Ordered a new exhaust from eEuroparts.com, got everything from the cat back and deleted the 2nd muffler, runs pretty good. It was a pain to get the old mufflers off, so rusted and destroyed. Fit well but the dents and dings that the new mufflers came in with kinda dissapointed me. I have been having problems with idling issues before hand and this seem to help alittle bit. Next step is the timing belt, and then figuring out the knock, and what to do to steady that idle..

 

A bad exhaust nor a timing belt is not going to fix an idle problem unless your timing is off.... If it seems better after the new exhaust, it's in your head. You can run a car with no exhaust and it will still idle just fine just be LOUD. Poor idle is usually caused by 1.bad idle control motor 2. filthy throttle body 3.vacuum leaks(intake manifold gasket,cracked hoses, holes in bellows, etc.) 4. plugged fuel injectors 5.bad tune parts 5. bad throttle switch 6.bad tune parts 7.bad MAF sensor(car is getting improper fuel/air mixture) 8. bad ECU 9. bad O2 sensor 10. in need of a valve adjustment. I would start with the easiest and cheapest things first. Checking for vacuum leaks and a fresh tune. Make sure to use OEM parts(plugs,cap,rotor,air filter, and test your wires first before replacing them because they are expensive. To do this get an ohm meter and hook up positive cable to one end of the wire and the negative to the other. reading should be 2ohm-10ohm(but if high arrond 10 replace them. really want to be in the range of 2-6 is acceptable...)higher the number the worse the wire is getting..also,under 2 ohm or a no register is a bad wire. If this does not correct idle clean your throttle body. If that does not work move onto one of the other items I list above. Poor idle can be a nightmare....Good luck and hope this helps.

 

thanks that helps alot. I tried cleaning out the throttle body but wasn't sure what i could unplug around it without screwing more stuff up. I cleaned the intake part of it, but im going to take it all off and do it. I know the timing belt needs to be done but i also hear what seems to be a vacuum leak. Does anyone have a diagram of it somewhere so i can make sure all of them are properly aconnected and not worn or cracked. Thanks

 

You DO NOT need to take the throttle body off to clean it!! Just get a long flat blade screwdriver, crank the throttle open by hand and place the screwdriver in such a way to keep throttle open. Then take throttle body cleaner(make sure you have the skinny red straw attachment the it comes with like on the cans of WD40 and bend the straw to a 90 degree angle. Spray the throttle body with the cleaner. Take a short wire brush usually has a wooden handle but some have plasticjust want to make sure it's small enough to fit inside and clean all sides. it takes some elbow grease but can be done. Then spray more cleaner to get all the dirty stuff out that you have removed with the brush. Use a mirror(dentist type or little larger and a flashlight to look inside throttle body and make sure it and the throttle plate is clean. That's all there is too it. If you do remove the throttle body...make sure you replace the gasket. To pinpoint vacuum leaks you can use your throttle body cleaner or starting fluid,brake cleaner anything flamable while car is running spray a small amount around hoses, intake manifold, injector seals anywhere there could be a vacuum leak and see if the car idles up. Whe car idles up you have found your leak...start there Have fun and good luck, I'm here if you need me...

 

Forgot to mention, when you go to start your car after the throttle body cleaning make sure you step on the gas and hold throttle open once it starts keep the rpms up around 2500-3000 then let car idle. don't freak out if car has a hard time starting it's just because you cleaned the throttle body.....same thing happens when you replace a fuel filter...

 

Alright sounds good. So it isn't bad for all of the build up and throttle body cleaner to go into the engine like that? Is it better to just take it off and do it by hand so none of that gets in the system or is it not really a big deal? Also Do you have a vacuum diagram?

 

not really. probably safer than taking it off, and risk damaging something, or tearing the throttle body gasket if you dont have a new one on hand. It's only gonna be a few ounces of the cleaner (hence the erratic idle on your first start up) I'd also try sucking in some sea foam ...and yes, I'll start that debate again. It'll smoke up the neighborhood, but it helped with my 240. Check and double check the vacuum hoses that attach to the manifold. I don't have a diagram, but someone on here will.

 

I did seafoam, it didnt smoke at all. Could someone correct me if i did it wrong. I took off a vacuum line witht the car on and running, kinda had to rig the throttle to keep it running while i was sucking in some seafoam, did a third of a can, then turned the car off and let it sit for 15 minutes or so, started it up, nothing happened Reved it up alittle more and still no smoke. Did i do something wrong? Possibly not the rigt vacuum hose? It was a vacuum hose tho because it was sucking in the seafoam. I was hoping for better results, but got nothing.

