QuestionSo I guess, I'm not only figuring out my volvo but I'm also figuring out this
blog - just discovered how to reply to someone's comment instead of just
replying to my own.
an FPR (trying out the lingo) is on its way. But I was told that this would not
be the cause of a no-start. Out of curiosity - would a faulty FPR cause the
engine to flood, the spark plugs? Also how would a bad FPR cause the gas to
get into the engine oil? And then, again out of curiosity, why would the car
start for awhile there if I pressed in the gas pedal while starting it up - it
seems like this would give it more gas - could it instead, have been letting in
more air?
Jimmy
Here is the email that I sent straight to your email - I don't know if you ever
got it
Hey Mark,
You have quite a story - from pellet guns to owning your own shop - so you
owned the place for 26 years? Goddamn that's a long time. Was it hard to
close it down after that long or were you just relieved? I think thats pretty
cool though - family and health are more important in the end. I definitely
hear you on the boss thing as well. I have had too many bosses where you
can't even discuss/argue with them on a logical level because its just "I'm the
boss" type mentality. I have had a couple of sweet bosses as well - it really
does make a huge difference.
I did look up ROFLMAO - I don't know about that one - it doesn't seem like I
would ever say rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. My little sister is an
AOL abbreviations lexicon. Every time I talk to her on the phone I hear these
constant beeps going on in the background (every time you send a message
on AOL instant messenger it makes that sound) anyway it always makes me
glad to know that she is giving me her undivided attention.
Okay, so since I am new at this mechanic thing, I have some questions - just
answer them at your own pace and I understand about the whole family thing
- I am pretty sure you didn't close up your mechanic shop so you could
spend 80 hours a week helping me out instead. Also I attached our previous
conversations at the bottom of the page just for reference.
So looking through Chilton's there have been a couple of other things that I
have thought up.
I think I found something fairly valuable - when talking about the fuel system
on 5-12 it says in bold: "Volvo states that a no-start condition may
occasionally occur when the engine has not been started for an extended
period of time. This may be due to the fuel pump sticking in one position
because of foreign matter, or corrosion forming on the rotor shaft or
commutator and brushes...." And then it says to clean the fuel tank pick up
screen at the recommended intervals to prevent water condensation and
foreign matter from entering the pump. The car had been sitting for a couple
of weeks in this guys drive way. I have added some fuel injection cleaner
called Lukas which seemed to help the car run smoother.
Question: How do I know if the fuel pump has become stuck? Then it says to
tap it with a piece of hardwood i.e. handle of a hammer - should I try this?
Where would the fuel pump be located - in the rear of the car or under the
hood?
Another thing I have to admit to is that in driving it back to Ketchum from
Boise - it got very low on gas - Is it true that it is bad to drive a car low on
gas because dirt can get into the tank. Also is it a good idea to try and keep
the tank pretty full in the winter because of condensation?
-could there be a clogged fuel filter?
The last and final comment, which I still don't understand and doesn't make
any logical sense to me, is that every morning regardless of how cold it is
that car seems to start up fine but then after I drive it and leave it parked for
a couple of hours then its no good. NOW HOWEVER IT IS JUST A STRAIGHT
NO START.
TAL (that's my new abbreviation)
jimmy
I have included the previous posts just in case you want to look back at
previous posts:
QUESTION: Hi,
I looked over a lot of the other answers but nothing seemed quite similar to
this. I asked you a question about cold weather driving the other day. Well it
turns out that I have a bigger problem than I thought and it must extend
further then the battery. To start off, the car would consistently start up in
the morning (one morning it was even -5 and each morning it started up first
time. Then I would drive it a couple of miles, it would be parked for probably
three hours, and then it would take many times of trying to finally start it up.
I have only had this car for five days and I drove it back from boise (bout two
and a half hours and it drove fine no stalling or anything) the next two days
it seemed to run fine, and then it got progressively worse - it took longer and
longer before the car would start up. But all the lights on the dashboard
light up and the car turns over, it is just like it won't catch and start up. So
the battery must be fine. Then two days ago, I am driving back from the ski
place (3 miles away) coincidentally this was probably the time it took the
longest for the car to finally start up, and two and a half miles down the road
the car just stalls out and it wouldn't start back up again (again the battery
would turn over - just nothing would catch. I did notice a little crack in what
I think is the vacuum hose - but I think the problem goes a little further than
that. The vacuum hose is cracked right near the top - can I just cut off the
cracked part and reattach it? - so I think the problem might be electrical but
you guys know much more then I do.
