both times-- hit from rear
and pushed into car in front. It doesn't take much in damages to total
a seven or eight year old Japanese econocar. Even a relatively light hit
can do it.
This anecdotal reference does nothing to illuminate the real crash
forces at work in the crash you describe. Now if you had said that the
crash was a 40 MPH headon with a dump truck that completely crumpled the
front end--I'd be impressed.
I remain convinced of Volvo's superiority just based on the weight and
construction differences between Toyotas and Volvos.
PS: My wife drives a 90 Toyota Corolla, and I don't want to think of
her in a wreck in that car. When her Toyota goes, she'll go into a nice
244 DL of 88-93 vintage.
78 245 DL M46 209XXX (Tank)
88 244 DL AW70 140XXX (Tank)
90 Corolla Auto 90XXX (Toy...ota)
nt
them than most.
You've got a short somewhere.
Do this:
Park the car, replace the fuse. Now watch the fuse (Get one of the glass
cased or open cased fuses so you can see if blow. Watch the fuse as someone
operates the turn signals, ac, each window in sequence and leave it for a
little bit each.
I bet you're going to signal a turn or roll down a window and poof you'll
see the fuse blow.
Then you just have to troubleshoot that circuit.
If you pop the fuse your first try, replace it and try another device
connected to the circuit. That may also pop the fuse, indicating a short
common to the fuse wiring.
These are tricky problems. Good luck feel free to email me if you come up
with anything and need advise.
-Nate
Nobody wrote:
> We drove the 10 year old Volvo 945 on a short vacation immediately
> after service. It started to make strange noises while driving.
> After a while we discovered the power windows would not roll down.
> Then, we found the air conditioning did not work, resulting
> in us baking while driving since the windows did not roll down.
>
> I looked at the power windows fuse, #8. It appeared to be OK.
> However, something like a fuse was still wrong since all
> the windows would not roll down or up. Fuse #9 said
> air conditioning, power windows, turn signals, and something else.
> Checked turn signals and found they also did not work.
> Looking at that, it was blown. At a gas stop I looked for
> a spare 15 amp fuse, saw it had been used (liberated?)
> apparently during a recent previous service visit.
> I triaged the audio 15 amp fuse, popped it in and
> the windows rolled down. However, after we pulled out
> of the gas station I tried the windows again and now
> they would not move again (two drivers side frozen
> in the 3" down position now). I checked the (newly replaced)
> #9 fuse and it was blown.
>
> Now we had run out of spare and sacrificeable fuses,
> and could not signal turns since the power windows
> were mostly up and we could not get a hand out the driver's
> side window.
>
> Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same fuse???
>
> Spouse keeps air conditioning on at level "0" all the time.
> This is because spouse has allergies and the level "0"
> ventilation with air conditioning on is the only setting
> that recirculates air instead of gets it from the outside.
>
> Why did Volvo make this the only way to get recirculating
> air through the vents in any manner at all???
>
> Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same
> fuse with the air conditioning???
>
> We called the mechanic at that time (difficult because
> the windows were partially down and we were on the highway
> at the time). Of course, the mechanic suggested the fuse
> might be the problem and that we replace the fuse, whereupon
> we answered that we already had and asked what they did
> with our spare.
>
> At the mechanic's the next day, after a $40 charge,
> we were told that the air conditioner clutch had frozen,
> causing an air conditioner circuit to overheat--
> $950 parts and labor to fix.
>
> We are currently considering: Repair? Replace? Push off a cliff? :-)]
>
> Any Volvo engineers out there? What the **** do you all drive,
> Mercedes??? I can't imagine that you or your spouses all drive
> Volvos :-)
Lee Meyer
Steve, I'm sorry. This message is confused because I was embroiled in
the same argument in two threads.
In fact, I was trying to make the very point you’re making.
I keep reading posts on this forum in which people object to any crash
test results that show cars doing as well as the Volvo. One fellow came
up with the clever response that if I believed everything the
government told me, he had a bridge to sell.
Invariably, these folks imply that their own personal experiences are
more valid than crash test data. My reply has simply been that while
personal experience is valuable, so is crash test data, even if it’s
not perfect. And based on that data, I'm not prepared to say that no
other car can compete with the Volvo with respect to safety. The data
simply don't support that conclusion.
The story about my son was entirely true and entirely tongue and cheek.
I would be thrilled if we could afford to put him in a Volvo, but we
can’t. I freely admit that the fact that he survived a crash in the
Corolla doesn't prove the car's safety. What I can't understand is why
the folks on this forum can't admit the same about their own personal
experiences with their Volvos.
My conclusion: you can't rationally discuss safety (or reliability)
with Volvo owners (at least some). And, as a result, I’ll bow out of
this discussion.
