Volvo No Start
Volvo No Start
Volvo No Start
1987 740 Volvo, with B230FT engine and Bosch LH-Jetronic 2.2 Fuel Injection System
FREE!
A mess!
2008 by Frederick Su
All rights reserved
A bytewrite LLC publication
1.
Yes
battery, starter,
ignition circuit fine?
2.
Yes
3.
Yes
does camshaft
rotate?
4.
Yes
No
replace battery, starter,
or fix ignition fault
REPLACE
TIMING
BELT
5b.
No
to # 17 on ECU
ensure good
electrical
connection
Yes
4a.
REPLACE
CAOS
Check continuity
from 86/2" to #14
on A-Connector
trace backwards
in circuit
REPLACE
FUEL
INJECTION
RELAY
No Spark
REPLACE
MAIN FUEL
PUMP
No
jumper between
Yes
30" and 87/2";
whir at main fuel
pump?
No
Nonturbo
12 volts at
junction 30"?
Yes
6b.
Turbo
Continuity
No
btwn 2 blk
wires of CAOS?
Yes
Yes Continuity btwn No
CAOS & 86/2"?
No
No
direct feed
to main fuel
pump; whir?
6a.
jiggle relay;
start?
Yes
clean f.i.
relay
junctions;
ensure good
connections
test continuity
btwn CAOS &
#14 on A-connector
check connection
at 87/2" or find broken
wire between 87/2"
and main fuel pump
No
fill tank or
replace fuse
No
No
Yes
5a.
No
Quick Tests:
electrical
5.
fuel
7.
???
check injection
components under hood
with ignition On
No
Yes
0 volts on
output + lead.
12 volts on
input end?
REPLACE
F.I.
COMPONENT
Ign = Ignition
f.i. = fuel injection
CAOS = Charge Air Overpressure Switch
IECU = ignition electronic control unit
ECU = fuel system electronic control unit
???= end of my expertise
Keep going
until fault
is found
Involved Tests:
F
u
e
l
I
n
j
e
c
t
i
o
n
to #20 on ECU
???
This guide is a best-faith effort provided by someone who is not a professional mechanic. Users assume
all risks and liabilities, including material damage and costs that may be caused by incorrect information
and injury and/or death caused by not following safety precautions. Use of this article is an agreement
that parties shall hold harmless the author and bytewrite LLC. Observe all safety precautions!
here are many possible causes for a no-start. While not exhaustive, this manual covers the most likely suspects
right up to the fuel system Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and ignition Electronic Control Unit (IECU), where my
expertise ends. Having chased red herrings (and needlessly spent money) as a do-it-yourselfer, I now adhere to
the motto: Be informed. Check twice, buy once.
Diagnosis is done without the use of fault codes or an oscilloscope.
How so? In the end, a computer delivers certain voltage or current
values to components under certain conditions, and a lot can be
discerned by testing for those end results.
My Volvo is a 1987 740 turbo, B230FT, L-H Jetronic 2.2. So, instructions are mainly for this model, but advice here may help you
with other models and variations. Exceptional wiring diagrams are
available for different fuel injection and ignition systems at www.
autoelectric.ru/auto/volvo/740/1989/740-89.htm for the 740 and
http://www.autoelectric.ru/auto/volvo/940/1993/940-93.htm for
the 940.
ground
1. No or little noise on ignition Start (engine does not turn over or crank)
or grinding screech. Check for 12 volts DC at battery terminals (note: a faulty battery will quickly drop to 9-10 volts when under load). Also clean battery cable ends
and battery posts. Other possibilities are the starter solenoid and starter (grinding
screech) and ignition switch and circuit.
2. Engine cranks but doesnt run on ignition Startthe symptom for all
following tests. Be sure you have gas (and not water; I once had that problem!).
Then check that fuse 1 (main fuel pump and fuel injection system) is intact.
3. Mechanical. Check timing belt. Lift oil filler cap to view overhead camshaft
while an assistant cranks engine. If camshaft rotates, the timing belt is fine. If the
camshaft doesnt rotate, your timing belt is likely broken.
