Volvo: 1978 Volvo, back fire, diagnostic work

Question
QUESTION: I have a 78 Volvo that was running great, then I guess I let the gas get to low in it and it started running rough. Then it wouldn't start. Finally, while trying to start it one day, it blew the muffler apart. I charged the battery and got it to start again. It made it to the repair shop to get a new muffler and back home. It ran the next day and that was it. We had four days of cold and rain. I charged the battery and it would only crank, not start. Today its fairly warm and sunny. It started and ran for 10 minutes then cut off and won't start again. Do you have any ideas what the problem could be? I'm scared to keep cranking because I don't want to blow another muffler.

ANSWER: Tiffany,
Since the tank was low on fuel I suspect that the pump picked up dirt and corrosion for the bottom of the tank and now all that got into the fuel system. Inspect the tank to see if it needs cleaning, replace the fuel filter, blow out the fuel lines, see if that helps. If not get the car to a shop that knows the Volvo's and have some diagnostic work done. Maybe something else just happened and not really related to the low fuel.

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QUESTION: would trash in the system been what had caused the first muffler to blow out?

Answer
Tiffany,
I do not think that is what caused the muffler to blow. I would say that you had cranked over the engine so long without it starting that the fuel that was in the cylinders was exhausted into the exhaust system, there was a back fire and that "lit" off the muffler causing it blow apart.