1984 DL Stalling at Stop

Post by **rgk** » 22 Aug 2010, 18:48

My girl's 88 245 is having the exact same problem! In fact, I remember reading this post a while back and tried to find it just earlier today, but couldn't.

Here's what's happening on my end: First I thought she ran the gas dry, so we filled it up, but more information came in from her end that she drove it to school and back, and it stalled three separate times: twice on the way there, and once on the way back, each time while stopping at a stop sign. It started up roughly, but started up, each time.

We were going to take the car to a party later that night, but I heard the same gas/idling issues you described, so I decided to leave it home. Upon doing some research, I decided to clean the flame trap. It wasn't that dirty. I took it for a drive to the store and back, and it didn't die, but it did give the old sputter when arriving at a red light. We then took it to another store without any problems. She claims she saw the oil light come on just before the car stalled on her (separate from all the lights coming on when the car stalls), but I have not witnessed this myself. I thought it could have been related to a leaking rear main seal which we just discovered, but the oil level is normal.

My two cents toward your situation: you changed out a lot of stuff at once. It's possible you didn't connect something properly, or bumped a spark plug wire, for example, while doing so. Go back to each thing you changed and check it, one by one, cranking the car after checking each component. Also check all relevant components: battery, etc. Be patient. Don't kill yourself over it, but don't give up.

Retired MVS Contributor · Post by **Retired MVS Contributor** » 22 Aug 2010, 19:48

pixrob, it looks like you cleaned everything except the thing that controls idle and that I told you about in an ealier post...The idle control motor...

As for the random stalling, the most common thing I have encountered with the 240 is the fuel injection fuse...The fuel injection fuse is not in the fuse box on the door post...It is a 25 amp blade type fuse and it is mounter under the hood on the left front fender next to a couple of relays right behind the battery...This fuse is exposed to the elements...Rain and snow run into the crack between the hood and the fender right into the fuse holder and corrode it...When it becomes corroded the car does mysterious things, cutting out, bucking, then running fine, then refusing to start, etc, etc...Check it...I will bet it is corroded...

pixrob · Post by **pixrob** » 23 Aug 2010, 21:25

Thanks for the suggestions. I still do have parts left to clean but I had reinstalled the throttle body by the time the suggestion came in to clean the idle control motor. It's on the list to clean but would sure be easier to clean with the throttle body off.

The fuse is a great and easy thing to check. Thanks for the idea.

I appreciate all the help, advice and suggestions.

Rob
Nashville, TN

Post by **rgk** » 26 Aug 2010, 09:33

Struggling with the same problem, I inspected the fuel injector (?) fuse. The blade fuse itself was fine, but the terminal was quite corroded. My girl's 88 245 wouldn't start this morning, so I told her to take mine and cleaned the terminal out by "f***ing" the terminal female end with the fuse male end. The car started, or "came," but it looked like I should replace that terminal.

This being a standard electrical part, it was not necessary to visit FCP Groton. I pried off the old plastic fuse housing, removed the corroded female end, purchased a "Heavy Duty ATC Blade Type Fuseholder With Protective Cap" at the local auto parts store (see image), wired one end to the red positive battery cable and the other end to the red fuel injection (?) cable, plugged in the fuse, and was ready to roll.

Post by **rgk** » 26 Aug 2010, 09:35

edit: fuse situation fixed, please see previous post.

Retired MVS Contributor · Post by **Retired MVS Contributor** » 26 Aug 2010, 14:57

Does this mean that it is running now, or is this just one of several issues to be remedied?...

Post by **rgk** » 26 Aug 2010, 15:29

Well, the car started fine when I cranked it after remedying the fuse situation. But it still dies every once in a while at idle, usually at a red light or stop sign after driving it for a couple of minutes. It will usually start right back up again like nothing had ever happened. One time my girl also reported that she had trouble getting out of first or second gear unless she had let go of the accelerator and "reset," so to speak. Not sure whether this is related, but it only happened once, and has never happened before or since.

The temperature has been chronically running low for a few weeks now, then overheating once in a great while. Turning the heater on max remedies the overheating immediately. Not sure whether this is a gauge, thermostat, or coolant sensor issue, but I plan on changing the thermostat out for a new one and will test the sensor at the same time. Not sure whether this is related to the stalling.

The car has also been recently diagnosed with a leaking rear main seal. Sorry to jack this thread...

Retired MVS Contributor · Post by **Retired MVS Contributor** » 26 Aug 2010, 18:53

rgk wrote:Well, the car started fine when I cranked it after remedying the fuse situation. But it still dies every once in a while at idle, usually at a red light or stop sign after driving it for a couple of minutes. It will usually start right back up again like nothing had ever happened. One time my girl also reported that she had trouble getting out of first or second gear unless she had let go of the accelerator and "reset," so to speak. Not sure whether this is related, but it only happened once, and has never happened before or since.

The temperature has been chronically running low for a few weeks now, then overheating once in a great while. Turning the heater on max remedies the overheating immediately. Not sure whether this is a gauge, thermostat, or coolant sensor issue, but I plan on changing the thermostat out for a new one and will test the sensor at the same time. Not sure whether this is related to the stalling.

The car has also been recently diagnosed with a leaking rear main seal. Sorry to jack this thread...

See IPD's site or catalog for "temperature gauge by-pass kit"...From 1986 to 1993 Volvo installed circuitry designed to keep the temperature gauge reading in the normal zone even when there was slight overheating...With age this circuit acts up giving erratic readings...IPD's by-pass kit reverts the cluster to the earlier trouble-free configuration...

Post by **rgk** » 27 Aug 2010, 13:42

I know about the bypass kit, but frankly this is the least of my worries. The car still refuses to start, though I've discovered that this only happens early in the morning, when it's cold. It has also developed a bit of a cough, meaning that it misses on firing.

Retired MVS Contributor · Post by **Retired MVS Contributor** » 27 Aug 2010, 15:23

rgk wrote:I know about the bypass kit, but frankly this is the least of my worries. The car still refuses to start, though I've discovered that this only happens early in the morning, when it's cold. It has also developed a bit of a cough, meaning that it misses on firing.

There is a large (abt 2 1/2 in) diameter pleated black plastic hose connecting the MAF to the trottle body...There are some wires and hoses underneath this hose that chafe against it...Sometimes it wears through, but more often it develops cracks deep in the pleats and on the underside where it is not visible...Remove it and check it out...If that hose is split, unmetered air enters...Another two things that could cause hard cold starting are the cold start injector and the cold start injector thermal switch...The injector injects into the intake manufold and is underneath it in the center...The thermal switch is on the left side in the water jacket...

1984 DL Stalling at Stop

Re: 1984 DL Stalling at Stop