1. Home
  2. Volvo automobiles
  3. 94 850 intermittent starting problem; nothing's helping!

94 850 intermittent starting problem; nothing's helping!

I have read through other postings here, but they don't quite address my problem, so I'm hoping someone out there can shed some light on this.

I have a 1994 non-turbo wagon, and over the summer, it began having a sporadic problem with hot restarts. After running normally, and then being parked and shut off for anywhere between 3 and 20 minutes, it will crank but not fire. I will usually have to hold down the starter for a few minutes and then it will fire right up. Sometimes I try holding down the accelerator part way, or simply wait a few minutes to try again. In the last three months, it has begun stalling on occasion as well.

I have had the fuel pump, fuel relay, main relay, and ignition switch replaced. My mechanic put a spark tester on the #1 plug, and when the problem occurred (that is, when it could actually be reproduced in front of him-- no small dilemma), the plug is firing. So it appears the problem is on the fuel side. But what is left to do? Yikes, my car is totally unreliable during a MN winter! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Sam

Reply to
Sam
Loading thread data ...

Have you run the on-board diagnostics tests yet? NO equipment needed! I'm not near my information on that, so I'll let others tell you how to do it...really rather simple.

It beats the replace-parts-till-its-fixed rout>I have read through other postings here, but they don't quite address

Ron/Champ 6

1963 8E5 Champ (Champ 6) 1995 VW Passat (Vanilla..yuk) 1994 Volvo 850 (Tilley) 1973 Volvo 1800 ES (Hyacinth Bucket)
Reply to
Ron

I think it could be the fueel pressure regulator that is leaking om the return line. It will cause the hot start problem since pressure is gone when car has been standing for a short time, but engine still not cold enough to give cold start condition for the engine management.

Regards

Per Hauge

"Sam" skrev i en meddelelse news: snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Per Hauge-Nielsen

Hi, Sam:

You didn't mention the ignition coil or wire, which could be the problem if they are original.

Also, what about the fuel filter? Is it original too? It's easy to replace, about 30 bucks for the filter. Same for the coil and wire. Remember, a lot more current is flowing from the coil and thru its wire than the individual spark plug wires. I would replace the whole set, be sure that the set has the coil wire, and replace the cap and rotor. You can buy a kit from IPD for about 80 bucks. Just mark the wires with tape and do one at a time. Don't let them touch metal, use the plastic wire separators.

Heat can effect electrical wiring, that's why it is not happening with the cold - my theory at least.

Also, check the air filter and PCV (flame trap).

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Lesperance

I recall having my gas filler cap replaced in the past when I was having problems. There was some pressure-related issue that was the source of my problem. I thought it was a "reach", but it worked.

H> Hi, Sam:

Reply to
bfiske

I ran the on-board diagnostics today. The eletrical side came up "no fault detected," but I got three codes on the fuel side:

3-1-4 Camshaft position sensor signal absent or faulty; 2-1-4 RPM sensor signal absent; and finally 3-2-4 ?? This one isn't listed in the Haynes manual. I may have read it wrong, but I cleared the codes already. I guess the next time it freaks out I'll check it again.

If something else were going wrong, could it trigger these codes? Or should I go ahead and replace the Cam and RPM sensors? Any suggestions where to look for these parts?

Thank you all so much!

Sam

Reply to
Sam

The old style cam position sensor on the older 850's was problematic. If the signal is absent then the car won't start. Usually the a cam sensor failure will trigger additonal codes if the signal goes missing while the engine is running. Any cam sensor from later 850's will work fine, otherwise try a foreign car parts supplier or a dealer.

Bob

Reply to
User

My factory manual doesn't list 3-2-4 either, so it's probably a misread. The first two pint to different sensors, and the book didn't point to anything common between them. (Except the ECU, I suppose)

Now, I got the 3-1-4 once when I let the car roll backwards on a hill while the auto trans was in "D" It stalled, and the engine turned backwards a bit, which generated the fault.

-- Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

Reply to
Doug Warner

The car stalled again today. I ran the diagnostics again, and got the same codes. But in my last post, I switched the two sides' codes. Durr!! The fuel side actually came up without faults, and the electrical had 3-1-4, 3-2-4, and 2-1-4. 3-2-4 is in the Haynes, and it means the Cam sensor is absent intermittently.

Both the cam sensor and the RPM sensor seem pretty easy to get at. Anything in particular I should be aware of if I decide to switch them out myself?

S

Sam wrote:

Reply to
Sam

Okay, my car stalled again yesterday, and I checked the codes again. The previously listed codes were backwards-- that is, they were all electrical side codes, not fuel side. Durr! The fuel side registered no faults. The fault codes I got on the electrical side were 3-1-4 and

3-2-4. I found the 3-2-4 code in the Haynes manual. It's when the cam position sensor signal is absent intermittently.

Any advice on replacing the cam position sensor? Things to watch out for?

You folks have been really helpful. This has been really stressful, at an already stressful time of the year. Thanks again.

Sam

Reply to
Sam

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.