Hello everyone. I have always loved the 1800ES and jumped in without doing my due diligence. (Some of us never learn! LOL.) I have what I think is a fairly solid car, but it does have needs. Being in Ventura, CA I don't have a nearby shop that would know this model that well, but have a generally knowledgeable mechanic who may be of assistance. But that is not the point of this post...

(But do wish I was in Torrance so could use Hi Performance!)

I am trying to find out where to get parts that are not general in nature. As an example, there is a pretty strong smell of gasoline in and around the car. I purchased a Volvo Service Manual and see that there is a venting filter that I am suspecting needs to be replaced. Where is this part sold?

And I have quite a miss which may be a result of the electronic ignition being bad (easily found), or maybe a bad ECU. But I don't see a source for ECU's?

For some reason I had thought that the parts for these vehicles may have not been a problem, but in hindsight, it IS a 46 year old car!

Thanks in advance and I hope that 2019 treats all out there well...

frankEdee

I don't think you're getting the message that the other posters have been politely trying to convey. Let me say only that I have been working on my own cars for more than 50 years. I had my first 1800, a '72E, in the '80s and was fortunate enough to have an experienced Volvo mechanic in my town. It ran like a top. My current car is a '70E. I've had this one since 2001, and It took me 12 years of tinkering to get it running decently. (And it was Eric who gave me the key bit of advice.) But it still doesn't run as well as I'd like. I live in Pennsylvania,. Best as I can tell, there's no longer anyone like Eric on the East Coast. I'm still toying with the idea of shipping the car to him. Frankly, at 60 miles away, you'd be nuts not to take advantage of his knowledge as quickly as you can. The elements of the D-Jet are simple, but fault tracing and getting them to work properly in combination on a car this old can have, as I've noted, an expensive, frustrating, decades-long learning curve.

LOL, Dave. I clearly did get the message as one of my responses to Eric (on 12-30) indicated that I was planning to get the car to him (eventually). But your post certainly confirms the confidence in him and his abilities, which is a nice testament to him for sure!

Someone earlier had mentioned wiring as an issue to check on and since then my son came over and soldered two connections from the electronic ignition which improved drivability dramatically. I suspect more wiring work will be done in time here, but for the most part this car has been sitting in the 3rd garage waiting for me to finish other projects.

In time I do plan on getting this to Eric to ID and prioritize work needed and, with any luck, I can drive down Pacific Coast Highway in the 1800ES to his shop on a nice, warm day, rather than trailer it there.

Cheers!

fd

Very good advice Dave...fact is that if your going to own and operate a "ancient"car like these at this point, you either have will have to find a competent mechanic with D-Jet experience (and when you do, hold him close to your heart)...and you'll of course have to pay for what they do (compared to a modern mechanic who will be lost as soon as there's no diagnostic port for him to plug into, but you'll still play plenty to him too) OR become competent to some at least some extent yourself (be it on SU Carbs or your own D-Jet, even if you're not electronically qualified).
Point is that owning a vintage car takes a certain amount of commitment and input, either money or time, or both at first or if you're unlucky...if you're not ready to give that, or you were under the misconception that it wouldn't take that, you need to adjust your outlook on things, or maybe owning a vintage car is not for you...and you will resign yourself to being an appliance operator who drives something everybody else drives, with a diagnostic port.

Cheers

Frank;

Welcome to this Forum!

Congratulations on your ES acquisition!

You don't state your level of vintage car ownership or wrenching, or fuel injection experience (this is probably not a good starter vintage vehicle, but if it is, you have a lot of learning to do and it will happen fast!), here are some thoughts to your symptoms...

"pretty strong smell of gasoline in and around the car"...inspect carefully along the ENTIRE Fuel System for stains of fuel where it might be weeping (or out and out leaking) out of joints or even the continuous hardlines between Tank/FuPu area and engine compartment. Beware...fuel-lines downstream of FuPu are pressurized and will/should maintain this pressure (2 Atm) for at least a while after Ign shutdown. When opening pressurized lines be ready for pressurized release of fuel...USE OPEN FUEL SAFETY PRACTICES!

"venting filter that I am suspecting needs to be replaced." ...based on what? Be careful about presumptions or shotgun troubleshooting (defined as throwing all sorts of replacement parts at a problem without root-cause troubleshooting.) Volvo Service Manual should be augmented by info in D-Jet Fault manual. See: http://www.sw-em.com/bosch_d-jetronic_injection.htm#volvo_fuel_injection_fault_tracing and the Bosch Injection book will be the best $20 you ever spent!

