Long story. Please bear with me.
1986 Volvo 240D
Our story begins on a sunny summer afternoon. I drive the car about 30 miles from my home to the sporting good store. The vehicle operates normally for the entire drive. At the store they are having a gigantic sidewalk sale. What would have been a 15 shopping experience probably lasted about 45 minutes. When it was time to leave I went to start the car as usual. But it didn’t start. It was behaving as if it were out of gas. I was so convinced that I was out of gas that I hiked to a nearby filling station, paid more than $13 for a gas can and fuel. I put the fuel in the car and nothing changed. When I turn the key the engine fires once and then back to the same thing you get when there is no fuel.
good spark
good fuel pressure at the motor
I can’t afford to start throwing parts at this thing.
What do I check next.
I had the car towed to a service station. They were able to get it started by pumping the gas pedal as they engaged the started. (How does pumping the gas assist the starting of a fuel injected car?) I started the car the same way. I drove the 3 miles home by continually pumping the pedal. When I was able to get the car upto 60mph I could then just hold the pedal down and it seemed much more normal.
I don’t know an '86 Volvo from an African elephant (I’ve never been to Africa and don’t work with animals) - but what the throttle gives you on FI cars is air. Look at your air filter and intake tube and check out your idle air control valve - if so equipped.
But the throttle will also tell the computer what to do with fuel. You say “good fuel pressure at the motor” - well the only way to tell that is with a fuel pressure gauge. The required pressure range is pretty narrow and you need to make sure it is within that range.
When they had it at the service station they actually did a fuel pressure check.
Throttle = Air
Good to know.
You should ask the folks on Brickboard. That site is devoted solely to Volvos and they’ll be much more likely to help, especially with an older model.
Is this the old Bosch 100% mechanical injection where a jeweled bearing damper door (the MAF) directly controls the fuel metering?? If so, maybe everything that moves just needs to be carefully cleaned and inspected. Check for a vacuum leak in the air intake hose.
THERE IS A FUEL PUMP FUSE IN THE ENGINE BAY. IT SITS IN A PLASTIC HOLDER THAT BREAKS APART WITH AGE. LIFT YOUR HOOD AND LOOK ALONG THE SIDE YOULL SEE THIS HOLDER WITH I BELIEVE A 25 AMP FUSE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 240 VOLVOS.
AIR MASS METER.
Checked.