posted by
someone claiming to be BXVV240
on
Sun Apr 16 19:03 CST 2023 [RELATED]
I have a well cared for '88 240. Driving at highway speed the other day and out of nowhere the car had a muffled backfire in the exhaust. This happened several times and the car lost power and felt like it was barely running. Speed dropped from about 75 to 45. I fluttered the pedal to keep it running and suddenly it got power back and got back up to 75. I got off at my exit and it stalled out at a stop sign. Started back up and drove maybe a quarter mile and stalled again. Then it would not restart. After about 3 or 4 minutes I tried again and made another half mile or so. Few minutes rest and I was able to get safely into a parking lot. Didn't touch the car a couple days and then yesterday got it warmed up and drove around 3 or 4 miles at top speed of 40 mph, no issues. What could possible be ailing this car?
I do that after some crab cakes, black beans, and onions. Ha! Stinking creek!
Than go sit on the Suomi / Russion border with my back to the east to keep the bad Russians out of Suomi (Finland, the greatest Republic par none ever!)
So a NY-state market 240?
What you describe as a symptom or symptoms may be caused by many things that have been treated here on your mighty and powerful brickboard RWD section for decades. (If you can find the articles.)
Mileage? You use mineral (dino) or synthetic oil?
You have checked for air induction (vacuum) leaks? You have two forms or stages of vacuum leaks:
1. Accordion-like air pipe from the air filter box, with inline MAF or AMM to the throttle body.
- This plastic pipe can contact the lines and the left (US market driver side) side of the engine bay. Air intake leaks down stream of the AMM / MAF and futz with the proper air / fuel ratio.
- Inside the air filter box is an ambient air thermostat that controls the air induction preheat. The thermostat always failed to all hot all the time preheated air and in time the AMM / MAF can suffer. Also, air intake can be restricted. As you are in NY-state, very much like CA-state, that both mandate working emission controls (like Germany) on visual inspection, you may want to inspect the air filter thermostat and replace it. The factory install lasted for maybe 10-20 years. The air thermostat, made by Wahler or Calorstat, requires replacement every two years (do not make them like they used to). Volvo PN 1266826. I read Calorstat is the preferred brand. I'm unsure. Cheaper at FCP.
Your idle air control valve may be getting stuck open in spite of pressing the gas pedal. The effect is a bogging engine from low RPMs. Also, the idle switch may be failing or is maladjusted. Either way the idle system should be off as you press the gas pedal. The IAC can become gunked up with oil sump vapors over time, and may require a clean before it does get stuck. Use carb cleaner or maybe brake parts cleaner and let soak. The IAC can also fail as it wears out over the decades preserving idle RPM.
Your AMM / MAF may be beginning to fail from a fault like a failed and stuck to all hot all the time preheater flappy valve inside the air box or some other cause.
I dare ask yet have you reset the timing belt tension. Reset a few times after a new timing belt and reset maybe once a year or at each oil change.
How often do you change your engine oil? How is that brake fluid? Replaced in the last some-odd years or it is wholly black?
Have you inspected the positive crankcase ventilation piping? From the oil breather box or the connection, including flame trap, at the back side of the number four air intake port runner? A loss of vacuum here can cause like problems as well as oil cover the under the air intake port.
I'll guess you know whether your 1988 Volvo 240 has EGR or not? Probably not.
This form as the original and in serious need of some updates Volvo 700-900 series FAQ. You would need a digital multimeter to test emission components at the components connector or through the wire harness.
While the engine management fuse is under the hood on the US market driver side behind the battery, that your 2409 starts means you have enough continuity through that fuse, and the fuse does not blow, for you to start the engine as all engine control is a load to that fuse.
Yet you reside in salty snow NY-state and so while rust is an issue so is the formation of white waxy corrosion at any engine control connector like at the AMM / MAF and other low volt engine control connectors. DeoxIT-D as a spray aerosol or concentrate diluted with 90% isopopyl rubbing alcohol (dunno the ratio) in a spray bottle and GENTLY disconnect and reconnect connector can help greatly. Also, if interested in electrics as a cause, very proper ground connections through out. Between the battery and the body / engine block and the alternator to engine block (wimpy wire from the factory). Also, the fuel injection grounds atop the the #2 and #3 air intake port runners may enjoy a loosen re-tighten. Ring terms connect to brown wires. I guess brown.
