This post is a follow up to this one. It appears that Kane was the first one to get the problem right.

The car is back and apparently working fine, but I'm not completely at ease with the process required to get it to that condition.

The stalling and towing and all of that stuff is fine; I'm over those issues now. What bothers me is that I think had the exact problem as chuck b, as described in this post. The 25 amp fuse was what took it out of commission.

Now, when all of these things happened, I had no knowledge about this fuse. It wouldn't have mattered, either, because I thought the problem was the timing belt, despite it being replaced relatively recently. The symptoms pointed to an early failure. However, the shop to which I took the car figured out that that wasn't the problem and instead determined that the fuse and its holder were the culprits.

So, the shop replaced both, for a parts total of just over $10, and replaced them. My final bill was $82, due to the hour of labor charged for that repair.

I trust my shop and I think they charge their customers fairly, but I am frustrated at this event. I didn't know what to do at the time, but if I had had the know-how, I not only could have fixed my "disastrous" problem for under $20 but also may have been able to do it that night, when I stalled!

For the future, I am definitely going to try to consult you guys before these repairs are done. I mentioned this problem less than an hour after I had gotten home from the stall, but by that time the car was virtually on its way to the repair shop (parents and I agreed to call AAA first thing in the morning to tow to the shop). Still, if I had really been thinking and not so bummed that my car was dead (making me want it back IMMEDIATELY), it is very possible that I could have found the problem and fixed it myself. Hopefully next time I'll be more deliberate to act.

But, this experience is over, and I've learned from it (if nothing else, I now know of the *existence* of the fuse). I fortunately had some money left over from my college checking account, and so $80 out of it isn't much. Coupled with a well-paying summer job, I think I'm in pretty good shape compared to some teenagers driving somewhat repair-prone cars (anything over 10 years old is, honestly), but that's still a quick buck to save if you fix stuff yourself.

I hope everyone who was like me and didn't know about this fuse now knows to check it if the car ever stalls, and that those who were aware of it realize that a failure of the fuse creates the symptoms (at least to a moderately-knowledgable person) of a broken timing belt. The more you know . . .

Thanks to everyone who had input for my problem and followed my progress. You guys are the reason the board is so great!
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'89 244 GL--25/22 ipd sways, Volvo truck amber turn signal lenses

Niko,

To get more intimate with your car, a good starting point is the zero mile list. A good way to avoid this feeling of betrayal you had.

Happy to know all is in order now.
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'89 244DL M47 161K miles

Don't feel to bad. A friend of mine drives a 1990 765. His mom was driving it in the city a while back when it stalled. She called AAA and had them tow it to a shop. The shop charged her about $500 to change the power stage.

The power stage is a $50 part, and takes about 15 minutes to change. Among other things they charged her for putting the car on a scope (after fixing it) and adjusting the timing. That's an LH-Jetronic 2.4 car. You can't adjust the timing (and it's still way off, but that's another matter).

That's why I carry a spare radio suppression relay, power stage, and when I find a proper spare.. a fuel pump relay with me at all times.

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alex

'89 765T, 174,8xx mi

Good to hear you got off so inexpensively. You won't always be so lucky. Don't get emotional and over-react to this sort of thing. It happens, and usually the bill is way more than $82.

Of course hindsight is 20/20, but in the future there are a few spare parts that one should always have in the trunk or glove compartment, and the 25 amp fuse is certainly one of them, along with fuel pump relay, regular fuses, v-belts, fix-a-flat, a cheapie bare bones tool set, and a few other misc. items. Of course the best plan is to do your preventative maintenance well, and really keep on top of the dozen or so things that can cause a stall or a no-start, so the problems on the road won't happen to begin with. Keep reading the brickboard and your Bentley manual to know what those things are.

Of course nobody can exactly predict when your battery is going to fail you, so you won't ever be completely successful in preventing all no-starts, but you can come very close.

volvo built a place for spare fuses including the blade type on later 240s just below the eurofuses under the cover - but no place for spare relays crank angle sensors amms ecus radiators 100pc socket sets coffee or bentley books.

The best thing you can do in the future is to follow those posts on this forum which are relevant to your car all the time, not just when you have a problem.

This fuse problem is documented here many times each week.

As has been pointed out already, your repair cost was, luckily, very low, if (through your own lack of knowledge) you have rely on the experience of professionals you should be prepared to pay for it. There ain`t no such thing as a free lunch!!!!!!! (even for students)

Colin.

1990 740SE B200E/M47, remote C/Locking.

No, it is easy to solve 90% of 240 no starts. Memorize these things and get spare parts:
open the oil cap to verify timing belt
check 25 amp fuse ('86-90), usually corroded holder
check fuse 6 ('91-93)
stock and carry a crank position sensor (89-on)
carry a spare fuel pump relay
watch out for the 561 ECU no start
(also carry an fuel pressure regulator, AMM, and maybe an ECU if you have an old 561 purple label)
You can get all of the above spares for $80 if you persist in the pick and pulls.

I put a new crank sensor (stock item) in the wife's '89 in 10 minutes last night. Ended her problems, well her 240 problems.

It always looks easy in hindsight. Thats what makes experience though.
Old mechanics used to say "its one dollar to turn the screw and ten dollars to know what screw". Thats how mechanics get to eat like the rest of us.
Some people pay for repairs that don't happen. You paid for a repair that did. Be happy.

Quite right, when something does break un-expectedly, it's good to know you got maximum mileage out of the part.

Please don't take this approach with brake pads though.
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Drive it like you hate it