Intermittent (Hot) Start Problem

I have an automatic 2000 Volvo S70 with 202,000 miles. Over the past couple years, I’ve had an intermittent start problem that seems to only occur after a medium duration shutdown (15min-3hours) following a long duration of operation (about 2 hours or more, usually highway). When the problem occurs, all the lights on the dashboard light-up like everything is normal, but when I turn the key to the start position, nothing happens - silence, the car makes no attempt to start. Usually, I’ll wait anywhere from 3 minutes to an hour or more and it’ll start with no problem, like there was never a problem in the first place.

It seems to happen more frequently when it’s hot outside, but it’s hard to say for sure. And it seems to be random, within the parameters previously described; example: it happened twice on my recent drive to vacation, but not at all on the return trip home. Both days were hot, and all stops followed a similar pattern of operation/shutdown. And it never happens after a short stop following long operation; I’ve never been stuck in front of a gas pump. And I can run errands all day long, stop a dozen times in the blazing heat, and she’ll start every time without a problem. It never happens first thing in the morning, and it never happens after I’ve been at work all day (even if the car has been parked in the sun all day).

Thoughts?

Thanks fellas!

Sometimes a bad ignition coil will cause similar problems. The excess heat causes the coil to break down.