Hi all,

Came out this morning and my 85 240 won't start. Cranks normally but never turns over.

I got a new battery yesterday. The fuel pumps were replaced in December along with the air mass meter, and I confirmed that my starter is working. If I confirm that the fuses #5 +7 for the fuel pumps are working, what further troubleshooting should I do?

I also want to put out the general question of reliability with this vehicle. It is my only mode of transportation, so when things go wrong, it not only eats up my money but also my ability to work and being reliable. Should I get another car and only use this car as an enthusiast vehicle, or can I expect that, at some point, it will run without issues??

 

I have confirmed that the distributor cap appears to be working - no visual defects.

 

I should disclose I had worked yesterday on the shifter, attempting to get the reverse lights to work. I followed the instructions in the Bentley manual for this (435-6). I assume this is not causing the problem since the car will crank in park and a bad switch would not allow the car to crank at all.

 

are you getting spark at the plugs?

 

just fyi, 1985 is right in the middle of the 'biodegradable wiring' years (83-87), and those cars are prone to random electrical problems due to wire insulation cracking inside the harnesses which can cause all sorts of random and hard to troubleshoot issues. the only true cure is to replace both the engine and ignition harnesses, which www.davebarton.com has been having custom made in the Netherlands... The harnesses are specific to the model year.

that said, an engine needs compression, fuel, and spark to run.

 

So if I can confirm that the engine is getting spark, fuel and compression, the likliest explanation is the wiring harenesses?

 

if its getting spark, fuel, and has compression, then I'd be looking at timing. maybe the spark plug wires are hooked up wrong, or maybe the timing belt has slipped several teeth.

 

Spark plug wires are hooked up in correct firing order from the distributor cap to the cylinders. however I'm unable to get any of the spark plug wires removed from the socket, I even sprayed WD-40 on one and wrestled with it with a pliers and I can't get it out. Am I possibly pulling at the wrong thing? I'm pulling on The wire that runs from the distributor cap to the cylinder in the engine....

I can also confirm that the V belts appear to be operational after visual inspection.

 

The car finally turned over and started. Seemingly randomly as I did only visual inspections. It ran for about half a mile before dying again. It died while I was coasting/decelerating into a red light, and it did not jerk or buck; it just died. I assume this confirms it's a fuel pump or timing issue since clearly the engine is getting spark?

 

the wire has a rubber cap on it that fits over the distributor cap post, you should pull from the rubber cap NOT the wire.

the v-belts only drive the alternator, power steering pump, water pump, and a/c compressor, they have nothing to do with engine timing. the timing belt is behind the plastic cover on the front of the engine.

 

use jumpers to individually test each fuel pump as outlined earlier in this thread. you can verify whether each pump is functioning.