I have a 2000 S70 that cranks over but does not start. It was running ok, daughter moved the car to let her mother out, and the next day would not start. We took it to a friend and he said he checked the compression and got 40psi on all 5 cyl. That to me sounds like it jumping a tooth or two. The belt is not broken. I took off the plastic that covers the camshaft sprockets, and there is no plastic giving an alignment point on it. There is an area approx 3-4" wide in the center where the plastic was cut. If this is what you align to, what do I do now to check the timing?
Help needed in Miami!

 

I think they call that a vapor lock. Put a little oil in every spark plug hole and crank the heck out of it and it will finally fire up and start. It will smoke like heck because of all the fuel and oil but it will smooth out in a few seconds and all will be well again.

I doubt it jumped timing.

 

kerry: It's not going to run with 40 psi compression. Was the timing belt slack? Also I would go to junkyard and get that piece of plastic; kinda critical...

RSPI: WTF is a vapor lock??

 

I'm not sure what they call it but I troll these Volvo sites a lot and read all kinds of weird sh@# and read about some of the crazy hookie stuff that people do with these old cars. One of the things that I have read has something to do with a car that was usually started and shut off very quickly. This somehow causes these I5's to loose compression across the board. So the story HAS GONE SEVERAL TIMES, that you put a little oil on top of the pistons to help them build compression, and while compression builds, along with to much fuel, the darn thing finally fires and it starts running.

Crazy thing about it is that the next post is usually 20 minutes later, the guy comes back after apparently doing it, praising the suggester and offer them their next born child. I guess it takes 20 minutes to pull the plugs, add the oil, reinstall the plugs, get it started, take a Prozac, talk some woman into the child gift, then get back on the forum with the great news. Just my luck I get the poor sap with the weak battery and now my wife won't get the new baby she so desperately wants. :/

 

Dude, you crack me up!!