I brought the car to a shop yesterday, these were the problems they listed, the pre-pump being the main culprit to why my car is not working.

This is way too much for me to pay, let alone the "recommended". I am just a 20 year old college student with nothing more than a few hundred in savings. What is a possible estimate for all of these quotes? Is it reasonable? If so, I'll just do the recommended I guess...

I checked Yelp.com and this place did get extremely good reviews, but I did not expect my car to be this battered up so quickly. I guess when they say European cars need service more often, they didn't put it lightly...

Can I get away with a working car just paying for the pre-pump? The car is near undriveable, since the car has a major possibility of stalling while turning in an intersection, making it dangerous.

In more detail of how the car is, the engine idle seems extremely rough, but if I let it warm up for a few minutes, it becomes better, but not what it usually sounds like. I can tell when the engine is about to give up when I brake all the way down to 0, but I have no knowledge about cars, so I do not know if I am being ripped off or if it is a truly legitimate estimate.

I don't seem to sound paranoid, but it seems as if a 20 year old college student coming in and bringing their barely working '93 240 is a prime opportunity for them to scam an unknowing customer.

Thanks in advance.

 

Are you running the car on empty? It should run fine with a near full tank of gas, otherwise you have some other problems. The in-tank pump you could even do yourself, and there are a few walk throughs other people have done online. I just paid under a $100 for everything I need to replace the pump from IPD. $400 is a nice profit for them.

 

Well man, this is a tough one. If you can do the work yourself you'll still be looking at a few days without a car. Since it's summer, probably no big deal since you can bike everywhere.

The in-tank pump you can do yourself without expensive tools. Your main pump is probably ok, but without a gauge on your fuel system, it's hard to tell for sure. When you pull the in tank pump, hot wire it to your battery for a second just to make sure it really is dead. Check the filter in the tank as well. It's probably filthy. If your pump is working the problem is either with the filter or the hose inside the tank, check all of that. It should be obvious when you pull out the entire assembly.

hmmm.....i think it really comes down to how much your trust your own mechanical ability. This stuff is not hard, just takes time to do it right. Also, make sure you have a good fuel pump relay. I have no idea where that is on a 240, but there are plenty of people here that do.

The price quoted seems astronomical, but I haven't ever taken a car of mine to a shop...so what do I know....

 

Plus I'm pretty sure a main fuel pump either works, or it doesn't because of how much pressure it delivers. At least our high pressure pumps work or quit, same concept. I didn't realize he quoted you on the two pumps, but $300 is still a little high.

 

Fortunately my fuel pump relay got replaced last December and should be good.

How "difficult" is it for a newcomer for me to try to fix at least the pre-pump?

I am not in desperate need of a car, but I would prefer to fix it for the cheapest price possible. I have plenty of time this summer, so I can do it myself. I just do not know where to begin unfortunately... I am just given this car for a year and it has been to the repair shop 3 times already.

I am extremely tempted to sell this and try to buy a Honda Accord/Civic, which I have heard good things about their reliability.

If it will cost me less than 150 to fix the pre-pump myself, I'd be willing to follow anyone's instructions on how to do it without spending hundreds at the shop it's at.

 

Accords/Civics. Reliable: Yes, Lame: Yes. Plus right now you'd probably take a bath on the resale of your Volvo and used car prices just keep going up and up....

You can at least take it apart, see how everything goes together, and you'd be no worse off than you are now. I just did this on my 740 which in the interest of full disclosure is not running right now either! But the in-tank pump works, so I can help you with that. I'm assuming a 240 is basically the same as a 740 with the removal procedure, but if I'm not, somebody hopefully will speak up!

Access is easy, just drop your seats and take off the panel that is directly behind the seats. Lift up the "flaps" and there are three bolts, take 'em off and slide the panel forward and up.

Now you should see the access panel on the drivers side, undo the bolts and take it off. Then you will see a round cap with hoses and wires sticking out of it. Disconnect and label the hoses and the big hose clamp that holds the big plastic screw on thingie. A strap wrench comes in handy here but I used a hammer and a drift and lots of care and patience...you can too.

With some wriggling (careful!) the entire pump assembly comes out of the tank. Now you can look at the guts. Check the hose, replace the filter (it's dirty) and disconnect the pump. Test the pump. Note which wires go where.

And in the classic Haynes tradition...assembly is the reverse! Good luck and look at it as a learning experience. Just don't break anything and you'll be fine.

 

No offense, but how is a '93 Volvo 240 wagon any less lame than a Honda Civic or Accord? It is a brick that has done nothing except put stress on me and my pocket the past months.

I do not drive for looks. I drive for practicality. I know this car is supposedly a tank, but what good is it if it cannot drive. I need to have a working car over anything else and this has failed me several times within a year. I do not care about looks or anything. All I want is a car that works with decent MPG, working AC, seat belts, air bags, and good reliability.

I don't even know where to start, but I guess I will look into a Volvo manual.

 

stalling is usually caused by the small hose that runs from the intake to the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail. see if yours has fallen off. also if it is on, smell hose to see if there is a gasoline smell it would imply your fuel pressure regulator diaphram is bad and you need to replace regulator. In tank pump I bought at local autozone for $40 a few yrs ago. Now I pretty much buy everything from fcpgroton.com They are cheaper and you get the right stuff. Forget the shop they are "shotgunning" you they are just hitting you with a bunch of stuff that "might" be the problem. Usually when intank pump quits car shuts of at 1/2 a tank fill up and it is ok. Good luck to you.

 

Ha ha! You're right of course, a car's a car. Just don't write off your Volvo quite yet. Follow what I've laid out, how to access the in tank pump, etc... Another great site is bickboard.com I've gone to the FAQ for pretty much everything. A manual helps also.

 

If you have no feelings one way or the other...buy a Honda, Toyota or Nissan. The technology is newer and mechanics know how to work on them. It's quite apparent you just want a reliable, trouble free car. The 240 is one of the easiest cars to work on but even your 93 is 18 years old. Its best, trouble free miles are long in the past. To keep one on the road you need either deep pockets or buy a shop manual and some basic tools. Your mechanic came up with a nice fat ticket for you. Learn how to check your codes if you choose to keep the car...but if you think that $150 will fix your car for years to come, you are wrong. A car is a car to be sure...but some are cookie cutters and some are recognizable in stock form. Driving a 240 is an experience, generally a good one. If the idea is alien to you...don't keep it.

 

I'm about ready to change my wagon's in-tank pump in a few weeks, but these guides are great, In the Tank - 240 Volvo Tank Pump and Sender. This next one is different because it is for the 740/940 but they are similar Volvo Fuel Tank Pump/Sender Replacement, it's just another look.
The biggest trouble you might have is knowing where to start, like me until I just started unscrewing stuff in the back and eventually found it. If you need that walk-through with pictures, I can provide that as I am doing a write-up of this procedure myself.