My car: 1989 740 Wagon. The problem: Car won't always start when I ask it to. Conditions under which the problem occurs: I get in my car to go home after work @ 4pm, the car starts and drives just fine. I go about 6 miles to the gas station to fill up. When I try to get my car to leave the gas station, it won't start. The battery and ignition are okay. The car sounds like it will start, but it doesn't. I wait for at least 15 minutes without trying to start it again, and it starts and runs fine. This has happened at least three times in the last two months. I took it to get repaired but the mechanic can't duplicate the no start condition. Any ideas?

replace fuel pump relay in fuse panel behind radio. replace radio suppresion relay in engine compartment.

My '91 745 (non-turbo) had long crank / hard start condition due to

LARGE hole in under side of big rubber intake boot (ribbed) between airbox & throttle body. Anyone reading this should remove & carefully inspect this intake boot, the OEM replacement from volvo was plastic

(not rubber !)& has end piece included at throttle body end. eliminates extra pieces.

good luck !

I assume the engine is cranking over briskly but you are getting little or no firing. When this happened to us, it turned out to be the "radio suppression relay" which actually switches fuel injector current. The good news is that your car won't be badly flooded when the relay wakes up.

Apparently it fails in a way similar to the fuel pump relay, and even causes the same symptom. Maybe the fix is the same, ie resolder it, but they are not very expensive either.

Good luck, these are frustrating kinds of failures!

I have got the problem too since a week. Though, I noticed that problems occur when the temperature is around freezing level. Strangely enough, it doesn't matter if the engine is fully heated-up or freezingly cold...

Anyway, in case its not the fuel pump relay or injection relay. The car does everything, except the starter won't run. All it does is 'click!'. Sounds like the battery is low, but its not... weird?

Please, post a message when you figure out the problem.

Fuel pump relay. Replace or resolder. Remove snap-on cover over cigarette lighter and then remove the two screws securing the storage box to access. Volvo has been using the same start on their 4cyl cars for years, and they fail very rarely (original on my '84 245 at 287,000 mi). Check this first.

Jen:

Had the same thing happen on my 89 740 sedan. I replaced the starter with one from an 86 240. Hasn't happened again for 2 months. I had the original starter checked out by Pepboys and O'Riely's, tested out OK. Maybe a loose connection? My 2cents worth. Genaro.

after work, take the car straight to the dealer;park it and shut it off. Then leave it for them to work on the next day. This may sound a little extreme but sometimes you literally have to simulate the conditions under which these driveability problems occurr. So, whatever driving/ parking/ starting routine you know makes this problem occurr, simply duplicate it (ie: how often you start it, how long it sits, etc).

Engine speed sensor, located just below the distributor in the top of the bell housing. Have you re-soldered the fuel injection relay?