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MOTRS

242 / 244 / 245

1974-1993 / Sedan / Estate / Sweden

All 242 / 244 / 245 problems All workshop issues
Critical Engine

Timing belt and water pump failure

Symptoms

Belt snaps, engine stops immediately. If it's an interference engine (all B21/B23 are), valves hit pistons. Game over. Water pump failure causes overheating, coolant loss.

Cause

Timing belts are a wear item. Volvo says 10 years or 100,000 km (160,000 km on later four-cylinders). Water pumps fail from bearing wear or seal leakage.

Fix

Replace the timing belt, tensioner, and idler pulleys as a kit.

Do the water pump at the same time, it's right there, and the labour overlaps.

Use OEM or quality aftermarket (Aisin, Gates).

Torque the crank pulley nut to spec and align timing marks carefully.

If you've never done this, get a mate who has or pay someone.

Bentley or Haynes manual walks you through it.

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Other known issues

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.
Critical Engine

Fuel injector clogging and leaking (K-Jetronic, LH 2.2/2.4)

Rough idle, hesitation, hard starting, fuel smell. One or more cylinders run lean or rich. LH 2.4 injectors (yellow-top) can leak when hot.
Critical Engine

Fuel pump and relay failure

Car cranks but won't start, or cuts out randomly. Sometimes you'll hear the pump prime when you turn the ignition on; other times, silence.
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.
View all 24 242 / 244 / 245 problems