fixing flooding at startup
 

I'm usually a lurker here, and definitely don't consider myself a mechanic, but I have to share my fix for a flooding engine.

For as long as I can recall, my 1988 740 Turbo Station Wagon has tended to flood when I try to start it in fairly cool to cold weather. I needed to have a reliable ride to work, so I bought a Honda Civic Hybrid, which I love, but I just can't part with the Volvo. It has only 270 K miles on it! My mechanic is known as a Volvo-trained expert, but in some 6 weeks of working on the car, couldn't get it to stop misbehaving.

Then one day, I had an inspiration: When the engine flooded, I pulled out the fuse for the fuel injection (#1, if I recall correctly), then ran the starter and let the engine run out of fuel, then put the fuse back in, and ran the starter again. It worked well, other than the time I dropped the fuse somewhere deep in the console. (Good thing I had a spare!)

So today I installed my fix: a fuse holder, hooked up to two ground-down male connectors, interrupted by a switch, as an easy way to have the fuse in or out of the circuit. I have the switch installed in that small shelf just above the fuse box. If the engine floods, I flip the switch so the engine can burn up the existing fuel.

That's my contribution to bettering the world of old Volvos. I'd love to hear if anyone else has there own fixes.

RE: fixing flooding at startup
 

Yikes! That sounds like quite the problem! Now just thinking about my 87 turbo... I would have to think that much of it would be the same.... it sounds like either you have a slightly clogged injector and I wonder if it isn't sealing properly.... then allowing for a drip into one of the injectors.... the other thought is whether you FPR is working properly... if it is keeping to high of a fuel pressure in your line... then your injectors will be putting to much fuel into the engine itself....

Now, I have to assume that you don't have a wideband hooked up in the exhaust? That way we could see your fuel ratios..... the only other thing that jumps to mind is that there might be something wrong with your wiring for your injectors... I wonder if you have a short somewhere which causes it to stick open....

RE: fixing flooding at startup
 

I just had to deal with this. There are a couple of possibilities, besides the usual
suspects.

First, make sure the spark plugs are genuine Volvo plugs and for that engine.
For some reason aftermarket plugs will behave like this.

Next, have a look at the temperature sensor. It's under the intake maniford (I'm assuming
a B230 engine), number 3 cylinder - and a real pain to get at.

Take the wire off and ground it. If the car then starts right up this is a likely culprit. When it gets cold the impedance is supposed to go up, but when the sensor goes bad the impedance stays high, thus causing the engine to flood.

Good luck.

RE: fixing flooding at startup
 

thanks for the suggestions. I'm on the verge of selling the old dear, and really hate to put more money into it. But I should check with my mechanicI'm pretty sure he replaced the temp sensor already.

Just for more delineation of the problem: Car starts fine if warm weather or engine has been warmed up within a few hours. It starts, runs pretty well, then after about a minute, it suddenly coughs and dies, at which point I have to burn out the gas flooding the engine. I can then restart it, and it runs rough for the next few minutes, whether I'm idling or driving it. Then it all smooths out.

What a great forum we do have here for nursing elderly Volvos!