# Hot Wire My 244GL Volvo



## abrogard (Jul 11, 2010)

My old Volvo seems to have finally died. The ignition switch doesn't work. The key goes round smoothly without the 'lumps' you usually feel as it goes. And nothing happens. No starter operates, no lights come on.

So I need to hotwire it to be able to move it somewhere for disposal or wrecking.

So I cut the wires under the switch. Three fat ones and two thin ones.

I had intended to join two fat wires until I found which pair would light up the panel. Then I was going to find which remaining wire would fire the starter motor if I brushed it against the already joined pair. 

But when I put the battery back in I found the car was 'beeping' like it does when there's a door open (there was a door open) or seatbelt undone.

so this means there's already a circuit alive. But how? with all the wires cut?

I'm confused and I always freeze when I'm confused, like a rabbit in the headlights....

Can anyone help me... what should I do to complete this 'hotwiring'?

By the way... the steering lock doesn't seem to be operating, so that's good.

Looks like the ignition is already on, actually, doesn't it? And just the starter motor circuit not working........

But I put it to those with more understanding and experience than myself.... (I have virtually none of either)

ab


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> So I need to hotwire it to be able to move it somewhere for disposal or wrecking.


Ayuh,... You've been watchin' Way to much TV.... 
You shouldn't have done the Cutting...

I suggest you call a wrecking yard,... They have trucks, *Just* for this purpose...
'ell,... they might even throw ya a few bucks for it....


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## abrogard (Jul 11, 2010)

You're right. I do watch too much t.v. More and more I come to believe ANY t.v. is too much.

But why do you say it? Is it that cars cannot be 'hotwired' in this manner for some reason? 'You shouldn't have done the cutting' seems to suggest so.

If so, what reason?

What have I done? How can I fix it?

In this country - or this part of it at least - car wreckers give you nothing for a car, they charge you to pick it up, generally you get it there yourself. One would get more money from scrap metal merchants.

No truck can get into my backyard to get this car. It died in the garage. We managed to push it back out, just, and then forward down the slope to clear the driveway and it finished up facing the back fence.

Here's my Picasa pic of it: pic of car 

We need it out of there. Under its own steam would be best and now after a week of trying to find information and after learning what I have after doing what I have the question has become interesting in its own right.

Seems simple enough to me, to qualified people: join this and this to make it alive, join this to start it. Either that or something like "You've fried the super-duper electronic magic gizmo and now the car can't run without a new one'

Which I think is unlikely.

Any help, anyone?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> Either that or something like "You've fried the super-duper electronic magic gizmo and now the car can't run without a new one'


Well,...If the car is new enough to be fuel injected,.. that's entirely possible...

It is somewhat of a hook this wire there, 'n jump a wire here... 

but Hot-wirin' a motor is done from under the hood,.... Not the dash....


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## abrogard (Jul 11, 2010)

Yes, I'm using the term loosely, obviously.

I'm talking about taking the ignition switch out of the loop because I must, because it is broken. That's what I set off talking about.

But the main thing is to move the car. If there's a quick easy way to do from under the hood then - how?

And, yes, it is late enough to have fuel injection. It is 1982 which was the first Volvo with fuel injection, I've been told.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Well, I don't know about volvo, but if you have a gm car and the key and can get the hood up, you can start it easily. I had a bad ignition switch and used this method for a couple of months. Turn the key to 'run' open the hood and put a wire on the solenoid and then the positive terminal of the battery. 

Varoom, the car will start because you've bypassed the ignition switch and put voltage straight to the solenoid.

Oh, make sure the car is in park! You are also by passing the neutral safety switch, so the car will start even if it's in gear!


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## ianc435 (Jun 12, 2010)

abrogard said:


> You're right. I do watch too much t.v. More and more I come to believe ANY t.v. is too much.
> 
> But why do you say it? Is it that cars cannot be 'hotwired' in this manner for some reason? 'You shouldn't have done the cutting' seems to suggest so.
> 
> ...


Buy a ignition lock assembly a a upper pigtail for the column wiring if its avalaible. You are not macguyver.

You could torch it in the prcess of tryimg to fix it. Claim it.


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## abrogard (Jul 11, 2010)

I had to look up 'macguyver', it is not a term you hear about in aus.

No, I'm certainly no 'macguyver' - but I don't see where that matters, I'm not trying to do anything 'macguyver-ish'.