 

Seafoam?? I would NEVER do that.....sorry just looking to start more issues and more time wasted steps...that is not a "standard" practice and will not solve your idle issue...

 

Alright, well too late for that, good ot know ill never do it again.

 

volvoguy, tell my why. your posts are always thorough and very insightful. Help a brotha out and tell me why you wouldn't do it, in case i get a wild hair and want to do it again. I've learned to trust your advice. It actually smoothed my car out for about fifteen minutes lol. And I agree, it has nothing to do with his idling issue. It did sound, btw, that he did use it correctly.

 

while diagnosing a problem you never want to add another variable. You want to keep it a controlled environment. "Seafoam" will not help you diagnose a running problem and may make it harder to figure out. It really is just a waste of time and $$.

 

Im glad i did it right atleast haha. I know this is going off of thread name, but if i tried seafoam and that did nothing, I used a third of it in vacuum, oil and gas lines. I got the oil changed, and gas lines i also threw in the injector cleaner, coudl that be clogging the filter and not letting my idle smooth out? Cus my idles real rough and goes up and down from about 500 to 700 and almost stalls out and shakes alot. And then my engine has a knock that could be a fuel knock? Volvoguy, your words seem to be golden, any help?

 

Is it a knock or a pinging sound? You also may be hearing piston slap almost all B230FT's aquire piston slap to some degree. A clogged fuel filter will not afect your idle only affect your driving at highway speeds. Your problem sounds like a Vacuum leak or a bad MAF sensor. Whenever car is "hunting" idling up and down it means the computer is compensating for either too much gas or too little gas...The Bosch LH Jetronic system is run by your MAF sensor and the ECU. The MAF sensor has a piece of platinum inside it that heats up and tells the computer how much gas the injectors should give. If there is a vacuum leak or the MAF is bad the ECU will get incorrect readings and make the car run like S--T. So go back to step 1. and check for vacuum leaks. With a can of starting fluid spray along the intake manifold, the injector seals and wherever else you see a vacuum hose or connection and see if the car idles UP. If it does, you have a vacuum leak somewhere. Spray untilm you pinpoint it(you do not need a lot of starting fluid make sure not to let it pool up somewhere and engine is nice and hot so it evaporates quickly) If no vaccum leaks are found, unplug the MAF sensor while car is running. Did it change the way it ran? Plug it back in did the idle get worse, stay the same or get better? If got better MAF is probably good. But, I am assuming you do not know how to test the MAF by testing the O2 sensor with a multimeter to see if it is sweeping correctly so the easiest way to see if it bad is to just R&R if you have an extra good one lying around. I do not approve just pulling and replacing parts but some of these tests unless shown to you by a mechanic or done by a Volvo mechanic are just to difficult to explain. Also, a bad in tank fuel pump would cause a poor idle as well as a bad or sticky injector. Injector cleaner is a WASTE of $$. It will not do a thing because your injectors are "JET" type injectors and the build up that they aquire over years of sevice is like barnacles on a old ship. best thing is to get them pressure cleaned. But first test to see if they are firing pull off an injector plug one at a time see if idle changes, plug back in and repeat. If you pull the connector and NO change then you have pinpointed the injector that is not firing properly or not at all. At this point I would also do a compression test on each cylinder because poor compression can also cause a bad idle. So, 1. check for vacuum leaks 2. test MAF sensor 3. test injectors 4. pulll plugs and look to see if they are wet, black, even or what and that they are all gapped correctly at .028mm. 5. Do a compression test 6. If you have a fuel pressure gauge...use it and do this step first!! This will save you alot of time and $$ because most likely you have a "fuel issue" 7. If poor fuel pressure may have a bad intank pump, weak main pump or a bad fuel pressure regulator...without testing, hard to tell. 8. make sure you pull all codes off your ECU by using the OBD1 self diagnostic button... 9. test idle control motor...There are just SO many variables when you have an idle issue...also get a timing light and make sure your timing is correct...things not to do are buy fuel injection cleaner or "seafoam" or any other product that I guarantee will not fix your problem...I know I am rambling but without seeing the car and diagnosing it with the proper tools it is nearkly impossible for me to diagnose over the computer So follow some of the instructions I gave you from above and I also HIGHLY suggest going to your local parts store and buying some diagnosing tools i.e. multimeter, test light, fuel pressure gauge, fuel injector test light. Also, If you do not have one already, buy a (Bentley manual and ONLY a Bentley not a Chiltons nor a Haynes they are garbage) on Amazon.com for the 940. This is by far the BEST book you can own and will walk you thru each step to diagnosing your Volvo. Before I got this book I was lost. If you can learn how to actaully diagnose your problems when they arise just like a doctor diagnoses his patients the you will be very surprised how easy it will be to fix your problems. Now I didn't say you won't get stumped once in a while but that's when you can turn to someone for help after you've exhausted each and every avenue yourself...shoot I have a 90 244 that has a problem that has stumped me and noeone seems to know what the problem is...Good luck and if you need me I'm here. You can always shoot me a private message if you want to chat offline about the progress...

