In the last month, my 1990 Volvo 740 GL wagon has had trouble starting. It usually does after about three or four tries. Then when I'm driving, it cuts out when I have to stop, unless I put it in park. I've taken it to two mechanics and neither are willing to work on a foreign car or are able to pinpoint the issue. Does it sound familiar to anyone? I'd rather fix it myself if it's doable. Thanks!

 

Last time I had those particular symptoms, it turned out to be a combination of old spark plugs and a clogged air filter. Basic maintenance items. There are certainly lots of other possibilities; some are more do-able than others...

 

I'll check that out -- another mechanic shot me down today, although he told me it could cost a few hundred to fix if it's the fuel pump or something ...

 

My 1991 740 n/a regina did almost the same thing until one morning it wouldn't start at all. It turned out to be the fuel pump, and I changed the filter too for good measure. I had fuel coming out of the line when iI cranked too, just not enough to keep it running.

300 for a fuel pump on a volvo is a little steep imo, but they said it without even knowing what was wrong, or probably even knowing that the fuel pump on a 740 is about a 30-45 minute job.

 

Shops (especially run-of-the-mill hack shops like midas, ntb, tires plus, and the tire brand shops) are generally afraid of older import cars because of their techs unfamiliarity with them. They generally work on late model obd-II domestics all day and when a 20 year old swedish car owner rolls up their butt cheeks start pinching together.

They're just uninformed and lacking in skill.

 

Plus, unless you go to a shop that specializes in european imports they are unlikely to have fittings to hook up to your fuel line to even verify fuel pressure to give a correct diag. If it happened to be a sensor and they didn't know how to work the blink-box they would also have to go back to tech basics and check resistance on sensors and do vacuum tests, which knowing how to interpret is an odd science that has gone unlearned in tech schools for decades.

 

Spark Plugs and Wires, as well as the air filter are common ailments. Often otherlooked other things are distributer cap and rotor. Other things I found are poor fuel quality, My Volvo does NOT like fuel additives, and it seems to extremely agitate it.

I know Volvo scares people, it scares me sometimes. My car is missing several things from the engine, (No PCV hooked up, have to replace lots of stuff. ). Take it slow, and do it yourself. Then you can go back go Johnny Independent and say SEE, I FIXED IT MYSELF.

 

There should be a sticky on things to check when you have a hard/non starting car. Seems like all of the same issues pop up and we start a new list to look at. Look at the easy things first before you dive in and spend a lot of dollars. Things like:

1. Do you have spark
2. Do you have fuel pressure
3. Did you check fuel pump relay/relays
4. When did you last change fuel filter
5. Are your fuel pump/pumps running

I think we could make a check list sticky that would help a lot of people .

 

Thanks, everyone! I'm getting under the hood today -- wish me luck!

 

Good luck, and remember. Don't take anything apart unless you're reasonably sure you can put it back togather again. I get into trouble with that alot haha.

 

So, we didn't see anything obvious (plugs and air filter OK), but by then, it wouldn't start. I took it to a mechanic last week, and he thought it was the crank censor and replaced it. Which worked for about ... three days. This morning, it started, but when I put it in gear and hit the gas, it just cut right out. After a few times of this, it didn't start at all. WTV?!?
From all the comments here, I guess I should ask him again about the fuel pump, although I feel I shouldn't have to tell a mechanic what to check. Any other ideas?

 

I'd go down this list of symptoms...

Engine Tune and Performance: