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89 240DL Tachometer Installation

Actually, putting in a tach on my 83 240 was one of the first car things i did, many years ago. It's actually quite easy, if you put in the volvo stock one. You can pick up a small clock for above the heater controls and replace the large clock with a volvo tach. Really easy, the car is already wired for one, you just have to plug it in. The hardest part for me was figuring out that i had to break off the tamper-evident strap on the speedo in order to pull the cluster out.
 
The RPM wire in the dash is Red/White. Look for it. Plug it in. Was just hanging out back there behind the cluster in mine if Im remembering right.

Id recommend the stock volvo tach that replaces the big freaking clock in the dash as well, easy to install, its in a good spot, and you can grab the little 3 wire harness that goes over to the small clock if you need a clock (my radio has one and my gauge pod is full...) Its also not as ricey as the big external ones, unless of course that's your goal...

I just bought another today at the junkyard, $5.98 beats the price of the new external ones as well!
 
i wouldnt personally get a huge 5'' 10,000rpm tack for a 240DL non-turbo, IMHO i would look ridiculous like a ricer civic trying to look fast. i have the same car as you and i got the next smaller size tach that only goes to 8k.

so for the install:

there will b four wires coming out the back

power
light
ground
distributer

the distributor goes to the negative terminal on the ign. coil

ground the ground

hook up the light to a fuse on the fusebox that makes something come on wen you turn the key. ex. the headlights
do the same for the power so that the tach is not drawing current from the battery all the time. you could also hook up the power directly to the battery.

good luck.
 
you mean something like this
efan012.jpg


wiring as folows
tach imput (coil -)
switched battery (coil +)
ground (under the left side kick panel there is a ground block)
dimming wire (reostat on cluster)
 
To match the flat black gauge faces, you need a tach from an '89+ 240 GL. They're not very common. A 4cyl. tach from an '81-'88 240 will work, but the face is semi-gloss so it doesn't quite match. The cosmetic issue is the only thing that's really different about them. Some of the early 80s ones, depending on the engine type, had a 6500rpm redline. The B230F tachs would have a 6000rpm redline. Again, it's just cosmetic.

The install is plug & play. Remove cluster (steering wheel removal not required), remove clock, plug in tach, reinstall cluster, hook red/white wire to #1 terminal on tach. That's it.
 
I was planning on doing this, i'm glad you posted this!

Once i get the car back from the shop i am headed out to the junkyard :oogle:
 
Seth If you want I can pick you up a tach and clock next time I'm at the junkyard.

Heres a video of the tach

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jf99mEbXDTU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jf99mEbXDTU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

It's on a euro version, but thats what it looks like (that car sounds sweet too!)
 
This may seem like a dumb question, but do any of you Virginians know of any good junkyards known for having Volvo parts?
 
Hi all,
I was an idiot. [grin]

pulling the instrument cluster a few days ago...pulled the harnessed plugs on the back...no big deal...but I was in a hurry and not really paying attention...pulled the four wires off of the back of the tachometer then pulled the cluster.

As soon as I had moved it about 6" it dawned on me............

I have no freeking clue what terminals these wires just came from....

102_0083.jpg


102_0086.jpg


Any thoughts? (I've tries to read the wiring diagrams, but everything I've seen refers to the clock, not the tach.)

Thanks in advance,
David
 
The tach is powered by pins on the back of the combined instrument cluster.
The red & white striped one goes on either one of the bottom twin terminals.
The top 3 terminals go to the small clock harness that looks like this,

240TurboTachclockharness1.jpg


But I don't see in the picture.
 
Alright guys, I read the thread. I have my dash apart right now. The red and white striped wire is plugged into the bottom of the tach. The small clock is plugged into the three plugs on the top of the tach.

It doesn't work. What am I missing?
 
Alright guys, I read the thread. I have my dash apart right now. The red and white striped wire is plugged into the bottom of the tach. The small clock is plugged into the three plugs on the top of the tach.

It doesn't work. What am I missing?
im having the same problem, i swithed out the big clock for tach and also picked up a small clock. tach works, no power is going to the small clock though:omg:
 
when I first got my 245 I bought a tach off ebay (stupid I know) and installed it. It works intermittently but more often when it is hot. I got a new tach at the PNP with even less success so I put the first one back in. I don't know but they seem to be tempermental. Either that or I just don't know what they heck I am doing.....which can NEVER be rulled out??? While you have the gauges out you should get the Dave Barton white gauges....for the money it is a GREAT up grade!
 
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