In desperate need of help!

[livelarg]

Howdy, I have exhausted all of my knowledge, and need some advice.

It started about a week ago.

I was driving like I always do on a nice sunny day. all of a sudden, bang, my car backfires madly and my car is dead. I check the usual suspects: points, connections etc. I clean the points, and it starts driving again, poorly. I change the resistor for the ( aftermarket) coil. I can't find points or a condensor. The car drives fine as if nothing happened. Me Happy!

Then the next day, boom, the car is dead, I clean the points and limp home. Now: new points, new plugs. new coil, new condensor, now rotor. and I fix a connector to the alternator. Car runs better than ever.

Today, no backfire, but car dies. I change all that is left on ignition. new cap, another new condensor, new points again. new plug wires. car no start.

I have rules out these problems one way or another:

NOT THE PROBLEM:
points,
coil,
condensor
resistor
timing
ignition switch
plug wires
plugs

The timing belt has not skipped a tooth (car would not run at all if it was this, And it certainly not run well then die then run well again)

I am getting power to the points, and to the coil.


Any other suggestions? I really need help

[JIM C]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

[capt jack]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Which model of Volvo do you have? Were any warning lights noticed before this happened?

From what you describe your problem isn't ignition-related - you've clearly eliminated all possibilities there.

The other two things it needs to run are fuel and air, so the problem has to be to do with one or the other.

Of the two, the fuel is the more complex, so for starters I'd suggest taking off the air filter and associated pipework and checking it all through to look for obvious leaks and or blockages. Eliminate the easy bit first.

Is the car carburettor or fuel-injected? There are two distinct diagnostic paths to follow depending upon which it is. In either event first check the fuel filter - if it's clogged no fuel can get through, then the fuel pump.

If it's an electric pump you should hear in run for 2 seconds to prime the system when you turn the ignition on to key position 1, but before turning the engine over. If you don't hear the distinctive buzz from the pump it could be the problem. If it's a mechanical pump, make sure fuel is exiting the pump when you crank the engine.

If it's a carburettor engine then you'll need to look at this next, if it's fuel-injected then that's the next system to look at.

If you can tell us more about the exact model then we should be able to help some more.

Cheers

Jack

[Derek UK]

Could be water in the petrol. Brickboard identifies it as a 122 so you might want to check and drain your float chambers and top them up with known good juice and see if it starts and runs for a while on that. Take the pipe from the fuel pump to carbs and pump some fuel into a bottle and let it settle. That should prove it one way or another.

[amazondean]

Water does sound like the best bet, although you may have a dodgey distributor, ie the weights and shaft may have problems. I had this problem once and changed everything at least twice except the distributor. Of course that was the problem.

I now carry a complete distributor with cap and leads with me always. I have made sure that it's a good one so that if I have any problems of any sort I change that which is only the two 7/16" bolts and the thin lead to the coil. This will definately rule out any problems relating to the dissy. A good bit of advice.

Good luck with the problem

[Stuart Read]

Hi

I had a lack of sparks some years ago which was eventually traced to a 'short' between the condensor lead to the points, and the distributor body. The insulation where the wire entered the distributor had worn causing an intermittent short. . .

Might help

Stuart

[livelarg]

:yes, it would be helpful to tell you what kind of car this is.

it is a 67' 122s with a transplanted B20. am running a weber carb on it.

This thing that gets me is thea the car drives perfectly right up to when the car dies.

Thanks for the help, keep it coming!

Thanks
Kent

[capt jack]

I think it's got to be petrol related. Start at the tank - if possible drain it, remove and clean or renew the pick-up filter if fitted, replace the external fuel filter if fitted, test the fuel pump if electric by connecting to a 12v source for a short time to see if it spins. Check all the fuel lines from both ends. The rubber sections can collapse in on themselves, and that is a cheap and easy fix.

Check out the carb too. Making sure fuel is getting to the carb is easy and the place to start.

Good luck

Jack

[ivor940]

Hi, Could it be Carburettor Icing? Do you have hot air going to the airfilter when the temperature is cold ( either a manual operated flap or an automatic vacuum operated flap)

ivor940

[livelarg]

All right. Her is the latest update on the 122 troubles.

I have good spark going fro the coil to the distributer. But nothing going from the distributer to the plugs. That seems to be the problem.

Now the question is, why not? New cap, rotor and wires. The points are fine, because I have the swpark from the coil.

the problem has been intermittent. it would run fine, then cut out nd not start again.

What I have done now is take out the distributer and tom,arrow I plan to take it apart and check it out. I am thinking that there is either a short, or a bad ground somewhere in the distributer which is not allowing it to spark. or amybe the brushes are worn out.

If anyone has had this issue with a distributer, let me know. and If it is a TERRIBLE idea to take it apart, please let me know that too!

Thanks
Kent