Mild Emergency: Car Starts Cold but not when Hot

ir637113 · Post by **ir637113** » 22 Jan 2018, 17:21

Been having on and off issues with my '94 850 NA wagon. Currently, I've got a starting problem.

About a week or two ago I had cold start problems. Would crank and crank and crank, but not start. Finally got it to start with a jump, and it started fine cold. Figured it was an "old car in the cold weather" problem. The other day, I go to take it to work. Let it warm up in the garage, and I'm off. Drive about a mile, and I lost everything and the car wouldn't start again. Got it towed back to my place.

Checked the fuel pump relay with a bypass. Seems to work fine whether the relay is in or not. I started it up today (imagine my surprise), drive it about twenty blocks or so, and park it and turn it off. Try to turn it back on, and nothing. Cranking and cranking and cranking like before.

Thoughts? I've got a few weird things going through my head, and want to know what anyone thinks. I can hear the fuel pump with the key in position 2 (it seems like when its hot, if I leave it in 2 for a few, it gets closer to starting). Got some oil in my spark plug wells - would oil fouled plugs cause anything like this? Replaced a vacuum hose around the throttle body a couple weeks ago - someone suggested to me a vacuum leak.

I'm just stuck right now because wife and I both are working and she's in school, and I've got like twelve places to go for work this week. Any suggestions would be great.

ir637113 · Post by **ir637113** » 22 Jan 2018, 17:39

Additional info. May be related or not. Got a vacuum leak on this hose

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Post by **abscate** » 22 Jan 2018, 19:37

An unmetered Air leak will kill your starting in cold weather. Chase down the splits, holes, and weak spots.

Post by **cn90** » 22 Jan 2018, 20:00

- Air leak as mentioned.

- ? bad ECT.

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 22 Jan 2018, 21:09

abscate wrote: 22 Jan 2018, 19:37 An unmetered Air leak will kill your starting in cold weather. Chase down the splits, holes, and weak spots.

That would have to be a pretty bad air leak thought, wouldn't it? P0455+ magic, no?

I'd check out this sensor--the coolant fan temperature sensor The one time our car wouldn't start when hot was due to this sensor. It was the original, oxidized, and was weeping coolant. I've had an FAE in there for over two years with no problems. <<Knocks on creaky dash for good luck>>

I'm sure the fellas on here have a resistance reading for it. But for $15 bucks, I think it's worth swapping a new one in as preventative maintenance.

ir637113 · Post by **ir637113** » 24 Jan 2018, 11:53

Thanks for the advice, guys. I was mostly just pissed and wife forbade me to work on it if I'm going in pissed off (darn wives, huh?

)

It works out cus I've got other issues I need to have it in a shop for, so I'm just gonna let someone else mess with this damn thing this time. I'm tired of spending days at a time on it for now.

On a side note, any Dayton, OH locals familiar with Tremaine's? Seems pretty legit from reviews - a shop that's done nothing but Volvos for 50 years has to be both good and relatively decent in price, right?

Post by **erikv11** » 25 Jan 2018, 09:15

Let us know what it was if they fix it!

ir637113 · Post by **ir637113** » 25 Jan 2018, 18:59

erikv11 wrote: 25 Jan 2018, 09:15 Let us know what it was if they fix it!

Their opinion:
> Clogged Oil Canister causing oil leak. They want to replace that and also want to replace the cam seals and the RMS (I'm calling tomorrow to see if they're blown or it's a CYA job) - $3042 ($404 for Oil Trap, $1038 for RMS, $1600 for Cam Seals)
> ECT Issues causing no heat in the car (I think they said wires were screwed so the thermostat wasn't opening. Confused because the needle would tell me the engine was hot) - $213
> Starting issues boiled down to Distributor, Wires, Plugs, etc. - $213

Grand total of $3800. I can do everything but the RMS and Cam Seals for about $300 and a day in my garage. So I'm going to try and find out about the other stuff. I think it sounds a little funky that the ECT would act up without the needle acting up either, and I don't think the Ignition systems would be the sole cause. It starts cold, but will not drive once it warms up (tried driving it to the shop, got about five miles down the road), but it'll idle if you don't drive it warm.

If the RMS and Cam Seals are blown, it's a loss. Even working exceptionally well, they go about $2000 around here, and I don't have the equipment or expertise to do it myself. I know from experience I can part it out for $200-$500, so if that's my option, that's my option.

In other news, at least it's tax season

Post by **abscate** » 26 Jan 2018, 02:34

ECT Issues causing no heat in the car (I think they said wires were screwed so the thermostat wasn't opening. Confused because the needle would tell me the engine was hot) - $213

Missed that. No connection between ECT sensor and car heat, but could be mechanic customer Comm link.

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 26 Jan 2018, 15:59

If anyone sees those sexy black & white check valves laying around, can you please determine which side (black or white) pressure is allowed through and which side forms a vac.

The '99 has a connection between ECT and ECC heat, but I don't believe the older ones do. That said, I'm still a newbie in the Volvo world - so anything I say should be considered suspect =)