I'm having clutch problems. Basically the problem has these effects:

1) High revs required to get the car to move and, I suspect, once rolling, higher revs than I should have (but no rev counter on car),
2) Going downhill or coasting, when I take my foot off the throttle the clutch dis-engages the CVT from the engine,
3) The 'hold in low gear' button lights but when the switch is in the on possition it seems to have no effect.

Here's what I've done to the car. None of the seems to have made any change:

1) New CTV belts,
2) Professionally refurbished carb (Solex 32-SE1A REN),
3) Fitted CVT Vacuum Valve overhaul kit,
4) Fitted CVT Tacho Relay ovehaul kit,
5) New exhaust (though doubt this is relevant),
6) Passed MOT (here it's called the ITV) test,
7) Looked for any cracked pipes so far as I can by crawling under the car and peering under the bonnet.

Downhill driving is particularly scary here (La Palma- the steepest land mass on earth) as I have a problm with the engine stalling due to air leakage past the inlet manifold gasket and hence no brake servo assist! Anybody know where these gaskets can be sourced as a single item? I've asked Borne-Built-Beauties and await an answer.

For safety reasons, should the car not have some facility to ensure that the clutch remains engaged when the vehicle is rolling? If so then this is where I should be looking. Point is where is it and how does it work?

The clutch remains engaged providing it is turning over at a certain speed. It is governed by weights. The only thing to override this is the declutch servo which is the device attached to the bellhousing and operates an arm which raises the speed before the clutch can engage.

There should be a noticeable difference in the engine speed required to engage the clutch depending on whether or not the button on top of lever is depressed.

The 'hold in low gear' button lights but when the switch is in the on possition it seems to have no effect.

This sounds like one of either the low gear hold, kickdown switch (on the accelerator cable) or your brake master cylinder switch have failed. The last two are normally the cause, all three are wired in series so if one goes it takes out the lot of them. Have you looked at the electrical diagrams in the green books, it will be easier to understand if you do/have (p 74 through to about 78 here http://www.volvo300mania.com/technical/ ... agrams.pdf)

Many thanks for both contributions so far.

Macpaxton. I will try depressing the button on top of the gear lever over the weekend. Presumably, if there is no change in engagement speed, there is something wrong in the declutch servo. I can't find anything in Haynes on how to service these. Can you point me to somewhere where I can find some info. and advise on the availability of spares?

Chris_C. Presumably the brake master switch that you refer to is the one on top of the hyrdraulic fluid reservoir and which measures fluid level. Yes, this has failed. The lamp on the dash is permanently on and I've topped up the fluid level to near the top. Are these standard parts which can easily be easily obtained and from where?

Many thanks

As far as I knew...the servo was not meant to be serviced. I did it anyway.

On my Type 1 someone had bypassed the Servo with a doorbell button because it did not work...


After carefully cutting around the top cover it was removed.

This will give you an idea of what is inside. I replaced the O-Rings and lubricated the bellows with PB Blaster (a rubber lubricant).

After that the cover was glued back on to seal it...

Have not had a problem since.

John