850 flooding on start up

[teleplayer]

Having driven a couple 850s continuously for 21 years I've got used to what I thought was a known fault with the model. I'm certain that Ive seen it mentioned in posts in years gone by but I can find little about it now.

What happens is I start the car, say to move it to a better parking spot, then shut it down a minute or so later. The following morning I have to crank it for ages until it catches. Presumably this is a flooding problem. As this used to happen to a 3 year old model I treated it as a quirk rather than something worn out because it always started (under protest).
The one I'm running now which is a great runner really felt like it wasn't going to start today. It did, but only after embarrassing amounts of cranking.
Does anyone know about this?

[Luxobarge]

Yes, common issue, it's a "feature" of the ECU, gets confused if you only run it for a very short period. Best solution I've found is simply not to run it for only a short period - if I do need to move the car, I keep it running until the temp guage starts to move, then it's all fine.

[volvo again]

Agree with Luxobarge, not just Volvo though, have the same problem with my Merc.
Usually try to avoid just starting the engine for a couple of minutes, or if I really have to, I take it round the block.

[DaveNP]

It's a problem that has been debated here at length. I had this issue with an 850 that I had, trying to get the service light off I did the assorted button pushing and started the car and the light was still on, repeated a few times to get the light off, when I went to start the car the following day it wouldn't have it. My brother in law is a mechanic and between us we checked for spark, fuel etc, eventually we checked for compression and it was poor, squirting a shot of engine oil down each spark plug hole got it started (with clouds of oily smoke). Believing that the issue was flooding or 'bore washing' where the excess petrol on a cold start washes the oil off of the cylinder walls causing a loss of seal and therefore compression I tried one of the oil additives for worn engines, a thick gloopy sort of stuff meant to leave a better coating of oil on worn parts. I will say categorically 100% DO NOT DO THAT, the 850 never started again! which tends towards my opinion below.
Following the various threads and debates across the internet I'm persuaded that the issue is the hydraulic tappets not working quite right when the engine has not been run up to normal temperature which leaves them fractionally open thus losing compression, this is known on some parts of the web as 'tappet jacking'. When the oil is cold, despite it being an in spec multigrade, it will be more viscous and flow less well, which means the hydraulic element of the tappets will not work so well.
The solution that I've come to is, like Luxobarge says, just run it until it's warm every time I use it, if I'm popping down to the shops these days I end up walking as it's just as quick as taking the V70 out to the bypass and back just to warm the engine. On the one occasion that I did use the car just to the high street (I was late for a doctor's appointment), when I came back out of the doctor's, after waiting because the doctor was running late, it wouldn't start. I have changed to a lower multigrade, within the specs in the handbook, but I've yet to find the time and get up the nerve to try starting it and driving 100 yards to see if it will restart the next day.

[teleplayer]

Thank you to everyone, it is nice to have it confirmed that this is one of the special features of a generally very special car.
Treat it nicely, don't wind it up make it think its going for nice long drive, it will sulk.

[Toplights]

My v70 starts nearly every time first try (from cold) however if it doesent I have to crank it for quite a time before it starts, if I leave it for five mins it usually starts as normal, I have allways put it down to a slight flooding, choke problem.