4. Electrical. Pull the coil high tension wire from the distributor and hold its end
about 1/8 from metal on the engine block (Figure 1). (Danger! Use a plastic grip
or tongs, never insulated metal pliers or your bare hand! Perform test in dry
environment.) With someone cranking the engine for 2-3 seconds, check for good
spark. (Dont overdo cranking, as some manuals warn it could damage sensitive
electronics.) If no spark, go to Step 4a. If good spark is present, go to Step 5a.
Center
Post
4a. No spark. In olden days, no spark from the ignition coil usually meant it was faulty or the coil primary contacts
1 and 15 were corroded. These days, other possible culprits include the Hall sensor or Power Stageand they
cannot be discounted. (Parts suppliers also call the Power Stage an igniter, ignition amplifier, etc.) With ignition
3
On, check for 12 volts DC at the primary lead of the coil (between 15 and groundsee Figure 2). If no 12
volts, trace back in ignition circuit. Also check for 12 volts DC between 1 and groundif null, replace ignition
coil. Otherwise, clean 15 and 1 terminals and leads and high tension lead
and center post con2
tact. Attempt restart
1
3
of engine. Start?
Problem is fixed. If
no start, go to Step
4b.
4b. No spark. A
malfunctioning
Hall sensor, located
Figure 3. Arrow points to Hall
on the overhead
sensor connector beneath in-line
distributor on back of engine near distributor near
firewall. To test inputs per Step
firewall (Figure 3),
4b, unplug connector by pressing
also means no spark
up on spring clip at bottom and
from the ignition
gently pulling back. Inset: Numcoil. (Starting in
bers denote Hall sensor terminal
1988 Volvo switched
leads. Probe terminals for proper
over to an RPM seninputs (Sidebar 2). Terminal 3 is
sor instead, located
red wire.
on the bellhousing
(see Sidebar 5), that runs off the crankshaft. Functions
of the Hall sensor and RPM sensor are supposedly
identical, but I cannot personally vouch for that fact.
In this article, any mention of the Hall sensor also implies the RPM sensor.) A properly functioning Hall sensor also closes electromagnetic switch 2 (EM2) on the
fuel injection relay (Figure 4), feeding current to the
main fuel pump. To observe EM2, release then lift and
work the relay tray into the open (Figure 5). Remove
relay from its tray socket and gently pry whitish
cover off to expose the two switches, EM1 and EM2
(copper coils). Reinstall the relay sans cover into its
blue female socket in tray. Turn ignition to Start.
EM1 (frontmost in tray) and EM2 should both close
(Figure 6). If EM2 closes, then the Hall sensor works
and either the ignition coil or Power Stage is bad
(Step 4c). If EM2 is open, then the Hall sensor or
RPM sensor is most likely bad. First check for proper
inputs to Hall sensor (Sidebar 2). If inputs are there,
replace distributor. If inputs are not there, the problem could lie with the IECU (Figure 13). End of my
expertise. [A new RPM sensor is no longer cheap.
And replacing it, because of the confined space, is
no walk in the park. Breaking it may necessitate pulling the transmission. Visit http://www.volvoclub.org.
uk/faq/EngineSensors.html#Crank_Postition_Sensor
for instructions. (Yes, they misspelled Position.)]
(a)
EM2
(b)
5. Fuel System. Good spark implies a problem in the fuel injection system. Consult the wiring diagram available at autoelectric, listed earlier.
Their schematics also show locations of various components on the car.
5a. Test Fuel delivery. Open the fuel rail (Danger! No smoking!) and
at ignition "Start." A reading of 0.000 0.015 VAC implies a faulty Power Stage
or a fault feeding the Power Stage. In
this photo, 4.51 VAC across "1" and
ground (with all leads connected, of
course) represents a properly running
engine. (On the 940, I got 2.6-2.8 VAC
with engine running.)
insert 17-mm inlet into a jar or can (Figure 9). Pull fuse 11 for the in-tank
pump (to exclude it in this test) and hit Start for a couple of seconds.
(If you had left fuse 11 in, a functioning in-tank pump would still deliver
fuel, falsely implying a working main fuel pump. The engine will not start
with a faulty main fuel pump and cannot start relying on a functioning
in-tank pump alone.) If no fuel is delivered, go to Step 5b. If you get fuel,
the main fuel pump and fuel injection relay work. Go to Step 7. Re-insert
fuse 11.
