Hello, all! I'm new here, but I've been loving Volvos as a kid since 2001 (read my introduction thread here).

Anyways, my older brother has an S70. He had it since December 2006; a few months after the 1993 850 GLT we had was totaled.

However, he moved away back in June to work, and, for about a year now, his S70 refuses to start, and we still don't know why. He seriously doesn't want it anymore, and it has been sitting in the driveway for nearly a year now, so I thought this would be a good starting project for me.

Earlier this year, after returning two of the wrong fuel pump modules, my brother finally got the right module for that particular S70 model, and a close friend of ours (who worked as a GM mechanic for over two decades), placed the new fuel pump on there and I think he did some other stuff with the S70, too. It finally started; However, after a few seconds, it splutters and shuts off, even to this day.

Two days ago, after a few months from the failed attempts, we have recharged the car battery, and everything electrical seems to work again. The ignition motor sounds very fresh now, but the engine attempting to start to sounds worse than ever, and it farts.

Yesterday, I looked up this issue on a later 2000 S70, and the most frequent answer to this issue was the sensor not detecting the flywheel do to rusting or damage (Volvo S70 - Car Forums - Edmunds). Other answers were fuel pump (tsk tsk), crankshaft, and a bad computer wire, but I would like some insight from Volvo enthusiasts!

Thanks, everyone! I might upload some photos of the car, too. I apologize for the long rant.

 

The fuel pump relay is a common failure. Has anyone tested fuel pressure at the rail, especially during cranking? Not sure what it should be but I would guess between 45 - 65 psi.

 

ETM if farting

 

A '98 should not have a ETM.

 

Very quick answers, and I greatly appreciate it!

Perhaps, it is the FPR, because my Dad just told me the ETM was most likely replaced, but I mentioned the FPR, and he said that probably wasn't replaced at all. Plus, I found that the ETM issue was among 1999-2002 ETMs in Volvos; this is a '98, but I'm sure it's still a possible issue, which can be related.

Before I checked for responses, I tested the S70 this morning. The engine's attempt to idle sounds a lot better than it did last night. My Dad then came out, and we tested the fuses, and we're 90% sure all the fuses are working, but it is possible the new ETM--or whatever it is--is a bad part. The yellow circuit-breaker fuse in the main fuse box could be bad, too. Too bad we do not have an extra ETM or circuit-breaker to see.

In the meantime, I will upload pictures of the S70 and what parts could be bad. I will E-Mail my brother to see what has been done to the S70. Since he is out of the country, now, this is really the best and most reliable way to contact him on behalf of the S70's issues.

Again, thank you everyone for the responses!

 

Here are some pictures of where the problem may be located:







And what the HECK is THIS??

 

Get out of that main fuse box, your first picture. The common fuse box is here:

It has the common fuses and the lid pops open with a clip. Then if you want to get at the fuel pump relay, you have to screw off the top with a T-25 I believe. The fuel pump relay has 103 on top of it, it's read in this photo.

Your second photo is the MAF. It could be bad, causes idle problems and preformance / running problems. You can unplug the MAF and the idle will usually smooth out if it is bad. It will pop a CEL and you will have to get it reset when you plug it back in.

The last pic is your idle control valve. It can go bad, usually it will cause a high idle and when you pop it with a screw driver handle it will often settle down. The big thing about those is making sure all the vacuum lines around it are in good condition and connected securely.

That car does NOT have an ETM. Drop it already.

 

LOL I now know there is no ETM since it's a '98, but thanks for getting me out of that Main Fuse Box, because I'm sure everything in there was working!

So, should I unplug the MAF and attempt to start it, first? How do I restart it when it gets to the the Check Engine light? Or should I replace or test the 103 FPR somehow? What should I try to do first?

By the way, I uploaded a YouTube video of the issue.

I also found a Fuel Pump Relay for S70, V70, etc. on eBay for a little over $18. Perhaps, I can find one for cheaper on there since I'm always on eBay practically daily.

Thanks again, for the help!

 

I meant MAF (just replaced mine with same symptoms) I have no idea why I said "ETM" other than I can't spell. Also, I was looking up some ECC codes and it's possible that I was on "acronym overload"..............

 

LOL it's alright! When I get home tomorrow, I will work with the S70 again, and let you all know what happens. That's if I get a confirmation response from rspi to see what I should really do first.

 

If the car is not starting I would start with the fuel pump relay. There is a way to jump it, you'll have to search for those threads.

 

I would rather test the MAF first, but if you really advise working with the FPR first, I will. Is there a way to test it before attempting to jump it? I believe I found some good FPR repair info here: http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...pic.php?t=9681 By the way, I'm halfway decent at soldering, but if it is the FPR, I would rather just buy a new module for $10-$20.

Would starter fluid be of any help?

 

SuperMario, start where you think is best. You're the one with tools in your hands.

Thanks for that link to Lee's relay repair. That is incredible. For some reason I thought those relay's cost more than they do. I have a few spares but hope I never need one.

 

Oh, no problem! By the way, I checked the fuel pump relay and unplugged the cable from the MAF. Same....Exact....Thing. No change. Plus, the fuel pump relay looks absolutely fine; in fact, rather new. Now, the only thing I didn't mess with yet was the Idle Control Valve. Can I unplug it and try to start it?

 

I started it with the MAF unplugged, then idle control valve unplugged, and it ran longer than ever. Is there a specific fuse for the MAF or the idle control valve plug? If so, where is it? I think they might be kaput due to bad fuses, or something.

 

Does the S70 have a PCV valve? If so, could that be the issue?

 

Yes it does and no I don't think that is the problem. If it's running with the MAF unplugged, that is likely the problem.

 

Earlier today, it ran a few seconds longer with the MAF unplugged AND unhooked, but it still does the same thing, and each consecutive attempt to start the engine makes the shut off even faster, or it won't start at all. If I let it rest for about a minute, it'll run for a few seconds again, but the same cycle occurs over and over again.

I tried it again about ten minutes ago, and I had my foot on the gas for the first attempt. It revved up to about 3200RPM, then it died like it did before. After that, my next door friend (who was a mechanic at CarX) came by, and we noticed that the antifreeze tank was COMPLETELY EMPTY, so he poured some in there, and now, we're letting it sit for a while. He said that some cars have a sensor detecting lack of antifreeze, so it might not run for that reason.

Do you think that might apply to Volvos?

 

I don't know. My guess is that your idle control valve is bad. Does it buzz when you turn the key on? It should.

 

Found the problem:

The engine isn't receiving fuel. We unplugged the fuel line from the engine, and NOTHING came out, and there's about five gallons of gas in the tank, so the fuel pump/gauge must have been placed on there wrong, or something. Keep in mind; a new fuel pump was placed on there last year.

Perhaps this issue is quite "elementary".