1986 Volvo Dl problems

General information about Volvo-Dl
Overview of popular issues
Analysis of common problems
Сomplaints list

The Volvo 200 Series (or 240 and 260 Series) is a range of mid-size cars produced by Swedish company Volvo Cars from 1974 until 1993, with more than 2.8 million total units sold worldwide. Like the Volvo 140 Series (1966 to 1974), from which it was developed, it was designed by Jan Wilsgaard.

The series overlapped production of the Volvo 700 Series (1982 to 1992). As the 240 Series remained popular, only the 260 Series was displaced by the 700 Series, which Volvo marketed alongside the 240 for another decade. The 700 was replaced by the 900 Series in 1992, a year before the 240 was discontinued. Production of the 240 ended on 14 May 1993, after nearly 20 years, with the basic platform and architecture lasting 27 years, if the production run of the original 140 Series is aggregated.

History

The Volvo 240 and 260 series were introduced in the autumn of 1974, and was initially available as six variations of the 240 Series (242L, 242DL, 244DL, 244GL, 245L and 245DL) and two variations of the 260 Series (264DL and 264GL). The 240 Series was available as a sedan (with two or four doors) or a station wagon, however, the 260 Series was available as a coupé (262C Bertone), two-door sedan, four-door sedan, or station wagon. The 200 looked much like the earlier 140 and 164, they shared the same basic body shell and were largely identical from the cowl rearward. However, the 200 incorporated many of the features and design elements tried in the Volvo VESC ESV in 1972, which was a prototype experiment in car safety. The overall safety of the driver and passengers in the event of a crash was greatly improved with very large front and rear end crumple zones. Another main change was the new engines offered, which were of an overhead cam design based on the earlier B20. The 260 series also received a V6 engine in lieu of the 164's inline-six.

The 200 Series had MacPherson strut-type front suspension, which increased room around the engine bay, while the rear suspension was a modified version of that fitted to the 140 Series. The steering was greatly improved with the introduction of rack-and-pinion steering, with power steering fitted as standard to the 244GL, 264DL and 264GL, and there were some modifications made to the braking system (in particular the master cylinder).

The front end of the car was also completely restyled with a "shovel nose" which closely resembled that of the VESC prototype vehicle – that being the most obvious change which made the 200 Series distinguishable from the earlier 140 and 160 Series. Other than all the changes mentioned above, the 200 Series was almost identical to the 140 and 160 Series from the bulkhead to the very rear end. In 1978, a facelift meant a redesigned rear end for sedans, with wraparound taillights and a trunk opening with a lower lip. The dashboard was derived from the safety fascia introduced for the 1973 model year 100 Series - the main change for the 200 Series was the adoption of slatted "egg crate" style air vents in place of the eyeball style vents used in the 140/160 and the square clock. All models were available with a choice of four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. Overdrive was also optional on the manual 244GL, while a five-speed manual gearbox was optional on the 264GL and 265GL.

In the autumn of 1975 (for the 1976 model year in America), the 265 DL estate became available alongside the existing range, and this was the first production Volvo estate to be powered by a six-cylinder engine. The choice of gearboxes was also improved, with overdrive now available as an option in all manual models except the base-model 242L and 245L. As before, a three-speed automatic was optional in every model. The B21A engine gained three horsepower; a new steering wheel and gearknob were also introduced.

At the 1976 Paris Motor Show Bertone first showed the stretched 264 TE, a seven-seat limousine on a 3,430 mm (135.0 in) wheelbase, although it had entered production earlier. The raw bodies were sent from Sweden to Grugliasco for lengthening, reinforcing, and finishing. Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden used one, as did much of East Germany's political leadership.

For 1977 the B19A engine with 90 PS (66 kW) replaced the B20A in most markets, although the old pushrod type soldiered on for another two years in some places. This is also the year that the sportier 242 GT arrived.