"quite a miss which may be a result of the electronic ignition being bad (easily found)"...agreed
", or maybe a bad ECU. But I don't see a source for ECU's?"...that's because you don't need a source for ECUs! (not initially anyway!)...D-Jet ECUs are highly reliable and should be the LAST thing to be suspected and replaced as they are not cheap...before even thinking about replacing ECU, you should assure electrical connections at FI Sensors and ECU, and constant fuel delivery and pressure (including under engine load i.e. high fuel demand), measured at Fuel Rail which supplies injectors, see: http://www.sw-em.com/bosch_d-jetronic_injection.htm#Measuring_Fuel_Rail_Pressure , and good Injector spray pattern...and not sticking Fuel Pressure Regulator or Cold Start Injector leakage...etc.

Before throwing replacement parts at your car (often the old parts simply need checking and degumming!, not replacement!), you need to edumacate yourself on what you have gotten into, unless you want to needlessly spend a lot of time and money and maybe still not make progress (this is often what the last owner might have done, before he gave up, and moved the car along...D_Jet cars with problems are cheap to buy!) You need to develop your info and parts resources...Forums, Pbanders site, Bosch FI book, Dr. D-Jet site, Planetman (Eric), Don Thibault, all easily found or linked on above linked page. Know that you CAN have a good time with a D-Jet 1800!...it might (probably WILL) just take some dedication!

Most if not ALL problems on these cars have been experienced and in many cases are well documented, and symptoms and remedies are fairly well known...this is where I would advise you to start your journey with this car. Hopefully I have not discouraged you, my intent was to give you a good start!

Good Hunting!

I truly appreciate the replies so far and the detailed responses. Ron, to address your input in general terms, I've had a few older classics but have generally left the wrenching and diagnostics to others. My thoughts on this particular car was that Volvos are less complex, and with a son familiar with 240 and 760's, I thought that I may be able to do more work on this as time goes on.


As I was looking through the forum before signing up, I did see Eric responding to a number of posts, and saw that he was in Torrance- maybe 60 miles away. If he was more local, (with the car running less than ideal), I would have already driven to his shop for a once-over! Clearly, based on your suggestions, having someone very familiar with the make and vintage would go a long way in identifying and prioritizing work to be completed!!

With respect to the fuel smell and issues, I really appreciate the details as the lines may be part of the issue. As I have not been driving the car much, I was surprised that the fuel tank level is so low so there may be a fuel evaporation issue (but no fuel on the ground). Possibly related to the lines then? Investigation definitely needed.

Investing the $20 on the D-Jet Fault manual seems like a prudent purchase. My initial thought is that the miss is more electronic in nature, and I do think it may be related to a bad connection. Hoping to check on that over the weekend and trace/solder connections from the electronic ignition that a prior owner installed. And good to know that the ECU is not a common failure!


Great advice all along and I truly appreciate the advice!

I think you would be well served if you paid to have it towed or even rented a trailer and take it to Eric for a "once over." You indicated you have some mechanical skills which will be required for small repairs, but I learned a long time ago, that there is no substitute for wisdom and experience.
He can provide a list of A,B,& C priorities and perhaps costs for each. Know what you are getting into before falling into an abyss.

Hello frankEdee and welcome to the wonderful world of old Volvos.

The filter to which you refer, commonly called the charcoal canister is located in the front air intake behind the grille insert. New ones haven't been available for decades. It would be unusual for this to be the source of your fuel smell, however not impossible.

If the fuel smell is coming from the outside, then the most likely culprit(s) are the myriad of rubber fuel lines used that are located under the car or it could be the fuel pump located near the fuel tank. What is the condition of the rubber seal for the fuel filler located on the round disc attached to the fuel door.

A thorough undercar inspection should be your next course of action. If you plan on doing this yourself, please, please be careful if you are going to use a floor jack and don't use the spare tire jack. Always use jack stands and if possible on a concrete surface. If you must work on asphalt or dirt, use some steel plates or pieces of thick wood under the jack stands. And even then, keep someone around preferably standing by, but at least earshot's distance away in case of an emergency.

FYI, if you have AAA+, the version with 3-4 100 miles tows included, you could easily have it towed to my shop.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Thanks for the welcome, Eric, and I already knew that you and the rest of the folks here would be extremely helpful once I located this board!

I am hoping to become more familiar with this car, and maybe do at least a portion of the (easier) work needed in my garage- but that may be a pipedream as it has been a NUMBER of years since I have done any work on our vehicles.

I suspect that we will try to ID the fuel (line or seal?) issue here first and, fortunately, have a set of car ramps to make that job a bit safer! (But do appreciate the safety tips too as who knows who you are dealing with on the other end here.) BTW, how easy is it to locate and replace that seal?? (Seems like something that should be done on a 46 year old car.)


