940 lpt 1993 immobiliser fault?

[tessie]

Hi
Been having some problems with the above recently. The car is currently at rest in the garage until I get time (and/or money!) to do or get done some repairs to get her back on the road. So she's been off the road for maybe eighteen months but fairly regularly started, run up to temp for a while and moved around and this has all been fine. However just very recently the immobiliser seems to have been coming into effect most, but not all, of the time and she can't be started. Currently I cannot get her started. Tried the battery disconnect approach and this hasn't worked. The circumstances are that I get in, put key in ignition, turn the key to the point before activating the starter (at which point the dash lights up as it should), then turn key to start and the whole system goes dead, with no effort to turn the starter, not a cheep. The only way to get back to life is to disconnect and reconnect the battery but then the exact same scenario happens again.
Any ideas anyone? It's the Volvo Guard system.
Cheers

[Laney760]

I've used the reset procedure when my car was immobilised once and it worked, I think it's the second part of this:-

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...ht=GUARD+RESET

[tessie]

Thanks Laney 760
I'll give this a try tomorrow, here's hoping.

[Forrest]

Have you checked the battery is fully charged?

[TonyS9]

The lights go dead aswell? its not the immobiliser AFAIK, its only connected to the starter solenoid.

If the alarm is off its not immobilised, sounds like dead battery or bad connection.

[TonyS9]

There may also be a main system relay that could be faulty if rebooting solves it. Not sure where that is, but I'd give the fuse/relay board a tap with a screwdriver for a start. Maybe check the voltage at the lighter socket when this happens.

[tessie]

Hi again. Firstly, thanks for all the suggestions on this.
But unfortunately am not getting very far. The instructions from Laney 760 didn't seem to correspond to the behaviour which the system was exhibiting ie the red light on the dash wasn't doing what it should be at the time when it should have been! However there was a glimmer of hope using some of this info - from the point of everything going dead I got out and disconnected the battery which makes it live again. Then from the fob, lock the car ( activating the alarm?). Next unlock the car with the key, get in by which time the alarm is going, press the button on the fob to disarm, then the car started and run as normal. Problem was, after runningher for a while and then turning off, and then attempting to restart it was the same result as before ie everything goes dead. So tried the same process as described but this time when I got into the car the alarm went off of its own accord and then the system went straight to dead mode again. The battery is fine, i tend to give it a boost every now and then since the car is not run all the time.
Spent most of yesterday afternoon on this without really getting any where, very frustrating. There seems to be a reference in Laney 760s comment about disabling the immobiliser with some compromises (which wouldn't bother me especially at the moment) - is this an option, does anyone know?

[Forrest]

I expect as your car is a 1993 it has the Volvoguard I system with the triangular receiver on the windscreen. Worth a look at this link for some more detailed troubleshooting tips but assuming it is the relay in the 211/210 box that has gone faulty your quick fix might be to find the 211/210 box and connect some wire between pins 50E and 50F to bypass the immobiliser function. If you then put the relay back in position you should still have remote central locking and the alarm, just no immobiliser. This will not work if your problem is due to a wiring fault or something downstream of the immobiliser relay.

http://www.volvotips.com/index.php/8...ervice-manual/

[TonyS9]

please recheck my posts above, If the lights are going out and no fuses are blowing how can be anything to do with the immobiliser? there will be a big ignition 12v relay triggered by the ignition key. actually ignition key switch problems have been reported, might be worth looking at, jiggeling/rotating the key rings a bell.

[tessie]

Thanks again for the replies. As far as I can make out it's the Volvo guard 2 system. Had another go at this today (before picking up the two latest posts from TonyS9 and Forrest). Tried various combinations of things and hopefully have stumbled upon the answer, with really no clue to the logic of it. Procedure is - following a failed attempt to start and the system going dead, I disconnect and reconnect the battery, so the electrics are activated again. Lock the car off the fob. Open driver's door with the key and get in, with at this point the alarm going. While the alarm is still going put key in ignition and try to start - nothing (obvious) happens and alarm is still going. Turn key in ignition back to off (alarm still going) and then turn key to start and indeed it does start and the alarm goes off. Turn off and try to restart which she duly does. Repeat and she starts again and all seems to be working as normal again. I have no clue why this works, just thankful that it does. Seems like this procedure has caused some sort of reset? Will check again tomorrow in the hope that all will be well.
Cheers