I have a 91 240 w/130,500 on it. Been running well for the past 6-8 months and my 19 yr. old daughter takes it to college daily-about a 60 mile round trip. Yesterday it was unseasonably warm for upstate N.Y. @86 degrees. She's driving home and is cresting a hill and the car starts revving, sputters and dies. She can't re-start. Calls wife cause I'm @ work. My wife gets car started after it had sat for roughly 1/2 hour during her trip to get her. Wife claims car was making humming noise while runnning. She drives it into parking lot and it dies on her. We leave it overnight,I have her bring me back this morning armed with tools. I do a quick visual check of everything- all fine. Nothing broke,leaking or low. I try starting it, fires right up and I drive it the 15 miles home with no issues. It is only 55 degrees out at that time.
In the recent past the car had some fuel delivery issues so at 101,000, I changed the fuel filter and at 102,500 the fuel pressure regulator. Neither of those was the issue, it turned out to be a bad fuel pump relay which I replaced at 105,000.
Does anybody have any clue to what may have caused this problem? My daughter is naturally hesitant to drive now- NO, let me correct that-she refuses to drive it now.
Thanks for any ideas and help.
Emay

Art,

Beyond replacing this in tank pump, how would I go about diagnosing it and declaring it useless except in, let's say, 60 degree weather and below?
You say that a possible low level in the fuel tank and the heat may have contributed to it's failure to perform.
After 130,000 miles and it's further reliable service being questionable, do I go for a new one? If so, does Tasca sell it and does anybody know the part #?, because I can't find it on their website.Thanks for everyones help thus far.

Emaycom, emay

Just a positive update on this problem, I've found beyond the shadow of a doubt that the sending unit, not the pump has gone bad. That being stated, does the sending unit that FCP Groton offer (a VDO) an adequate replacement? I can't seem to find any junk yards in this area that have any so.....looks like I have to use new.

Thak you to everyone and especially Art for linking me up with his extensive info. on in-tank pump replacement/ troubleshooting.

Hi Eric,

I've replaced a lot of those pumps. In The Tank
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs. A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.

When you guys mentioned it could be powerstage/ ignition amplifier, what did you mean and what does that do? Can anybody post a pic of that?

Thanks,
emay

Before you go for the Power stage, take a real close look at Fuse #6, which replaces the 25Amp blade fuse on pre-1991 240's. Make sure it's contacts are clean and tight. Someone here recently found a "microscopic crack" to be causing his problems. [Fuse 6 is the main power source for your Ignition and FI operation.]

Here's a pic of the power stage mounted on it's heatsink, which in turn is mounted to the left front inner fender, The PS is sold as a separate item. If you replace it you should clean of the heatsink surface and apply fresh compound (source from Radio Shack or other electronic suppliers) to ensure good heat transfer.





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Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Bruce,

Thanks, I will check fuse 6 for corruption. If I need to buy the powerstage, does it go by another name? Is it called the ignition module? I checked on FCP's website but could find nothing under powerstage or ignition amplifier.

Emay

Hi Eric,

Before spending money on parts, you could do a few simple, careful diagnostics. For fuse 6, get a meter on the fuse terminal. If all looks well, wiggle and spin the fuse with the car running, while watching the meter. Make sure it is clean and the contacts are too.

Then check the same on fuse 4. It powers the tank pump. Your "revving" and "humming" reports lead me to believe the tank pump was not working, because that is a good description of a main pump that's not getting a solid stream of fuel from the tank pump. Because of that report, I would put "power stage" on the bottom of the pile. Heat, and low fuel tank level would bolster my guess.

Still, before ordering parts, run a simple diagnostic on the tank pump to make sure it operates.




--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

Thanks for the insight guys. I'll run a check on the in-tank pump first as Art suggests and go from there.

Yes, some vendors even call it the "ignition control unit" to add to the confusion. 1335137 is the Part #. Here's Tasca's price:

1336137 - Ignition coil

MSRP Core Online Price
$81.02 $0.00 $60.56

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Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

O.K. thanks fellas. I'll look into all those things. The prepump does NOT sound like a fun job as I know that access cover will be thoroughly rusted on.
I'll check the power stage first and work from there. I'll be the one getting stranded as the test guinea pig so....
Do any of you have a best method for getting at the pre-pump? Special bung wrench necessary or will something else work?

Hi Emay,

I have that bung nut tool and I know you don't live too far from me cause we met one time in the Petsmart parking lot.

With your e-mail address, we can hook up if you'd like.

Marty

Marty,

Yep, I remember. How's your 240 wagon running? Nice vehicle. My email is Eric.May@Momentive.com. Yours?

Eric

Read Art's exellent page.
...including what tools to use

http://cleanflametrap.com/transferPump.htm

Normally a bad pre-pump doesn't stop a car. A bad main pump will.

Probably the best tool to use for the pre-pump removal is the bung nut tool from IPD (ipdusa.com). I used a large screwdriver with a couple of towels. No sparks - but I'd use the tool if I had to do it again...safer. Not a bad job after you get the nut off. Before doing it check the top of your fuel sender for rusty metal pipes. My 90 was so bad I had to buy a new fuel sender too.

Just out of curiousity does your car have the 25 amp fuel injection fuse located behind the battery? I believe some 91's got them before the fuse was moved inside.

No, It doesn't have that 25 amp fuse. My 89 does but not the 91.

Thanks for the insight on the pump. The under car pumps no fun either but much easier than the in tank. Actually, I've never done an intank except on my 940 wagon and that wasn't bad cause of plastic access cover and plastic tank-no rust.

I am wondering if the Thermostat in the Air box is stuck and the Hot air of your 86 degree day made your AMM cranky. That's would explain the restart after cooling. BUT not the humming.

--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html http://cleanflametrap.com/tony/

Humming noise? How much gas is/was in the tank?Maybe the hose on the pickup tube of the sender has a hole in it stressing the fuel pumps[making them humm]over heat and shut down.maybe? When prepumps go bad I think you hear that humming sound.

Im thinking in tank fuel pump .I had similiar problems in heat.
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Rene

Could be the power stage / ignition amplifier mounted near the battery, they do fail when hot and work fine when cooled off. This is a good item to have in the glove box for testing and emergencies. Get a known good one (tested) on ebay or the bone yard.

Next time it happens check for spark and fuel.

Dan

I second the power stage.
I have read where you can clean it up. I'd replace same with one from pickapart.

My first guess was the 19yr old ran it out of gas. Well, relays can go bad so don't dismiss the fuel pump relay. Next guess would be fuel pump overheating. Does sound like a fuel delivery issue.
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Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.

I think it is the number 6 fuse. I just had the same happen to me. I've blown the number 6 twice in the past year and each time was on a brutal hot day. I noticed today that the fuse gets pretty darn hot itself so I think it's resistance on the fuse holder and the high heat. I'm cleaning the fuse holder right now. I doubt its the internal pump. You can check which pump by pulling the number 4 fuse. The car will run without the number 4 (in tank pump) but not the number 6 (main fuel pump).