Ahead of installing a recently acquired ambient temperature gauge I have been sussing out the wiring via the helpful posts on here.
Would I be correct in saying the white connector plug in the pic, located below the air filter housing is the coiled up sensor cable ?
I assume I will find the other end behind the instrument panel ?


Removal of the instrument panel will be next, I have read that disconnecting the speedo cable can be an issue with the fitting breaking, any tips on removing the panel would be appreciated....
Still looking for a temperature sensor if anyone has one available.
Thanks!

Not really had a problem removing the speedo-cable from the instrument panel - its more of a problem getting it back on again, but still not too bad. I take it you are also planning on removing the steering wheel - I never managed to do anything useful with it left on. Its a bit delicate removing the blue circuit layer from the back of the instrument panel but again not too bad if you do it very carefully. Also, use an air-duster on the dials and the see-through cover before putting it all back together - there's nothing more annoying than getting everything back on the car and then noticing that you've left a big piece of dust in full view - took it all apart again once to cure just this problem. Bit of a bore aligning the steering-wheel on the straight-ahead position afterwards, but its never taken more than one or two attempts to fix it.

TasMan wrote: ↑

20 Apr 2020 10:19 pm

Ahead of installing a recently acquired ambient temperature gauge I have been sussing out the wiring via the helpful posts on here.
Would I be correct in saying the white connector plug in the pic, located below the air filter housing is the coiled up sensor cable ?
I assume I will find the other end behind the instrument panel ?

Removal of the instrument panel will be next, I have read that disconnecting the speedo cable can be an issue with the fitting breaking, any tips on removing the panel would be appreciated....
Still looking for a temperature sensor if anyone has one available.
Thanks!

Yes, from memory I'm pretty sure that white connector plug is for the ambient temperature gauge on late cars ... You shouldn't have to connect anything else regarding the wiring, instrument panel wise. It's "plug and play", if I remember correctly.

Removing the instrument cluster can be done with the steering wheel in situ, but it's much easier when removed. Be very careful undoing the speedo cable, the "knurled knob" (?) connecting the speedo cable to the speedo itself tends to disintegrate on removal, meaning you can't secure the cable back in very well when putting it all back together.

Cheers

Tom

Thanks for the replies, both very helpful.
I shall watch out for the blue layer on the instrument panel Jon, and good tip on the air duster

Tom, I haven't investigated the other end of the wiring, I understand there should be a couple of connectors somewhere around the dash/steering column area, or are you suggesting that once the gauge is installed in the panel then it makes the relevant contacts as a matter of course ? Maybe because the wiring is already in place it is already terminated ?
Noted about the speedo cable nut, will tread carefully there..
Steering wheel removal makes sense, does the front cover just prise off or are their screws ? I shall investigate next time I am in the garage.

Cheers Dave

It should just pull-off, but disconnect the battery or your neighbours will hear a lot of honking ;-0

+1 to everything bogbasic said!

Engaging the steering lock makes it easier to unbolt the nut as well.

There's a metal strip securing the top of the instrument cluster to the dashboard, unscrew this, gently undo the speedo cable from behind, and the whole cluster pops forward, hanging by the multiplugs (you might want to remove these first as well).

I have never fitted an ambient temperature gauge into an existing instrument cluster - I've always found it easier to replace the whole thing (a 4 dial dash for a 6 dial dash for example) and then just swap the speedo over to keep the mileage. The multiplugs at the back of the cluster give the temperature gauge the information it needs - I'm sure there will be some kind of easy fitting if you want to fit the gauge to an existing cluster, I doubt if there is an extra wiring required if you've already got the connection for the ambient temperature sensor in place.

The econometer has a vaccuum feed which goes directly to the inlet manifold, but that's a different matter.

Cheers

Tom

Great, thanks for the info, very useful!

I also have an econometer to fit at the same time, I have been sourcing vacuum hose and I have the manifold take off nipple so I am ready to go with that one.
Just need the sender for the ambient gauge and I should be good to go
Obviously waiting till I have everything so that I am only removing things once.....hopefully
Cheers Dave

TasMan wrote: ↑

23 Apr 2020 02:33 pm

I also have an econometer to fit at the same time, I have been sourcing vacuum hose and I have the manifold take off nipple so I am ready to go with that one.

Do you have a source for the manifold take off nipple or did you just get one from a 940 or similar?

Hi Steve,
I was lucky enough to get a nipple with the Econometer so didn't have to go hunting
Cheers

Bit late to the party, but if the plug is under the bonnet (that is the correct one) you shouldn't have to look under the dash. Late 340s normally have the plugs under the dash, but not the extra loom in the engine bay.

I did one yesterday, been a few years since the last! I have a couple of photos I can upload, but might not be super useful

On mobile, will try to fix these later!


https://flic.kr/p/2iZe2w1

https://flic.kr/p/2iZcrkg

https://flic.kr/p/2iZe2w6

And this is what late 340 owners will find, taped up in black electrical tape, two female 1/4" spades. Earlier cars don't have this and it gets a bit more complicated

Hi Chris,
These pics are excellent, much appreciated.
Is there much involved in taking the bumper off ? I popped one of the covers off and can see where it would go but certainly looks like a far better job to take the bumper off.
Have given you a follow on Flickr, you should be able to see my Volvo album if you have a dig into my profile.
Cheers Dave

Cheers Dave.

Bumper off is easy enough, when you've done it once before The below is for a mk3

• Hoses off the headlamp washers, thread them through the little metal clampy holders at the base of the arms
• 7mm socket to remove the bolt holding the headlamp wiper arms on, gently pull off
• pop the side repeater lenses off the bulbs
• 4 13mm bolts out from under the bumper bolt covers, slide one side forward about 2 inches, leaving it still hanging on the wiper spindle the other side
• Reach in and unclip the side repeater looms from the inside of the bumper, 2 clips each side
• Bumper back on the wiper spindle that side, do the other side
• Slide bumper off both sides slowly, there is a hose coming from the washer bottle side headlamp to the washer hoses, so slide the bumper off and around to that side of the car.

When you put it back, be super careful of the two plastic clips on the wings, make sure it slides in those whilst you are putting the side repeater looms back in.

All in, it took me about 20 mins from spanners out to bumper back on, but I've done them numerous times!

Hi Chris,
Thanks again, its always better to hear first hand from someone who has done it, than reading Haynes/Autodata etc as undoubtedly they won't mention the finicky bits that trip you up ....
I won't be trying to break the 20 minute record though

-pop the settering wheel cover off, get your fingers in behind and pull. You'll get a small beep or two, nothing major
-undo the 2 blade connectors on the horn pad
-undo the nut and remove the steering wheel
-Undo the metal strip at the top
-Undo the speedo cable
-Unplug the 2 plugs at the bottom of the cluster from underneath
-Pull cluster out
-Undo all the screws around the edge and matching ones in the middle, there is one hidden under the metal plate on the corner of the cluster
-the black surround and plastic should seperate from the cluster
-unscrew the black plastic blanks for the top corner gauges, they'll fall out
-screw the new gauges in
-Re-fit the plastic surroubd to the gauge cluster
-fit the nipple on the intake and run the vac line through the firewall
-connect vac line to econometer
-slide back in to place
-re-connect the plugs
-reconnect the speedo cable
-pop the bumper bolt hole cover off
-run the wiring through the front and plug the sensor in
-Reach up behind the bumper and plug it in to it's socket

The amount of times i've pulled them out is just bloody ridiculous, and thats basically a reverse of how i remove them.