Hi everyone

Here's my first post. I've been waiting awhile, scouring the forums for help before I launched my own.

My dear departed grandma's 1986 Wagon turns over but will not start. Earlier in the summer I started it, went down the street and then started having problems. The engine was missing, sounded like not all cylinders firing. Limped back to the garage. Started up a few more times but then died. Hasn't started since. Before that I had no problems, drove it maybe 50 miles a week tops for the past 2-3 years.

Plugs and Spark wires are pretty new. I went ahead and replaced the distributor cap and rotor.

I'm getting spark for sure.

Compression looks OK. Consistent across the cylinders when I turn it over, peaks around 175.

I replaced the big intake hose that always wears out in these things (had a hole that I had duck taped shut.)

Replaced the fuel pressure regulator and the fuel filter.

Replaced the fuel relay for good measure.

All the fuses look good, including the blade in the engine compartment.

When I jumped the fuses to run the two pumps, they seem to be running. (I haven't checked the flow, but when I pull the plugs after turning over a few times I can smell the gas on them. The filter had gas in it when I pulled it.)

I tried unplugging the airmass meter with the battery unhooked to trigger the limp home mode. No go.

By now I've had to recharge the battery of course. I will say that when I'm turning it over the battery light is on now, when it didn't used to be. I've tried starting it on an outside charge/jump though, and no dice.

I'm stumped! Any ideas? I still suspect something in the fuel-air mixture here, but don't know what else to try besides just replacing more random but probably aging pieces.

I'm getting spark for sure.

Because the components are new, or because you have observed the spark?

i have observed the spark, first from the plug cables, then from the cord that connects to the coil

http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/?dir=volvo/K-Jetronic

I just went through a similar thing on my 89 240.The car would crank,good starter and battery but would not fire,start. Turned out to be my ECU. No signal to the fuel pumps. I'm not sure if the 86 is set up the same way but you can test it. Open the relay,there should be 2 coils inside. Observe what happens when you turn the key to the on position. First one coil should close sending a siganl out to the ECU then the other coil should close sending a signal to the pumps.If the second coil doesn't respond then you know you are not a getting a signal to your pumps. No start condition! This is how it works on my 89.Your results may vary.

Remove the spark plugs, examine, clean and gap them. You may have bad fuel.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

Did your timing belt loose some teeth and now is timed wrong? That would make sense with cylinders not firing correctly.

I wondered about that. What's the best way to determine that short of taking it apart to look at the belt?

Not sure when the timing belt was last changed on this car.

To answer my own last question there, I guess I need to check the timing next.

Bad gas?