buying 240

mcbride · Post by **mcbride** » 23 Mar 2010, 16:15

I am thinking about buying a 1990 240 . It has 117k miles. The body and interior are in very good shape as are the tires. This is my problem. The owner/salesman said the car ran great , they then parked it for about 6 months and it wouldn't start after that. He thinks it is bad gas , but also says there is no power going to the fuel pump. He said he has had this problem with the car before and he changed out the gas and it would run fine. He is willing to sell it for $1500. but he doesn't want to mess with it anymore. I think it is the fuel relay? The only reason I am considering buying it is because it is in such good shape. Thank You for any help and insight.

Post by **billofdurham** » 24 Mar 2010, 13:16

No power to the fuel pump is usually a bad relay which is a cheap and easy repair. However, it may be a bad fuel pump which is more costly.

The price is high if the car isn't running when you buy it. There is no guarantee that you will get it running, nor can you check for odd noises from the engine which could indicate a problem. Again without the engine running you can't check the transmission nor the drive train for noises.

Get him to bring the price down and you will probably have a good car that will last for a long time. 117,000 on one of these is nothing.

Bill.

mcbride · Post by **mcbride** » 24 Mar 2010, 18:44

Bill Thanks for getting back to me. I notice you answer a lot of questions on this forum, that's really nice of you, you have probably helped a lot of people. I went back and looked at the car again today and talked to the owner/seller. He said the fuel pump was new and under warranty, he did not change the fuel relay. I looked under the car at the fuel pump near the fuel filter and noticed a wire was hanging off. I couldn't see thru the bracket holding it on and therefore couldn't reattach it. I had no tools. I plan to go baack tommorrow and take my daugters 240. I can use the fuel relay out of it to try starting it and this time I will take some tools.. Again Thanks and I will keep you updated

Post by **billofdurham** » 25 Mar 2010, 12:51

If there is a wire off the pump you probably won't need to change the relay.

Bill.

Volvofix1 · Post by **Volvofix1** » 25 Mar 2010, 13:19

looking at the fuul pump relay it will have a date stamped on it , if you can feel it click when cranking the motor it's probably working . Try lifting up the back seat and you will see a yellow wire make shure it's connected and test for power with a test light when cranking. You can also lay on the ground and feel the fuel pump hum when cranking. Carefully check all the fuses at the panel by the drivers left knee,if they are aluminun change them or look for a corroded one the fuse cover has a legend to identify them. Inside the engine compartment is an ATC type fuse at the rear of the battery, that could be corroded . That model Volvo is a real good one and be put in good condition with a good Volvo tech working on it .

Let me know what you find ......Dick K.

mcbride · Post by **mcbride** » 26 Mar 2010, 07:21

Finally got the car started, fresh gas gas booster/ dry gas. It smelled like it was running rich, clean mass air flow sensor and it ran better. Also could use plug wires and it sounded like one of the plugs where bad, I guess from it running rich. I'll keep you posted Thanks

Post by **billofdurham** » 26 Mar 2010, 12:36

Thank you for the update.

Bill.

mcbride · Post by **mcbride** » 31 Mar 2010, 19:04

I went back today to replace plugs and spark plug wires. After doing this the car starts right up , but was ideling rough. I put some sea-foam in the tank to clean up the injectors and then I just let it idel for a while. The secondary fuel pump is running constantly it seems like. I look under the car at the secondary fuel pump and it is sucking the fuel hose from the gas tank to the pump so hard it is kinking the tubing. I figure it is a weak spot in the line so I cut a little bit of the rubber tubing out and reattach it. The car continues to run rough and has little power when driving it.
I felt the fuel relay as I turned the ignition on and I could feel it click, although it was quite hot.
? Shouldn't ther be pressure in the tank after letting it run for 10-20 minutes? Someone listened to the gas tank as I turned the car on and said he heard the main fuel pump running. ?? I think he heard the secondary pump running. Not sure . I would appreciate any help. In advance Thank You

falconbrother · Post by **falconbrother** » 31 Mar 2010, 21:14

I had a 242, 79 model. I also had a 740 and a 940. I love the 240s. If you can get past this issue I would get that car in a skinny second. I have a Honda CRV now and my wife has a V70. I want to get an old 240 just to wrench on and drive. The 240s were solid where it counts. Good transmissions and bullet proof engines.

Post by **billofdurham** » 02 Apr 2010, 11:29

I think you have a sticky fuel pump relay. It may get warm during normal operation but it should never get hot. Normal operation has it switching on and off as the fuel is used and more is needed.

Give it a good, hard flick with your finger to see if that fixes it. If it does, seriously think of replacing it as that is, at best, a temporary solution.

One other thing that comes to mind is the in-tank pump isn't working and the main pump is working overtime to get a supply of fuel. To check the operation of the in-tank pump without removing it from the tank, locate its fuse, #4 on your model. Remove this fuse with the car idling. You should be able to detect increased noise from the main pump and decreased vibration of the fuel tank itself. Also, you should be able to hear the in-tank pump by taking off the filler cap and listening at the filler neck. Sometimes a length of heater hose inserted in the filler neck and placed against your ear will help isolate the sound. Try it with the fuse in place and removed and listen for a change in the sound.

Bill.