Cranks but no start. Topic is solved

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 27 Apr 2017, 08:49

Volvo V40, 2002, engine: 1.8 liter non turbo, non GDI.
Bought the car last summer. Has been running fine, normal and steady fuel consumption.

History:
VVT hub/VVT solenoid has been noisy when warmed up at idle since I bought it.
This winter on a very cold day the car stalled standing still in a parking lot.
Started up fine but stalled again. Engine kept running as long as the accelerator pedal was engaged.
No engine warning light.
Drove the car home and this symptom has never reoccurred since.
A week ago the engine warning lamp lit up and I bought a code scanner.
Following codes were found:
P0011 stored
P0011 pending
(camshaft position actuator)

P0420 stored
P0420 pending
(Catalytic converter)

Erased both codes and started the engine and let it run for a minute or two, engine warning light did not come back on.
Car sat outside my house over night and this morning I inserted the key in order to start.
Cranks fine but will not start. No tendency at all to want to fire.
I can hear the fuel pump going for a couple of seconds when ignition is turned on.

I connected the code scanner one more time and no new fault codes had been stored.

Pulled sparkplugs number 1 and 2. They're in the same condition. Center electrodes are dry and brown.
Negative electrodes are black but dry.
Good spark on spark plug number 1 which indicates that the camshaft sensor should be O.K.

After cranking a good while spark plug number one was slighly wet. Seems like the engine at least gets some fuel.

Regarding the P0011: The VVT solenoid/hub controls how much the intake camshaft is retarded or advanced.
Is it possible for a bad hub to become so much retarded or advanced that the timing gets thrown off to such an extend that the engine will not start?
I have never come across such a thing on forums, but I'm still asking.

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 27 Apr 2017, 10:12

Edit: Also tried to start with the gas pedal on full throttle. No luck, which rules out a clogged idle control valve.

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 27 Apr 2017, 10:25

Edit #2: Pulled the MAF sensor contact and after a good cranking the engine started but died after two seconds.
Still no fault codes.

difflock54 · Post by **difflock54** » 27 Apr 2017, 19:14

Check the fuel pressure at the valve on the fuel rail.
Should be around 42-44psi.

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 27 Apr 2017, 23:19

I will as soon as I have thrown together a suitable tool for this. I've got a gauge somewhere and if I can't find that I've got an air compressor with a burnt motor with two pressure gauges on it.

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 28 Apr 2017, 01:20

I found an old foot pump for pumping up tires with a gauge that goes up to 100 psi. The hose fits on the scrader valve on the fuel rail.
I first released the pressure and gas squirted out from the valve. I then hooked up the pressure gauge.
1st. prime showed 40 psi, After priming 4 or 5 times the pressure went up to 46 psi. The gauge is not super accurate, but good enough.
After 15 minutes pressure was down to 40 psi, perhaps due to hose not fitting very tightly.
I think I can rule out any problems with the fuel system as it seems unlikely that all four fuel injectors act up at the same time.
I think I should investigate the VVT hub / solenoid. Warning lamp lit up last week so I ordered a scan tool on ebay that arrived two days ago.
Scan tool reports P0011: camshaft position over advanced. I've read that if the hub gets stuck in the fully advanced position the engine will be hard to start, but I've never heard that it causes the engine not wanting to start at all, although it may be possible

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 28 Apr 2017, 02:13

OK, so spark seems in order, also fuel pressure.
Since I've had a noisy VVT hub and P0011 fault code I removed the VVT solenoid.
Didn't like the condition of the oil at all. Rather black and dirty.
Solenoid coil measures 7 ohms, which is normal.
The thing is that oil quality is important in order to allow this system to work properly.
Wrong viscosity or dirty oil WILL make the VVT act up.
The solenoid piston and housing is now immersed in carb cleaner.
Next up is looking at the hub to check that the crank and cam and VVT hub line up correctly.
Then an oil change.

emtor · Post by **emtor** » 28 Apr 2017, 10:13

I said earlier that the engine has no tendency to start, but that has changed a bit.
I have managed to make it start twice.
The cranking speed pics up if I keep at it long enough, and then it starts only to die after about one second.

difflock54 · Post by **difflock54** » 29 Apr 2017, 17:44

How about the IAT sensor?
That controls the fuel mixture at startup and given your problem is recently showing up in colder weather the mixture may be too rich thus flooding the engine on cold start.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 29 Apr 2017, 18:17

Did you check the voltage at the VVT Solenoid?