Ignition Module and other thoughts

[James_N]

Hi All,

My Volvo has been off the road for some time now. It broke down and as i'm sure all of you are aware, i spent weeks trying to trace the problem and tracked it down to dizzy cap / rotor arm, which were replaced.

It then needed tyres and brakes which i haven't been able to afford due to moving house but in the coming months, i'm hoping to get it running again.

However, i'm still suffering a stalling problem.

The car starts fine (ive took the battery off though as it went flat and its a nearly new battery). So car starts fine and idles ok (bit of hunting but idles ok). After about 10 mins, its got up to temperature, but then will randomly stall.

If you are quick enough on the gas, you can give it some, and this stops it stalling, but its pretty instant, one min it will be idling OK, the next, it will die. When it was on the road, it also liked cutting out once the clutch was dipped, so at Junctions / roundabouts etc.

Recently before it was parked up, its had:

New exhaust from CAT back
New crank position sensor
Spark plugs
ignition leads
dizzy cap / rotor arm

It was running great up until the stalling, very reliable. I need to know where to go from here really. Ive debated breaking it, but its been a great car to me and i'd like to see it back on the road.

I had a similar problem with my 740 years back, so i wondered if the ignition module was a good place to start, and wondered if anyone had a known good working one i could borrow (or buy if its a spare!) just to see if thats the culprit.

Where / what else do i look at?

The car also needs four new tyres and a set of front brakes, so plenty of money to spend on it, but i'd like to see it back on the road soon (probably going to be oct / nov before i can sort the tyres and brakes and get it properly on the road but if i can sort the stalling issue while ive got time, that would be great. Any ideas welcomed.

Many Thanks
James

[TonyS9]

No Lambda light?
Sounds like its running weak, compensated for by the cold running enrichment

Air leaks? FPR? Injectors?

Cleaned throttle body with intake cleaner?

I'm sure its a fixable problem. The Ignition ECU is very reliable, and you have not stated any reason to suspect it. Sounds more like fuel to me. Have you got spark checker lights? If it reving up ok the sparks sound fine.

Start with air leaks, then get a fuel pressure measurement done by a garage.

[James_N]

No lambda light, just stutters and then conks unless your very quick on the gas and it will keep running, then after a bit, stutter and conk etc

[Chooch84]

Have you checked th idle control valve? Might be gunked up...

[James_N]

I did think about that. I'm not sure how to remove it and clean it though!

Its had pretty much new everything regards the ignition, so i was thinking replace ignition module / fuel pump relay maybe, but ive had thoughts about cleaning the PCV system and idle control valve before but not had the knowledge

[Chooch84]

To remove it, you can unbolt the bush that holds it in and remove the 2 pipes, and disconnect the connector that is fixed to it. You should also be able to slide it out once you remove the pipes and the connector.

To clean it I would use Carb Cleaner, followed by some contact cleaner (Isopropyl Alcohol) just to clean any residue.

I wouldn't have thought the PCV would cause issues like that, however, if it's chucking oil into the intake, then definitely clean it out and monitor it.

[Laird Scooby]

Add a couple of litres of meths to the tank James - it sounds very like it has condensation in the tank and as it's been sat for a while, chances are it has!

[James_N]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Add a couple of litres of meths to the tank James - it sounds very like it has condensation in the tank and as it's been sat for a while, chances are it has!

Thanks mate. I know you have suggested this to me before, however, i was using the car regular when this started happening. Now its been sat a while, its worth trying that along with some other things like Idle control valve cleaning and maybe an ignition module while its sat doing nothing (and looking fairly sorry for its self i must say )

Any other areas to try? I did try a new MAF, however it didnt make any difference and i swapped it back to the old one when breakdown diagnosed dizzy cap. is it worth refitting that too?

[Laird Scooby]

I'd go for the simple stuff first James, also worth remembering that unless they suffer catastrophic failure, ignition amplifier modules generally only give trouble when they're hot. The way you've described this fault it's from cold, clears slightly once warm then throws the occasional wobbler.

This all suggests a random pattern, except when cold. When it's cold, any of the condensation in the tank will have settled at the bottom, where the pick-up is.

Even when a car is in regular use, it can still accumulate condensation in the tank in a fairly short period. I had to dose my Volvo with meths a couple of months back because of condensation in the tank and that gets used almost every day for at least one trip, albeit a short one.

Give that a try first, it's the most logical given the circumstances.

[TonyS9]

The throttle body is easy to remove as is the ICV.

Throttle body removal (from memory)
You might need a new gasket so have one purchased in advance.
Remove the inlet pipe
pop off the link arm to the cable pulley
Remove the breather hoses to the carbon canister
Remove the switch connector
remove the 3 bolts

Use eye protection! Intake cleaner canisters are very pressurised and its nasty in your eyes, it will splash everywhere. Use short careful bursts and watch for the bounce back.
Soak with intake cleaner on the flap and barrel and rinse before it dries.
Hold the flap open while you clean
Clear out the little breather hose nipples
Repeat until spotless