Volvo built its boxy, businesslike 200-series vehicles from 1974 to 1993, in Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Canada and Malaysia. The 240DL first appeared in 1974. Power for the 240DL came from a 97-horsepower, slant-four engine. The 240DL owner’s manual recommends that you use 87-octane gas to run the beast and states that, although gas that contains ethanol is acceptable -- as long as it met the 87-octane requirement – its use is not recommended.
The 240 DL’s tank capacity was 15.8 U.S. gallons, but the owner’s manual cautions the unwary owner not to depend on the tank’s capacity. The amount of usable gasoline in the tank depends on external conditions, such as the ambient temperature and air pressure, the pressure of the gasoline vapors in the fuel tank and whether the car is level or on an incline.