It is a 1989 240 gl station wagon. I just bought it used a week ago. It has
two hundred and 14 thousand miles on it.
Thanks a lot,
Jimmy
p.s. ask me any and all questions you have.
ANSWER: Jimmy, it's ok to just cut off the end and reattach it. When it stalls,
pull the vacuum line off of the fuel pressure regulator and see if it's wet
inside. If so, replace the fuel pressure regulator.
Next, when it's stalled, or not starting, You need to check for the presence
of spark and fuel to see what you are losing. We are assuming the engine is
ok mechanically, because it runs well otherwise, correct? Check for spark
first, then fuel. Let me know what you find out and we can go from there.
HTH
Mark
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: hey Mark,
thanks a lot for the quick reply. So the car right now is at a place that works
on foreign cars. I will fix the vacuum line when I get it back.
Well I talked to the mechanic yesterday, he said it wasn't getting a spark and
it wasn't getting fuel so could that involve something with the vacuum line or
the fuel pressure regulator. Another thing I didn't mention is that the stereo
would intermittently play out of one speaker and then there would be no
longer any sound - the guy who sold it to me showed me where the wires
were above the radio and heat controls - so when I have been driving around
town and back from boise, I have kind of been lightly pulling on the wires or
trying to press them closer together in hopes that the speakers would start
working again (I have to admit I was just kind of doing the old, tweak
something and hope it works - but none of this was super aggressive) -
would this have effected anything important electrically. And back from
boise (2 and a half hours) and around town when it has been working the
engine has sounded good.
As a side note - right now the car is at the mechanics but I bought a chilton's
guide and am thinking about investing in a craftsman 260 pc. mechanic set
(Do you think this would be the best one to get) - I have found one for about
175. Anyway, so I don't really know how to check for spark or oil or do most
of the other repairs but I am really interested in it and would like to kind of
be versed in making at least ordinary repairs and have an idea of what's going
on. Is a volvo 1989 something that I could do most of the work on? Shoot
any advice or wisdom my way.
Much Thanks,
Jimmy
ANSWER: Jimmy, let me guess. You are 21 something? VBG I really admire
your tenacity. Yes, buy the Craftsman stuff and dive in. As you learn, you will
save yourself thousands of dollars over the years. You have a PERFECT vehicle
to learn on. The 240 series are tanks, and almost no one can destroy them. A
really basic vehicle with not much very complicated. Go for it!
"so could that involve something with the vacuum line or
the fuel pressure regulator." NO!
I'm a little concerned about your technician's diagnosis. Almost no situation
will cause no spark and no fuel. It's usually one or the other.
OTOH If the ignition module is bad and the fuel pump relay sees no pulse,
it's possible. Then you have a no spark primary problem that needs to be
addressed first. I would start there. Very common for the modules to go bad.
Second would be the Hall transmitter in the distributor. Broken wires most
common. Kits are available and you do not need to replace the whole
distributor.
Solder up and insulate those stereo wires please and quit flirting with
disaster!
Don't hesitate to e-mail me again with questions. Have fun!
Mark
Answer Jimmy, here is what happens. Inside the FPR is a diaphragm connected to a Pintle (valve) that regulates the fuel flow. This diaphragm (rubber disc is supposed to have fuel on one side and engine vacuum on the other side. The two are never supposed to mix.
Maximum engine vacuum occurs at idle. This high vacuum holds the pintle mostly shut. Lowest flow. As you press down the accellerator and more air is allowed into the combustion side of the engine, the vacuum level decreases proportionately. This allows the diaphragm to be pushed more open by the spring thus increasing fuel flow by opening up the pintle. Make sense?
If the diaphragm is torn, the spring wins and puts it at FULL fuel flow. As the vacuum tries to pull on the diaphragm, it sucks the fuel through the diaphragm tear and into the intake. So now you have double/double fuel. What's being sucked through that shouldn't and the pressure regulator being held wide open. Extra fuel is washing down the cylinders past the rings and into the oil.
It IS creating a flooding condition! Very common. And yes until a certain point of deteriotion, the added air on the intake (throttle side) can overcome it for a while.
Mark