I just want to join up some wires in the way the switch they once went into did.

so I think there's something wrong here - I'm in the wrong forum, right?

No one here is an auto electrician, right? Probably no one is even an electrician..

If anyone knows where I might find the right forum to ask, please tell me. 

As for buying an ignition, etc., I should have said at the outset that 

. they're almost unobtainable
. they're too expensive
. they're far too difficult to put in
. the car's destined never to drive on the highway again... not worth spending on..


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## ianc435 (Jun 12, 2010)

abrogard said:


> I had to look up 'macguyver', it is not a term you hear about in aus.
> 
> No, I'm certainly no 'macguyver' - but I don't see where that matters, I'm not trying to do anything 'macguyver-ish'.
> 
> ...


What year is the car? Year make and midel. I am out of work for a week. I will get you an electric diagram if they exsist. Inam an auto mechanic at the airport. If you can wait a week we'll get you macguverin soon enough. 
You wiil probaly need three. Ignition power and a moentary strike on the starter.


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## abrogard (Jul 11, 2010)

This sounds very encouraging. It is a Volvo 244GL sedan made in 1982 in Sweden.

I didn't see bigplanz post about solenoid and battery before... I might try that. 
But the ignition switch is broken.. I can't 'turn the key to run'.
Unless it is already 'on' because of that 'beep' 'beep'.
But there's no lights....
So I don't know...

I would still very much like to know what to do with these cut wires under the dash now and ianc435 sounds hopefull. 


If they get joined up right so's I can start it from inside the car whenever I like (have to wire in some kind of pushbutton switch I guess for a 'starter') then I can turn the engine over from time to time, move it out so's I can cut the grass under it, put it back, while I'm waiting to see if I send it away or do I 'wreck it', pull bits off and sell them..

Here's a pic of what we call here the 'compliance plate' with all details of manufacture, body, etc.. Compliance Plate


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## ianc435 (Jun 12, 2010)

abrogard said:


> This sounds very encouraging. It is a Volvo 244GL sedan made in 1982 in Sweden.
> 
> I didn't see bigplanz post about solenoid and battery before... I might try that.
> But the ignition switch is broken.. I can't 'turn the key to run'.
> ...


Thankms for the info. Give me a week and i will get back to you i promise.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I went to the Autozone web site, and a volvo starter looks pretty much like a GM starter. There is a starter, and attached to it a solenoid. There are two wires connected to the solenoid, a fat one and a thin one. The fat one goes directly to the battery. The thin one is the ignition switch wire. When you turn the switch, if completes the circuit and allows 12v, low amps to go to the solenoid. The solenoid does two things. It pushes the pinion gear of the starter up onto the flywheel and it closes two big heavy amp contacts inside the starter, thus allowing high amp, 12V current to flow from the battery to the starter motor. The car then starts (we hope). When you release the ingition switch, the ignition switch opens, but the car stays in 'run'. This cuts voltage to the solenoid, opens the heavy amp contacts and the pinion gear retracts from the fly wheel. Simple.

If you connect 12V straight to the thin wire contact on the solenoid, the car should start (assuming it's in 'run). If nothing else, the starter will come on and try to start the car.

Agian this is gm specific, but since the volvo starter looks exactly like mine, give it a try. MAKE SURE THE CAR IS IN PARK!!! You will also be bypassing the neutral safety switch, so the car will start even if it is in gear. Good luck!


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

Take a look in front of your battery. You are looking for a small buss bar that probably has a cover on it. it should have three terminals, two bigger one's, and a smaller one with a purple wire. Take a small jumper wire and hit one of the bigger wires to the purple wire post. this should bypass your Neut and ignition switches and crank the motor. make sure your in N or P


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## ianc435 (Jun 12, 2010)

abrogard said:


> My old Volvo seems to have finally died. The ignition switch doesn't work. The key goes round smoothly without the 'lumps' you usually feel as it goes. And nothing happens. No starter operates, no lights come on.
> 
> So I need to hotwire it to be able to move it somewhere for disposal or wrecking.
> 
> ...


The beeping is car key reminder. Key in slot and beeps to remind you to take your keys. Just donned on me. You are close. Still not back to work. Monday i will look up specs for you. My guess. Fat ones are power ditribution to fuse. High current carriers. Run power to thes circuits. If that doesn't work. Run 12 to coil on engine. But don't leave twelve on it unless you are driving car. Then jump starter.


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