It is clear from the responses from others on this forum that you are well respected- I think that at least two before you recommended that I trailer the car to your shop. As I do have the mid-level towing package as part of my AAA card, it does make sense to get it to you eventually to determine just what I have gotten myself into and to prioritize work (and my budget!).

I appreciate all input that has been given!!!

The gas door seal is still available right from Volvo.

I usually have them in stock.

It has to be glued into place.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502

The gas door seal is still available right from Volvo.

I usually have them in stock.

It has to be glued into place.
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502

The Djet fault tracing manual is available from the following link in .pdf form

http://volvo1800pictures.com/sweden/Volvo_1800_dokumentation_main_page_en.php

Shop manuals, overdrive manuals and all sorts of other 1800 documentation is also available on the same webpage. Actual hardcopies of the original Volvo service manuals (the 'green books') used to be available through Volvo.

As noted by Ron, the control unit is reasonably durable and is usually the last thing to cause problems with the Djet. Also, to its merit it is exceedingly old tech consisting completely of discrete electronic components. Nothing digital about this puppy so quite repairable. If the engine runs, the control unit is probably A OK. Problems can originate with the sensors which can wear (throttle switch and distributor switch) or go out of spec (the temperature sensors). Failed wiring is probably the Achilles heel. Given the age of the car, inspect the terminal wiring at the fuel injectors, air and coolant temperature sensors, throttle switch and distributor. You may find that the wiring insulation has hardened and is crumbling which can lead to intermittent problems.

As a new to you car, one of the first things that I would be inclined to do is pull the injectors and have them cleaned and flow tested. A leaking injector or a lazy injector will certainly cause driveability problems. In-line with Ron, I would check all the fuel line hoses and if uncertain about the age, just replace them. 5/16" ID hose works just fine (except for the bigger suction hose on the fuel pump (9/16 I think); but, don't use the generic fuel injection fuel line sold by the typical auto stores. Spend a couple of extra dollars and go for Gates Barrier fuel hose or Parker Abrasion King Push-on hose. Much more durable than the over-the-counter stuff.

I can see that this site is going to be extremely helpful as I continue this journey! Thanks 142 guy for the input!!

Frank;

After you and son do what you can with info from Bosch FI and linked D-Jet troubleshooting manuals, you might even think about flatbedding the car to Eric for competent troubleshooting and repair...I have received no compensation from him for this referral, but from all my dealings with him, plus from the wealth of valuable experience he has and offers, and solid advice he often gives on this forum, and the obscure special components he stocks, I'd bet he will do right by the car and not sell you something you don't need...

" tank level is so low so there may be a fuel evaporation issue"...I'm not sure what you mean by that, but that Tank position is not out of the ordinary for vehicles...I've seen fuel weep from hose to hardline junctions, loose clamps, and pinholes in rusted hardlines and even rubber fuel lines...

Good Hunting!...and thanks for the kind words.

The owner of Hi-Pro in Torrance frequents this forum and goes by user name Planetman. He knows the 1800 well and is a good source for parts. “Eric” knows where to get the correct fitting parts and is always willing to throw in a dose of advice with each purchase.

There are a handful of others here on the B.B. that can help a LOT! If I try to list their names I know I’ll leave someone out.

Good luck with your project! I too am going through a long-stored 73 ES in an attempt to bring it back to being a reliable driver. But I’m moving quite slow on the project......
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Current rides: 2005 Volvo S80 2.5T, 2003 Volvo V70 2.4NA, 1973 Volvo 1800ES (getting ever closer to road worthiness)

I have used the following for hard to find vintage Volvo parts:

Scandcar (the Netherlands)
CVI (Sweden)
VP Autoparts (Sweden with a distributor in the US)
GCP (Genuine Classic Parts in Sweden)
IPD (ipdusa.com) - fewer vintage parts than they used to have
IROLL Motors (USA - primarily 1800 parts)
HiPerfauto (although for some reason I can't find their web site and the bookmark I had now shows a broken link)

I haven't used Skandix (Germany); but, a lot of people have good comments about them. Prices seem to be a bit higher.
Nordicar - fairly large selection; but, I have never used them because their prices tend to be a little higher than Scandcar and CVI

There are a number of 1800 specialists around - I have a 140 so I have never sought those individuals out. Scandcar used to have the largest selection of the hard to find stuff. CVI and VP have really expanded their vintage product line in the last couple of years. The down side to Scandcar and CVI is the shipping costs.

The website has been down for almost a year, but is now back up.

Even though the web address is still the same, you may have to create a new link if you have my site saved in your favorites.

http://hiperformanceautoservice.com/index.php
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com