Currently trying to get an 850 non turbo to start.
The car as been stood for several months with a totally flat battery.
A fresh battery and cranking the engine shows some signs of life but will not run.
The engine ran fine prior to its several monthe of non use.
Fuel pressure is okay,spark at the plugs.Could stale fuel be the cause ,or the lifters having no oil in them causing poor compression

Using the LED diagnostics returns no error codes 1-1-1 in either A2 or A6 socket after cranking the engine for a good while, say a few minutes.Does the code reader need resetting after the cars good 4 months non use, for it to give any new codes (if any) produced during cranking

The diagnostics go away when the battery is disconnected, so if you get any it will be from the time you put a good battery in the car.

Four months will not create bad gasoline, a little water in the bottom of the tank if the tank was 1/2 full or less. When you checked the fuel pressure, did you notice any water?

When trying to start this car and you suspect the lifters being flattened, just floor the gas pedal and keep cranking for at least two solid minutes. The engine will sound like it is easy to turn over and turn rapidly. When it starts to labor or turn harder, the oil pressure should be building and it will slowly come to life.

Klaus
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Just driving a 1998 V70R :)

hi klaus
Drained a little fuel off into a glass jar to check for any signs of water through the schraeder valve,non found.
I tried cranking for a good two minutes with the throttle floored,but no signs of life.I did notice the oil pressure light took a fair time to go out.The engine does seem to be spinning rather easily and quickly.
Would it be worthwhile doing a compression check on the state of the lifter,do you have the figure it should be?
Turning the engine over with one front wheel jacked up and the car in 4th gear, the amount of compression feels ok going on my experience with other cars.
I checked for any codes after the 2 minute crank but still 1-1-1 on a2 and a6.

When the oil light went out, that tells you that the oil pressure is normal and the lifters have been pumped up.
If you have fuel and spark, check the air supply for nests. Also, pull all of the plugs and dry them off and check the gaps. If the plugs are dry, the injectors are not working and that would be electrical.

Did you just purchase this car or did you park it? Every Volvo I have ever owned has never refused to start, regardless of park time - some more than 6 months.

Klaus
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Just driving a 1998 V70R :)

hi klaus
Just trying to diagnose the car with a view to buying it.
Pulled the plugs,gaps fine no obstructions in the air intake.
Did another 2 min plus cranking session with the throttle floored,the battery is on its limit for that amount of cranking.
I Finally got hold of a compression tester earlier today which revealed all cylinders down at 73 psi,certainly not 180 they should be,so it looks like the cause of the no start.

Should I pesevere with cranking or are other measures called for ie adding something to the oil possibly?

Ian

At 73psi! No compression, no fire. I wonder if it is not the valves but the rings? Try putting a table spoon of oil into each cylinder, let it sit for a few minutes to let the oil seep into the rings and create a better seal. Then check the pressure, if it goes up a lot then the rings are toast. You could try starting at this point, but if the rings are bad, don't bother with this car.

If the valves are not sealing, the head will have to be re-worked and probably not worth it.

Klaus
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Just driving a 1998 V70R :)

hi klaus,
Finally got the engine to run, by doing what a mechanic friend of mine suggested.
5 mls of oil in each cylinder,spark plugs back in the car fired straight up,it did rattle for a good few minutes before the top end was finally silent.
apparently volvo recommend using fully synthetic oil and run it at 4000rpm for twenty minutes to solve sticking lifter problems.
Someone did suggest putting ATF fluid to clean the oil system but Im wary with the engines 200k mileage.

Ian

The rings are gone then? How did it sound after a re-start?

If the engine if full of gunk, use a product design to clean it out. Not ATF. Kerosene perhaps :)
The best thing would be to change the oil and filter, use very light oil, and get the engine hot. Let it cool just a little and change the filter and oil again with good quality oil. Done. If you don't like your pocketbook, use synthetic to do the flush. 5W20 is great for flushing or even running for a week.

Klaus
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Just driving a 1998 V70R :)