Well, it's come time to post, sorry for its length. I have a '92 940 (Regina) B230F.
A few weeks ago, we had our first big (North Carolina) cold snap - it went from 60-70 F to 15-20 F over a few hours one day. I came home from work about 5:30 pm, ran to the grocery and came back about 8 pm. At 11 pm my wife begs me for ice cream, so being the obliging fellow I am I drove back to the grocery - about 6 miles.
As far as I could tell the car was running fine up to this point, certainly no sputtering, skipping, all around a normal drive.
As you have guessed the car did not start at all when I came out of the store (about 15 minutes or so). I swapped out my backup fuel pump relay - still no dice. Towed back home, put the battery on the charger, and the next morning, still no start.
So, over the past couple of weeks I've gone through the maintenance that I should have done long ago: new plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, fuel pressure regulator. I have the fuel filter but I need to pick up a 27mm wrench, that's my afternoon errand.
For now, the car does not start while cranking, even sputter or anything, except as noted below (when I release the key occasionally).
As far as symptoms:
The engine turns over fine, so I don't think it's the starter. The starter sounds like it's doing work - and it drains the battery like nobody's business, but no drain when I'm not cranking - so I think I have compression.
I have two fuel pump relays, both the old kind but both known working. They buzz correctly (few seconds at each start attempt).
I changed plugs/wires/distributor cap/rotor. I don't have an assistant that can follow directions, so I have not checked sparking yet. (I do have a remote start kit that I've been meaning to install, primarily for the power door lock but this might be a good excuse.)
I changed out the timing belt (again, but it wasn't that old) so I don't think it's the timing.
Like I mentioned, I have to change the fuel filter yet (it's getting along, probably just at 3 years now).
There is pressure behind the fuel pressure regulator (after the changing) so even though I don't know it's the _correct_ pressure it is getting something.
The air filter is fairly new, so I doubt that's it.
The tank was about 3/4, I added a gallon or two more just to be sure that I wasn't out but there definitely seems to be fuel.
When I try to start, the relay will buzz for 2-3 seconds and then stop. The starter will turn, never catch at all while the key is in the start position, and occasionally when I release make a little chug
- never enough to catch though. That was why I thought timing was off at first, but that definitely wasn't it.
The cold start injector rewiring appears to have not been done. It's reasonably warm here now, though.
I will note here that the grocery serves two major universities, so fraternity pranks aren't out of the question. I was next to a street lamp though so I think it's only marginally likely.
That's about all I know, I haven't done a full gas-spray-from-FPR-into- can yet but that's pretty high up on my list (would that definitively point to fuel pump?), as is the starter fluid.
My wife is heading out of town with our good car Wednesday night, so I have several days to get mine working. I'm within walking distance of the bus and rental car places, but I'd rather have everything I need at the house than load up two kids into a bus seat.
We have several well-equipped scrap yards around, so I can buy pretty much anything I'll need in the way of parts today and tomorrow. I's like to run this car for another 100K+ so I don't mind keeping extras in my basement, if I can get it running. =)
coil (is used, i.e. from a yard, likely to be okay, or do they degrade with age?) MAP sensor crank sensor interference relay ignition control module (?) fuel pump
I'm open to any suggestions, either of parts or tools that I'm going to wish I had, so that I can have a slightly-less-frustrating weekend working on the car. =)
Thanks!
-TC