Hello All,

I am about to give up! I own a 1993 240DL Classic Sedan that is giving me fits. the car starts perfectly in the morning and most time afterwork but when I drive it around making multiple stops and shutting down at each destination it seems to get finicky. when i attempt the restart all i get is a single click, it will not turn over. the problem is intermittent and I cannot duplicate it at will. it seems to me heat related. I have changed the battery, and starter but to no avail. the condition is such that I am not getting it to turn over. If i open the hood and all the doors it eventually will start or if I get a jump it immediately starts but its not the battery (i just put in a brand new one). The car is a numbered edition of the last production run of the brick and is in great shape so I would like to keep it but i need it to start when I want it to start! Anyone have any ideas???? I would appreciate your sharing... Thanks.

 

The next time it acts up like that, try wiggling the gear shift. Perhaps the neutral saftey switch isn't aligned (I doubt that it is this since you get a click but it's worth a try).

Also, I would go through all of the connections from the battery to the starter and make sure they are clean and good. From your description, it sounds like a bad solenoid but you said you replaced the starter. Was it a new/rebuilt or taken from a junkyard?

 

include the ground wire in 'all those connections'.

 

I'd look at the ignition switch... Cheap and easy to replace.

 

Does your car have a volt gauge? Pulled codes yet?

 

Thanks for the comments, I will give that a try but it seems to be something more the the neutral switch. But I will also check the other wires. One thing I neglected to mention was the fact that a previous owner had installed an after market car alarm. It has since been deactivated but god knows where the yahoos wired it into the electrical system. Still it does not relate to the heat induced condition. Thanks for the advice and I will give it all a try, I really want to keep the car!

 

After hearing about the car alarm, that would be the first place I would look. What would be best is to get a wiring diagram for your model year car and go through the wires for the ignition switch and starter and make sure that all original connections have been properly restored and making good connections. I usually solder and shrink wrap all splices when I work on the wiring.

Unfortunately I don't have a wiring diagram for your model year (I think it was different for that particular year). Perhaps someone else here can help you out.

 

oh god. car alarm installers can eff things up beyond all comprehensiion. park that volvo next to a bmw or lexus, and never worry about it being stolen