New rotor arm failure

[B10B]

After fitting a few new service items to my 940 lpt I went for a drive.
As I'm a key worker these things are still necessary.
Car started and idled fine, drove for a few miles fine, then started vibrating under load followed by bucking.
I headed back home on the double convinced id overlooked something, but too late car bucked hard, engine cut out , no start.
Friend towed me two miles home.
Diagnosis, no spark new rotor arm failure.
It was a Scan Tech, never heard of them but it seems they make quite a number of parts for these cars and have a mixed user opinion.
Just thought id throw it out there and see if anyone else has had issues with non genuine parts, if so what make and what part.
There was a time when I could get all kinds of simple items from Volvo but understand it will fade as more years pass.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by B10B

After fitting a few new service items to my 940 lpt I went for a drive.
As I'm a key worker these things are still necessary.
Car started and idled fine, drove for a few miles fine, then started vibrating under load followed by bucking.
I headed back home on the double convinced id overlooked something, but too late car bucked hard, engine cut out , no start.
Friend towed me two miles home.
Diagnosis, no spark new rotor arm failure.
It was a Scan Tech, never heard of them but it seems they make quite a number of parts for these cars and have a mixed user opinion.
Just thought id throw it out there and see if anyone else has had issues with non genuine parts, if so what make and what part.
There was a time when I could get all kinds of simple items from Volvo but understand it will fade as more years pass.

I've heard a few dodgy things about Scan Tech. I take it you've cleaned the old one and refitted it now?

For a budget brand, Intermotor are a reasonably safe bet, not the best but then they're about 1/3-1/2 the price of Bosch which in turn are cheaper than Volvo genuine (which are still Bosch but with an extra coat of lacquer for long term protection) so you could buy Intermotor and a can of clear lacquer, mask off the electrical connections (including the carbon brush) and give the dizzy cap and rotor a coating of lacquer to bring them close to Volvo standard.

Out of curiosity, did you check the carbon brush in the dizzy cap to make sure it hadn't broken?
Also i'm guessing you fitted new plugs as well? Did you set them to the correct gap of 0.7mm?

[lynns hubby]

A few years ago on our 94 940 we suffered a rota arm failure, it was, as far as I can remember an intermotor one. It completely shorted/burnt out from the tip to the centre !!!!

[mocambique-amazone]

And again:
Only BOSCH items. Nothing else. Till now they are the best you will get.
Cap
Rotor
Sensors

Don't use BOSCH leads.
Bourgicord is the best.


Intermotor I did test once, not again.
Scantech offers URO Products. Neverever try to fix your Volvo with URO-parts. I would park my Volvo before putting this crap into my car.

If your choice is to safe money you will have to live with a not properly running car.

Some oil filters are cheap and will destroy your car.
Brakes from Volvo are useless nowadays. Volvo 1xy - 9xy related.
BOSCH will fail in the future too, maybe. Nobody knows.
Try, learn and regret "cheap" parts.

Have a nice Sunday, stay healthy. Kay

[griston64]

Originally Posted by mocambique-amazone

And again:
Only BOSCH items. Nothing else. Till now they are the best you will get.
Cap
Rotor
Sensors

Don't use BOSCH leads.
Bourgicord is the best.


Intermotor I did test once, not again.
Scantech offers URO Products. Neverever try to fix your Volvo with URO-parts. I would park my Volvo before putting this crap into my car.

If your choice is to safe money you will have to live with a not properly running car.

Some oil filters are cheap and will destroy your car.
Brakes from Volvo are useless nowadays. Volvo 1xy - 9xy related.
BOSCH will fail in the future too, maybe. Nobody knows.
Try, learn and regret "cheap" parts.

Have a nice Sunday, stay healthy. Kay

As above......buy cheap..buy twice

[B10B]

In answer to all above.
I used a Bosch cap, the Borgicord leads, NGKB7ES set to .027 or 0.7mm [car has a 15G turbo].
The carbon brush is fine, it was the brass strip on the rotor that had split suspect it was like that before I put it on but never looked
This is the first time in some 10 years I've ever had an issue.
I've got the minibus at home this weekend so I can start work tomorrow from here.
A new arm will be delivered at work then I will get lift back home fit it and carry on.
Bosch arm ordered of Ebay as an extra measure.
Too true about pay once and get it right, especially when this is the consequence.

[Stephen Edwin]

I still wonder. Before saving on parts. Who actually checks thr items needed for a job, asks their usual Volvo dealer for a price, and considers any other supplier's price in perspective?

Perspective includes how important is the part, is any saving significant re spending now, significant re how long the cost of that item should be spread over, significant re - if we don't support the remaining good helpful dealers that still exist - we will lose them.

I do still buy some parts from other sellers. But. I still think some people seem to avoid even considering buying from a dealer. Strange in my opinion.

P.S. Sometimes a dealer can be cheaper ...


.

[Ian21401]

I believe that I have a good rapport with the staff in my main dealer’s parts dept. and almost always enquire with them first. They allow me some VOC discount on most items and the fuel to get to them is less than the p&p required on some online orders. Being ordinary working guys they also understand that I will go elsewhere if they are too expensive and will warn me before I commit if something is ridiculously expensive.
Use it or lose it.

[AllHailKingVolvo]

After buying various major pattern bits from ECP (exhausts, ignition components etc) over the years, and later finding out that genuine parts from Volvo are both cheaper and far better quality, I always make Chris at Yeovil Motor Company Volvo parts dept my first call now.

As has been said, I have found all of my Redblock cars have run better with the Bosch cap and rotor (the lacquered Volvo ones in my case) and Bougicord leads. I wouldn't use anything else. A few extra quid (£12ish more than a no-name eBay special, cheaper than ECP's pattern parts) but absolutely worth it for the peace of mind that knowing your car is equipped with the correct parts.

[Roadtoknowhere]

I've just had a very similar experience. Had my 1991 940 SE Auto about 6 weeks. Decided to replace distributor cap, rotor arm & HT leads. I ordered the parts from Autodoc, who I have used before. Main reason I chose them this time was because they had a Gates timing belt kit for a great price which I wanted too. The old distributor cap was a pattern part and in poor condition as was the rotor arm which was seized hard on the distributor spindle, part of it broke off during removal. Anyway, fitted the new ignition parts and the car fired up and drove 100%. I chucked the old parts in the bin and over the next few days drove 20 plus miles until one day, out of the blue, the car wouldn't pick up at traffic lights and stalled. It restarted but the problem recurred 3 times before I got home. The car stalled outside my house and wouldn't restart. I had a spark at the coil so I checked the new parts for continuity and carefully put them back on. Still no spark to the leads. In desperation, I fished the old rotor arm out of the bin and put it back on. The car fired right up! As a double check, I swapped back to the new rotor arm and the car again wouldn't run. This rotor arm was Ridex brand. I have used other parts with this brand which have been fine. Emailed Autodoc about a replacement or refund.