K Jetronic and a bit of an intro

[CWXC70]

Hello everyone,

First post despite being registered a year or so now.

Unfortunately my username reflects a car I now hate with a vengeance, a 2006 XC70 with a whole load of issues that I no longer have the patience to want to fix and even if I did I doubt I'd trust it to get me any further than my bicycle. Roll on about a year of it being parked up while I decide it's fate and me using my Land Rover and I'm back to Volvo ownership, my fourth now, a 1988 240 GLT with a healthy 260k on it (run in). It is actually a car that has had a little air time on here already, a baby blue GLT previously owned by GraveAvenger

Basically I've done what I should have done a year ago and gone for a simple car that wears it's heart on it's sleeve with nothing much in the way of computer systems and nothing much to go wrong.I learned to drive and took my test in a 1978 245DL so it seems right to return to a good honest 240. The 850 T5 was fun, the V70 TDi was sensible, now for a proper keeper because I hate the XC70

Which brings me to my question about K Jetronic. Last time I had a car with K Jet was in the late 80's when I knew not a lot about fixing things. Now my abilities have improved somewhat but I was wondering on the universal opinion on K Jet, given that spares availability may be tenuous and with other options available, can the K Jet car be kept running reasonably successfully or should I plan on fitting something else if it goes pearshaped?

cheers,

Colin

[stephend]

K-Jet is simple and reliable, so I wouldn't have too many worries on that score.

[leftfootleashed]

It has it's quirks but it seems to be generally quite reliable. There's nothing that can't be tracked down and fixed with sound logic and patience.

[BrianH]

My CI system worked well for 15 years on my 245 GL 1989

Then I had a corrosion problem on the petrol tank and water contaminated the whole CI system.

The only solution is replacement pump, distributor and air meter

All this can be got quite reasonably from breakers such as T J Stone

I run on LPG but need the security of a switch over as it difficult to get a can of gas

BrianH 568 983 mls

[CWXC70]

LPG conversion be on the horizon for me as I run my Land Rover 110 on gas so I'm used to the routine. That's on Megasquirt so that I have two ignition maps, one for each fuel. Works well.

How have you worked out your gas delivery? I use a BLOS propane carb on the 110

[tannachyallen]

I used to have a V70XC which was a lovely car but once the gearbox started playing up and going into 'limp home mode' it became very unpredicatble and a reconditioned box was more than I'd originally paid for the car. Life with my present 240 is much simpler and more reliable...........

Dave A.

[volvo always]

I have owned my 1989 240 GLT automatic for at least 5 years probably a bit more and it had 159,000 on the clock then and now just over 210,000 and not had any issues with the B230E engine running K jet.
Only issues I have had have been age/wear items mostly gearbox. Things like auto cooler pipe holed, and rear tail housing (bearing worn) on the AW70 leaking which I have had fixed. Then just normal service items. Best car I have owned and only cost me £350 to buy.

James

[AndrewBrown]

Of all the bosch systems i have fixed K jetronic is by far the most reliable system ever no driven parts apart from the pump it all works on mass air flow only using a circular flap just dont open the metering head, as it goes i give it 11 out of 10

[Paul240480]

Mines a B200e so k-jet too. I bought it 2003 with 148-ish K miles. Now on 213-ish K miles.
Had lots ofwear and tear stuff to do over the years.
The only issue I've had with the fuel delivery system is worn injector seals causing an air leak and lumpy idle.
Seals can be had for about 20 quid from Volvo, fairly easy to do. If I was you and if you dont know if the seals have been replaced, do them anyway on one of that age, they'll be on last legs if original......
But K-jet, yeh, rock solid

[B00TS]

K-Jetronic = bombproof!

I ran it on a VW/Audi 2.0L 5-cylinder for 20 years and 250,000 miles. As Paul says, the only thing that failed in all that time was the o-rings that hold the injectors into the manifold.

The rest of the system put up with ridiculous amounts of abuse: dirty fuel, very inquisitive young mechanic, lots of blow by in the crankcase meaning the air flow meter usually had to battle half a pint of oil spashing around.

It never missed a beat and had the nicest throttle response I've ever come across to boot. Not sure if it was just the VW tank design but if you kept your right foot light, it would keep going until the very last teaspoon of fuel to help you on those 'skint' days!

Can't recommend it highly enough...

Boots.