I've had my 82 Volvo DL wagon in to my mechanic 3 times to fix this problem, and it is still not fixed!

When I first turn the car on when it's cold the motor revs up and down about 4 times. Before visiting the mechanic for this problem it would rev up and down as much as 15 times. The idle is so high the car backs itself out of the driveway!

This also happens when the car isn't cold.

Here's what they have done so far:

The first time I took it in for the idle problem they replaced intake manifold gasket. I brought it home and the problem continued on and off; mostly on.

The second time I took it in they "adjusted" something. The problem continued.

The third time I took it in they replaced the Engine Control Temperature Constant Idle Sensor. The problem continues.

I don't understand why they can't fix this problem which happens every time I drive the car. I've used this Volvo repair shop and the same mechanic for 25 years. I do know that the owner is thinking about selling the shop and I wonder if this affecting the workmanship.

Do you see something that has been missed or am I going through a problem with no easy fix?

Thanks,
Ginny

 

Sounds like the mechanic is 'guessing' what the problem is and trying out different solutions rather than properly diagnosing the problem. Is your car fuel-injection or carburettor? If it has a carb, it might be the carb needs rebuilding. If its fuel-injection, it could be anything in the fi system. Make sure you ask this place to give you back any parts they replace on your vehicle so you at least know they really did replace it.

 

I am generally skeptical of mechanics' shenanigans and while I do try to avoid them as a rule, don't be too hard on them in this case. An '82 DL is not the easiest injection to keep in good nick, it takes a specialist. Fewer and fewer "general" mechanics can handle them, if any! Find a shop that specializes in older Volvos, at least in older Euro cars, Bosch injection.

 

I think my car is fuel injection. I looked online for my model and year and they talk about fuel injection parts.

The shop I've taken this car to for as long as I've had it (25 years I think) is a Volvo/Swedish car specialist.

The only other owners of the car were my parents, who took really good care of it.

It sounds like I could be in for more trips to the mechanic before the problem is fixed.

Maybe I can look for other Volvo forums and post my problem there. Seems like someone else should have had it.

Thanks for your ideas.

Ginny

 

a car that old could have one of two FI systems, K-Jetronic, or early LH. they are very different. K-Jet has a mechanical/hydraulic fuel distributor, while LH is electronic injection with a 'hot wire' MAF/AMM (variously called Mass Air-Flow meters, and Air Mass Meter).

on an LH car, there's an idle air controller (IAC) under the intake manifold and throttle body, if you disconnect the wire to this, a warmed up car should be mechanically adjusted to idle at about 500RPM (a cold car probably won't idle at all). With it plugged in, the idle should be about 700-800RPM (maybe 900-1000 rpm when cold). The throttle body has a idle switch on it that closes when the throttle is completely idle, and opens as soon as you barely crack the gas. that switch is what tells the ECU (fuel injection controller) to modulate the IAC to regulate the speed. on early LH cars, the RPM's are detected via a 'hall effect sensor' in the distributor.

I've never touched a K-jet volvo so I'll refrain from potential misinformation (I've had a couple VW K-Jet cars, and a Mercedes, but there's enough differences that I'd be likely to say something stupid).


p.s. re: your comment about other forums... the same symptoms can be caused by many different things, so what worked for one person might have no relation to your problem. your car might be suffering from 'biodegradable wiring', this was a problem with ALL Volvos from circa 1981 through 1987. Erratic problems are VERY hard to diagnose and fix.

 

Thanks for that information Pierce. I'll take this thread into my mechanic the next time I go in. I want him to know I'm concerned about all the money being spent with no resolution. I am beginning to understand it could be many more visits before it gets resolved, if it ever does.

Would it be ok to just live with this high idle or is it causing damage to the car?

I have resisted getting another car because I love this Volvo but I think at some point I'll have to give in and buy a newer car.

 

if this 240 is in nice body and interior condition, and you like/enjoy the car, IMHO, spending even a couple $1000 on it to make it right is NOT that bad of a deal, compared with the $20K+ price of some plastic cheap modern technobox.

in January, I bought my wife a 1994 Mercedes E320 wagon that was near perfect exterior and interior but had some deferred maintenance issues. We paid $3000 for the car, and have paid about $2000 in need-it-now parts and maintenance (I did some of it, other stuff I took to shop and paid the price). eventually its going to need a transmission, which the /good/ mercedes tranny rebuilder in the SFBA will install for $2800 out the door including tax.

so we'll be $8000-10000 into this car by the time we're done making it all like-new again. Thats way over 'book' value for one of these, but there's no new car we could buy for $30000 that we'd like with as nice a balance of ride and drive and cargo as a 1994 Mercedes Benz E320 Wagon.

 

Could be the auxiliary air valve is stuck open. If it is stuck, the rubber pipe from the air valve to the intake can be pinched closed and the idle will decrease.

It looks like this:

https://www.dragtimes.com/parts/Volv...031078293.html

 

Since this is the same problem, I'm going to add to this original post of mine. Since we last talked in September I think the problem subsided and was actually gone for weeks. Yesterday however, it reved up and down 40 times. It might have kept going but I put my foot on the gas and it stopped. That's a record!

Does this shed any new light on the possible cause? I will tell my mechanic about the 40 revs when I go in next, and take a copy of this thread.

Thanks again,
Ginny

 

I don't understand how any mechanic remotely familiar with volvo injection systems couldn't sort this out with some simple testing.

I would remove the throttle body, completely clean it out with carb cleaner spray and a toothbrush, make sure the idle air passages are clear. inspect the hoses to the idle air controller valve, if they are crusty or cracked, replace with new. remove and clean the idle air controller valve the same as the throttle body. use an ohm meter to verify that the idle position switch consistently makes contact when the throttle is fully closed.

reinstall everything, test that idle switch again. make sure the throttle linkage moves smoothly with no hint of hanging up, clean and lube anything crusty.

warm up the engine, switch off all accessories (lights, stereo, air conditioning), shut off the engine, unplug the idle air controller, start the already warmed up engine again and it should idle at 400-500 rpm. switch off the engine, reconnect the IAC, and restart, and the idle of a warmed up engine should be a rock stable 700-750 rpm, even if you switch on the lights, put it in gear, start the A/C, etc. any of those loads might cause the engine to bog just a bit but then the IAC should bring it right back up to 700-ish.

 

Car is 1982 K-Jet, No?

Scroll down on this link until you get to:
Idle fluctuates or ‘hunts,’ surging in gears 1-4, abnormally high idle



K-Jet Debugging Guide | K-Jet.org


If there is a shop in your town that works on older VW watercooleds or buses, bring it there. The Volvo CI system is virtually identical to VW CIS/CIS-E.

 

also Mercedes CIS-E (which was used up to the early 90s) on their I6 and V8's. but a Merc mechanic will likely be more expensive than an older golf/jetta mechanic