Intermittent starting problem

[mightywolf]

My '98 S70R has got a funny little habit. It only happens occasionally (maybe once twice a week at most). I'll get in, turn the key and it turns the starter motor but won't fire. If I turn the ignition back off and on it usually fires up straight away (I sometimes have to turn it off and on 2 or 3 times). I've started to notice it happens more if I've parked on a hill. It happens regardless of the amount of fuel in the tank. The rest of the time it fires up first turn straight away.
I've also noticed it occasionally does it sat in traffic. It'll idle normally and suddenly the revs will drop like its about to stall and then return to normal (it never stalls) Its an auto an it does this regardless of the gear and happens in neutral or park so I don't think its a gearbox thing.
Any ideas before I have to go down the route of changing all the plugs, leads etc etc?
cheers guys.

[polak t5r]

hi mighty wolf i had the same problem on a 850 t5 few years back every time the car was on a hill it wouldnt start changed everything it turned out to be maff sensor proberly not the same thing but if you try everything else might be worth a look

[Phuturephantasy]

First thing I would try would be cleaning the Idle air control valve and the MAF sensor - a search should bring up any how to's

[mightywolf]

cheers guys

[Blackdog]

Had a similar starting problem with our 99 V70 2.5D.

Would crank until the cows come home but would not fire up.

When it happens again try taking the key out, turning it over and then starting.

If it fires up I would suggest that it is the ignition ring antenna.
This is the bit around the place where the key goes in with White marks on.

I am told it reads the key an turns off the imobiliser.

Regards

Steve

[Dacvolvo]

I also had a similar experience. Turned out it was the fuel filter under the car - a stone had managed to pierce it and if I left the car parked up for more than 2 hours, I would have to turn the key twice before she would start...

The first turn of the key and the starter motor would just turn but the engine wouldn't start. I would wait 3 seconds and then turn the key again and the engine would roar into life.

Parking on a hill facing down the way would cause the problem to be more frequent. Also, there was a very (and I mean very) faint smell of petrol.

It cost £10 to have a new fuel filter installed from the local Volvo garage.

[mightywolf]

I've only just replaced the fuel filter, so its not that. It does fire up if I turn off the ignition and turn it on again. Sometimes have to do it 3 or 4 times but it usually fires on the 2nd turn. I'm gonna clean the maf and the idle air valve first :)

[Jamest5r]

Crank and cam sensors would also give you problem mate, get the codes read if you can saves a lot of messing around.

[mightywolf]

had the codes read and it hasn't got any coming up. i've cleaned the m.a.f but that hasn't made any difference. so where exactly is the idle air control valve?

[Blackdog]

Mightywolf,

I still go back to the Ignition Ring Antenna.

As I said same symptoms. Would crank, not fire but would eventually start on some time second, sometimes third, and sometimes even more. Would even start first time some of the time LOL!

Fortunatally the V70 came with more history than the Victoria & Albert museum.

This showed that the problem was not new to the car and had indeed been back to Volvo for diagnostics which were inconclusive. She left the dealer not cured but with a note of suspected faulty Ingition Ring Antenna.

We changed the part (circa 40 quid) and the car has started first time, every time ever since.

Best of luck tracing the problem.

Steve

[mightywolf]

cheers blackdog, but i don't think its that. it stutters sometimes while sat at the lights or when you put your foot down (only for a second and then it acts like nothings wrong)
the idle air control valve looks fine but i'm gonna give it a quick clean anyway. think it might be plugs or leads.

[mightywolf]

ok quick bump. still have the problem. I've changed the plugs, leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm. Cleaned the maf sensor and the idle air control valve. its not throwing up any fault codes either.
It seems to be fine for a while then it comes back. for a couple of days it'll do the not wanting to start thing and then it won't come back for a week! But it does the rev drop thing nearly every day. Sat in trafic and it just occasionally gets a slight drop in revs like its gonna stall and then picks up again. Also noticable is when your stood and you set off again I get a blip like it hesitates and then clears and is fine. It only does this at very low revs (i.e when setting off from lights or pulling out of a junction which is a bit annoying).
I am still thinking it could possibly be the idle air control valve just sticking? I did give it a real good clean though and it seemed fine. Any more ideas?

[mightywolf]

anyone?

[JelT5]

Wish I could offer some advice that might be useful, it looks like you've pretty much covered everything though.
Could it possibly be a vac leak on the BOV?

[mightywolf]

Wish I could offer some advice that might be useful, it looks like you've pretty much covered everything though.
Could it possibly be a vac leak on the BOV?

its funny you should mention that. I did suspect my bov may be leaking at the diaphram. Could that cause it? its a bailey dv26.

