Any ignition system sleuths out there?

DangerCell · Post by **DangerCell** » 30 Oct 2020, 08:24

1998 V70 Stick W/101k miles

Did cap, rotor, wires and coil already.

Here is what it does:
If not started in 24hrs+ and it is at all wet out (it is always wet on cape cod) it is incredibly hard to start. Can get it going eventually but 30-40 tries??? So much so that it kills recent batt and needs a jump (surely beating hell out of starter too). It is spark not fuel. But eventually it will start.

Then once started:
It will idle smoothly till comes up to temp (5 or so min). Then it dies. Will not start again for 30-40 min...don't even try. could kill 3 batts trying and will not fire up.
However, after about 40 min it will fire right up and you could drive it normally all day. You can shut it down and it will start right up a dozen times as if there is no problem at all...

IF i simply start it and take off...it WILL die in about 5 min and not be able to restart for 40 min or so.

So I have taken to starting it every evening and letting it run 10 min or so. And in the morning if I actually want to be sure it goes when I need it to, I have taken to simply starting it up a solid 45 min before i actually need to go. Again, it Dies in 5 min, then will start in 40 min and run normally rest of day.

If it is left more than 24 hours without running (or even overnight if particularly wet out) it takes about a battery and a half worth of tries before it will fire up...

Again did the obvious stuff: cap, rotor, wires and coil with no effect.

I would really like to sort this out as I am sure I am ruining my starting system...this crazy hard starting 45 min twice a day starting even if not needed stuff is not sustainable.

Any idea what might be causing this???

Thanks in advance,
Simon

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 30 Oct 2020, 08:36

Coolant temp sensor and then Cam position sensor would be my first thoughts.

Post by **Sveedy** » 30 Oct 2020, 08:39

Kind of sounds like moisture in the cap. But that's probably too easy...

Sommerfeldt · Post by **Sommerfeldt** » 30 Oct 2020, 08:40

Hey there.

So, if you did the cap, rotor, coil & starter already, the starter spins and you're sure you're getting good spark, then it kinda sounds to me like it's flooding. There's several ways to check - the two easiest ones are probably to pull a plug and see if it's wet or smells strongly of fuel. If you can't do that, then try the "lawnmower syndrome" fix when you go to start it. I.e. gas pedal all the way to the floor, then try to start it. Don't let up if it starts to cough and sputter a bit, trying to start. If you do, you're back to flooded. Keep gas pedal to the floor and run the starter until it fires.

If you confirm that it's a flooding issue, then that's a trip down the fuel system..-

- S

DangerCell · Post by **DangerCell** » 30 Oct 2020, 09:13

Sommerfeldt wrote: ↑30 Oct 2020, 08:40 Hey there.

So, if you did the cap, rotor, coil & starter already, the starter spins and you're sure you're getting good spark, then it kinda sounds to me like it's flooding. There's several ways to check - the two easiest ones are probably to pull a plug and see if it's wet or smells strongly of fuel. If you can't do that, then try the "lawnmower syndrome" fix when you go to start it. I.e. gas pedal all the way to the floor, then try to start it. Don't let up if it starts to cough and sputter a bit, trying to start. If you do, you're back to flooded. Keep gas pedal to the floor and run the starter until it fires.

If you confirm that it's a flooding issue, then that's a trip down the fuel system..-

- S

DID NOT do starter. I just mentioned that this problem is surely tearing starter up. NO SPARK is problem. Moisture related ignition issue with odd, but consistent set of symptoms, that hopefully are somewhat telling to someone smarter than me.

Post by **abscate** » 30 Oct 2020, 14:55

Did you use all Volvo parts for those ignition parts , and all new??

Sommerfeldt · Post by **Sommerfeldt** » 30 Oct 2020, 14:58

Yup, meant to write “wires”, but my fingers are slower than my brain.

Why are you sure it’s a spark issue if all the sparky parts are new? Is the cap wet or damp on the inside, or is there corrosion? Is there water near the coil or in the plug wells?

If you CPS is messing up, you either shouldn’t be able to start at all, or it wouldn’t be predictable like that, I’d think... it could be a temp sensor, but it’d also be unpredictable... someone correct me if I’m wrong.

Have you checked for error codes? Fuel rail pressures and fuel pump relay? It still feels like a fuel related issue to me.

- S

Post by **abscate** » 30 Oct 2020, 15:13

Completely forgot about fuel pump relay. These can fail in this manner.

Swap in a known good spare or monitor the fuel pressure st rail. The latter is the pro way

Post by **erikv11** » 30 Oct 2020, 22:47

DangerCell wrote: ↑30 Oct 2020, 09:13
Sommerfeldt wrote: ↑30 Oct 2020, 08:40 Hey there.

So, if you did the cap, rotor, coil & starter already, the starter spins and you're sure you're getting good spark, then it kinda sounds to me like it's flooding. There's several ways to check - the two easiest ones are probably to pull a plug and see if it's wet or smells strongly of fuel. If you can't do that, then try the "lawnmower syndrome" fix when you go to start it. I.e. gas pedal all the way to the floor, then try to start it. Don't let up if it starts to cough and sputter a bit, trying to start. If you do, you're back to flooded. Keep gas pedal to the floor and run the starter until it fires.

If you confirm that it's a flooding issue, then that's a trip down the fuel system..-

- S
DID NOT do starter. I just mentioned that this problem is surely tearing starter up. NO SPARK is problem. Moisture related ignition issue with odd, but consistent set of symptoms, that hopefully are somewhat telling to someone smarter than me.

Check the cam seal behind the mounting plate for the rotor.

I also like the cam sensor and fuel pump relay ideas.