Hi all!!
I am totally new to this website so bear with me. I have a 1995 980 that I purchased last year. Love the car. Has 104,000 miles and runs great - well it did. About two months ago my car while driving down the road starting missing very badly and died. The car restarted instantly but the check engine light came on and stayed on. Took it immediately to my favorite Volvo mechanic and he fixed it or so he thought. That has happened 8 or more times and my car has been at the mechanic off and on for over 8 weeks. My mechanic indicated that he thinks that the problem is electrical. They have replaced the computer, cleaned connections, replaced the MAF, replaced sensors, other parts I am not even sure of and yet we continue to have this problem. The car always restarts and runs fine once it starts, often this happens while sitting at a light but it has happened while traveling down the insterstate. The car starts running rough, loses power (can't go over 25 miles per hour) and then dies, but not always, sometimes it will continue to run but with no power. If you turn the car off and restart, it will restart very easily and run fine. My mechanic tells me he is getting a 113 code or a 115 code. HELP!!! Love the car but am thinking about getting rid of it. The Volvo place thinks they have it fixed and then 2 days to 2 weeks later it happens again. Could heat affect it? Seems like maybe it is happening on warmer days. Not really sure, nothing has been consistent as far as symptons.

Thanks!!
Trese

I live in Florida and have a 1995 960. I have noticed on days when the temperature is over 90 degrees, the car doesn't run as smooth as it does on cooler days. Does anyone know if weather plays a factor?

Check the hot air flapper under the air filter. They are known for going bad and staying open supplying 160+ degree hotair to your engine instead of ambient air. I'll bet this is your problem. Check it out.

DEWFPO
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1998 S90 070,050 and 1995 964 153,010

This is definetly a connector corrosion problem. Very elusive and mysterious to say the least. I cured mine, I lived with it for almost 6 months, still could not tell you what exactly fixed it. It could be the injector relay, the connectors on the injectors, the ground points along the way, the big connector on the front driver side wheel hump, the plug into the ECM, the solder point in the wires that pass along the block up to and thru the intake manifold. The connectors not only have to be cleaned of any corrosion but they have to be carefully bent to tighten that connection. Your mechanic needs to get a hold of the Volvo green service manual for fault tracing, this book has saved me hundreds if not thousands. Some of the tests and traces require a scan tool or the breaker box, which I am sure only the biggest dealers would only have, but it also has the flow charts for tracing and with an ohm meter and volt meter most of the fault codes I have been able to solve. Do not spend any more on parts. Most faults are with the connectors not sensors, at least 75% of the time in my experience on my car.

Another thought, how does the wire harness look that passes over the head to the coils, there have been reports of insulator chafing that short the coils. These wires are under the Volvo cover.


DanR 94 964 259,000 miles (25,000 on the new engine)
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DanR

As others have said. It's an intermitent fuel injection wiring problem. Our 95 960 has the same problem. Don't let your mechanic change any more parts. It's not the MAF, sensors, or the computer.

Clean ALL the connectors and grease accordingly. You can even swap relays in the relay box if you want just in case it is the fuel injection relay but the odds are against it. The wires go from the fuel injectors under the intake manifold to the fuse/relay box on front of your driver's side strut tower.

DEWFPO
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1998 S90 070,050 and 1995 964 153,010

There is a plug on the drivers side wheel well, the electricle contacts build oxide and loose contact and need to be cleened and have electricle contact grease aplied. Heat does affect it as metal contacts expand when hot.

I havn't read on this board anywhere about (960) MAF ,sensors and computers causing intermitant failures other than bad electricle conections. sorry you had to replace these to find out. I would change your mechanic if I were you.

Disconect the negative battery cable (make shure you have the radio code)Remove the black plastic cover and carefuly release the tabs on top that hold the plug together, take a wire brush and clean every contact and finally aply the contact grease.

I agree with your approach to the mechanic. It sounds to me like he really isn'tthat familiar with the 960 and he's using a shotgun apporach tosolving your problem. Now that said, if you take it to a Volvo shop, they may not be too keen on sodering connections..normally they'll just order a new gizmo.
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John Shatzer, '97 V90 @ 105K

It sounds like it could be a fuel problem, too. Maybe something as simple as a blocked vent in your fuel cap, which could create a vaccuum in the tank, stopping the fuel flow which would then corret itself after sitting a bit. Or perhaps a clogged fuel filter. The other post re: the relay connection sounds pretty good too. Get a multi-tester on that relay connection and see if you can detect an intermittent break in the circuit. Good luck

Ezvictor '96 965 125k

I assume you meant to type 960 not 980?

A '113 or '115 code in the motronic 1.8 ECU is for the injector group. As I remember, the '95 car has some of the injector wiring running between the intake manifold runners and can get chafed and cause intermittent shorts. Have the fuel injector harness carefully inspected on the engine. Also have the grounding points checked. The mechanic should have a copy of your car's electrical wiring diagram so he can put a meter on the connections while wiggling the harness and looking for shorts or opens

Sounds like your Volvo shop is weak on electrical problems. Maybe you should get a copy of the Volvo wiring diagram and take the car with the book to an "electrical specialist", if you can find one. (Follow the links in the FAQ's to the current web page for the Volvo Manuals.)
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'96 965 with 16' wheels at 118K. Had '85 745 Turbo Diesel for 200K.

whoops, sorry about that, yes, guess it is 960.

Start by resoldering the fuel injection relay, per the 700/900 FAQ instructions.