My volvo 340gl keeps cutting out

[sammy411969]

My volvo 340gl keeps cutting out
Posted Today at 00:25 by sammy411969
can anyone help me with this problem it starts fine but when driving it seems to cut out under braking but only in 2nd gear apart from this shes fine shes a 340gl 3dr 1989 with the webber carb system.

[ALLOA]

Have you checked the idler valve on the side of the carb? There should be a single wire with a spade fitting connecting into a hexagonal shaped solenoid on the side of the carb. The wire might have fallen off. This controls the idling.

Best of luck

Scott

[Chris_C]

Agreed, the fuel cut solanoid Alloa mentions could be the problem. It could also be an air leak somewhere around the pipework too, what flavour is she, a 1.4 or 1.7?

[sammy411969]

she's a 1.4

[Chris_C]

Cool, in which case have a read through this thread on 300 mania as well

http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-u....php?f=6&t=571

The big air filters on these have a habit of shaking themselves loose. Don't murder up the bolts between the air filter housing and the carb though, they are tapped into ali and will strip very easily.

[Joe Harding]

If all else fails, (and it did for me) do check your tappets are set right. we had weeks of bad running, (perfect on motorway but cutting out when leaving) rough idle, rubbish fuel consumption etc. Set tappets right and it runs like a sewing machine.

But check other things first.

[Mike Hollebone]

Hi Joe, I am interested in your reply, When you had tappit problems was it constant when you came off the motorway, of intermittent?
i have been chasing a very frustrating problem with a 340 1-4 which ever so often runs rough just like it is on 3 cylenders then it will clear and run as smooth as silk for perhaps 2 or 3 days then it will do it again! I have replaced everything out side the engine now and still cant find what is causing this problem!? main problem is being so intermittent it is very difficult to find as it wont do it when required!

[Gerald121]

Mine used to cut out in cold weather due to not having the flexi tube to the exhaust mainfold to pre-heat the air. Carb used to "ice up", sit for a few minutes and it would start again but strangely did not usually happen again. I was driving from the NE to Milton Keynes weekly at the time. Always happened after about 15 miles in the same spot on the A19. I thought it was haunted. New tube fettled it. Fabulous car would go at 80 all the way, 1.4 magic. The 1.7's I had was not as good in my opinion but the 360GLT's I had were wonderful on winding roads, a totally underestimated car. Good luck!

[Joe Harding]

Originally Posted by Mike Hollebone

Hi Joe, I am interested in your reply, When you had tappit problems was it constant when you came off the motorway, of intermittent?
i have been chasing a very frustrating problem with a 340 1-4 which ever so often runs rough just like it is on 3 cylenders then it will clear and run as smooth as silk for perhaps 2 or 3 days then it will do it again! I have replaced everything out side the engine now and still cant find what is causing this problem!? main problem is being so intermittent it is very difficult to find as it wont do it when required!

My pennyworth is set the tappets. (I advise removing the appropriate feeler gauges from the set as there isn't much room to squeeze them in otherwise.)
These should be checked every 6000 miles and it's easy to overlook as I did. That caused the intermittent stalling. In fact the only safe way to come off the motorway was to pull the choke out to keep the engine running.

With the tappets set, listen to the engine tickover. From cold, a notieceable ticking sound means you have got one or more slightly wrong. Check them again, it's a 'feeling' to get the sliding fit right.
If the tickover is quiet, try your running for a while. (I always adjust one thing at a time to try to avoid too many variables.) Chances are it'll be okay, but if you still have intermittent slow lumpy idle, chances are you have an air leak.
Usual places: Pipe to brake servo. (Brake servo itself? Does it get worse when you brake?)
Base of carb. (I coated mine in gasket compound.)
Breather pipes from crankcase
Somewhere in the carb itself.

Try spraying WD40 at the carb when it's bad. If it improves, you have located the air leak.

I'm assuming your electrics have been checked over. These engines are susceptible to condensation in the distributor. Also crud around the plugs can cause shorting.

If all this doesn't help, get the emissions checked. Carbs can drift and a manky setting can cause all sorts of difficulties.

Good luck, let me know if this helps.

[Mike Hollebone]

Hi Joe sorry it has taken so long to get back to you I dont use the forum very often. Thanks for the info still not sure what was causing the problem but it seems to have gradully improved as I changed and fettled each component in turn. eventually I had it put on a computer diagnostic machine which picked up a sticky carbon brush in the distributor cap but could find nothing else wrong. the car had been running fine all the way over to get this test done. anyway I have now changed the distributer cap and rotor arm and Sold the car! Problem solved! The New owner wrang me the other day and said he is delighted with it. I have a 1-7 DL I am running instead I dont think I like it as much as the 1-4GL but I had rather lost faith in it so it had to go.
regards Mike Hollebone.