Does anybody know what this is???

[jake1222]

When I went to look at this car a few weeks ago I noticed this item in the dash to the left of the steering wheel. It seems to NOT have any purpose in here and it doesn't move in any way(turning, pushing, or pulling) and doesn't look very nice either. It does have a black tube coming from it out to the bottom of the oil filter housing but other than that nothing. I would like to remove it permanently but if it is something important I'll just live with it. BTW this is a 1982 240D.

[junker68]

I believe it's an idle control doodad.

[The Warden]

What junker68 said. I would say make it work; it can be a nice thing. It'll allow you to adjust your throttle so that you can have a slightly higher idle speed while cold, to keep the engine happy, then lower the idle speed when warmed up so that less fuel is burned.

I just wish they had put them on the turbo 123's...

[psfred]

Fast idle control, and if the cable is going to the oil filter housing, its in the wrong place.

The line to the oil filter housing, by the way, is the oil pressure line (mechanical) -- don't bend or kink it, it will leak.

Knob is connected to a cable in a spiral housing, goes to the linkage next to the valve cover. Should raise idle to about 1200 rpm when turned full CCW. You usually have to press the accelerator down to get it to work.

Peter

[jake1222]

I just looked at the cable and it does go somewhere around the IP NOT the oil filter housing and it does adjust CCW ONLY when the accelerator is pressed but will lower RPM's when turned CW.

Thanks again, I just didn't see this in my 82 300D turbo and YES I wish it had this in it also.

BTW I DID buy it now I have two W123's and a W126.

[WANT '71 280SEL]

I have one on my w116. It never worked though. I would like to have it work but it does nothing. it just turns and turns to no end, that is of course after I had the instrument cluster out. But, even before that it would turn and stop, but never did raise or lower the idle. Could someone post a pic, or explain which cable under the hood is for the idle adjustment?
Thanks
David

[djugurba]

hee hee,
I had a little do-dad in just that spot on my volvo 122s, but it was the manual choke! wife called it the lawnmower... *snif*

it wasn't really a choke, but a mixture enrichment device of a different sort -- it lowered the fuel jet's position in the carburator base so that the needle on that big plunger would let through a bit more fuel when the engine was cold. Lots of FIATS also had an extra starting jet to accomplish the same thing without resorting to a choke plate. But you've gotta be really old, like me, to remember that sort of stuff.

Once upon a time, about 15 years ago at a William and Mary graduation, I had a brief conversation with an Army general whose hobby was restoring Volvo 122 series cars. His name was Colin Powell -- I guess he hasn't had a lot of time for his hobby in recent years.

[rgp123]

Many today believe that getting really old means you remember nothing!

The 240D idle speed adjustment is also handy when you turn on the AC and lose half your horsepower (it least it seems that way!).

[NYDEISEL]

In my 1979 300SD (116) I believe that knob is for starting in hot or cold weather. I have the original owners manual in the glove box so if it real important to you I can look it up. I didn't know that the 123's had this knob???

[Jorn]

It's make starting a cold engine easier.