[JelT5]

its funny you should mention that. I did suspect my bov may be leaking at the diaphram. Could that cause it? its a bailey dv26.

It's a possibility- BOVs can cause some problems on T5s. My Forge one didn't, I took it out because I wanted to hear the turbo chatter lol.
For the sake of a few minutes work- why not remove the DV, block the hole up and try it? You never know.

[mightywolf]

It's a possibility- BOVs can cause some problems on T5s. My Forge one didn't, I took it out because I wanted to hear the turbo chatter lol.
For the sake of a few minutes work- why not remove the DV, block the hole up and try it? You never know.

it won't do any damage will it? obviously the re-circ is blanked off, but won't it do any harm if it can't dump the excess gas?

[JelT5]

No it won't mate- we don't run enough psi/bar of boost to cause damage to the turbo.

[mightywolf]

cool i'll try that. cheers.

[eddielam]

try the fuel pump relay, mine does the same, a friends was cured by it, i will change mine tomorrow and write back. cheers

[mightywolf]

try the fuel pump relay, mine does the same, a friends was cured by it, i will change mine tomorrow and write back. cheers

cheers, never thought of that let me know if it works.

[mightywolf]

ok pretty sure this may be a fuel pressure problem. changed plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm and idle air control valve just to be sure. No change. Checked the dump vlave and pretty sure its not that.
It does seem to make sense if its a fuel issue. maybe not got enough pressure at low revs but fine at higher revs?
So what should i be looking at? Fuel pump relay is one. What about the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail? How could i test thats working? And then the fuel pump itself I suppose. Is there anything else to check?

[t5_monkey]

Just seen this thread again.

Ref starting I had the identical problem.... the starter motor went but no engine firing, but would be OK on the 2nd or 3rd attempt.

I got a local garage to clean, scrub and re-grease the starter motor pinion - problem completely went away and only cost me £50, it starts better than it ever has - really clean and quick fire.

Even if it isn't that... get it done before you go for more expensive fixes just in case.

As for the idle... not sure, but could be 2 unrelated issues possibly ?

[mightywolf]

*update* now changed plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm, idle air control valve, cleaned maf, fuel pump relay, fuel pressure regulator.........no change. thinking it is a fuel pressure problem though cos yesterday i pressed the valve on the end of the inj rail just to see and it dribbled out fuel. did it today and it proper squirted out under pressure. so that could be it.
owt else to try before i change the fuel pump?

[Timo.]

Have you tried running the car with the maf disconnected??

I recently sold my V70 T5 (1997) to a friend. Today it died on the service road. It would then fire up, run for a while then die. It would then refuse to start.

So on and so forth. Leave it for 10 minutes. Start her up, would run for a minute or so before just cutting out.

No misfire just seemed to die like fuel starvation. I got to the point of lying in the boot with my head above the fuel pump to listen to what it was doing. It seemed to be running fine.

Anyway I recovered the car to my house (cos I am good friend) and had a little play. Didn't think a faulty MAF would cause these issues but un plugged it anyway.

Started straight away with no issues after refusing to run with it connected. Went out for a spin. Never died or anything. Doesn't obviously run great with no MAF and running in limp mode but that is definitely the problem.

Plugged it back in when I got home. Car wouldn't start so 100% certain its the problem.

Quite surprised as I've had MAF go on various cars before but usually it just affects performance but never idle or starting issues.

Worth a try!!!

T.

[Timo.]

P.S.

I have the 'lambda' (engine management) fault light on.

T.

[mightywolf]

thanks for that. its worth a shot. the confusing thing is its not throwing any fault codes or warning lights and it runs brilliantly. it is just this hesitation and occasional starting trouble. think i'm gonna change the fuel pump as a matter of course, cos i've done everything else. i'm also gonna check all my vac lines today to make sure i haven't got a leak anywhere.

[Timo.]

I would try it next time you have starting issues. If it suddenly starts then thats' your problem.

T.

[mightywolf]

bump! Checked all my vac lines all seem to be ok. Changed the maf and its made no difference.
Could the bcs cause any of this? I ask because when I first fitted my mbc i left the bcs plugged in like you should but didn't cap the nipples off. Occasionally on a motorway run it would throw the little triangle warning light and throw up code p0243 (turbo/sup wastegate solenoid A malfunction).
I presumed this was air occasionally blowing into the uncapped bcs. I'd just erase the code and it would be fine. It never ran any different even when the code came up.
I eventually got round to capping the bcs off but yesterday on the motorway it threw the same code again?
Any new ideas?? Or am I wrong in thinking that code is something to do with the bcs?

One day I will get to the bottom of this!!!!!!

[abdul]

did u get the problem sorted