940 broken down, second time today!

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Fuel pumps running, rev counter twitching, that's two down out of the obvious three. Next one is the RSR (Radio Suppression Relay) which i've already explained further up the thread.

If you can test/check that tomorrow and that seems good, check all your HT leads for security in where they should be, it's not unknown for them to be inadvertently knocked, pulled or whatever and for them to finish working themselves loose after.

If all that looks good, check the carbon brush inside the dizzy cap, make sure that hasn't failed/broken off.

The other option is the ignition amplifier module but usually the rev counter doesn't twitch if that goes.

Cheers for making it all so black and white. I am very tired and very hungry. I came home to no bread and I got in my beast to go and buy bread and she let me down!

What if isn't any of the 3? Jumping the gun already, typical me, sorry!

I didn't think I had a distributor on a 1997 fuel injection? Shows what I know. Oh yes, Haynes shows me that I have one! :-)

Thank you so much everybody, feeling a bit more confident about getting back to work by next week now

They are going to give me a lot of stick when I go back to work that my ultra reliable Volvo whose praises I sing let me down! :-)

[Laird Scooby]

If it's not one of the three then there are other things to check. Gone for the usual/obvious causes at the moment but it's all a process of elimination.

No bread is a bummer - hopefully there's a nearby shop open in the morning, meanwhile dinner a la doorbell? Takeaway that delivers in other words!

As for your workmates giving you stick, one breakdown in 6-7 years isn't bad, bet they've had more on theirs!

[Forrest]

Going back to your first post, did the belt replacement include the timing belt? If the timing is out that could lead to a no start condition.

In general, with faults that occur after work has been done I’d check the things that have changed first. However, with cars this age it’s also not unheard of for other things to fail after something nearby is disturbed.

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by Forrest

Going back to your first post, did the belt replacement include the timing belt? If the timing is out that could lead to a no start condition.

In general, with faults that occur after work has been done I’d check the things that have changed first. However, with cars this age it’s also not unheard of for other things to fail after something nearby is disturbed.

Hi, no, only the alternator, power steering and air con belts . Just that and an oil and filter change and an MOT

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Forrest

Going back to your first post, did the belt replacement include the timing belt? If the timing is out that could lead to a no start condition.

In general, with faults that occur after work has been done I’d check the things that have changed first. However, with cars this age it’s also not unheard of for other things to fail after something nearby is disturbed.

I hope not!

I am curious about something though, why go all the way to Wales from somewhere in the Reading/Oxford area for a Volvo indie? Even at Main Dealer prices, it would be cheaper to go to a Main Dealer for work like that than pay the petrol to drive all the way to Wales and back!

Of course, the scenery may not be anywhere near as nice but it would be a shorter journey!

Speaking of which - when was the fuel filter last renewed?

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I hope not!

I am curious about something though, why go all the way to Wales from somewhere in the Reading/Oxford area for a Volvo indie? Even at Main Dealer prices, it would be cheaper to go to a Main Dealer for work like that than pay the petrol to drive all the way to Wales and back!

Of course, the scenery may not be anywhere near as nice but it would be a shorter journey!

Speaking of which - when was the fuel filter last renewed?

My parents live in South Wales and my Dad was a Volvo driver for 30 years or so so I combine a trip to see my parents with getting all my work done on my car at the fab Volvo indi my Dad used for decades, in fact he still uses them for work on his BMW. They are very good and very cheap

Car is lpg so its very cheap to run up and down. I had run out of lpg due to having to return to the garage when all the trouble started, I was running on petrol throughout all the problems

I think they charge me about £40 an hour labour, I imagine Reading Volvo dealers are maybe £200 an hour? Does anyone know the main stealer prices these days?

Fuel filter was replaced year before last, last year they said it didn't need doing and wouldn't do it when I asked, probably should have put the car in for full service this year to be honest, could it be that?

[Laird Scooby]

Now the penny has dropped!

Do you know the procedure for emergency starting on LPG and have you got gas now?

