Info for you all.
 

Here's a page that I bookmarked a day or so ago. Hope it will interest some of you, particularly in view of several posts over the past week.

Makes very interesting reading about Volvo component reliability, expected life and failure. Also some very useful tips on how to keep going in emergency situations when components fail. There's quite a lot of info.

http://www.davebarton.com/volvorelays.html

Very useful.

Thanks for the pointer to this site. Having had a very quick read it could help resolve a couple of my "refuse start" problems, one of which comes up on the OBD as Engine speed sensor fault. Have you seen the August "Volvodriver" page 30 onwards re Rupert and co's trip to Germany in the stretched 740 limo and it's problems at Leuven? Wonder if this info.could have helped them ?

Fuel relays
 

Hi Oilydad

I read the article awhile back and as I was having those problems changed the relay for a new one. see my latest apeal for help - I am still having the same issues.

Cheers

K

There is lots of good and interesting stuff on dave Barton's site - well worth a look around all of it.

The 'get you home' fixes are useful to know; I hadn't spotted those before, thanks Oilydad.

One note of caution; there are usually significant differences in the specifications of fuel system for Volvos sold in the US market (where Dave is) compared with UK cars. So where he lists the type of relay needed for various models and years, I am certain this is for US spec and should not be assumed correct for a UK car until you check with Dave.

John

thanks some very usesfull info on there be shure to have a proper read

Great link. I've experienced the Fuel Pump Relay issue. My local Volvo independent (West Yorkshire's finest, those around here will know who) gave me a spare 'known good' one, as a backup.

But I would advise a bit of caution concerning Dave Barton's assertions that:

"The main fuel pump in a Volvo is really well built and rarely fails"

I've had two MY 1997 940s and both fuel pumps have failed. On both occasions AA mechanics spent ages testing every single other thing - 'those fuel pumps are usually bombproof' and eventually it came down to that.

And both times after it was recovered to my local specialist they agreed it was the pump, replaced it and the problem disappeared, permanently.

My mechanic also thinks they're usually very reliable. But on an admittedly small sample size (2) I've had a 100% failure rate. So if you've got a problem starting, don't assume that it can't possibly be the fuel pump, it might be.

This is an excellent subject, and I would like to add a little of my experience. I believe that the fuel pumps are bomb proof unless the fuel is badly contaminated. not something to be normally concerned about in this country, but hot sandy countries, e.g. Spain, can supply poor fuel. I had a relay failure in my first 745 after 8 years, in my second when it was about 10, and in my '97 940 when it was 14. The earlier relays were more troublesome. After my first experience I always kept a spare and the one that I used as a replacement in the 940 was originally purchased for a 740.