volvo just cuts off as I'm driving.. can you help me please

While driving my car it will just cut off. The check engine light comes on
the car just stops... Doesnt matter where. On the highway doing 70 or in a
residential area doing 10. Please help me figure out the problem

 

While driving my car it will just cut off. The check engine light comes on

Readout the error code stored, fix the problem, then it goes again.
Next time, please write model, year etc.

Niels

 

Model, year? If it's a 240 or 7(4/6)0, could be the FPR. Fairly simple
(and cheap) to replace.

Beverly

 

In addition to model and year, some more info will help.

How frequent is the failure?
Apparently it starts working again on its own; if so, how long do you have
to wait and does it start like nothing ever happened?
If it doesn't always start right up again or after waiting a while, is there
anything you do that seems to help?
Are the failures in clusters, or never one right after another, or
completely random?
Never when the engine is cold, or doesn't matter?
Does it have a tach, and if so, does the tach drop like a stone or does it
follow the engine speed down?
Does the engine cut out with a bit of a jolt like you'd turned the key off,
or does it take a second or so to die (especially when going slowly)?

These answers can focus the investigation.

Mike

 

I can't help but think/ask: Would a Volvo do this if the oil level is
w-a-y low, e.g., dry? <<<shudder>>> I'll assume it's not that low, but
give it a peek just to be on the safe side.

Allan


.... and Michael Pardee spake, saying:

 

The model is 740 GL and the year is 89. It only cuts off after running a
while... I'd say 20 to 30 miles. It does start again but not all the time
right away.. Lately its been everyday

 

Very likely to be the fuel pump relay. This is a common failure in
740/760 because the relay runs very hot, and the solder joints crack.

Beverly

 

No. There is no oil pressure cutoff, and if you run out of oil to the extent
the engine stops running, it will do the same as any car and just stay that
way. My son's "learner" car was an old Subaru and he neglected the oil. He
called me to say the engine came to a stop when he stopped at a light and
would not crank. By pulling the plugs and putting oil in the cylinders we
were able to get it running again for a week or so (until it threw a rod),
but most seize and stay that way until the whole thing is disassembled. When
my sister-in-law did that to her mother's Oldsmobile I put a socket on the
crankshaft to see if the engine would turn - it felt like it was welded to
the engine.

Mike

 

Beverly certainly has the most likely suspect with the fuel pump relay.
Being a fuel system failure, it usually produces a less abrupt failure than
ignition trouble. At low speeds the power will sag a bit right before the
engine dies and the tach will drop gently. Most ignition problems will cause
the tach to drop like a stone and the engine to die instantly. The exception
is the "power stage" mounted on the fender above the battery - when those
overheat the ignition often fades away.

Go with the fuel pump relay - resolder or replace - first. If the problem is
still present there are some other common sources of intermittents, but the
relay is modestly priced, easy and a very good suspect.

Mike

 

I have the exact same year and model and mine did the same thing. I tried
the fuel pump relay first. But it turned out to be the Crank Position
Sensor,commonly called the RPM Sensor.Only cost $30 or so.Takes about 10
minutes to install.

 

My Son's car behave similar, he has a 85Mod 740GLE Automatic.
The car just stop after a few mile, or right away after it has started.
In the beginning it was very seldom, now it is everyday. Some times he can
start and go, other days it wont start again.

Please, could anyone tell me where I find the CPS on this car, and also
which relay is the fuel pump relay (not white in this car)
I had all the relay's out yesterday, and could not see any error, and
neither could I measure any error.

we have changed the power stage module, sparks, checked the fuel pump.

What is the FPR ??? I see someone mention this as a possible reason.

Best Regards
Geir R.Pettersson

http://www.arctic-heating.com

 

Me again,
"FPR" I know it now (I am just stupid).
Anyway I think I have located all the relay's, took them all out and have
opened the one who could be opened, gone trough every soldering point in
every relay, cleaned the connectors and so one, no help, still not start.

I understand that the relay can go bad, but since it must work now and then,
what could be the reason, after I have checked all the soldering points (re
soldered all point's)

I might find the CPS before anyone answer, but I still might need help.

