frustrated 1800es owner

[dominic (Guest)]

can any one help? i have a recently brought a 1972 p1800es and am have a great deal of trouble getting it to run well, it has difficulty starting when it's cold and the idle speed seams to fluttuwait, when hot it's close to stalling ,it dose not pull cleanly at low speeds with a small throttle opening it kangaroo's as if it's about to run out of petrol and the engine note is a bit fluffy if that makes any sense, i've tried changing the coil & fitted new ht leads along with plugs, cap and rotor arm it's also been to my local bosh fuel injection specialists with no real success i'm toying with the idea of fitting a lumenition electronic ignition conversion kit but i'm not realy sure if this is were the problem lies if any one has any sugestion's they would be greatfully recived thanks from one very frustrated p1800 owner

[Brian Wylie (Guest)]

Dominic,

As an old hand with both cars and bikes, there is no short answer to this but a slow process of elemination in fuel and electrical systems. This does sound like fuel and the whole system should be checked from the tank forward.

An electrical test meter would be handy (if you don't have one).They are relatively inexpensive these days but allow a check of the whole system. What sort of fuel lift pump is on thecar and have you checked it's efficiency under load? My advice on replacement ignition is DON'T until you KNOW the current system is not working properly - and why. Just as bad a being short of fuel is being over-rich (poor running when hot!) and this again points to the injection system and metering.
Not easy I'm afaid. Hope this is of some help
Regards
Brian Wylie

[Paul (Guest)]

I had a similar problem with my 1800ES which turned out to be the electric fuel pump (next to the fuel tank) not delivering sufficient pressure. I obtained a genuine Bosch replacement from Brookhouse Volvo Spares in Ipswich for £75 plus vat (normally around £175!)which cured the problem. If the rubber mountings have perished when you remove your old pump, a pair of BMC Mini exhaust mounting bobbins are a good replacement at £1.50 each. If you mount your new pump with just bolts,as I did at first, the noise will get on your nerves!
Brookhouse details are shown on a link from the main VOC website, and they offer a mail order service.

Hope that this is some use to you.

[neilpeter]

Hello, I have had exactly the same sort of problem - see post 'The Throttle of Death', and have now isolated the problem. I have renewed the entire ignition system, and checked the throttle switch, cold start injector, replaced the coolant temperature sensor and all to no avail.

My car had stood for many years, only being run very occasionally (7 miles between successive MoTs!), and although a new fuel pump was fitted as part of the purchase deal, a new filter had not been fitted. I removed the filter when the trouble started after about 100 miles, and it had become totally blocked with what seemed like mud - very fine rust from the inside of the tank, which congeals to form a sludge which blocks the pump and the filter.

I flushed the pump (more mud) and replaced the filter, and everything was running fine for about a mile, then it started hesitating again. Obviously the pump is picking up more sludge from the tank, and my guess is that there is a layer of it in the bottom of the tank.

The solution is to be thorough, and flush the entire system and replace the filter if necessary, THEN either get the tank thoroughly cleaned inside or replace it. This part is my next job, and I think it's the final link.

[B20F]

If you want to install an electronic ignition I would opt for the Pertronix. Real easy to install and everything looks stock from the outside. I fitted one 4 years ago on my '73ES and it works flawlessly. Never ever had I to adjust it.
Here are some usefull links to Djet faulttracing:

http://volvo1800pictures.com/document/fuel_injection_fault_tracer/fuel_injection_fault_tracing.pdf

http://www.vclassics.com/archive/index.html

[mike gilbert]

This is the joy of the early Bosche fuel injection system, its a big improvement on the carbs, till something goes wrong!
It could be your pump but if it nearly stalls at idle thats not the most likely culprit as it will struggle under load more than at idle.
The poor starting could be your cold start valve. These either stick on or off and are not too expensive to replace.
The general poor running could be a sensor, such as the manifold pressure sensor, or the engine ECU, or worn injector triggers on your distributor (or just a plain worn shaft on the distributor).
I'm afraid there are several possible causes and maybe more than one. And as you now know the fuel injection 'experts' can be clueless on these cars.
Not much help I'm afraid. Try Tony Barrett who may point you in the direction of the cheapest possibilities first as he knows the parts prices and it may turn out to be cure by elimination.

[Fivehundred]

One of the basic things on the D jet is the Air Idle Valve, they jam open. If they are jammed open the car won't run properly. People then try to compensate by adjusting the idle which most people do incorrectly by adjusting the throttle cable.

The D jet is extremely reliable normally, but is also extremely intolerant od uninformed meddling. I suggest the fist thing you do is check whether the air idle valve, the aluminium thing on the RH front of the head is completely closed once the car is above 60 deg Centigrade, if it isn't completely closed block it off. If the car then refuses to idle properly you need to find the base settings before going any further.

Do make sure you have a sensible point gap and sensible basic timing on the ignition.

[Clan]

The main problem the B20E suffered from was the air pressure sensor , not the sensor itself but it's adjustment due to partialy blocked injectors .
In the 1970s used to alter the internal adjustment to compensate and that worked to make a responsive engine again .. don't forget fuel goes off after a few months try some fresh fuel as well .

[Bob Clark]

Hi Dominic,
Have you changed the fuel filter that is inside the fuel tank. I had the same symtoms on my 1800ES and renewed everything fuel and ignition related without improvement. It turned out to be this filter. It's located behind the large brass boss with the square socket in the base of the tank. The filter surrounds the fuel pick up pipe and gets blocked with sediment and rusts to the pipe. Be very carefull as it's easy to break this pipe. I did and it cost £130to repair it.
The filter part no. is 688593-3
Hope this helps,
Bob Clark.