I am new to Volvos, though have some experience with older cars.

My 1980 245DL wagon (195,000 miles) has started dying on me. I will be driving along fine and it just dies (push to the side of the road, etc.) Only the engine dies; lights are fine. It is not the battery or alternator: battery is a brand-new Interstate and alternator was checked out. Also, lots of crank power always, even in these events. It is not the fuel delivery system: the fuel pump relay and fuse are fine (I carry replacements, thanks to the Brickboard). Another reason I know it is not the fuel delivery system is that after sitting for a while (five minutes to an hour) it fires right back up and everything is fine. I drive it along, everything fine, then it happens again. During the period when the car is unable to start I can crank the engine fine; the lights and radio work, etc. It just will not spark. However, I also get no dash lights (AMP, Parking Brake, etc.) I will sit there, occasionally trying to crank the car, engine turning over from the battery but with no firing and no dash lights. Then, for no reason, on one turn of the key the dash lights fire up and it starts fine and I drive away. This leads me to believe it is strictly an electrical problem, as opposed to a fuel-delivery or ignition problem.

I am going to do these things tomorrow:

1) Replace all of the fuses.

2) Clean and secure the contacts on the Ignition Control Unit

3) Check the connections on the wire harness on the grey relay on the firewall

4) Clean the coil connections

5) Replace the spade fuse on the fender wall near the battery (0.25 amp)

Thanks for reading this very lengthy message. Please give any advice you can think of.

John Davis