My 1987 240 wagon starts up and dies right after. If you press on the gas it will stay running for a few seconds more, but dies quickly. It doesn't have a quick read error box.
I am not super handy, being a single mom, though I need my car to work. I had a freelance/cheap guy come and look at my car to do some diagnostics and he thought it was the air mass meter being faulty and told me to get the part and put it in myself. I could do that, but am wondering about doing more intensive diagnostics before ordering a part that is more than $100.
If I have it towed to a local mechanic that doesn't specialize in Volvos, are they going to be able to figure it out? The nearest Volvo guy is 50 miles away.
Should I just try to trouble shoot myself? I don't think I have the right tools, but I could probably give it a go with some coaching and a babysitter.
Any input would be much appreciated.

 

A faulty air mass meter should still allow the car to idle, just really rough. A quick test to whether it is faulty or not, unplug it, start it up and see if there is a difference (idling real bead, the car shakes, sounds like it is going to die.) Try that first, but from what you said, I don't think the air mass meter is to blame because it is dying on you.