I am excited to join the forum! I have been struggling for years without help.

I went to start up my 1993 850 and it started up really really rough for just maybe three seconds and then conked out. Initially, the ECU spit out a 1-2-1, or "Faulty MAF signal" fault. However, on inspection of the engine I noticed that the hose that goes from the oil separator to the flame trap had burst (I knew that was coming, lots of standing oil on the valve cover for a while). So I took the IM off and replaced both hoses, replaced a holey air intake hose and went to fire it up but it still didn't start. I was kind of hoping the hole in the intake hose had confused the ECU, but no dice.

Having cleared the codes before I set to work on the first problem, it is not giving any MAF fault now. I am assuming that is because it doesn't generate those until it is running. Either that or it isn't the problem. The MAF cable has 12V and a ground, but that's all I can determine. I would like not to blindly wager $200 if at all possible.

If it were the MAF, what do you think about getting a used replacement?

Any advice?

 

Welcome.

Did you try starting the car without the MAF?

 

I have tried with and without the MAF plugged in and it is identical. I can hear cylinders firing sporadically, but it just can't get it together to start.

A little history: I replaced the camshaft position sensor three years ago. The plugs are about three months old. I tested the plugs by pulling them out but leaving them connected to the plug wires. All of them fired but not very brightly. I was thinking that was because they weren't grounded. There is fuel pressure on the rail, and I am getting fuel in all five cylinders.

Also, I remember hearing a weird sound just before it died, but I wasn't paying attention well. It could have been that burst pipe rattling around, or it could have just been the sound of the engine failing.

Also, the check engine light was on a couple of days before this happened. My wife drives the car so I didn't get to it until it died, but I am assuming that the check engine light was the MAF fault.

 

Funny that it only spits out 1-2-1, but it sounds like that isn't the problem.
Wait and see what (Moderator) Tech says.

 

How long has the car been sitting total?

 

I don't think there are any faults now. I seem to remember, however, that when my cps died, I pulled the code out before I started, cleared codes and never got the code again when I was trying to start it. When I replaced the cps, it started.

 

It has been sitting nearly three weeks. Thank God I have a nice simple old clunker truck to drive around when this one is laid up.

 

Give this a shot and see if it starts.
Get in the car and put the gas pedal to the floor before turning the ignition on. Wile holding the gas to the floor crank the motor over and keep the key turned.Don't let go of the gas pedal and keep cranking it over for about 2-4 minutes and see if it starts up.

Sometimes the lifters will collapse and you will have low compression. Holding the gas pedal to the floor stops gas flow while cranking. There is still gas in there from all your other attempts to start it.

See if that will start the car.

If it starts after that take it for a nice ride afterwords to make sure they are pumped back up good and you should be fine for a while unless you leave it sit again for a little while.

 

I'll give it a whirl and let you know what happens.

Thanks for your input. It is pretty surreal to finally be getting advice.

 

Glad we can help.

 

OK. I didn't think I would have more than a minute left in my battery and I was right. So I cranked for about a minute (terminated by "RRRRuRRR - RRRRRRuRRRR of course). During that minute I was hearing hearing the cylinders firing kind of like Thum-thum-thum, pause, thum-thum-thum, pause. So knowing that I have checked all of the plugs, I checked the distributor cap. At least four of the five terminals were corroded enough so that it looked like it could have affected the connection. So I took some sand paper and cleaned them all off.

They still didn't look stellar, but I put the cap back on, rolled it into the driveway and hooked some jumper cables to my wonderfully functioning, and apparently gloating, '91 Camry. I tried for probably no more than a couple minutes at a time with pedal down, then on successive tries I would let the pedal up occasionally and then hold down. One or two times I tried half-way down.

Though I gave up because I would fry my other car (the cables were warm), it sounded really close a few times (really quick shen-shen-shenshenshenshen kind of thing), but just wouldn't quite get there.

I'm going to borrow a battery charger tomorrow. Should I try this sequence again, or am I going to kill my starter? Should I just charge it and really crank four minutes in succession?

 

OK. I didn't think I would have more than a minute left in my battery and I was right. So I cranked for about a minute (terminated by "RRRRuRRR - RRRRRRuRRRR of course). During that minute I was hearing hearing the cylinders firing kind of like Thum-thum-thum, pause, thum-thum-thum, pause. So knowing that I have checked all of the plugs, I checked the distributor cap. At least four of the five terminals were corroded enough so that it looked like it could have affected the connection. So I took some sand paper and cleaned them all off.

They still didn't look stellar, but I put the cap back on, rolled it into the driveway and hooked some jumper cables to my wonderfully functioning, and apparently gloating, '91 Camry. I tried for probably no more than a couple minutes at a time with pedal down, then on successive tries I would let the pedal up occasionally and then hold down. One or two times I tried half-way down.

Though I gave up because I would fry my other car (the cables were warm), it sounded really close a few times (really quick shen-shen-shenshenshenshen kind of thing), but just wouldn't quite get there.

I'm going to borrow a battery charger tomorrow. Should I try this sequence again, or am I going to kill my starter? Should I just charge it and really crank four minutes in succession?

 

Make sure battery is fully charged and try again.

 

From now on...when you guys post...make sure that you dont have any apostrophes. They will cause error messages and mess up posts.

 

Hey I have an idea as well.

Where are you located?

I know you're getting a signal from your ECU, but do you live where it is cold and snowy like here in IN?

I had a few problems like this. Throw Seafoam or HEET in the gas tank and let it sit for 20 minutes.

You might have moisture in there. This should take care of it and dry it up.

HEET is cheaper and available like...everywhere.

Long shot, but it might work, or at least help.

 

No apostrophes - check. I will try.

That is interesting. It failed to start at the onset of a cold snap as I remember. Ever since then it has been on a damp garage floor (high humidity these days). That sounds like a good plan.

 

Good news, folks!

I picked up some HEET on the way home from work and poured it in the tank while the battery was charging. A few hours later I went to crank it and it lit up within 15 seconds! I am thinking that the oil trap problem probably had nothing to do with the car not running, so though that was a fairly expensive procedure in itself (and time consuming! those manifold bolts were hard to find), I doubt that contributed to the success.

Judging by how much I cranked last night vs. tonight, I'm thinking it must have been the moisture in the fuel. Though if the lifters had been the problem, last night probably would have taken care of that.

Thanks a bunch! We'll see if it starts in the morning.

 

Thats good.

 

Glad it is running now.

 

And the apostrophe multiplies as you hit the reply button[:@].

See attached, in case if your car throws a tantrum again.

Also, see my 2nd reply at:

https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm


JPN

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