Irregular Starting 240GL
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jimmy_jameson
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 20 August 2006
- Year and Model:
- Location:
Irregular Starting 240GL
I have an automatic 1984 240GL and recently I've been having some problems with starting it. On random occasions it will turn over as though starting but not actually start. This can happen 2 or 3 times in a row and then start fine. This problem doesn't occur all the time though and it can happen if my car has been off for only a few minutes. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Kmaniac in California USA
- Posts: 301
- Joined: 15 January 2005
- Year and Model:
- Location: Concord, California USA
- Been thanked: 1 time
Regular readers of this forum may consider me a broken record, but I will continue to hammer this subject whenever I read about someone with similar symptoms.
I experienced the same symptoms with my 1986 740 GLE two years ago. The following are copies of posts I made to this forum on the subject. Please review and then look at the same things on your own car. Let us know if you have questions or comments, and let us know what you finally discover.
September 3, 2004
I, too, have a 1986 740 GLE sedan with B230F (no turbo, fuel injection) and automatic transmission. It always starts and runs well when cold, but will randomly fail to start when hot. I have owned the car for two weeks (no wonder I got such a great deal on this) and this has occurred at least six times. A couple of times it restarted after 5 minutes, but once it sat for six hours until the sun went down before starting again. Sometimes when it has its fit, it sounds like is tries to fire, but then just cranks. I am waiting for the next incident to confirm whether it is lack of spark or fuel. Will keep you posted. In the last 4000 miles the car got new spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor and coil, as well as a new in-tank fuel pump and filter sock. The fuel pump relay behind the ashtray works and clicks every time. Any suggestions from others who have experienced the same problem would be appreciated.
September 4, 2004
Well, my Volvo did it again today. At 7:00 AM and 65 F temperature, it started and drove fine as I got my morning coffee. Six hours later, after sitting in the hot California sun on this 90 F day, it failed to start in my driveway. I hooked up my inductive pick-up timing light to the ignition system and got plenty of spark on all four cylinders and the coil. Leads me to think the problem is hiding in the fuel injection system. The car has 203,200 miles on the odometer and everything associated with the fuel injection looks original, except for the fuel filter. Any ideas which parts of the fuel injection system would be affected by the heat of the sun on a hot day?!? At least I know it is not the ignition system. I will keep all posted as I progress through the fuel system.
September 6, 2004
Eureka!! I think I solved the Problem!!!
I drove my Volvo on errands this morning, ending up at the local auto parts store to purchase fuel injection pressure testing equipment. When I went to leave, it wouldn't start. It was a warm California day with the temperatures reaching into the 90's F. I sat with car for two hours trying repeatedly to start it. It would just crank. My timing light indicated strong spark. I got a ride home and returned with my tools in another vehicle. I spent another hour trying to figure out how to hook up the test equipment. Then a guy from the parts store comes out and says that he thinks it is the fuel pump. He then hands me a rock and tells me to tap on the fuel pump a few times. This should knock loose anything that might be hanging up inside the pump. So I take the rock, crawl under the car, and tapped the fuel pump about a dozen times. I get out, get into the car, turn the key and it starts right up! I immediately purchased a new replacement fuel pump, drove the car home and replaced the fuel pump. I am 99% sure that this will cure the problem. I will check back in a couple weeks to let you know how this is going.
October 1, 2004
After four weeks, the car starts first time, every time. No more starting problem. Both new fuel pumps did the trick!
Looking back, it is clear that the original in-tank pump was not working when I bought the car. I found fuse #11 blown a few days after buying the car. I replaced the in-tank pump for good measure. Since I was going into the tank to look at it, it was easier to replace at the same time than to put the old one back in. I discovered the old filter sock had deteriorated and had at least two holes in the sock. I suspect dirt entered the in-tank pump, fouling it and causing the fuse to blow. I further suspect the main fuel pump was fouled with dirt from the broken filter sock, which caused the intermittent starting.
