240 dl 1986 engine cuts out during acceleration

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my 240dl 1986 is cutting out during acceleration between 20 and 30 mph then it smooths out above 30 . if i put the transmission in neutral and rev the engine it sounds normal please help!!!!
thanks
jim rapheld
san jose calif.
408-947-9384

[Guest]

mine has been doing the same thing.
Had repairs done about 8 weeks ago.
replaced cat converter
replace head pipe from exhast manifold & gaskets
replaced fuel pump & filter
replaced temp sensor switch
changed oil
changed wires to spark plugs
chanded crank shaft pulley (cause it was wobbley and read to fall off) & AC belt

after my volvo guy fixed the above car ran good, now 6-8 weeks later I am
experiencing:
poor acceleration and staling
hard starting
car will be ok in the morning (I park inside sheltered parking structure) when engine is cool, but when I leave work for the day & the car has been sitting in the hot sun 90 degree weather (California) it will take several trys to start the car before it will switch over. I let it run & warm up, car will idol funny (shaking) then stall, start again ok let engine warm up and attempt to go home for the day, I have to accelerate very slow or else it will lose power and stall again. When I stop at a light some times it will stall some times it won't, and I have to very slowly accelerate and gradually work up the mph speed, then it seems to be okay... then uh-oh another red light same thing.
The car ran this way before I replaced the Cat Converter and after I replaced it the car seemed to run much better... then untill recently its just doing the same thing... it's like a compression problem- theres no pressure-
I have a very good Volvo mechanic who specializes only on Saabs & Volvos, he told me the wiring harness will soon need repairing/replacing and that could be it... but I don't know,
help help

[Kmaniac in California USA]

Hi there, Guest:

You didn't tell us what year and model of Volvo you have. You say that your Saab/Volvo mechanic replaced your fuel pump and filter. Well, which ones did he replace? Your car has TWO fuel pumps and TWO fuel filters. If your Volvo mechanic replaced the Main Fuel Pump and Filter under the car without at least pulling and inspecting the In-Tank Pump and Filter Sock, he is ignorant and inexperienced!

Check fuse #11 for your In-tank Fuel Pump. If it is blown, you will need to replace your in-tank pump and filter sock, as well as your Main Fuel Pump, again. Search this forum for my posts on the subject of fuel pumps for more information. Let us know what you find.

[joeyroberts]

I'm the 'Guest' that posted 2nd question regarding stalling..ect.

Anyways its a 1986 240DL
about 148,000 miles- OD stoped working few years back

Yes, I know about the 2 fuel pumps, intank and the main fuel pump.
yes both were changed.
Last year the main "original" fuel pump AND "ORIGINAL FILTER"(can u believe it!) was replaced cause... well after 18 years it needed it. anyways the garage that replaced it didnt put a bosch fuel pump, they put one on that was for "japanese cars" says my mechanic. anyways, ended up I had to have it replaced again with a Bosch pump my (volvo mechanic uses all original NEW parts.) the intank fuel pump - the sock was deteroriating and was replaced.
anyways Im worried, what if its the transmission? I'll have to double check with my mechanic though about what you said about the intank pump.

And by the way, my volvo mechanic, his name is Russel & he's been in business (owner) for more than 20 years. Your from California? The name of the shop is: "Russel's European Service" http://www.russellseuropeanservice.com/services/
check him out, maybe you've heard of him.

[dpauto.com]

joeyroberts,

Your vehicle seems to run ok when it's cold but acting up when it's hot out, sounds to me the engine is running too rich ( too much fuel ). Now we have to find out why it's running too rich ? There are many things that can cause a vehicle to run rich. There are many things .... just a few examples ... Bad oxygen sensor, air mass meter, temp. sensor, fuel pressure regulator, etc...

Without seeing the car, I can only tell you what I've seen most common that is related to your problem. BAD FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. A bad fuel pressure regulator will do two things:

1) Diaphram inside the regulator get stuck and there goes up the pressure .. high pressure = rich running = stalling, hestitating, won't start (but ok when engine is cold ---- you can check by hooking up pressure gauge.

2) Diaphram inside the regulator get punctured,ripped ... raw fuel is then sucked straight into the intake manifold thru the vac. hose = rich running = stalling, hestitating, won't start (but ok when engine is cold ---- You can check by pulling the vac. hose out from the regulator while engine is running, look to see if any raw fuel comes out.

Regards,
Dave

[joeyroberts]

I'll have to him (or ask him if he already) checked the fuel pressure regulator--
so, this morning I noticed this:
Usually when I start her up in the morning I turn the ignition without giving it any gas it won't start up right away, however when I pumped the gas petal it started a little better. It didnt stall after that, (it usually stalls a couple times when its warming up)
As I preceeded on my way the car didnt stall at all this morning, however I noticed that when Im at a stop it will idol funny, like it wants to stall, so I put it in Park untill green light, when I accelerate I have to slightly pump the gas petal or else it will cut out, pumping the gas petal seems to help and it will eventually pick up speed. Now- yesterday when I went up a hill, poor thing tryed so hard to make it up & she did but very slowly, like there was no power, I feel so bad for the people behind me!



But read the following, I heard this may be a factor, tell me what you think.
___________________
Check the timing belt, if it's off by a tooth this can happen.
Check cam timing incase its slipped- otherwise it does sound like a mildly
plugged cat converter

If you have had any oil leaks from the front seals,
the belt can become contaiminated with oil causing it to get soft. Set the
crank mark at zero, then pull the dist cap and see if thr rotor is at N0. 1.
The belt ususlly strips at the crank pully, causing both the intermidate
shaft and the cam shaft not to line up. Another common problem on the 85-91
B230's was the main engine wiring harrness where it goes under the intake
manifold. The insullation on the wires became brittle and cracked causing a
short to the Airmass Meter. I replaced dozens of them and it caused the same
symptoms you are reporting. I didn't replace it on my 86 240, just cut the
sheath back and used butt connectors to replace the bad wiring. That was in
94 and it is still running.
About the timing being off - the pulley driving the system has a rubber
mount. Called a harmonic balancer by many. The rubber can lose its
bond with the metal. On my 240, the metal pulley slipped on the rubber
part, and so the timing marks weren't right any more. Eventually the
pulley slid backwards into the timing cover, which is when I took it to
the shop. Had to get the timing cover replaced and timing belt
replaced, in addition to the harmonic balancer/pulley part.

If the rubber in the balancer fails, the only problem would be adjusting the
timing with a timing light. It wouldn't affect the valve timing
( I suggested you check). If you have an oil leak from the front seals, it will
soften the belt and cause it to slip. And remember to change the flame trap.
That is the biggest culprit with front seal problems.
If the timing belt is due then replace it first, the cat may well be fine,
no sense in replacing it if it's ok, I would remove it and install a
straight pipe section to test it.
____________

[dpauto.com]

joeyroberts,

A slipped timing belt or clogged catalytic converter will not cause an intermittent problem. If it was anything to do with timing belt slipped or catalytic converter clogged, problem will be all the time.

You might very well have a bad air mass meter.

Anyway and again, I am just speculating

Regards,
Dave

[joeyroberts]

Okay,
thanks SO much for the advice.
I'll let you know whats up when I take it in.
At least I feel better about the transmission, & timing belt
I didnt think it could be the cat because that was replaced about 6 weeks ago.
I believe my mechanic tested the AMM - so my next fear is the wiring harness.

[joeyroberts]

PS
what does it mean when your car has been 'bypassed'?
when I first took it in to get all that work done, my mechanic told me
'it's not lookin good under the hood... it's been bypassed?
what is this
and how can he tell?