242 / 244 / 245

1974-1993 / Sedan / Estate / Sweden

All 242 / 244 / 245 problems All workshop issues

Common Cooling System

Coolant temperature sensor and gauge issues

Symptoms

Temperature gauge reads wrong, or warning light comes on when the engine's not actually hot.

Cause

The sensor (green two-pin unit on the thermostat housing) fails or its wiring corrodes. Sometimes the gauge itself goes bad.

Fix

Test the sensor with a multimeter (resistance drops as temperature rises).

Replace if faulty.

Check wiring and clean connectors.

If the gauge is dead, you might need a new instrument cluster or a sensor mismatch (single-pin vs two-pin).

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Other known issues

Common Cooling System

Leaking radiator, hoses, and heater core

Coolant drips or puddles under the car, sweet smell, overheating, steam from under the bonnet. Heater core leaks soak the passenger footwell.

Critical Cooling System

Thermostat sticking or failing

Engine runs cold (heater barely works, fuel economy drops) or overheats. Temperature gauge behaves erratically.

Critical Cooling System

Water pump bearing failure and seal leakage

Coolant drips from the weep hole on the pump, or you hear a grinding/squealing noise from the front of the engine. Overheating follows.

Minor Engine

Oil leaks from valve cover, front crank seal, and rear main seal

Seepage or drips from the valve cover gasket, front timing cover, or rear of the engine. Oil may pool on top of the gearbox bell housing or drip onto the subframe. You'll smell burning oil if it hits the exhaust.

Critical Engine

Clogged PCV system (flame trap, oil separator box)

Oil leaks from multiple places, rough idle, high oil consumption, smoke from the engine bay. Sometimes the oil filler cap pops off under pressure.

Common Engine

Piston ring wear and oil consumption (LH 2.4 engines, 2010-2018 T5/T6)

Engine burns oil between changes, blue smoke on startup or acceleration. Spark plugs may foul. Not specific to the 240, but worth noting for anyone considering newer Volvos.

View all 24 242 / 244 / 245 problems