Hey ya'll. I'm driving a 93 Volvo 240 hatchback automatic. This problem started up a while back and has become more and more frequent. I'll be cruising along, car dies instantly and lights come on on the dash and I roll to a stop. It won't restart right away, but invariably so far after a few minutes it will start right back up.

It's becoming more and more frequent, and it's beginning to not idle as well as it used to. I don't trust it to stay on if I just start it up and don't give it gas.

Any ideas?

 

I am not an expert but I have had this happen to me on two different occasions in the last 15 years. The first time it was the crank positioning sensor CPS and the second time it was the ignition module.

 

how is the temperature when it dies?

worst case: head gasket if your temp is up there.

Clean some contacts like: coil connections, fuse panel connections, battery terminals and cables going to alternator and to starter solenoid.

 

Check the Crank Pos. Sensor first.

 

Fuel pump relay getting too hot. Feel it next time car dies. Change fuel filter.

 

btw, there's no such thing as a 240 hatchback. there's a sedan (4 doors, also called 244), station wagon (5 doors, 245, known as Estate in UK), and in early years a coupe (2 doors, 242).

a hatchback is kind of half way between a sedan/coupe and a wagon, usually has a sloped rear that opens, and most were 2 (3?) doors although there were some 4 door hatchbacks.

 

Yeah, it's a wagon. This has happened within 5 seconds of me starting the car, so wouldn't that rule out heat issues?

 

Engine overheating is not really a valid reason for stalling. If an engine stalls due to overheating chances are that you are facing a catastrophic engine failure--things have expanded to a point where they no longer move the way they were intended. Five seconds or even 5 minutes is not long enough to overheat a motor.

On the other hand, you may have an overheating component which fails and causes the stall, such as the Crankshaft Pos. Sensor. If the wiring is going bad it can heat up very quickly. Same for any electrical part...

 

Ok, I'm gonna look at the CPS. I've found some stuff online but I don't know how to find it in my Bentley manual... what section would it be in?

 

the CPS is on the back of the engine, where it joins the transmission, near the intake side of the head, its a magnetic coil pickup that reads notches on the flywheel or flexiplate. the sensor itself rarely fails, wiring problems are more frequent (rotted insulation due to accumulated oil spills and heat).