no click on starter when trying to start 5 speed 850 wagon

jim 43 · Post by **jim 43** » 21 Jan 2010, 16:47

Hello;
I bought a 1994 -850 sw about Dec 12. About 200,000 miles, 5 speed manual. It drove home very well but has sat in the New Hampshire cold and snow waiting for a license plate until today. When I went to start it I got nothing. No click-click or anything. I put the battery charger on it for a few hours and the lights, horn, radio all came back, but still no click even when trying to start it. I have depressed the clutch pedal, as I am sure there is a safety switch, but nothing.
I bought a new battery, as I thought the Die Hard was looking a bit old, but still no turn over, or even a click. Cleaned the post and connections, they already looked clean.
Any Ideas about what is wrong? What checks can I do. If there is a clutch depression safety switch, where might it be found?
I car started fine the few times I started it back in December, and did run the battery down a bit by leaving the trunk lid open over night.
Thanks; Jim in NH

Post by **firekiller75** » 21 Jan 2010, 17:04

Are the hazard lights flashing? Perhaps the alarm is engaged.

jim 43 · Post by **jim 43** » 21 Jan 2010, 18:14

The flashers work when I put them on, but they were not on before. Is there some anti-theft thing I don't know about? And how would I have put it on while just sitting. It ran fine when I parked it. I had to wait five weeks to transfer the plates from another Volvo. I know sitting isn't good for them, but this seems silly. It ran so well before.
It really acts like a neutral safety switch failure in an automatic, or forgetting to put it in neutral a or park to start it, except this is a five speed manual. My Chevy pickup does the same thing when I don't depress the clutch and try to start it. This car must have one of those switches, but where would it be located?
Haven't found a repair book for the car yet. Maybe I am wrong thinking on the switch idea, more ideas?
Thanks; Jim

Post by **renns** » 21 Jan 2010, 19:05

Check ground cabled connection to engine/chassis, and positive cable connection at starter motor?

Post by **Pauloil** » 21 Jan 2010, 19:40

do you have a voltmeter?
what I do to park my 850 for a long time is park without the alarm on:
lock car from the left rear pass. door by pushing down driver's lock.
you may have a short such as the glovebox light on

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... t=glovebox

jim 43 · Post by **jim 43** » 21 Jan 2010, 20:28

1 I will try to check those connections tomorrow. Wish could get in the garage, bit of a cold snap right now. I have a 300w light under it tonight keeping the under hood a bit warmer than it might be tonight@ zero degrees F.

2 We live so far back in the sticks we never lock the cars. Actually we leave the key in the switch, wouldn't have to come to terms with someone intent on stealing it. The new battery seems like it would negate any little current drains. It has plenty power with the new battery, just no connection between turning the ignition switch to start, and the starter actually doing something. It does nothing, not even a click, like a weak battery will at least give. Nothing. More dash lights than a Christmas tree come on when the switch is turned, but no starter action.
Thank; Jim

mcp · Post by **mcp** » 21 Jan 2010, 21:56

For your manual transmission there is no "safety switch" on the clutch pedal or "neutral switch" on the gearshift. (Or at least there isn't on any of the three manual transmission 850/S70's in my family.)

Solenoid on the starter stuck? Fuse?

bobsnow100 · Post by **bobsnow100** » 22 Jan 2010, 14:23

Sounds like you need a starter and solenoid. You can check the wire with a test light.
Also make sure you ground cable is good.
I'd bet my money that it is the starter .

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 22 Jan 2010, 15:02

If you can angle a pipe down to the starter and then give it a good smack with a hammer it might start to work again - albeit breifly. That would confirm that the starter is bad.

...Lee

jim 43 · Post by **jim 43** » 22 Jan 2010, 16:03

It Is seeming like starter/solenoid. I was able to give it some raps with a marlinspike with a good heavy end on it, but no luck. Connections all seem tight, but I haven't removed and cleaned them, other than the battery cables themselves.
I charged up the battery in my old Chevy 4x4 to give it a tow, but dark set in before I had another driver. Tomorrow if it tow starts I will move it inside to thaw out, or take it up to Neil, our Volvo guy of about 20 years.
I first started driving Volvos back in the early 70s because they were they were about as easy to work on as a 55 Chevy. They have, over the years left me behind I am afraid. The engine is even sideways in this car.
When the clutch cable broke one Saturday on a trip to Maine in a 1969-144 I thought I was really in the soup. But I crawled underneath and noted the emergency brake cable lever hanging down. I went into the hardware where we had stopped finally, and for about $3.50 bought a threaded rod, a pipe for it to go through, and a couple other connectors and ran the rod/pipe from the clutch arm to the emergency brake lever that hung down. I tied up the now non-functional brake cables safely and now had a perfectly functioning hand clutch, using the hand brake, then located to the left of the drivers seat. No more hill starts and no clutch shifting.
We proceeded on to our friends home, another 100 miles and watched the 1980 US Olympic hockey team make history that weekend at Lake Placid.
Jim