1. Home
  2. Volvo automobiles
  3. 1993 850 doesn't want to restart after short drive

1993 850 doesn't want to restart after short drive

Hi all,

I have a 1993 850 GLT that has been sitting for the past five [winter] months. It was started every two weeks or so, and taken on a short drive once a month, but that's it. I've started to drive it again... once a day, up the road 2 miles to the convenience store. When it is cold, it starts up perfectly. But when I come out from the convenience store and try to restart it, it doesn't want to start. It will turn over for 5-7 seconds without seeming to fire, then sometimes it will start to fireup, but I have to give it just the right amount of gas at the right moment and then keep the revs up. I have to be carefull not to let the revs drop on the way home or it will stall and then be even harder to start. So far I've been lucky.

Does this ring any bells with someone? Might things improve once I've polished off the old tank of gas? I'd like to take it for a good long drive on the highway, or to the dealer, but I'm not sure how it would act.

Reply to
Ted
Loading thread data ...

Classic case of it being carboned up and flooding from the short runs. These engines really do not like cold starts followed by shut down and re-start. You are actually quite lucky it will re start at all.

Get some fresh fuel in the tank, and take it for a fast hard drive of

50miles +, plenty of load and high revs and it will feel alot sharper after.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

Carboned up as in what? Fouled spark plugs? Gunked up fuel injection?

Are there any additives that help with that? Would cleaning/replacing the spark plugs serve the same purpose?

Thanks

Reply to
Ted

Additive: Chevron "Techron" every 5 to 10k miles will keep fuel system clean. I've used it for years, and my local Volvo dealer uses it every 10k on all cars they do maintenance on. If you use an exclusive diet of Chevron gas, you probably won't need to use the additive as Chevron contains Techron in the gas.

Reply to
Me

And start using Chevron Techron. It is about the best thing there is to prevent or remove carbon deposits. It comes in Chevron gas but is available as an additive for any gas.

Reply to
Stephen M. Henning

Does our temperature gauge work properly?

The reason I ask is that the temp sensor failed on mine recently. It went intermittant. With the sensor 'offline' The car would start fine when cold, as you describe, but when heated up ran like a bag of spanners ...again as you describe....

Reply to
LaoFuZhi

AFAICT the gauge is behaving normally... ie initially reading cold and then indicating increasing temperature as the engine warms up. How did you know your temp sensor was bad? Did your gauge reflect an obviously wrong reading? Did you put a meter on the sensor? Engine code?

Reply to
Ted

I believe these cars have hydraulic tappets and after a short drive oil gets under the tappets and therefore the valves do not close properly therfore no compression to fire against - probably.

Reply to
ramjet

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.