I had similar problem in my Jeep, and then it was caused by bad connections
in the CPS.

 

What injection system does this car have? In the US they were all
LH-Jettronic but it sounds like perhaps you have CIS?

Can you hear the fuel pump under the car running? Does it have spark? I had
one occasion where the fuel pump broke internally, I could still hear it
running but no fuel was being pumped.

 

Injection system ? All I know is that it is 2.3L injection motor. I am
afraid I don't know what CIS stand for.
Spark ? I don't know if the spark is missing each time it does not start,
but since it start and goes a couple of miles, I guess the spark is ok. We
have changed the power stage module, and plugs.
According to what I found on this page
http://www.vlvworld.com/indexframe.html?700/Section_2_5.htm
I guess I have a K jet injection, cause I think the motor in this 85 mod is
B23E

 

Fuel pump relay can also develop intermittency due to contact wear. Glue
two pieces if fine grit abrasive paper back to back an cut off a small strip.
Use it to clean contacts. The white fuel pump relay has toe relays ont the
circuit board. The one that has contacts closest to the center if the board
will exhibit more contact wear.



Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things) http://www.viatrack.ca

 

Thanks, but I tried that as well.

http://www.vlvworld.com/indexframe.html?700/Section_2_5.htm
Relay for K-jet injection
The relay is green like on this page, I opened it, cleaned it with some
stuff for electronic boards, have gone trough all soldering points, in fact,
to me the Relay looked new, we have only had the car 6 month, so I have no
idea if it has been changed before.

As you understand I am a newbie when it comes to car, so could you tell me
if this car has a CPS, and if so where I find it ?

Best Regards
Geir R.Pettersson

http://www.arctic-heating.com

http://www.viatrack.ca

 

this car wont have a CPS.
try look at this link to get some information on the Hall effect sensor.

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/ElectricalIgnition.htm#DoesMyCarHaveaHallorRPMSensor

I know the link migth be broken up, but I don,t know how to post long links,
so you must try to cut and paste, to get it together.

Per Hauge

 

Thanks,
I really good page, I see I have plenty to read and learn.
I keep you updated in case we get rid of the problem.

 

Hi Again,
I have re checked all fuses, relay's and so on, listen to the fuel pumps,
tested according to the information I found on the page:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineFuelinjection.htm#FuelPumpandFIRelayDiagnosticTests
apart from that I can't see there is "There are 2 relays inside the fuel
injection/pump relay. One of them should turn ON when the ignition is turned
on (without turning over the engine), and the other relay (which actually
turns the fuel pumps) should come ON when the engine turns over/runs."
It is only one relay inside the fuel pump relay, neither can I find any
other relay for injection relay, I took of the cover of the fuel pump relay,
and looked the relay while I was trying to start, I could not see anything
happen, so I tried again and used my finger to push down the contact, and
then the fuel pump started, but still no action in the car, I suspect that I
might have several errors, some times I have a spark, and sometimes not, in
combination with fuel problem.

In my Jeep I could turn the ignition On-Off, On-Off, On-Off without starting
the car, then it would start flashing an error message (code) is it the same
thing in this Volvo ? and what is the sequence ?

--
Best Regards
Geir R.Pettersson

http://www.arctic-heating.com

http://www.viatrack.ca

 

The info you're getting from the brickboard is for LH-Jetronic and you
have K-Jetronic (aka CIS injection). They use different relays. If
your fuel pump relay isn't turning on, then either it's defective or
it's not getting the signal to turn on. This signal is pulsing from the
low voltage side of the ignition.

So if you have no ignition, the fuel pump won't turn on. Usually the
tachometer jumps if there's ignition during cranking. If you have a
test light, clip the lead to the negative battery terminal, and with the
key in the "run" position, the test light should light with the probe on
both sides of the coil. If not, then you have a power supply problem.
If so, while cranking the light should flash on one side of the coil
(the side with the red-white wire) and stay constantly lit on the
other. If this doesn't happen, then you have a problem with the pickup
in the distributor, or there's a problem with the power switching unit
(which you seem to have changed).

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)