5b. No fuel delivery. No fuel means a faulty main fuel pump, fuel injection relay, or their circuits. Test the main fuel pump first. (Danger! Set car
up on good jackstand on flat surface, transmission in neutral, wheels
blocked, handbrake set. Use jack as backup support.) Go under car and
push on both feed wires to the main fuel pump while an assistant cranks
the engine. A functioning main fuel pump emits a whiney, tinny whir at
ignition Start or engine Run. (FYI: on the other hand, a functioning intank fuel pump emits a soft hum at ignition On.) If there is no whir from
the main fuel pump, check for 12 volts DC across the leads when engine is
cranked (Figure 10a). Also, make sure negative lead is grounded. If 12 volts is present, because a main fuel pump is
not inexpensive, doublecheck by running a long positive
lead probe [Caution! Sheathe positive probe so it doesnt
touch metal (ground) while setting up and only unsheathe main fuel pump
for test!] directly from the battery + post and a ground
lead from the door buzzer terminal of Figure 10b and
probe the main fuel pump contacts directly. (Youre doing
+
lead
this test because sometimes the electrical leads dont
seat properly.) If no whir, replace main fuel pump. If whir
bracket
is present, then clean all electrical contacts as best as posground
sible (theyre recessed), reconnect, and push leads into
Figure 10a. Underneath the vehicle,
pump while an assistant cranks engine. (I had to grind
insert positive probe of multimeter Figure 10b. Set up a
into the positive lead to the main
down the plastic housing of the positive lead by 2 mm
convenient ground
to ensure a better fit into the pump connector.) If engine fuel pump and insert the negative
by screwing an elecstarts, then it was a bad electrical connection to the main probe of the multimeter to ground trical connector onto
of (b). Have an assistant crank
the drivers side door
fuel pump. If 12 volts is not present, go to Step 6.
Figure 9. Pull fuse 11. Use 14-mm and
17-mm wrenches to break open the
fuel rail. Insert the 17-mm inlet into a
container to check for fuel flow while
an assistant cranks the engine (ignition
Start). Careful! Fuel can come out fast!
The connectors are arrowed.
87/2
6a. Fuel injection relay circuit. Electrical. If EM1 and EM2 do not close
at ignition Start, first try jiggling the relay as you hit Start. It could just be
poor electrical connections. If so, clean the contacts. If still no go, pull the upper (male) relay out and use a jumper wire to momentarily connect 30 and
87/2 at the blue (female) socket of the fuel injection relay (Figure 11). As 30
is always hot, i.e., always at 12 volts DC, do this test with the key out of the
ignition. You should be able to hear a whir within the passenger compartment.
If you like, have an assistant listen underneath the car. If there is a whir, replace
the fuel injection relay. If there is no whir, check for 12 volts at 30. If no 12
volts, trace back in that circuit. If 12 volts is present at 30, in non-turbos, check
6
A-block
ECU
right front
door jamb
CAOS Connector
Ignition
ECU
steering
column
ECU Connector
continuity between
86/2 of fuel injection relay and #14 on
block A-connector
(Figure 12; end of my
expertise). In turbos,
find the Charge Air
Overpressure Switch
(CAOS, Figure 13).
Pull connector apart
and check continuity across CAOS (the
black wires in one
half of the connector). If no continuity,
replace the Charge
Air Overpressure
Switch. On the other
half of the connector,
check continuity to
86/2 through one
of the yellow-black
wires. The other
yellow-black wire
from the CAOS runs
to #14 on the block
A-connector and
then on to ECU. End
of my expertise.
Figure 14. With ignition On, first check for 12 volts DC (normal) between Green lead and ground at fuel injector 1. Next,
work backwards through the connector at the ballast resistor and then the auxiliary suppression relay. A null result on
output + connection of a component and 12 volts on the input
end identifies that component as faulty. See Sidebar 3.
For instance, to test the auxiliary suppression relay, pull the relay
apart and test the BN or R lead of connector (left) for 12 VDC
(should always be present, even with key out of ignition switch).
If no 12 V, check back in the feed circuit. If you get 12 V, put the
relay back together and pull the ballast resistor connector apart
(right). At ignition On, check for ~11- 12 VDC at the ballast
resistor connector by probing the GN-R lead coming from the
auxiliary suppression relay. If you get 0 VDC or otherwise low
reading, then replace the auxiliary suppression relay.
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