Dan Timberlake
>
>Spouse keeps air conditioning on at level "0" all the time.
>This is because spouse has allergies and the level "0"
>ventilation with air conditioning on is the only setting
Have you checked to see if your system offers filtering?
Some Lexus and maybe others do.
Maybe this would help with allergies.
>
>Why did Volvo make this the only way to get recirculating
>air through the vents in any manner at all???
I don't work for VOLVO, but if I did I would be tempted to prevent
general recirculation it from a safety standpoint. I have been in one
or two cars that offered recirculation, when the owner did not
understand the purpose of recirculation button, and created heavy
condensation and even frost on the inside of the windshield and
terrible visibility situations by defrost/defog with recirculating
air.
Have you had many other cars that recirculate air except on AC MAX?
Volvo 240 does, but the manual says don't use it except for MAX AC.
Under circumstance like defrosting, or highway vent with no fan
noise, fresh air is the way to go.
>Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same
>fuse with the air conditioning???
They are trying to kill you.
>
>We called the mechanic at that time (difficult because
>the windows were partially down and we were on the highway
>at the time). Of course, the mechanic suggested the fuse
>might be the problem and that we replace the fuse, whereupon
>we answered that we already had and asked what they did
>with our spare.
>
>At the mechanic's the next day, after a $40 charge,
>we were told that the air conditioner clutch had frozen,
>causing an air conditioner circuit to overheat--
>$950 parts and labor to fix.
>
>We are currently considering: Repair? Replace? Push off a cliff? :-)]
You definitely need a different car. Are their any you like??
Daniel the Red
> We drove the 10 year old Volvo 945 on a short vacation immediately
> after service. It started to make strange noises while driving.
> After a while we discovered the power windows would not roll down.
> Then, we found the air conditioning did not work, resulting
> in us baking while driving since the windows did not roll down.
So to sum this part up, you have a 10-year-old car with unspecified
mileage, operated in unspecified climatic and usage conditions and with
unspecified maintenance practices or lack thereof. You've also owned it
for an unspecified amount of time and it has had an unspecified number of
previous owners, all of whom practiced unspecified maintenance care.
> the windows would not roll down or up. Fuse #9 said
> air conditioning, power windows, turn signals, and something else.
> Checked turn signals and found they also did not work.
> a spare 15 amp fuse, saw it had been used (liberated?)
> apparently during a recent previous service visit.
> I triaged the audio 15 amp fuse, popped it in and
^^^^^^^
You did *what* to it? "Triaged" it? Most of us just remove
and replace them. I certainly don't go in for any of that fancy-pants
"triage" stuff when I'm replacing fuses. Though I've been known to pour
myself a celebratory Triage and Tonic after the repair is successfully
completed, if I don't have to work the next day.
> the windows rolled down. However, after we pulled out
> of the gas station I tried the windows again and now
> they would not move again (two drivers side frozen
> in the 3" down position now). I checked the (newly replaced)
> #9 fuse and it was blown.
Okay, so it's plain to see that something on that circuit is shorting and
blowing fuses. Basic electrical diagnosis at work!
> Now we had run out of spare and sacrificeable fuses,
No excuse for not having spare fuses in the car at all times.
> and could not signal turns since the power windows
> were mostly up and we could not get a hand out the driver's
> side window.
<shrug> Nobody recognizes hand signals in 1999. They'd think you were
waving to them or catchin' air with your hand, or they might think you
were flipping them off and decide to fire off a few rounds in your general
direction. Few people (And even fewer, on a percentage basis, of us Volvo
owners) use their turn blinkers anyhow, so you didn't really look too out
of place.
> Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same fuse???
Because there's no reason not to.
> Spouse keeps air conditioning on at level "0" all the time.
> This is because spouse has allergies and the level "0"
> ventilation with air conditioning on is the only setting
> that recirculates air instead of gets it from the outside.
Thus aggravating "Spouse's" allergies immensely. Stale air is much more
highly allergenic than fresh, unless you're always driving through juniper
fields or something.
> Why did Volvo make this the only way to get recirculating
> air through the vents in any manner at all???
Because recirculated air should be used only very sparingly when you're
driving, specifically for a fast temperature pulldown in very hot weather
or when you're driving through an area with noxious odors or excessive
dust. Other than that, fresh air is better, cleaner and safer.
Recirculated air quickly accumulates lots of carbon dioxide and your
alertness (and ability to drive safely) goes down. Your windows fog up,
your shirts develop ring-around-the-collar, and you get wax buildup on
your no-wax floor.
> Why did Volvo put the turn signal and power windows on the same
> fuse with the air conditioning???
For the same reason that was the answer to this question when you asked it
just a second or two ago. Ask it a third time! Ask it again!
> We called the mechanic at that time (difficult because
> the windows were partially down and we were on the highway
> at the time).
