Okay, so here's an update with still no joy for a start! I can't believe the change of a water pump led to this...anyhow, I pulled the upper timing belt cover off to verify the timing marks...how it would have changed by changing the water pump I don't know but figured what the heck and someone mentioned I may have jinked something. With the timing mark lined up on the balancer to the mark on the lower cover, the camshaft gear mark was lined up with the 12 o'clock mark on the inside of the timing belt cover so we're good there. It was time for a tune up so I went ahead and changed the cap, rotor, plugs, and wires since I had them already and then went back to troubleshooting. I checked the coil and between terminals 1 & 15 read .7 ohms, between 1 and the high tension terminal read 7.82 k-ohms. Disconnected the fuel line to the fuel rail with fuse 11 removed and cranked the engine to verify operation of the main fuel pump and had plenty of fuel. Disconnected the Crankshaft positioning sensor at the connector on the firewall and read between pins 1 & 2 and got 176 ohms, the book says it should be between 200 - 500 ohms, but research of others who took readings were in the range of 160 - 200 with new units, so I'm assuming (hate that word) mine is okay. I then checked each fuel injector for voltage and got 12 volts at each (now one of the $*@(# o-rings is leaking). Okay, so that was all the book stuff, then I did the old school checks; easy spark test by pulling each spark plug keeping it connected to the distributor wire and grounding the threads and had spark at the electrode...on all 4. While the plugs were out, I had a friend crank the engine and held my finger over each hole and had fuel...also, while the plugs were out, I pulled the fuel pump fuses and did a compression check on each cylinder with the following results: #1 cylinder 110 PSI, #2 100, #3 108 and #4 105. So, got spark, got fuel, got air, got compression...no start! what the hell am I missing??? Is there an inertia switch that I may be missing? But then again, they stop fuel flow and I have plenty of fuel! Is it possible the spark isn't "hot" enough? is there a reset when you disconnect the battery? never had to reset anything before, but I'm at a loss...any thoughts out there?

 

SOMETHING is wrong, we can't tell what from here. its either spark, fuel, or mechanical....

btw, starting another thread doesn't help any in remote diagnostics as now there's two places to look for clues.

I've heard of the main crank pulley 'slipping' on the rubber harmonic damper thing its muonted to, so you THINK its in time, but its way out and won't start.

 

Understand what you are saying Pierce, but I literally started the car, drove it 40 feet into the garage, shut her down, changed the water pump and that was it. I have had the car since new and have changed the water pump before. I fix everything right of way with all my cars that's why they last so long! I have spark, compression, and gas into the cylinders, but she doesn't even attempt to start...just cranks away. I think I'll take a break for the night...maybe a light will come on in the morning...or maybe I'll spend the $20 on line and ask a Volvo mechanic...or just tow it to my local Volvo Guru.

Also, sorry for the secondary post...a bit new at this forum thing. Thanks for all of your suggestions and help.

 

do you have a timing light? it might be interesting to see what phase its firing when you turn it over.. I believe they are supposed to be 12 degrees before TDC. I've heard of engines that were as far off as 30 or 40 degrees after TDC which wouldn't start or if they did start ran really really badly. the fault was that the harmonic damper on the crank pulley had slipped 45 or more degrees, knocking everything out of whack, the only solution is to replace said rubber damper on the crank pulley. that rubber part is like 20 years old now.

 

Thanks...I'll check the dampener today. Appreciate your help amigo!

 

I don't think it's the dampener. I just found a broken ground wire. it is bolted to the drivers side of the engine under the intake manifold about 6 inches up from where the block and oil pan meet midway in the block (from front to rear) right next to the main ground for the battery. There is a tag on it with the number/letters (nor sure of the first, but it looks like a J) J3523397 C02. If you know where the other end of this wire goes to please let me know! It went around the driver side engine mount. So, I'm going out to jack up the car and pull the shields off to see if I can find the other end...can't see it from the top. I think this may be the ground for the control module...I don't have a good print.