#1
09-14-2014, 03:36 PM
Wesley brown
Member

Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 39
91 volvo 240 power surging, loss of power.
Hello all I am a new proud owner of a clean 91 244, red with b230f and auto tranny. This cars motor is having some issues that I thought I could sort out fast. Boy was I wrong? After doing much research on the cars issues I started to address what I thought was wrong. The car certainly needed some repairs and the parts I replaced certainly needed it but I'm still having a throttle surge miss at the first part of the acceleration and occasionally a backfire.
Symptoms.
Sometimes when you start the car it will barely idle and then come up normal and pur like a kitten.
If you slowly accelerate it will eventually run up onto the rpm's but if you drive it it has no power.
Occasionally it will backfire and first throttle response it seems like its so lean it's missing. It did drive home when I purchased it with barely enough power on the freeway but would do 70 mph easy and then all the sudden it just barely ran.
What I have done|

Changed plugs
Rotor and cap
Swapped out the ECU from junk yard units with 3 different ones.
Swapped out radio fuse with used one
Swapped out fuel relay with used one
Cleaned MAF
Replaced plug wires with new
New primary in tank fuel pump and filter. The old one was in pieces.
New fuel filter. The old one was nasty!
New engine coolant temp sensor


I have new parts yet to be put on:
New HP fuel pump
New CPS
New o2 sensor
New radio relay
New fuel relay

After all this I'm thinking the cars timing, compression,or catalytic converter might be clogged?
I haven't done a compression test yet but the car runs so well other than the quirk?

Any ideas?

 

All of the other items in the above list has been replaced. The only thing left is FPR and MAF
Code are 111?????

 

Are you saying it got worse after you did all of these repairs? or you had this problem and these repairs made no difference?

I would check to make sure there is no in-leakage of air after the MAF, like a crack in the intake piping or a bad throttle body or intake manifold gasket, or a loose PCV hose.

You can also check this by spraying starting fluid in and around those areas while the car is running and if you get a surge when spraying in a certain spot, you have a leak that you can work on.

It couldnt' hurt to double check your plug wire connections either. Also, I had a similar problem with my chevy suburban and it turned out to be a cracked spark plug (new out of the box).

 

Code 1-1-1 means everything is ok....no faults. I assume you checked the fuel system and ignition system codes ?? Instead of parts changing, lets begin with the basics. Compression test, engine timing -crank,cam,and balance shaft, intake vacuum leaks,fuel pressure, exhaust back pressure (restricted exhaust ).

 

a 240 doesnt' even HAVE a radio relay, thats strictly a 740/940 thing.

and yeah on what the other two guys say. air intake/vacuum leaks are my first thought.

 

Yes I changed all these parts and it made no difference. I wanted to do preventive maintenance anyway for future issues.
I did unbolt the exhaust thinking the cat converter could be clogged . No change.

I just bought a new FPR it may be running lean until it hits higher rpm's and has enough vacuumed to increase pressure. The stumble bog is on the low end and if you patiently wait for the rpm's to rise it has great throttle response above 3500 . Before that it will backfire a little and surge.
I do need to check for leaks and see if it is sucking air! Hoses ETC.
I did check both ports and both are 111. I even have a extra ignition module and 3 ECU that I keep changing to see if it makes any difference?
As far as the idle it runs smooth as a cat! No misfire or stumble, starts right up. I think this is evidence that compression is ok and there aren't any valve / seat issues. Idle got even smoother when I cleaned MAF and changed ETS! Plugs, wires, cap ETC.
Today I'll put on the new FPR and see what it does.
I did change the relay that is called a suppression relay that is located on the driver strut tower? Also the fuel relay under the pass floor board.
I also jumped the relay to hear the main pump come on and also jumped the fuse 4 and 6 to hear the primary pump come on. It's all working
Thanks for the replies!