Assuming you have gas, try using the emergency starting procedure on LPG. Most systems you turn the ignition on, switch from auto petrol/LPG changeover to petrol only, back to auto then turn the key to the start position and hold it there until it starts, which it should within a few seconds. Don't crank it more than 10 seconds though. When you stop cranking, before having another try, just let go of the key, don't switch the ignition off or you'll have to redo the emergency start again.

If my theory is correct, it should start fairly easily on gas, maybe a little lumpy until the vapouriser/reducer gets a bit of warmth in it from the engine but will hopefully get you going, assuming nothing else that we've already discussed is wrong.

Assuming it does start on gas, how much petrol is showing in the tank? If it's about 1/4 tank or less, go to Toolstation and buy a 2L bottle of methylated spirits, add it to the petrol tank and maybe a gallon of petrol from a can (unless you're not embarrassed by putting £6 worth in at a garage!) to help wash it down the filler neck and take it for a drive, switching back to petrol only after a few minutes on gas.

If my theory is right, you have a serious amount of condensation in the petrol tank and as you've had to use the petrol due to running out of gas, you've got it down to a level where there's a lot more water. Also the fact you stopped the engine so the pumps weren't running means all the water/condensation would drain back to the bottom of the tank. Then restarting would have been mainly on water!

That's why it took so much cranking! If you haven't got gas or the suggested emergency start procedure doesn't work or is different and you don't know it, it only leaves starting on petrol.

That being the case, do the few checks i've outlined above then get yourself 2L of meths from Toolstation and add it to the fuel tank. I'm hoping the fuel is down to 1/4 tank or less by now.

Try starting the engine in short bursts on the starter, don't switch the ignition off between attemepts but let it pause for a few seconds after each burst on the starter - you should hear the fuel pump whirr at this point. This will help circulate the meths through the system so it emulsifies the water/condensation so it can be burned off with the petrol. Don't ask me the exact chemistry, i don't know it, i just know it works and had exactly the same problem on my old 827 Coupé after running out of gas and running on petrol for a while.

In fact, with the extra information you've just added, i'd be tempted to get the meths and try that first with the short bursts on the starter leaving the ignition on between bursts so the fuel pump runs.

[Laney760]

Hi, I often run on petrol, I've got over half a tank, doubt theres water in my petrol, she ran a long way up the motorway on the petrol in there very smoothly. I often run on petrol because I only have a 40 litre gas tank

I didn't know the emergency procedure to start on gas, I don't have any gas in! She's been starting first time perfectly well on this batch of petrol every day, every time, including when I first started up yesterday morning

I can't go and get gas or buy meths or anything because I live in a remote area and I have no car!

Just phoned in work, they were very understanding

[Laney760]

I've decided I'm going to have the car relayed by RAC into Volvos at Reading after trying a few things myself, I can't be relayed to the local indi, its over 10 miles away

The code reader seems to say 111 for each read after pressing the button twice which means nothing wrong on the fuel side of things on the code reading?

I'm losting money hand over fist whilst its off the road as I can't get into work

Rang my Volvo indi in Wales and they said with this model it's usually the fuel pump relay or the pressure switch near the in-line something or other or it could be the other fuel pump in the petrol tank (which I wondered)

[mocambique-amazone]

At first remove the fuel pump relay. The access will be mucheld easier if you remove the little board including the lighter above the ashtray.
It is a white one.
Open it
Resolver it
DONE!

Second if still won't start:
Change the CPS. You should to this even it isn't the CPS . They won't last more than 6 years.

Third:
You car is with one pump in tank. Expensive. Hopefully this one is OK

Rotor and cap maybe faulty too. Don't buy cheap crap. Bosch both or nothing. No Bosch made in China. Be aware of stuff made in China.
Did you have a closer look to the spark plugs and leads?

I believe still in 1-3

1 and 2 are very easy done as DIY.

Till now I never ever had a problem with the ignition module and the RSR at a +94 940. A lot of cars like this went trough my rescue. 5 in the family. Never one stopped suddenly by a fault. Only by a accident. Good maintenance is everything at a volvo. They will run over 550kmIles without props.

Good luck, Kay