Should you encounter a bad main fuel pump on your car, always inspect and/or replace the in-tank fuel pump, so that you can verify the condition of the filter sock. A bad or deteriorated in-tank filter sock will lead to fouling both fuel pumps with dirt. (Should you go to the trouble of taking out the in-tank pump, you may as well replace it while you got it out.)
I experienced the same symptoms with my 1986 740 GLE two years ago. The following are copies of posts I made to this forum on the subject. Please review and then look at the same things on your own car. Let us know if you have questions or comments, and let us know what you finally discover.
September 3, 2004
I, too, have a 1986 740 GLE sedan with B230F (no turbo, fuel injection) and automatic transmission. It always starts and runs well when cold, but will randomly fail to start when hot. I have owned the car for two weeks (no wonder I got such a great deal on this) and this has occurred at least six times. A couple of times it restarted after 5 minutes, but once it sat for six hours until the sun went down before starting again. Sometimes when it has its fit, it sounds like is tries to fire, but then just cranks. I am waiting for the next incident to confirm whether it is lack of spark or fuel. Will keep you posted. In the last 4000 miles the car got new spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor and coil, as well as a new in-tank fuel pump and filter sock. The fuel pump relay behind the ashtray works and clicks every time. Any suggestions from others who have experienced the same problem would be appreciated.
September 4, 2004
Well, my Volvo did it again today. At 7:00 AM and 65 F temperature, it started and drove fine as I got my morning coffee. Six hours later, after sitting in the hot California sun on this 90 F day, it failed to start in my driveway. I hooked up my inductive pick-up timing light to the ignition system and got plenty of spark on all four cylinders and the coil. Leads me to think the problem is hiding in the fuel injection system. The car has 203,200 miles on the odometer and everything associated with the fuel injection looks original, except for the fuel filter. Any ideas which parts of the fuel injection system would be affected by the heat of the sun on a hot day?!? At least I know it is not the ignition system. I will keep all posted as I progress through the fuel system.
September 6, 2004
Eureka!! I think I solved the Problem!!!
I drove my Volvo on errands this morning, ending up at the local auto parts store to purchase fuel injection pressure testing equipment. When I went to leave, it wouldn't start. It was a warm California day with the temperatures reaching into the 90's F. I sat with car for two hours trying repeatedly to start it. It would just crank. My timing light indicated strong spark. I got a ride home and returned with my tools in another vehicle. I spent another hour trying to figure out how to hook up the test equipment. Then a guy from the parts store comes out and says that he thinks it is the fuel pump. He then hands me a rock and tells me to tap on the fuel pump a few times. This should knock loose anything that might be hanging up inside the pump. So I take the rock, crawl under the car, and tapped the fuel pump about a dozen times. I get out, get into the car, turn the key and it starts right up! I immediately purchased a new replacement fuel pump, drove the car home and replaced the fuel pump. I am 99% sure that this will cure the problem. I will check back in a couple weeks to let you know how this is going.
October 1, 2004
After four weeks, the car starts first time, every time. No more starting problem. Both new fuel pumps did the trick!
Looking back, it is clear that the original in-tank pump was not working when I bought the car. I found fuse #11 blown a few days after buying the car. I replaced the in-tank pump for good measure. Since I was going into the tank to look at it, it was easier to replace at the same time than to put the old one back in. I discovered the old filter sock had deteriorated and had at least two holes in the sock. I suspect dirt entered the in-tank pump, fouling it and causing the fuse to blow. I further suspect the main fuel pump was fouled with dirt from the broken filter sock, which caused the intermittent starting.
Should you encounter a bad main fuel pump on your car, always inspect and/or replace the in-tank fuel pump, so that you can verify the condition of the filter sock. A bad or deteriorated in-tank filter sock will lead to fouling both fuel pumps with dirt. (Should you go to the trouble of taking out the in-tank pump, you may as well replace it while you got it out.)
Chris the "K MANIAC"
1986 740 GLE
(5) 1964 Chrysler 300-K's
1986 740 GLE
(5) 1964 Chrysler 300-K's
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jimmy_jameson
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 20 August 2006
- Year and Model:
- Location:
Cheers for that, I'll give it a go and let you know what I find!!
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