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Car Forum / Volvo Cars / July 2005The Adverture Begins
As I mentioned earlier, I picked up my 240 yesterday. It was a 160 mile drive home so I got to give it a good run, in 100 degree weather, at 70mph with the air conditioning on. It's a five speed, and it cruised happily, and accelerates fairly effortlessly (allbeit a bit slowly) even at those speeds. I have been driving the 960, and the 240 is no match for that car, but it sure is fun to drive! handles nicely, and it is great to have a stick again. I haven't given it a real test yet, but had it up to 80mph, and it was happily cruising along at that speed. Checked the oil when we got home and it was clean and full and smelled good (well, like good oil does, anyway)... Nice! Got it home, and was giving it a final check under the hood when I noticed that the coolant level in the reservoir was non-existant. I topped it off and it took two quarts! Hmmm... This mronig my wife comes into the house and says that there is a puddl;e under the car.. sure enough, it was coolant (glad we found it before the dogs did! The stuff really does taste sweet, btw). Thought the worst, but it was a failed water pump. The car loves me- it waited until it got home to go pee! Good CAR-ma, indeed! It could have stranded me on Interstate 80 between the Bay area and Sacramento in 100+ heat! So tomorrow it's a water pump change out (wife picked one up on the way home from work today). "Two Volvos Randy!" (Monty Python reference) __ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate Sleeping together Welcome to the world of the two-Volvo family. Since #2 has decided not to be potty-trained, I guess that the Executive Decision has been made that you will be driving the 240. Definitely want to keep the dogs out of those puddles! A couple of licks can be more than enough to do in a small dog. Which reminds me, gotta call the garage and make a reservation to take mine in for a possible bearing change (hopefully not that serious). I get to drive my wife's car around tomorrow (S40 1.8T, compared to my old 850 non-T) >Welcome to the world of the two-Volvo family. Since #2 has decided not >to be potty-trained, I guess that the Executive Decision has been made >that you will be driving the 240. That was pre-ordained being that the 240 is stick and the 960 is auto, and the wife is not a real great stick shift person. She enjoys the heck out of the 960 as well. >Definitely want to keep the dogs out of those puddles! A couple of >licks can be more than enough to do in a small dog. Absolutely! nasty stuff indeed. I have been under a car with a coolant leak and gotten a bit in my mouth, so I know that it does indeed taste quite sweet. Even though the puddles were under the car, and the dogs are quite large (two German Shepherds) they weren't even allowed in the garage until I had pulled the car out and wiped off the floor of all drippins'. BTW, a lot of folks don't know, but it is also flammable! It won't burn well on its own, but spray some of it atomized throgh a flame! (Kids, don't try this at home- I was once a firefighter and did it on a closed course). >Which reminds me, gotta call the garage and make a reservation to take >mine in for a possible bearing change (hopefully not that serious). I >get to drive my wife's car around tomorrow (S40 1.8T, compared to my >old 850 non-T) I had the water pump pump in and out, and was done by 10:00 AM this morning. All seems great now. After the dogs are fed I am off on a short ride, just becasue. The 960 got about 23mpg on the ride (70mph+ with the air on!). I am not sure about the 240 as I have not filled up again. According to the trip odometer, the mileage was so high that I am hesitant to say it aloud until it can be verified. I paid a little too much for it, and it needs some minor things, but I feel confident enough in it to drive it anywhere right now. Comfortable and fun to drive. Gotta lve the 240's. __ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate its a gas to go "back" and drive/own the 240's after a while in the newer volvos.....the 240's still have a lot going for them.... >its a gas to go "back" and drive/own the 240's after >a while in the newer volvos.....the 240's still have a lot >going for them.... It's all new to me. This is my first 240. It is somewhat like my motorcycle (1979 BMW R100RT) and my 1948 Chrysler. All three have a lot of torque available at the bottom range of the RPM scale. The gearing for first gear in teh BMW is about the same as third gear in the same era 4 cylinder Japanese motorcycles. Horsepower has its place, but I have always been a fan of torquey motors. __ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate >>Definitely want to keep the dogs out of those puddles! A couple of >>licks can be more than enough to do in a small dog. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the garage until I had pulled the car out and wiped off the floor of > all drippins'. There is at least one brand of antifreeze ("Sierra" IIRC) that uses the somewhat less toxic propylene glycol - supposed to be a third as toxic as ethylene glycol. Whether it is compatible with newer engines or not I don't know, but I used to run it in our '85 765T. The problem with propylene glycol is that it goes through a methanol step in the metabolic process. Think of it as being wood alcohol and you will be on the right track. It is not environmentally toxic, though, and can be poured into the ground and watered in. It is consumed by microbes within a couple days. > BTW, a lot of folks don't know, but it is also flammable! It won't > burn well on its own, but spray some of it atomized throgh a flame! > (Kids, don't try this at home- I was once a firefighter and did it on > a closed course). Yes it is! Alcohol, you know, no matter how thick and low volatility it is. Ditto with brake fluid. A firefighter's textbook I read once said a favored trick of arsonists is to put pool shock into an open jar of brake fluid. Less than an hour later flames shoot out the open top. Mike >>Definitely want to keep the dogs out of those puddles! A couple of >>licks can be more than enough to do in a small dog. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the garage until I had pulled the car out and wiped off the floor of > all drippins'. As long as we are on the subject (which I will now take more OT!) grapes and raisins are also deadly to dogs. Something in them destroys the pooch's kidneys, just like antifreeze does. We first heard of it about a year ago and couldn't believe it - we've had dogs for 30 years. A little checking on veterinary web sites confirmed it. I know it has nothing to do with Volvos, but I'd never forgive myself if I heard somebody's loved one died because of something I kept to myself. Mike Hi Randy, Yes it sure is nice to have two Volvos. (It beats "Two Sheds"!) We had a pair of '74 bright orange 140's a while ago. Actually a 142 and a 145. Like you, we tried to breed them......... Sadly without success. We were hoping for a little 400 series. Now we've "downsized" to one Volvo (a '93 240 Classic wagon) and a motorcycle. Good luck. Andy I. | As I mentioned earlier, I picked up my 240 yesterday. It was a 160 | mile drive home so I got to give it a good run, in 100 degree weather, [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] | '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate | Sleeping together >Hi Randy, > >Yes it sure is nice to have two Volvos. (It beats "Two Sheds"!) >We had a pair of '74 bright orange 140's a while ago. Actually a 142 and a >145. Like you, we tried to breed them......... >Sadly without success. We were hoping for a little 400 series. Very funny, indeed! :-D >Now we've "downsized" to one Volvo (a '93 240 Classic wagon) and a >motorcycle. There's a "classic" 1979 BMW R100RT with just over 90,000m on the clock sitting next to my 240. I have owned the bike since 1981. The Beemer and the Volvo make a lovely, interbreeding couple. Unfortunately, all the children are born with Tricycles Syndrome. Did the water pump this morning. Not a bad job, all things considered. I have never worked on a 240. I read everything about the job in the Clymur's manual which constituted 90 seconds of my life wasted- time which I shall never get back. __ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate |
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