Pull the vacuum line between the FPR and the air intake port. Fuel leaking? Maybe not? The FPR can fail in several ways without leaking fuel.
May want to read up at the FAQ. Click the FAQ above for your US Market 1988 Volvo 240. You have LH-Jetronic 2.2 injection and EZK115 or EZK117 (not Turbo, I forget) ignition. That distributor has a powered impulse or 'hall-effect' sensor providing engine position info to the ignition (and injection). The plastic connector on the distributor and the end of the cable can fail from decades of under hood heat. Without that the engine does not start or run.
Swedish Baklava also reside in NYC as well as other brickboard members. A search, if it works, can help you find a repair service or free help for a bucket of pasketti and meatbulbs in a good marinara red sauce with a few bottles of Chianti. Maybe?
I'm 1000s of miles away and have tired of freely fixing that person's owld Volvo freely at the yunkyard. They'll steal your 240 Bentley service manual, or tools, or can of DeoxIT-D while replacing their timing belt!
Questions?
Hope that helps!
Lots of You Tube videos that can help also if varying quality.
Buttermilk and SOurdough Boyeeeeee with a giant side of heart failure beef with Wilford Brimley's Type 2 Diabeetus.
Diabeetus Cat
Robert DIY for Volvo
The engine bay would smell of fuel, however. Replace (factory original) FPR with Bosch FPR.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.
posted by
someone claiming to be BXVV240
on
Sun Apr 23 14:44 CST 2023 [RELATED]
I thank you guys for your input and responses.
I took the car out today for the first time in a week and she performed well. So good in fact that I had the courage to drive the car around Queens and into the Bronx. Over the Whitestone Bridge and everything and not issues.
This is perplexing.
Dave mentioned fuses. The fuel pump fuse is prone to running hot. If you are unlucky enough to have a plastic bodied fuse in that position the head causes the plastic to compress. That reduces the contact pressure and can lead to arcing, which makes the problem worse. Can make the fuel pump relay work intermittently. Real ceramic fuses are the best but can be hard to find now days. The plastic ones are good replicas and work OK in normal situations but don't like getting hot. Test the fuse body with a knife or safety razor blade and replace if needed. If your car has a "count the lights" computer, there are actually two, give them a try and see if there are any stored faults. You should be able to find a fault list on the net.
Yes, the 25 amp fuse is on the left fender but the problem is often with the holder itself and not the fuse. If the holder is original and looks iffy I would replace it. A couple of bucks on Ebay.
Another source of an intermittent loss of power is a loose spade connector at the coil. Check, clean, and tighten up if needed .
How long since the car had tune up ? Plugs, cap and rotor. They don't last forever.
Just a note to those in North America; the fuse protecting the main fuel pump in a 1988 240 is the one under the hood. Unfortunately our fuse panel covers are marked for both markets, with the European designations in parentheses, so it is a common misconception that fuse 6 has something to do in US/Canada cars of this vintage. Eventually (in 1991) it does, but before that, LH injected cars protect the EFI system with the 25A blade fuse on the fender. Those in Europe running k-jet fuse the main pump with the #6 fuse as suggested.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
"I've learned more from my kids than they ever learned from me."
Just to be different from other Dave, what first popped into my mind was thinking about the fuel side and possible fuel starvation, like maybe a failing fuel pump relay where heat expansion might exacerbate a bad solder joint.. If the problem is mildly consistent when the engine fully warms then using jumpers at the fuse panel to force the fuel pumps to run would make for a quick and easy diagnosis if that's the problem. However, having said that, an exhaust backfire with a warm engine isn't overly associated with that. I'd maybe next be thinking about worn ignition components. Could a worn distributor cap/rotor cause intermittent firing when it warms up?
--
Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now
There are lots of possibilities but what popped into my mind was--a severely clogged exhaust. To confirm this -- loosen the three nuts at the manifold to front pipe - a small gap is all that's needed. -- Dave
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