Speaking of safety problems, did you know that a driver talking on a
non-handsfree mobile phone wilst driving is *five times* more likely to
get into a crash? Shame on you. Pull over to yammer--voila, no more
highway noise problem--hang up and drive.
> At the mechanic's the next day, after a $40 charge,
Mechanics are entitled to be paid for their time, just like you and me.
> we were told that the air conditioner clutch had frozen,
> causing an air conditioner circuit to overheat--
Of course, I have no way of knowing whether this actually happened, but it
*is* a possible failure mode. If you'd heeded the sounds being made
by the car when you turned on the aircon (You didn't fail to notice
them--you described them above as "strange sounds") and turned off the
aircon straight away instead of blithely driving the car (strange noises
and all), you'd have saved yourself a lot of money--the failure would've
been much more localized without the collateral damage caused by
overheated wiring.
> $950 parts and labor to fix.
Jyup. Compressor is a couple hundred, clutch is maybe $150 more,
filter-dryer, expansion valve or orifice tube, replace whatever wiring and
switches got heat-damaged, flush entire refrigerant system to clean bits
of failed compressor out of system, charge with a couple pounds of
$60/pound Freon...all at between $50 and $69 an hour for labor.
> We are currently considering: Repair? Replace? Push off a cliff? :-)]
You're probably best to lease cars and trade them in every two years. You
clearly don't know or care a thing about proper maintenance of
automobiles. There's nothing the matter with that--it's not everyone's
hobby or interest--but your failure to operate and maintain your car
correctly does not constitute a Volvo safety problem. I daresay the only
safety problem at work in your car's case is the nut behind the wheel.
> I can't imagine that you or your spouses all drive
> Volvos :-)
I just bought a '71 Volvo 164 with 34,000 original miles on it. Replaced
belts and hoses, did an oil change, put new tires on it, and drove it 1900
miles. The aircon worked fine and nothing broke.
--Daniel
I present my posts without further .edu.
Can't figure it out? I won't hear from you.
--
NBCS b5f+wg+rp
--
Martin Harvey
>
> <shrug> Nobody recognizes hand signals in 1999.
Yeah. And to my considerable surprise, I encountered someone driving an
old antique car with no turn indicators the other day... they were using
hand signals. I couldn't remember what the hell the signals meant, so
whenever they started waving their arms, I just assumed that absolutely
anything might happen and kept well clear!
MH.
--
Martin Harvey.
mar...@aziraphale.demon.co.uk
mc...@harvey27.demon.co.uk
http://www.harvey27.demon.co.uk/mch24/
Michael Cerkowski
I am sensitive to exhaust fumes, and driving a car with no
recirculate setting - or a poorly functioning one like our 240
seems to have - is misery for me. I am quite willing to open
and close the intake as needed to keep the air fresh and the
windows clear, and I don't think it's too much to expect of
others to either do that or leave the recirculate switch alone.
As far as I'm concerned, a good recirculate loop is vital for
urban and freeway driving, and I won't buy a car that doesn't
have this feature. End of rant. ;)
--
"Against ignorance, the Dogs themselves contend in vain."
Acer Victoria
out.
/Acer "steppenwolf" Victoria
--
goosnargh
Michael Cerkowski
> How does breathing the same stale polluted recirculated air help??
The trick is to have the intake open when the air is fresh,
and then close it while the air isn't. It may sound like the
air in the car would go stale quickly, but with one person, it
takes about 5-10 minutes, which is usually enough to find
another pocket of (relatively) fresh air.
Michael Cerkowski
.>
.> Hey even in recirc mode, there IS some fresh air coming in, and some
going
.> out.
Yes, and the key is how much. <Volvo owners should stop reading
at this point> Japanese manufacturers produce cars that have to
drive in smoggy Japanese cities, and most of their cars have
recirculation loops that do a very good job of blocking exhaust
fumes. You can't leave the loop closed unless the A/C is on,
but many years of driving have shown me the benefit of being
able to block the intake for a few minutes.
.>
.> /Acer "steppenwolf" Victoria
.> --
.> goosnargh
Dan Timberlake
On Mon, 23 Aug 1999 05:32:33 -0700, Michael Cerkowski
<mj...@albany.net> wrote:
>Mr. Fun wrote:
>
>> How does breathing the same stale polluted recirculated air help??
>
> The trick is to have the intake open when the air is fresh,
>and then close it while the air isn't. It may sound like the
>air in the car would go stale quickly, but with one person, it
>takes about 5-10 minutes, which is usually enough to find
>another pocket of (relatively) fresh air.
TheCentralSc...@pobox.com
>How do you know when you have found a fresh pocket?
When you can see through it.
Leave it to fresh except when behind oil burners and diesels.