1986 340 not running quite right need help please

[adam]

i hope you can help i have a volvo 340 d reg
when i start it in the morning it will not start with out the choke and when it has started i have to keep my foot lightly on the accalarator to keep it ticking over till it gets warm else it cuts out when you go to put it in to gear.

also every so often when it is going along road it makes a putt sound but i cannot get it to do this when on drive ????? is this something to worry about it just had an mot wich it passed with out any problems.
and i know its an ld engine but it sounds a little lumby is this normal it has 85k on clock and i am 3rd owner and recently been fully serviced
if you can help i would be greatful
adam

[mchudd]

Hi Adam.
Have you had the HT leads changed latly?
Have the spark plugs been changed latly?
Make shure the carb is bolted down tight.
You could unclip the top of the air pan and spray a load of carb cleaner into it. Hope this is some help.
Cheers Mark.

[foggyjames]

I'm with Mark on this - it probably needs a bloody good "service".

Make sure your ignition components (leads, cap, rotor, plugs) are in decent shape. You're looking for scoring of the contacts in the dizzy cap, for example.

Make sure the carb isn't leaking air (take the filter off and spray WD40 around it. Spraying anywhere other than the two openings, the engine shouldn't respond.

The 'putt' sound is almost certainly the engine "firing forward" through the intake (i.e. up through the carb), and is usually due to it running lean. I think from that and your description of the other symptoms, you may want to try richening up the idle mixture a little. It's a (relatively) large screw on the side of the carb nearest the rocker cover.

cheers

James

[pettaw]

Check dizzy cap, good chance the contacts are toast.

Also check to make sure the carb is on tight, and also the carb lid is tight (remove the three bolts that hold the air filter onto the top of the carb and check the screws for tightness)