This will either be a "well duh" question or a several answers question...here we go.

I've got a '91 240 that's been in storage for 2ish years. Battery is dead, what little gas is left is also 2ish years old, alternator has been rebuilt, fuses and board redone, some electrical board (can't remember exactly what it was called) was replaced about 5 years ago, distributer cap is new and the plugs were replaced 10,000 miles ago. The sittuation is that I can jump start it and keep it running with a little presure on the gas. It takes a little while to get it running but it still runs. When it's warmed up enough not to quite on me, i can hold down the pedal just a tad, put it in reverse, get to the end of the drive way and die. At this point it usually starts up again with little effort but when i get it into drive and take off it only revs up just past idle and 'coughs'...past idle and cough...past idle and coug...etc. I've gotten it up to about 10 miles an hour doing this...the neighbor kids love it.

So i'm hoping 'running out of way too old gas' is the problem when the true answer is probably a little more advanced...

 

I would put some NICE fresh gas in there and replace the fuel filter and see if it helps.

 

So i threw some new gas in there and it started like a car should after sitting for a couple years...took a few cranks. The good news is i was able to start it without pressure on the gass pedal. The better news is that it runs right off the first try without pressure on the gas pedal...and stays running. Better still is that i can put it in reveres and drive without the engine cutting out. The bad news is my brother-in-law took the spare set of keys to the car that's parked behind the Volvo...sigh. I'll let y'all know if she actually DRIVES when i get his damn car out of the way...

FYI...this car is up for sale if anyone's interested...

 

Oh yeah, one more thing....apparently gasoline starts to go bad after 60 days. After a year its about 50:50 gas to 'varnish'....2 years and its pretty much all 'varnish'. And get this...its worse down south because up north we put a stabalizer in the gas for the cold temps.

who knew?

 

SUCCESS!!!

Barring the dead battery the car is in prime driving condition....

 

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