1995 850 starts, then 5 seconds in sputters to stall

estipe · Post by **estipe** » 28 May 2015, 13:42

Happened a couple weeks ago while leaving work. First stoplight dipped down to 500, second stoplight went 500...300...200..stall.

Replaced fuel pump relay, same symptoms.

Cleaned MAF, as well as removed it to see if it would stay running, with the MAF disconnected it still does the same things.

I pulled codes before messing with it and I think the only one I had at that point was A2-121, but now I'm reading A6-214 and A6-131 as well. Although I suspect the latter two might have something to do with me trying to then it on and seeing if I had fixed the problem a few times.

I tried giving it gas once, and it seems to run fine if I'm applying the gas pedal, as I had it up around 2-3k for a second, but then the minute it went back down to idle it died.

Any suggestions that I might be able to test out myself before taking it to get officially diagnosed?

1995 850, 168k miles, 2nd owner

Post by **erikv11** » 28 May 2015, 13:58

One common cause of stalling at idle is vacuum leaks. Check all the intercooler and vacuum hoses carefully, especially any that are old and rotting.

jonesboy1983 · Post by **jonesboy1983** » 28 May 2015, 14:12

I had a pretty similar issue and it turned out to be the fuel filter. I also had some broken hoses from the turbo but I'm pretty sure the fuel filter was the culprit as it turned out to be the original when I got down there. Anyway might be worth a try before taking it somewhere as it's a quick and cheap replacement.

estipe · Post by **estipe** » 28 May 2015, 14:41

Thanks for the quick responses. If I check the hoses shown in this diagram will that be sufficient? Or is there others as well https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... php?t=6941

Also, is there a way to test the fuel filter or do I just need to replace it and see?

Post by **erikv11** » 28 May 2015, 16:59

Oops, since your sig says your 95 is a manual I will assume the car in question is non-turbo. So disregard my suggestion to look at the intercooler hoses, these are the fat rubber hoses that channel the compressed air path from the turbo over the engine and to the throttle body.

Best source for knowing which vacuum hoses are on your car is the sticker on the underside of your car's hood. The post you link does cover vac lines in general but is really aimed at turbos which have several different vacuum lines, alternatively see this post https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=65002.

Fuel filter I have never tested one, don't know about that.

estipe · Post by **estipe** » 28 May 2015, 17:17

Oh awesome, thanks for the appropriate link erikv11. I'll check it out when I get home. Hopefully it's just a loose hose that would be great.

Post by **jreed** » 29 May 2015, 04:56

I have had the stalling symptoms on my '97 855 GLT. It turned out to be caused by a dirty IAC valve. If you haven't checked yours, it might be worth inspecting and cleaning.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=47533

estipe · Post by **estipe** » 29 May 2015, 13:12

Oh that is a great link, thanks jreed, and for the original post as well. Definitely going to give that a try when I have a next free day.

In your og post you said you used MAF cleaner but it didn't work too well. I have some, but do you think it is even worth using it? Or should I just go buy some throttle body cleaner?

estipe · Post by **estipe** » 10 Jun 2015, 18:02

Well I took out the IAC and gave it a cleaning (it wasn't too gunked up) and the problem persisted.

I took it to a shop to have it diagnosed and they responded with...

"You need to replace:
-the MAF meter (which I'm assuming is the sensor and housing?)
-air filter
-vacuum hoses
-flame trap service
-throttle service
-oil change, because they found fuel in my oil

I am a bit leery as I do not quite understand how all of these things in conjunction could be the problem. MAF failure, sure. Vacuum leak, sure. I've read that the flame trap can cause problems on its own, too. But I don't understand what one event could have happened that caused all of these things to be necessary in order to make the car run again. I understand that the servicing and replacing of parts would be beneficial for performance, but I don't know why I would need all of those specific things to make it run properly again (ie. the air filter is a bit dirty, but not terrible. I had looked at it two days before I took it in.)

Please correct me if I am mistaken, and any information would be much appreciated.

Post by **abscate** » 10 Jun 2015, 19:21

Your shop is trying to save you money. Troubleshooting a car to figure out the exact component which causes poor running costs 90-125 per hour. That's why we do it ourselves

Your shop is correctly guessing it's cheaper to replace four relatively cheap parts than spend four hours testing which one or two is contributing.

If you troubleshoot you can tell them to replace the MAF and the outcome is on you. If you ask them to diagnose and fix it, it's on them.