My last posting was made under stress. This one should be clear. Yesterday, my car, a 1982 244 DL, shut off while making a turn on to the free way. It made no sounds other than the clicking of shutting off your ignition. I attempted to restart the car, the crankshaft turned but that was it. Nothing else moved. When I took the key out of the ignition, the crankshaft continued to move, albeit slowly.

I have been having fuel pressure issues with the car for the last week. The fuel pump buzzes loudly when low on gas. I had to keep my foot slightly on the accelerator to keep the car running during idle. I blew the fuse to the pump twice, so I assumed it was my fuel pump and planned on replacing it today.

My mechanic, told me I had no compression to the engine and I needed to replace it. However, there was no noise when the car shut off yesterday. I think he is terribly wrong, and plan on towing it somewhere else for a second opinion.

Any ideas of what it could be?

I'd suspect the timing belt, so do one of two things:
1) look in oil cap to see if cam is turning as you crank the engine
2) remove dist cap and see if rotor is turning

If those things aren't happening, you've broken the belt. In any other year 240, I'd say, get a new belt and put it in, no worries.... BUT in 1982 there were some problems with the head receiving sufficient oil. SOmetimes these cars will seize the camshaft in the head. The fix is, a new head, or remove and thoroughly remove all damaged metal on the cam bearings. We did this twice with a friend's 82 and he got 50K miles each time- the third time the cam seized, he junked it!

It's also possible that it's simply an electrical problem or the fuel pump has died or some such thing. Hope it's simple.
Good luck!
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: "Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!"

Rob, I had that problem with an '81 I bought. Cleaned up the cam bearings and reassembled. Engine was clean as a whistle inside -- no hint of sludge at 161k miles.

Dropped the oil pan and found the pipe 1/2 outta position, but still good enough to deliver *some* oil to the engine.

New o-rings, reinstalled everything, and the repair now has about 110k *more* miles on it. A friend bought it and loves it, rust 'n all.
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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

dead fuel pump (or pump relay or fuse) and a broken cam belt, plus electrical problems?

Got spark?
Does the cam turn when engine cranks?
Resoldered the relay? (Got power to the pump?)
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www.fidalgo.net/~brook4

Yes the camshaft does turn. I did'nt notice any broken pulleys or belts. Like I said the day before, the oil light flickered, but checked oil and level was fine, the fuel pump fuse blew twice, so I imagine its a combo of the pump and the relay.

The timing belt was replaced a month ago. Im going to get it towed to the Volvo mechanic in the morning and get a second opinion, before I call it a day.