# HELP! I am at a total loss here **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** volvo, 240\ **Created:** [March 7, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713 "2010-03-07T20:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pyrate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pyrate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/1 "2010-03-07T20:24:42Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![pyrate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pyrate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/2 "2010-03-07T20:28:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/3 "2010-03-07T23:48:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![pyrate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pyrate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/4 "2010-03-08T00:03:34Z")
When they had it at the service station they actually did a fuel pressure check. Throttle = Air Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![jdmere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jdmere/32/3002_2.png) [@jdmere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jdmere)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/5 "2010-03-08T03:25:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/6 "2010-03-08T04:25:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![petercartalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@petercartalk](https://community.cartalk.com/u/petercartalk)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/7 "2010-03-08T05:19:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![petercartalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@petercartalk](https://community.cartalk.com/u/petercartalk)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/8 "2010-03-08T05:27:57Z")
AIR MASS METER. ---
**Author:** ![pyrate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@pyrate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-i-am-at-a-total-loss-here/45713/9 "2010-03-08T13:01:16Z")
Checked.