Volvo 1987 240gl sedan, possible electrical issue

Old Jul 15, 2011 | 12:12 PM
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AshErbe's Avatar
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Question Volvo 1987 240gl sedan, possible electrical issue

i bought a 1987 volvo 240 sedan as a first car. It sometimes doesnt start but when it starts it runs perfect. When it doesnt start you can hear the starter moter trying to start it and it sounds very close to starting, we thought it might be the fuel pump so we jiggled the wires and it did start then we got home waited about an hour and it wouldnt start again. Its an auto 4 cylinder dont know anything else about engine if need to know just ask and i can find out............please help
 
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Old Jul 15, 2011 | 01:06 PM
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way insufficient info to diagnose that.

which wires did you wiggle?

I'm going to take a wild stab and suggest its likely a relay or fuse problem related to the fuel injection or ignition. next time its doing this, after you've cranked it over a bunch without it starting, go sniff around the tailpipe. if you smell fresh fuel, then its probably not getting ignition (spark). if you don't smell fuel, its probably not getting any, which could mean the fuel pump isn't running or the fuel injection main relay isn't providing power to the ECU or something similar.
 
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Old Jul 15, 2011 | 08:17 PM
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Originally Posted by pierce
if you smell fresh fuel, then its probably not getting ignition (spark). if you don't smell fuel, its probably not getting any, which could mean the fuel pump isn't running or the fuel injection main relay isn't providing power to the ECU or something similar.
I don't know how many time I have heard that...
Anyways, do that and while you are cranking, spin the fuel pump fuse around, should be the sixth one down from the top. That would eliminate the possibility of the fuses holding static, I mean potential electricity right Pierce? (sorry Ash, inside joke.)
 
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Old Jul 18, 2011 | 07:42 AM
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wiggled the ones in the boot that they think go to the fuel pump.
we got it working 10 times out of 10 for a few days then it wont start again we did the thing with the fuse, changed Spark plugs and leads(xcept for coil lead as they had none at the shop and we're waiting for them to come in) then today we did an oil change and now it wont start again, thought it was the spark plugs as the sparky bit was black. we got told to get under the car and someone turns the ignition to see if you could hear the fuel pump and we could hear it(dont know if that is the case with volvos as its not a common car in aus):/.....................thanks for the help if you have any other suggestions please sharethnx
 
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Old Jul 18, 2011 | 07:45 AM
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could definately smell fuel from the tail pipe, im hoping its just the coil lead and its fixed when i get a new one
 

Last edited by AshErbe; Jul 19, 2011 at 01:08 AM.
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