940 LPT 2.3 problems starting in damp

[haymitch]

I've been filling up with Sainsbury's as I heard that they get their petrol from BP. I avoid Tesco b/c of the horr stories I've heard about them.

The last fill up was with premium, but will be mixed together with the normal stuff I've been using for a while. How would the premium help in this case? Does it have less of a chance of being contaminated with water?

[Laird Scooby]

The fuel should be good then, there is a water content in all petrol these days but the big problem is the air in your tank - when the weather is warm this air is moist. When it cools down, the moisture condensates out of the air and settles in the bottom of the tank.

The new E5/E10 fuels with ethanol in will also have a higher water content but as far as i know, we haven't got that yet.

[haymitch]

I just had a thought (dangerous...). Yesterday, when I started the car with the ether, I disconnected the air filter and MAF from the air pipe that leads to the turbo, sprayed for a few seconds, and turned the key to start the car. When I did this it didn't start, showing the same non-start symptoms as before.

When I tried to start the car again, I disconnected the air trunking, sprayed the ether and then left the trunking unattached. I started the car and the engine starting running. I then reconnected the trunking to the MAF sensor and let the car warm up (the Green Flag person did this back in September).

Was wondering if this points to the air filter, as has been suggested, or the MAF as the culprit. Surely, the car should start with the ether when the air filter and MAF is attached?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by haymitch

I just had a thought (dangerous...). Yesterday, when I started the car with the ether, I disconnected the air filter and MAF from the air pipe that leads to the turbo, sprayed for a few seconds, and turned the key to start the car. When I did this it didn't start, showing the same non-start symptoms as before.

When I tried to start the car again, I disconnected the air trunking, sprayed the ether and then left the trunking unattached. I started the car and the engine starting running. I then reconnected the trunking to the MAF sensor and let the car warm up (the Green Flag person did this back in September).

Was wondering if this points to the air filter, as has been suggested, or the MAF as the culprit. Surely, the car should start with the ether when the air filter and MAF is attached?

Where were you spraying the ether each time - into what pipe/orifice?

[haymitch]

I've attached a link to an image because I'm not describing it very well. The pipe I mean is the blue on on the second image down (not blue on my car though!):

http://www.skandix.de/en/documents/i...turbo/3000390/

The pipe I mean is the intake hose that connects to the airflow sensor and then runs down to the turbocharger. I disconnected the pipe from the airflow sensor by loosening the clamp and sprayed the ether into the pipe.

[Laird Scooby]

That'll work!

It should in theory start with all hoses connected but because ether evaporates very quickly, chances are it evaporated by the time you'd reconnected the pipework.

If you could get a volunteer to try starting it while you spray the ether into the air intake (other side of the air filter from the MAF) then you could get it started without needing to disconnect anything.

Did you check the air filter for cleanliness by the way? Both sides of it?

[haymitch]

Ah, that makes sense. I haven't had a chance to check the air filter yet as the car is still at the garage, but I'll check it when it comes back

Hopefully I won't need to

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by haymitch

... and then left the trunking unattached. I started the car and the engine starting running. I then reconnected the trunking to the MAF sensor and let the car warm up (the Green Flag person did this back in September).

Was wondering if this points to the air filter, as has been suggested, or the MAF as the culprit. Surely, the car should start with the ether when the air filter and MAF is attached?

Remove the air filer, and check your airbox for bits of foam clogging the way to the MAF : wot have got old and fallen off the roof of the airboz.

You can run without an air filter until you pcik one up from halfrauds or wherever... just saying. (Don't shoot me folks)

I once had a shockingly clogged air filer, didn't even know it until MOT when the fuel/air mix sensor picked up the problem.

[haymitch]

Cool, will have a look at that on Friday morning. The garage I took the car to said that they couldn't make sense of the problem (which is worrying) - so I'll give it a go on Friday.

I'm also mulling over buying a new coolant temperature sensor and trying to fit that as a gamble because the problem went away last time it was replaced.

I've booked it into the Volvo specialists in Witcham (as suggested by Laird Scooby a while back) near where I live for next week in case I can't get it sorted this weekend, but after that I'm running out of options

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by haymitch

I'm also mulling over buying a new coolant temperature sensor and trying to fit that as a gamble because the problem went away last time it was replaced.

Didn't you also say you gave it the meths treatment at the same time?