Good evening to everyone, I have a 1994 Volvo base model non turbo. I have a problem that when I try to drive my car it starts right up, however it shudders as soon as it goes into drive and I immediately start a consistent coolant leak. No sooner then around the block I have coolant pissing out of the nipple on top of the egr like crazy. I will lose much coolant after the egine is shut off while the pissing comes down. I disconnected briefly the MAF to see about the stumbling, then engine sounded like it wanted to stall but kept going.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

My codes:
1-5-4
1-2-1

I have replaced:
Water pump
Thermostat
The pipe from connected on top of the egr to the manifold

I have done:
The egr, has been cleaned and it holds pressure
The sensor end located inside the egr was black and I cleaned it as well
The vacuum lines ends have all been replaced

 

EGR == exhaust gas recirculation. there's 2 main pieces to this system, none of which have any coolant anywhere near them...

1) EGR vacuum modulator (labeled vacuum booster on parts catalogs), on the left fender near the power steering reservoir and ABS unit. this has two vacuum hose fittings, and an electrical connection. one vacuum hose goes to the intake manifold vacuum 'tree', and the other goes to the EGR valve.

2) EGR valve itself, which is under the intake manifold, this has a vacuum fitting to the modulator, a pipe that goes around behind the block to the exhaust manifold, and another pipe that goes to the intake manifold.

 

Unless someone rigged something totally wrong, EGR should not have coolant in it. May be you should post some pictures?

 

Yeah that is the weird part about it I have coolant coming out of the top nipple of the egr valve. I have had this car for almost three years now and I have never encountered this problem before. I will get some pictures up very soon today. In this picture it is spraying out on the top of number 9

 

#9 as in the fitting to the intake manifold pipe? #8 is the EGR valve itself.

If so, that would suggest your exhaust manifold is drowning in coolant, which could happen with a really bad blown head gasket, I guess.

 

Right above the EGR is the heater valve and the hoses. I bet coolant is coming down on top of the valve. It's hard to see down there, under the intake manifold.

 

ah, good point. heater hoses often get neglected because they are tucked away out of sight.

 

I have watched the coolant spray directly from the top of the egr valve, you can just watch it come out come out of the fitting like crazy. It will do that it seems shortly after the car has come to operating temperature. Are you talking about the two that go into the wall towards the cabin because those are bone dry.

Today I slightly removed the inlet manifold to see and there was now black build up starting to develop which wasn't there last week. I think there is coolant getting through that pipe were the egr is spraying, because whenever I tried troubleshooting it burned as always and sometimes there is a white smoke around the inlet manifold. It is definitely coolant that is in the air.

I am making my way through the engine and I will check and replace my head gasket. I bought the complete seal set so I can do everything while I am down there.

I am open to any and all suggestions, comments, and advice. Thank you for all of your help so far everone.

 

I'd do a compression test, also check all 4 spark plugs for consistency and sign of water.

a head gasket is something you only want to do if its absolutely necessary, not just because. our 240 has 500k miles on the original head gasket and is still fine.

 

If you suspect the head gasket, while the engine is running look at the coolant reservoir. If you see bubbling or churning then definitely you have a head gasket issue. Also an oily film on the top of the coolant will tell you that you have a HG leak.

 

Well I lose the coolant in the reservoir once I start my car and try to drive it. It has a steady drip from someone I cannot seem to locate, I think it is coming from the left and/or back of the engine in between the block and the head.

 

There is a heater hose connection about where you describe, it might be bad...
Take a compression test before you go on. I still doubt that you can get coolant squirting from an EGR and still have the engine running. It is hard to see well down there, especially in the EGR equipped models.

 

I was trying to get the hose off at the wall, I opened the container and walked away for a bit. when I came back the steady leak started again however since everything was bone dry this time I could track it and sure enough it was coming from the opposite end that is connected to the engine.

 

That's what I was talking about! That end goes into a nipple in the head and it is right under the 3/4 runner of the intake manifold. And when it drips down, it is right over the EGR... Hard to do all that with the intake manifold in place but taking it off is not hard--8 nuts which normally come off pretty easily... Doubt you need a head gasket unless you overheated the motor while losing coolant, etc.

 

Hello everyone sorry for the disappearance I was working on the car and I am limited by sunlight and calm weather haha. So I replaced the heater valve line and the other one also behind the engine. New inlet manifold gasket, replaced some vacuum line ends, the check air valve, the flame trap and its small tube, it was rock hard.

So I ran the car today and nothing is leaking so far, I have a little bit of a rough idle, however I have always had that in the colder weather so I hope that is normal. It is idling much better then it was three days ago. I have a tiny almost quiet hiss from the expansion valve cap when the car is shut off.

All in all thank you to everyone who helped diagnose this problem I would be spending a lot of money on parts that were not needed to be replaced without you.

 

I am now having an issue where it does start up but it is not as quick nor does it sound strong.

 

pull all 4 spark plugs and compare their condition

 

"Rough idle" usually means misfire of some sort. Start by taking a compression test, hopefully this will eliminate serious engine problems like a burned valve, etc. Then go on to "tune up" items...

 

Hello again, sorry for such a delay in response classes tarted up and I was working on the car whenever I had the small chance.

What I have done:
I have replaced my radiator since it was due
replaced the nipple at the end of the heater line of the coolant system since it was pretty worn
replaced all of the coolant system hoses
replaced the water outlet since it was pitted

About the rough idle:

I still have the rough idle however when I disconnect the vacuum line off the egr the engine immediately runs perfect, no surging no nothing. When I have looked at the egr the diaphragm holds pressure without leaking. the sensor inside was completely black when I removed it, so I cleaned it up with wd-40 and a tooth brush when this all originally started with around my first post. What do you all recommend?

 

the egr control valve thingie (the little top hat on the left fender) shouldn't be activated at idle at all. vacuum goes from the intake manifold to the egr control valve then from there to the EGR valve.

DTM#3 on hte ICU side (jumper 6) tests the EGR valve by pulsing the control valve about once a second. if you disconnect the vacuum hose that goes to it and hook up a mityvac you should see it open/close...