In 1978 the grille was altered, now with a chrome surround. Rear view mirrors were now black, while the front seats were changed as were the emblems, while interval wipers were introduced. 1978 models were also the first 240s to receive a new paint formula, to help solve the severe rust problems in previous model years.

The 1979 model year brought a full facelift front and rear, the most obvious change being the adoption of flush fitting square headlamps on the DL or rectangular headlamps on the GL, GLE in place of the recessed circular units. The sedans received new wraparound rear lamp clusters and a restyled leading edge to the trunk lid, while the rear of the wagons remained unchanged. The GLE was added while the L was cancelled, and the six-cylinder diesel arrived late in the year. For 1980, the sporty GLT arrived, replacing the GT. For 1981 there was yet another new grille, while the station wagons received new, wraparound taillights. The B21A gained some four horsepower, now 106 PS (78 kW), while the carburetted B23A with 112 PS (82 kW) was introduced in some markets. The Turbo arrived, while six-cylinder models now had a more powerful 2.8-liter engine. 1981 also saw the dashboard altered significantly, which a much larger binnacle in order to bring the radio and clock within the driver's line of sight. The instrument pod itself, which had been unaltered since the 1973 model year 100 Series, was also redesigned.

Incremental improvements were made almost every year of the production run. One of the major improvements was the introduction of the oxygen sensor in North America in late 1976 (1977 models), which Volvo called Lambda Sond and developed in conjunction with Bosch. It added a feedback loop to the Jetronic fuel injection system already in use, which allowed fine-tuning of the air and fuel mixture and therefore produced superior emissions, drivability and fuel economy.

For the 1983 model year, Volvo dropped the DL and GLE labels, selling the cars simply as 240s. In the domestic Swedish market, the 240 could be had with a 2.1 or 2.3-liter engine (more options were available in export), but the bigger engine always came coupled with a five-speed transmission and tinted windows. The 1983s also received wider side trim and all models had the larger taillights introduced on the previous year's GLT model. A B23E-engined GLE variant was also added (not available with two doors). Buyers protested against the lack of grades and they returned for 1984. A new manual gearbox also arrived for 1984, while a four-speed automatic option was available in the GL. The GLT and Turbo versions received a taller grille.

While Volvo had been planning to discontinue the 200-series since the early 1980s, the design kept selling well and Volvo provided steady updates. In late 1991, for the 1992 model year, it received 160 detail improvements including changes to the heater controls, heated rear view mirrors, and revised front seats. For the final, 1993 model year, air conditioning units were upgraded to use R-134a rather than the ozone-depleting R-12 (Freon).

About one-third of all 240s sold were station wagons, which featured very large cargo space of 41 cubic feet (1.2 m3). They could be outfitted with a rear-facing foldable jumpseat in the passenger area, making the wagon a seven-passenger vehicle. The jumpseat came with three-point seat belts, and wagons were designed to have a reinforced floor section, protecting the occupants of the jumpseat in the event of a rear-end collision.

A 1993 Volvo 240DL was driven by IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, who stopped driving it when he was told the car was too dangerous due to outdated safety design two decades later.

The last 200 produced was a blue station wagon built to the Italian specification and named the "Polar Italia", currently displayed at the Volvo World Museum. It was manufactured the 14th May 1993.

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Common 1986 Volvo Dl problems

The Volvo 240, produced between 1974 and 1993, is known for its robust construction and longevity, but it does have some common issues that owners have reported. This article will cover these problems in detail, focusing on the 1986 model year.

Fuel Injection Relay: The main fuel pump relay can be troublesome, causing intermittent stalls and hard starting.

Worn Air Intake Hose & Air Box Thermostats: Volvo 240 models with Bosch LH electronic fuel injection have a large plastic accordion-style intake hose that connects the air mass meter to the intake manifold.

Fuse Box Corrosion: The fuse box in the driver side kick panel is susceptible to corrosion from water that can enter the interior and drip directly onto the fuses, leading to electrical issues.

