7 replies to this topic

[bgkast]

Hello, new to the forum and the world of Volvos. I picked up a 1995 850 turbo wagon for my wife today and am having some issues. The sellers told me that the car had recently devloped a starting issue before we bought it. When we picked it up today it hesitated starting. I drove it a few blocks and shut it off to check the oil and it would not start back up. Eventually after much cranking it started and we drove it home. After getting home it would start just fine, but after sitting parked for a few hours it would not start again.

I have traced the problem to no spark. If I crank the car with the high-voltage coil wire near a ground I get no spark. The coil body has a good ground, and I am getting full voltage to the red wire to the coil. If I jumper and disconnect the blue wire to ground with the ignition on I get spark at the high-voltage wire, so I believe the coil is good. I then tested the voltage between ground and the blue wire when cranking and am getting full battery voltage, not the 0.7 to 1.3 volts I have read I should get. What should I try next?

I also tried checking the engine codes, but am having some issues. I Cheked the A2 port and when I plug in the jumper the light glows dimly, then glows brightly when I press the test button. I was able to get it to display no code (1-1-1) once, but can not get it to re-display the code or get any codes from other ports, just a dimly glowing light that glows bright when I press the button, then goes back to dim. I don't have a check engine light or and OBD2 codes.

Thank you for any help.

[Ghost Shadow]

cam sensor is where my money is on

[tca217]

I agree, cam sensor. My car was doing the same thing a while back. Changed out the cam sensor and no more problems.............................TIM

[Kevin.]

Agree with cam sensor. Easy enough to replace

[bgkast]

That is what I suspected. I fiddled with the connection to the cam sensor and got it to spark, but who knows if it will stay working. I ordered a new BOSCH sensor to install.

Thanks for the help!

[bgkast]

Can sensor did the trick. Thank you

[bgkast]

Well the spark is gone again. The new Bosch can position sensor had it running great for about 2 months until yesterday. Yesterday I was out with the car and it died while idling about 5 seconds after steering it (hot). I tried starting it again and it would crank but not fire. After a minute and a few choice words I tried it again and it stared up fine.

Today my wife took the car and when she tried to start it (cold) it would again crank but not start. I hitched a ride to where she was stranded, wiggled the can position sensor plug and got it started. I left it idling for a few minutes and it died again, but restarted and made it all the way home. Right after I got home I tried shutting it off and restarting a few times and it worked great. I let it cool down for a few hours and again crank but no start. I pulled the lead from the coil and confirmed there is no spark.

What are the chances I got a bad cam position sensor? I checked the coil and I think the speed sensor last time, what else should I try?

Thanks!

[bgkast]

It's running again (knock on wood). I pulled the airbox and checked the connections and wires for the cmp and the speed sensor,retested the speed sensor and put in a spare coil I got at the junk yard. I also replaced the 3 wastegate lines that were falling apart (unrelated to the no spark problem) Hope that does the trick.