 

Like you said it only helped or you thought it helped for 15 minutes...All those products are a scam. Most of them DO NOT work and cost A LOT of $$. When a car is running "properly', you do not need to add anything. When a car has a running problem, the cure does not come from something in a bottle. This may be a "band aid" but it will never bee a long term fix and most of the time it will not do anything and even cause more problems. Now, if you are "maintaining" your system and have the extra $$ someone has shown and convinced you of a great fuel addfitivethat will not harm your system(AMSOIL,lUCAS) to help keep your system clean and injectors from building up with debris then by all means do it. But once the damage is done or you have a problem you need to diagnose none of these products will fix it. Remember before you spend that extra hard earned $$ that all the preety bottles and neat labling in the autop parts stores are either a hoax or a band aid none are a true fix. The only products I do believe in are Bars Leak head gasket repair and Lucas transmission honey for hard to shift manual trannys and automatics. Once again, thee are both just temporary fixes and do not work 100% of the time but when they do they can save you ALOT of $$ and they will get you out of a pinch. Also,I do like AMSOIL motor oil and K&N air filters and Lucas oil additives...anything that helps keep my motor well lubricated and lasting 500,000 + miles. However if you just keep up onthe maintenance of your vehicle you would never need to buy any additional products. Just like eating healthy and exercising if you keep your car healthy by changing oil changed every 2-3K with 20W50 synthetic or conventional(only use synthetic if you have NO leaks) oil and a Volvo,Mann or AMSOIL filter. Flush power steering fluid and tranny fluid every 30K, minor tune every 15K, major tune every 30K, timing belt every 50K, coolant every year etc...So, only buy additives etc if 1. They are approved by Volvo 2. because you are "maintaining" your vehicles health and 3. Not to fix or diagnose problems unless you need to put a bandaid on something and you are stuck! But to each their own some folks put stuff in their gas tank EVERY fill up and have every product under the sun...they are not mechanics

 

well put. Funny, I used that snake oil, but was hesitant to use the Lucas oil additive

 

Lucas is safe..Necessary? probably not unless your motor has 300+K on it like several of mine do Yeah you will find that I do not like to spend $$ unless I REALLY have to Most mechanics don't...we know what is real and what is not...

 

Alrighty sounds good. I checked for vacuum leaks, haven't gotten to the MAF sensor yet. I'm taking it to a volvo guy who has his own shop on wednesday to see if he can diagnose some more stuff, and also a quote for the timing belt. I got a quote at a non volvo friendly place for 230+/-. But once again, not very volvo friendly, they were the ones who put in 5w30 in. This guy said he hasn't done one for a while but hes done many before and he said around 300ish. Any ideas for whats fair? And also what to get done when doing it, i know the tensioner, but what about thermo, water pump and the other belts? They have small cracks in them between the teeth gaps, but nothing id say horribly bad? Any suggestions?

 

Also does anyone have a good write up or link for the OBD1 system. I found mine but pushed the button and nothing happened and no lights lighted up... How do you get it to start up? Or does it only work if you have a code?

 

key needs to be turned to on position. put test probe(has metal on tip and is located in cover of OBD1 diagnostic switch) into slot #2 first hold button down for 2 seonds and release. a red light will give you a series of 3 flashes. what you want is 1-1-1. if you have 1-2-1, 2-2-1,2-1-3 etc. that is your code...so 1-1-1- means sytem ok..anything else is a code and you need to write it down. you may have more than 1 code so after first code is given and light stops hold button again for 2 seconds and to get another set of codes. if codes repeat themselves then you only have 1 code make sure you repeat this until the code repeats itself to get all codes. Then repeat this process on slot #6. if you still don't have a light when key is in on position and probe is in slot then something is wrong. either there is a loose ground or you have a bad OBD1 diagnostic panel. Go get another one off a junk car they ar easy to replace...just a plug.