1999 S80 T6 with 147k almost starts

groel220 · Post by **groel220** » 26 Jun 2011, 10:52

Hello, I am new to this forum, but I have been searching it for days looking for the solution to my problem. I recently purchased a non-running 1999 S80 T6 with 147k in decent overall shape for $1000. The story I got was that a previous owner had been driving it one day, it suddenly stalled, and it hasn't run since. I understand that these cars have a lot of issues, but at that price, it was hard to resist. Anyway, when I go to start the car it turns over and sounds extremely close to starting, even going so far as to jump up to 500 RPM's and sound like it's going to run before continuing to sputter and never quite getting there. Here's what I've tried:

I looked into the fuel pump relay, and the relay looks great, bright and shiny inside. The connection to the car looks slightly brown, but not like it had been really fried or anything. There is also at least moderate pressure in the fuel rail. I also put some gas in the tank to assure it is not empty.

I also heard from many people that the battery cable can put out electronic interference and make the cam, crank, or speed sensors not function correctly which can also keep the car from starting, so I rerouted that cable and magnetically shielded it (with copper wire coiled around, grounded, and surrounded in rubber tubing) which also had no effect.

I tried unplugging the MAF sensor, which is supposed to make the car at least run if that is causing the problem, but it also did not improve the situation. I also looked at the ETM and it appears (?!) to be the original, with a white sticker on it. I would think that this is the problem except that I really couldn't find many people who said that a car would just stop running if that went bad.

The engine does not throw any OBDII codes, but the message box tells me that the ABS system and the Airbags need urgent service. So I guess What I'm wondering is where do I go from here? Are there any tests I can do on the ETM, Cam sensor, Crank sensor, or anything else in the car in order to diagnose which part(s) need replacing? I don't want to just start buying every sensor in the car on a wild goose chase. Thanks for your help!

Post by **dcarlson12** » 26 Jun 2011, 19:41

Maybe you could get yourself a copy of the VADIS CD off of ebay. Usually only a few dollars. It might have procedures to test the various sensors. In case you don't know, VADIS is the equivalent of a factory service manual. It covers many years and models. Otherwise, wait and see if some of the experts on this site can give you guidance.
Let us know if you find a solution so that we can all learn from your experience...

Post by **Juan62** » 27 Jun 2011, 03:06

For a car to start: requires fuel, air, and spark. That said, I would check my spark plugs and wires, re-gap to specs, check all vac hoses, and fuel lines. Not sure if this car has a distributor cap and rotor, if it does, inspect for dust/oil etc,. After that, I would start being suspicious of the timing...which may be off.

groel220 · Post by **groel220** » 27 Jun 2011, 13:18

Update: My brother was over today, and he has a 1999 V70 T5 which has the same Cam and Crank sensors. I swapped those parts and still had no luck, so those do not seem to be the issue. Furthermore, we tested the Fuel rail and it was putting out 50 pounds of pressure, which I understand should be enough.

When we checked for spark by pulling a coil pack, there was definitely spark coming across, but it seemed to be pretty sporadically timed, with a long gap, a quick couple sparks, a shorter gap, a third spark, etc. I had hoped that this indicated one of the sensors was bad, but since replacing both seemed to have no effect, it seems I'm back to the drawing board. It seems very likely that this irregular sparking is the source of my no-start. Could a bad throttle module be causing the cylinders to fire out of time, like that? Does anyone have suggestions as to what else could be causing this?

Post by **dcarlson12** » 27 Jun 2011, 13:38

Have you tried to check all grounds, wires, etc? A sudden stop could maybe mean a wire has come loose/is making intermittent contact.... When you check the fuel pressure, is it during the cranking of the engine? Just grasping at straws here but could a plugged fuel filter allow static pressure to be ok but drop off as soon as some demand is made upon the fuel line???
Really sounds more like timing or some electrical but.....

groel220 · Post by **groel220** » 27 Jun 2011, 13:45

Hello, thanks for the reply! I have looked at the grounds and they all seem to be OK, as far as I can tell. I checked the fuel pressure while I was cranking, so that also doesn't seem to be the problem...

Post by **Juan62** » 27 Jun 2011, 13:50

It really sounds like your timing is off. Remove the timing belt cover and take a look.

groel220 · Post by **groel220** » 27 Jun 2011, 14:22

What do I look for once I've got the cover removed? The timing belt looks newer, but I'm not sure how to check if it is lined up.

Post by **Juan62** » 27 Jun 2011, 15:13

type in the timing belt repair or something close in the search this forum. If their is nothing, go to the 850/s70 forum and do the same. There are many pics that will show you where/how the cams align up...gives you a good idea if your if off or not.

Post by **Juan62** » 27 Jun 2011, 15:21

Here is one better for you; go to the top and look for repair database, click on that and then scroll down, on the right hand side, look for timing belt (29). Click that and you see two cams, left=exhaust cams, Right= intake cam. Notice the markings...very important.