900 Cars: Cold start in the winter

[Jimmy W]

I have a 940 P reg (1997) Volvo estate 2.3 turbo petrol. On a very cold morning I am having to use the accelerator to start the car and its very rough when starting as well as noise that comes from engine, a whirring type sound. Once the car has heated up the car is fine. I have tried the following things so far to stop me having to use the accelerator;-

1) Replaced petrol pump
2) Replaced distributor cap and rotor-arm
3) New battery
4) Tappits checked
5) There was a hole next to the catalyst convertor the garage filled this and said they could not find any oxygen sensor that went in to it

I'm hoping someone on here might be able to help me either fix or offer another thing to investigate or suggest a garage in or around Edinburgh (Scotland) that I could take my car to be looked at by a professional.

Cheers
Jim

[rippedoffagain]

There is (or should be) one lambda sensor in your exhaust, which begs the question, what has the garage plugged the hole with, and was it the hole for the lambda sensor to screw into, or just a hole as in corrosion?

In any case, the lambda sensor is ignored on the 940 until it reaches a certain temp, so I can't see that causing the problem.

This whirring sound you describe, is that only when you turn it over or is it as soon as you turn the ignition on? If I remember right, the fuel pump is quite audible for a couple of seconds or so when you first turn the ignition on.

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by Jimmy W

I have a 940 P reg (1997) Volvo estate 2.3 turbo petrol. On a very cold morning I am having to use the accelerator to start the car and its very rough when starting as well as noise that comes from engine, a whirring type sound. ...
1) Replaced petrol pump
2) Replaced distributor cap and rotor-arm
3) New battery
4) Tappits checked
5) There was a hole next to the catalyst convertor the garage filled this and said they could not find any oxygen sensor that went in to it

You have done all the right things.
I run a 1993 940 and mine is superb at starting, even below freezing. I recently got a new battery : YUASA brand.
A new battery and checking the alternator charging is a good move, although 'ideal' charge might not be achievable and lowish alternator charge might be a red-herring, just saying.
The O2 mount near the CAT is for more modern engines, just blocked on ours.
The whirring sound might indicate a tired starter motor or the connections to the starter motor : if this is the problem you have a superbly cheap and easy fix : replace with a scrapyard starter motor.

(Your symptoms are not Fuel-pump-relay or Crank-position-sensor, so the two common culprits are out.)

Keep us updated!

[rippedoffagain]

Good point about the alternator. I remember now that on one of mine the belt, although in good condition, became slack enough to slip to the extent I could turn pulleys by hand with the engine off. I wonder if something like that could be both the whirring sound (belt slipping) and cold start difficulties (battery weak in cold weather, alternator not doing much to help because the belt is slipping). Possibly.

[GreenBrick]

Also check for airleaks, I had one that sounded like a kettle under the bonnet.
Turned out to have sucked the inlet manifold gasket into one of the inlet ports.

What does the exhaust look/smell like when cold?

[Jimmy W]

Originally Posted by rippedoffagain

There is (or should be) one lambda sensor in your exhaust, which begs the question, what has the garage plugged the hole with, and was it the hole for the lambda sensor to screw into, or just a hole as in corrosion?

In any case, the lambda sensor is ignored on the 940 until it reaches a certain temp, so I can't see that causing the problem.

This whirring sound you describe, is that only when you turn it over or is it as soon as you turn the ignition on? If I remember right, the fuel pump is quite audible for a couple of seconds or so when you first turn the ignition on.

hi rippedoffagain,thanks very much for your reply. The garage plugged the hole with a bolt welded on, I said I thought there was a sensor that went there but they said they could find anywhere for the sensor to connected from engine to the exhaust but to me the hole was to clean and round to be a worn hole. I,will be going back to the garage about that and see what they say with this new information from you. The whirling noise does last until the engine heats up. Many thanks for your help.

[rippedoffagain]

Originally Posted by Jimmy W

hi rippedoffagain,thanks very much for your reply. The garage plugged the hole with a bolt welded on, I said I thought there was a sensor that went there but they said they could find anywhere for the sensor to connected from engine to the exhaust but to me the hole was to clean and round to be a worn hole. I,will be going back to the garage about that and see what they say with this new information from you. The whirling noise does last until the engine heats up. Many thanks for your help.

I'm baffled. I'm trying to remember where the lambda sensor is on a 940. It's a while since I've had one. One car I had, had the lambda sensor on the piece of pipe that comes down from the exhaust manifold then curves to horizontal to lead into the cat and the rest of the exhaust. I think that was the 940.

In any case, I can't imagine how a lambda sensor would simply vanish to leave a hole. A lot of people have a right job getting them out. I can't imagine one falling out.

I'm also baffled that a mechanic would just weld the hole up. I know the 940 is a bit retro, but it's clear to anyone looking under the bonnet that it's modern enough for fuel injection, and there's an engine management light on the dash. That plus a mysterious threaded hole in the exhaust should have been enough to make them think it's modern enough to have a lambda sensor.

I'm surprised the engine management light didn't come on too with a missing sensor. I bet even by 940 standards, fuel economy is bad, with it having to run without a sensor. I don't know what the ecu does in that situation. Probably assume it's cold and run a rich mix, potentially sooting up the cat.

Defo it should have one lambda. If yours is missing and the hole welded shut, I'd be inclined to find a different garage, get a new hole drilled and tapped and a new sensor in.

None of that solves your cold start though. While at the other garage, I'd probably ask them to check the tension on your ancillary belt(s).

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by rippedoffagain

... lambda sensor on the piece of pipe that comes down from the exhaust manifold then curves to horizontal to lead into the cat and the rest of the exhaust. I think that was the 940.

In any case, I can't imagine how a lambda sensor would simply vanish to leave a hole. A lot of people have a right job getting them out. I can't imagine one falling out.

I'm also baffled that a mechanic would just weld the hole up.

If I've read the O.P's posts correctly ;
The mechanics did the correct thing.
The 'hole' was near the cat : a mount for a second O2 sensor on different engines : age/rust/gases probably removed the threads, same as one of my very old exhausts.
The O.P's O2 sensor is, I'm sure, still in place on the downpipe near the turbo as you described.