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1988 244GL won't start anymore

After sitting quite a while in my backyard, I tried to resurrect my 1988 244GL. At first, despite using starting fluid sprayed into the air intake, all we got were a few uneager puffs from the engine as it turned over. We let it sit for a few days, and then tried again. Magically, it started quite well! The car ran well for a day or two, starting and running apparently normally. Then, a few days later, total flatline.

We've checked all the obvious usual suspects: fuel pumps working, ignition produces sparks, and there is fuel pressure at the end of the line before the fuel injector.

Engine turns over fine, but does not start. Not even a hint of a catch. Oddly, I don't smell gasoline from the tailpipe. I thought I would, if the engine is doing everything but burn the fuel?

Is there a simple wire that could have been disconnected, or a vacuum leak, that would cause such drastic behaviour change from one day to another?

any hints appreciated! Alex

Reply to
al2.71828x.b
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Pull an injector and see if it's clogged. After sitting several years, gasoline will evaporate down to a tarry sludge--I had to replace a tank, pump, and sending unit in an '88 RX-7 due to that happening after it sat for about five years. (The AE will rise, though...)

You may need to clean the injectors and fuel lines and replace the fuel filter.

Unplugging and replugging all the connectors associated with the injectors.

One other thing--pull a plug and see if it's wet--if it is, you may have an exhaust blockage. If this appears to be the case, be careful; there may be a good bit of fuel accumulated somewhere.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Heston

Does it have an engine immobiliser which you may have accidentally triggered? I don't know much about Volvos of that vintage, but ISTR that some other makes had a process to unlock the immobiliser with a code which had to be entered by putting the key in the driver's door and turning it so many tomes to the right, and so many to the left - or somesuch.

Does your driver's handbook provide any clues?

Reply to
Roger Mills

Gary, thank you for the reply. Yes, it may be that fuel injectors are clogged, but would that be a sudden occurrence? The car started after some tinkering (for unknown reasons) and then a few days later was completely unwilling to repeat the performance. Would an exhaust blockage completely inhibit combustion? I find that hard t o imagine.

Any other ideas?

I might also mention: we replaced the battery during the short "running fin e" timeframe, but the tie-down was not perfect, and the battery moved aroun d a bit in the battery bay. Could it have knocked an important wire loose? Seems like only such an event would cause the night/day difference in perfo rmance.

Alex

Reply to
al2.71828x.b

Thanks for the hint, Roger. Checking the manual, I found no such locking mechanism. But, I'll also investigate whether the previous owner installed a hidden aftermarket immobiliser. That sounds vagely familiar, actually... unless it's just "guided memory". :-/

Alex

Reply to
al2.71828x.b

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Depends upon what might have come loose in the fuel lines. It's something to check; another thing is to pull out an injector and point into a container, then crank the engine to see if it's spraying. You may need to use a piece of fuel line from the rail to the injector to extend it to a convenient location. Be sure to disconnect the ignition coil and have a CO2 extinguisner handy (dry chemical powder is very corrosive).

It blocks airflow; without air flowing in, there won't be any combustion. An old trick for disabling a car is to shove a potato into the exhaust pipe.

Pull the plugs and see if they're wet; if so, it's not a fuel problem.

Hook up a timing light to verify the ignition is firing.

Hold a tissue against the tailpipe while someone cranks the engine; verify it's actually passing air.

It could; check anything close to the battery as well as the battery cables themselves--they can go bad from corrosion in the crimped connectors, or one might have come loose. Check with a meter between the terminals, from terminal to connector, negative terminal to engine block, positive to engine block, basically any path where current flows.

With engines, it comes down to three things--fuel, air, and spark. See which one you don't have and work from there.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Heston

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