1990 Volvo 760 No start in cold weather

Tiny
MNFLYER
  • MEMBER
  • 1990 VOLVO 760
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 25,000 MILES
I have a 1990 Volvo 760 turbo wagon that I gave to my girl friend. It sat for 4 years before I gave it to her. It ran fine until really cold weather came and then started to run poorly until eventually it would not start. I replaced fuel pump and fuel filter and it ran fine until cold weather this year and the problem repeated itself. Her brother is a (mechanic?) And I told him to replace the fuel filter again but he insists that the filter is not the problem.
I have had Volvos for a long time and have run into this before. Runs in warmer weather, will not run or runs poorly in cold weather. Replace filter and it works fine.
What else is there that would cause this problem? I say it is the fuel filter and water in the tank from sitting loaded the original filter and also loaded the new filter and should put on another filter.
Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 1:26 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,121 POSTS
Sitting for that long. You should have put fuel stabilizer. The fuel must have degraded.
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 2:35 PM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
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A fuel flow/pressure test will put that discussion to rest. Lol Need to do some basic tests when it wont start, fuel pressure, spark. Once we know what is missing we can begin the diagnosis, car sounds a little new to be having much debris in the tank unless there was some water damage or the such
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 2:40 PM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
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I must of mis understood I thought he said it was sitting for 4 years.
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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When you say it would not start do you mean it cranks over and will not start or it won't crank over at all

As suggested earlier by Mr. Jack on fuel and spark test-do below below and see what happens when it refuses to start, something has to give between the two-

Get a carb cleaner and spray into the carb or the throttle body on an EFI. Did it start and die? If not disconnect a sparkplug wire or 2 and ground it to the engine -have helper crank engine over-do you have a snapping blue spark? If so-you have a fuel problem, check the fuel pressure to rule out the fuel pump/pressure regulator and listen to the injector/s are they pulsing or hook up a noid light.

Fuel pump and Injector/s checks out-start checking the ignition system-power to coil, coil/s itself, distributor pick-up, control module, Cam and Crankshaft sensors.

If both fuel and spark is present-check the valve and ignition timing, this will lead you to problems with compression and valves opening and closing at the wrong time
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 4:32 PM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
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Ignition
https://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_video/test_engine_ignition_system.htm
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 7:09 PM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
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Check fuel pressure go here:
https://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_video/test_fuel_injection_pressure.htm
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 AT 7:11 PM
Tiny
MNFLYER
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  • 2 POSTS
How car runs is all dependent on temperature. As it gets colder the worse it runs and starts. Finally when It got to steady 5 below or so it might start but have very bad idle and if you tried to give it fuel it would die.
As it got even colder it would not start at all but here is the kicker and why I believe it has water fouled yet another filter. The fuel pressure gets progressivly worse and when I put a propane heater blowing under the back car and let it set for awhile and it started right up.
The temps are now in the 60's during the day and it runs like a top
It has good spark. Did the noid light thing and all seems ok.
As I said before. This is the same symptoms and problem of a year ago and maybe when it does the same thing next winter maybe they will listen to me and change the filter.
My main concern now is that the filter is water fould enough to freeze solid and stop fuel and now that it is warm it can't be good to not change the filter.
I am open to other opinions.
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Saturday, April 19th, 2008 AT 11:59 PM
Tiny
BLACKOP555
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To put the water in tank to rest I would drop the tank, clean out the lines, new filter *again*, run some through the fuel rail to get all water out.

As you said it sat for 4 years? I wouldnt run the gas that was in there through it.

Get all that cleaned out and if it still continues to have a problem on cold weather, then the problem is not frozen lines.
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008 AT 7:56 AM

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