Okay, I am fixing to dig deep into the archives to see what I can find, but I thought I would go ahead and post in case someone has a suggestion about what might be causing my problems.

I was blessed when my father decided to give me for Christmas his 1991 Volvo 240. It has 135K original miles and is incredibly clean... but it has been sitting up for the past three years. He has a mechanic on his payroll, and he had the mechanic service it before delivering it to me (I live a couple of hours away from him). He drained the gas tank and filled it with new gas, serviced the transmission, changed the distributor cap, installed new plugs and plug wires, and changed the timing belt. He drove it up on New Year's Day and had no problems. The next day, my problems began.

The car began acting incredibly sluggish, as if it weren't getting fuel. Eventually, it would die, and I would have to pull over to the side of the road. After a brief period (five minutes or less), I could crank it and drive a few miles or so before it would happen again. The only time I have ever had this happen in the past, it was caused by a fuel filter. I changed the fuel filter that afternoon. The problem was improved... but not solved.

I have checked the OBD, and I get the codes that tell me that it is a fuel injector problem, that the car is compensating for rich/lean mixture, and that the car is compensating for extremely rich/lean mixture.

I have put a fuel system cleaner in with each tank of gas, and I notice it does better immediately after I do so, but it has no permanent effect.

The car does well for short distances... I work less than ten minutes from home, and I have no problems to and from work. I have been scared to drive it much further than that because I don't want to deal with the problems.

Any suggestions?

Hello Blairjay; These cars have two fuel pumps, the main pump in the cradle under the car next to the filter ,and a pre-pump in the tank that feeds the main pump. The pre-pump also has a filter sock that can become clogged ( especially if it has sat for three years) and a pickup tube that can split and prevent fuel delivery. My guess would be a clogged filter sock or bad pre-pump. A fairly easy fix. Someone can check pressure at the fuel rail to see if it is correct. These are great cars ( please don't give it the C4 treatment!!), and I am sure there are a few more bugs to work out, probably from having it been idle for three years.
--
'94 940 150k, '86 240 170k, '72 142 KIA, '70 144 KIA, '69 144 RIP

Welcome to the world of RWD Volvos. I agree 100% with Summerduckman, and will add the possibility of a fuel hose that may be seperating inside and collapsing on itself. I would think the line from the in-tank pump to the main pump most likely, but I can think of a situation where any of the hoses could cause this problem. I have seen this problem with an oil pick-up line in another car and have heard of this type of failure on brake lines.

Did you see any evidence of rust in the gas when you changed the fuel filter. My daughter had an '81 that sat for a while and the whole fuel system was infested with rust - we went through two main fuel pumps figuring this one out. Your '91 should be less susceptible, because the tank is not metal. However the main pump sits low in the system where moisture may tend to collect and if the roller impellers got rusty, it could cause such a problem.

Your symptoms do sound like fuel starvation, however extremely rich running can behave similarly. Check the spark plugs for carbon fouling.

Check all vacuum hoses and the air intake hose, especially the corrugated section. Air leaks can cause a lot of problems.

I don't recall anyone suggesting that you check the Fuel pressure regulator. This is a small canister that mounts on the front of the fuel rail. It is about 2" in diamater and about the same length. Remove the vacuum hose at the front and if it is wet with gas, it needs to be replaced.

You may want to measure the current to the main fuel pump when it is running right and when it is acting up. If much different, this could indicate a restriction.

I don't think it will help with your current problem, but you should clean or replace the flame trap -- see the 700/900 FAQ. The engines are the same. Lots of good info there for you to start reading. If you are going to be serious about maintaining your car I recommend the Bentley manual, It is costly but worth every penny. By the way, myself and many others recommend fcpgroton.com as a great source of parts. You may also want to find a self-serve junk yard in your area - great source of parts.

Good Luck. You will be very happy with this car when you get the bugs worked out. Hang out here and you will get the greatest help available anywhere. I have never seen another auto forum that even comes close.

Dan

I have only ever seen metal gas tanks on all 240's; have I missed something? Believe me I could use about four plastic 240 gas tanks as the four I have all have some rust and some leaks.

i would try a new fuel pump relay first...under passenger's feet
it heats up and stops working because of poor solder joints
then it cools enough to run for a bit
it would cause these symptoms
$15 @ fcpgroton
or
cheaper at the junkyard

Yes, I think you should either get a new father or I'll be glad to send you a pound and a half of C4 and a blasting cap to help you get into another vehicle. These Volvos are nice cars but they really can cause very strange symptoms that make no sense whatsoever. Good luck, I am about ready to go with the C4 solution myself.
--
Rich George