Heater Blower Motor: The heater blower motor is located deep in the dash and can be challenging to replace, taking up to 3-4 hours for an experienced mechanic.

Motor & Transmission Mounts: The Volvo 240 goes through engine and transmission mounts on a regular basis due to their safety-related design, which allows the engine to move back and under the car in the event of a serious head-on collision.

Starting Problems: Some owners have reported very strange starting problems with their 240 DL, including the car not cranking at all, as if the starter was dead, and then starting up after a few tries.

In summary, the Volvo 240 is known for its robust construction and longevity, but it does have some common issues that owners have reported. These include problems with the flame trap system, fuel injection relay, air intake hose, fuse box corrosion, heater blower motor, motor and transmission mounts, and starting problems. Regular maintenance and inspections can help prevent or address these issues, ensuring the continued enjoyment of this classic Volvo model.

What is the difference between DL and GL in Volvo?

Volvo has used DL and GL to indicate the trim level of these models from 1974 to 1990 and then inconsistently from 1991 until the end of introduction in 1993. In 1993. DL (De Luxe) indicates the base model with modest interiors and accessories where GL (Gran Luxe) indicates the higher level of trim.

What year is a Volvo 240 DL?

What year is the Volvo 244 DL?

In August 1974, Volvo presented a new generation of cars called the 240 and 260 Series. These new models had been developed from the 140 series and were very similar to their predecessors, and with influences from the VESC safety concept car.

What does DL mean on a Volvo?

DL (De Luxe) - 1975 to 1993: The DL is the base model and probably the most common. They generally have cloth interiors, steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, and no power options. Available on a 242, 244, or 245. GL/GLE (Grand Luxe / Extra) - 1975 to 1993: The GL is the luxury model, and somewhat uncommon.

What does DL mean on a Volvo?

What is the difference between DL and GL in Volvo?

What does DL code mean?

Knowing the Driver's License (DL) code you are licensed to drive means you can avoid facing penalties and charges for getting caught driving a type of vehicle that you're not licensed to drive.

Is a Volvo 240 DL a diesel?

Known as the PRV family, they were developed in a three-way partnership among Volvo, Peugeot and Renault, 240 diesel models are powered by diesel engines purchased from Volkswagen.

1986 Volvo Dl car problems categorized by type of issue

After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Volvo Dl problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:

Equipment problems

The graph below shows statistics for all 1986 Volvo Dl vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

1986 Volvo Dl complaints

The NHTSA has received 1 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1986 Volvo Dl.

1997-03-06

EQUIPMENT PROBLEM

Date Of Incident: 1997-03-01
Components: EQUIPMENT
Summary: AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILED.

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Additional sources

More sources of information about 1986 Volvo Dl problems:

Planning on looking at a 1986 volvo 240, anything to look out for? : r ...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Volvo240/comments/zzj9yv/planning_on_looking_at_a_1986_volvo_240_anything/

Dec 31, 2022 ... But I don't want any major issues to stand in my way for a daily for a couple months. Anyways I'm just wondering for common issues at that ...

Top 10 Common Issues with Volvo 240 Models

https://www.ipdusa.com/Articles/588/Top-10-Common-Issues-with-Volvo-240-Models

Mar 11, 2011 ... The most common failure is overheating of the main 12V power connection to the point that the solder joint fails. This is usually caused by a ...

240 dl 1986 engine cuts out during acceleration

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4226

Jun 15, 2005 ... it's like a compression problem- theres no pressure- I have a very good Volvo mechanic who specializes only on Saabs & Volvos, he told me ...

Overdrive indicator light won't go off - 1986-1993 Volvo 240 - iFixit

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/315425/Overdrive+indicator+light+won't+go+off

Jun 3, 2016 ... Most common problem with the overdrive is due to the shift knob accidentally being pulled off of the shift lever (while trying to engage reverse) ...