S40 long start problem
 

Hi, my friends, I am new here, and facing the problem of start the car taking long time, my car is volvo s40 1.8 petrol, this situation has last for two years, I have do many research on this problem, and I guess the problem maybe the fuel pressure regulator or the idle air control valve, but I cannot confirm this, so I come here to ask your helps, the symptoms of my car are:
1. When car is cold, normally in the morning, it will take long time to start, maybe 5-8 seconds，sometimes, when I turn off the engine, wait for 5 minutes, and it will still take a long time to start again.
2. My car cost much petrol, for 200 mile, it will cost 50 liters.
3. Every time, when I take long time to start engine, I can smell gasoline inside the car.
4. The engine light is on, after run some hours, it will disappear. I have take my car to three repair shops in southampton, all of them told me the computer show the problem is on the coil pack, misfire, I am not professional guy, so I just agree to change the coil pack for 60 pound, after that, problem remain. And I waste my money.
For the fuel pressure regulator, I am not sure whether the problem come from it because someone say if the bad fuel pressure regulator, the black smoke will come out from the pipe, but my car doesnot has black smoke, it's white color, moreover, I have also check my fuel pressure regulator, in the morning, I check the vacuum hose, and there is no leaking in the hose, it's dry and no fuel inside. Does it means the diaphragm is ok? No broken? So the regulator is ok?

At first, I think the problem is the regulator, but now, I cannot confirm, can any friends can help me in this forum or in southampton, because I donot want to waste money on misdiagnoses, thanks a lot.

Can anyone help me?

I don't know an awful lot about the petrol engine models but I'm sure someone will be along to help you,we are a good bunch on here.

Have you tried replacing youre spark plugs,leads,and fuel filter,if you can smell fuel in the car it points to this and youre starting problems.

You can test youre spark plugs for a nice healthy fat spark by taking them out and putting them against the block and turn the engine over, my friend had similar problems as you in his vectra and we changed his plugs leads and coil pack also fuel filter and it ran like a dream.

Thanks a lot, my friend, I have already change the plug, oil filter and coil pack, but the problem remain.......I donot know where is the problem....

You're spark plugs or youre sump plug.i have sent a shout out hopefully someone who knows about volvo petrol engines will be along to help you bl3g12.

With regards to the starting issue, my guess would be the FPR. When was the fuel filter changed last?

Another thing that might be causing your problem and low mpg, could be a faulty ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature sensor.

Out of curiosity, are your spark plugs genuine volvo?

Thanks, my friend, the last time for me to change the fuel filter is 11/2013, this is done when I doing the service for my car, and my spark plugs is not genuine volvo, I also change it while doing the service.

Do a compression test. White smoke sound like head gasket.