TO anyone out there that might be able to help... I just returned home after a long trip (one week). I left my 1999 S70 (with aprox 24000 miles on the odo) in the garage for 6 days. When I returned, the car fired up briefly, ran for about 30 seconds, and then stopped running. After that, the car can't be started. It will crank, although I don't know if the engine is turning over or not. Sonetimes it will almost "catch" and start, but ultimately will not. This is the THIRD time this has happened to me (about 5-6 months apart), and on the previous two times the dealership said they couldn't find a problem, but replaced the plugs for "hotter" plugs per a service bulletin.

This car is babied, driven nicely, mostly around town, and serviced only at the dealership on a regular basis (by the book); including oil changes and routine maintenance. Oil and filter changes are every three thousand miles.

This time, the car died on Christmas Eve 2000, and (a) there are no dealerships open (b) Volvo OnCall will only tow to a dealership, but can't to my dealer because there is a gate blocking the entrance. Needless to say, it was ALMOST impossible to find a rental car at 2:00PM on 12/24/2000, but I got the last clunker on the lot (for which I plan to make Volvo pay for).

Unless someone can tell me exactly what the problem is, this car will be gone in a week. I will take a bath on the trade in, but will trade on one of the Japanese makes, completely dependable, won't leave you stranded, although albeit less impressive to drive.

I threatened my S70 with this fate, but to no avail.

Do you have a charger? Try charging the battery and see if that was/is your problem. Once you are sure you have a fully charged battery try starting the car, if it still won't start, try another key, and if still no luck, wait for tomorrow and get it to the dealer.

Tried all of the suggestions posted. Thanks to all who responded, but nothing worked.

I am having the car towed to the dealership this morning. They may not be able to get to it today.

Did I mention that this is the third time this has happened. Each time, the car sat for a week in the garage, and upon my return would not start. It cranks at a high speed, but won't turn over.

Volvo On-Call took over an hour wait time to answer the phone this morning. First question was "are you in danger?". My answer was that I was not, but the car was in very great danger...because I was about to take an axe to it!

He laughed, and said I'd have a tow trunk within the hour.. that was two hours ago.

Someone responded that Japanese cars are just as prone to problems. I had 6 Hondas prior to this, and none of them ever left me stranded, no matter what the weather or situation. Before that I had an American Motors Hornet wagon, and although a crude car in almost every respect, it was always there when I needed it.

Mind you, I still think the Volvo is a better car than almost any of the Japanese or American cars out there (the reason I bought the S70)...but this is only true when the car RUNS. I think RUNNING is important to safety too.

Can you tell I'm pissed off?

I think we may have something here..

> not start. It cranks at a high speed, but won't turn over.

'cranks at a high speed' sounds like 'no compression'?

Has anyone before this happened started the car, moved it back or forward a little (eg. in or out of garage) and then shut it off again?

If so: Probably lawnmower syndrome.. Volvo engines do _not_ like to be started and run for 30 seconds or so. Do it a few times and it will not start anymore.

Do a search on the forum. Abe Crombie did a great write-up on this a little while back about why it happens and how to avoid it.

Bye, Arno.

Thanks Arno... I found one note on the subject (Nov 19,2000). Are there any others? Thanks; I will bring a printout of this to the dealership tomorrow.

Joe, Just please keep the board posted as to what your dealer has to say.

Thanks,

Steve F.

I wonder if it's possible that you "just" have water in the fuel system and it's settling to the bottom of the tank during these long idle periods and freezing?

Is this the part where you tell you live in Florida ;-)?

Actually, I live in Charlotte NC. The weather here has been more like New York/New Jersey lately, even more so in the Raleigh area. Anyway, I had the car towed into the Volvo dealer yesterday afternoon. I called 63VOLVO Tuesday morning at 8:00AM, held on to the line until 8:45 when they finally picked up. They gave me a number, and promised a tow truck within the hour. Around 10:30AM I called them again; number wouldn't answer for 20+ redials; finally picks up, and I wait 45 minutes again to talk to someone. They check the status and tell me that I should NEVER have been promised one hour; they were running two hours plus. Tow truck shows up at 2:00PM. Driver says he and another truck had towed 6 Volvos to the two dealerships in the area that morning alone, so don't feel bad.

The car gets to the dealership about 2:30PM. It rolls off the ramp; tech tries to start it; will crank but won't turn over.

I leave the dealership; they promise they will put it up on the lift, and get the problem solved. I get a call at 4:00PM saying (a) there are no codes in the computer (b) that a service technican was able to start the car first shot.

I tell them that I don't trust the car and want them to continue searching for the reason. They promise to do so this morning, but so far, everything looks OK to them; nothing needs to be fixed or replaced.

I went out yesterday afternoon and looked into other cars. I can honestly say I don't like them as much, but they are impressive. These include Acura TL, Lexus ES300, Infiniti I30, Toyota Camry V6, Toyota Avalon. It's year end, the market is down, people are nervous about the economy, and the dealers are willing to deal.

I've owned my S70 for 1 and 1/2 years. I know I will take a bath on the trade in. BUT, this is the third time this has happened; three times, and three tows, for a car that is babied and gets serviced right on time, all of the time, always garaged, always gets fed premium gas (Exxon or Shell), always serviced at the same dealership (which is fairly expensive, as you know).

I have one car, and it needs to be rock solid dependable. I have recommended this car to many friends, and more than one has purchased an S70. I hope they don't experience the same problems, and that nagging feeling "will the car start this time?" when you're away from home. Judging from the performance of 80063VOLVO, oyu could find yourself stranded for quite awhile. Bottom line: this is not the car, or the service, I was sold.

Thanks for all of your suggestions and I'll jeep you posted on any devlopments.

Joe, I can only start to imagine how you feel right now. However, before you take a bath on what should be a great car, consider again using Mobil 1

5w-30 and the "Italian tuneup". Your description of "babying" the car is exactly what causes the valve hang-up probem. It has been verified on some cars visually using a fiber optic tool to look into the cylinders.

There is also a TSB on the same symptoms which are caused by failure to read the key security code. This is due to high resistance connections to the immoblizer antenna near the ignition switch. The TSB is not totally clear on this but it implies that there will (or may) be codes stored for this problem. The TSB is identified as 3-36 0015 dated 6/00 and applies to the 70 series, 1998-2000.

Thanks for the response. I will let them know tomorrow. I was at the dealership today, and the car started like nothing was ever wrong. There are no codes on the computer, so this makes it difficult to track down. The service manager proposed that the problem may be compression. She said that in this 5 cylinder car, sometimes there is a cylinder that has lower compression, and would require a valve lifter kit. She offered to let me have a loaner to drive for a few days while a service technician drives mine around (I'm not sure if I like this idea). I'd rather have them try and duplicate the problem by letting the car sit for three days and then trying to start it.

By the way, when I say babied, I don't mean it's not driven at high speeds, etc. It is at least once per week driven on the local highways for 30 minutes or more at speeds of 70+. For the most part, though, it's driven around town.

Also, although I'm no car expert (used to be when I'd rebuild Fords I had in college vintage 64-68 -- Ford falcons--, and the old Studebaker I had), I don't know if I buy the compression explanation. I think it's an fuel and/or fuel injector problem. There is a funky smell that was in the air when I tried to start it up, and cranked it for 15-30 seconds...something like the stuff you used to spray into the carburetor on old cars to get them to start in the winter time...not a gasoline smell, but something else. Anyway, hard to describe. I'll keep you posted.

One last thing, I have been reading the Brickboard site for a year now, but never had to use it for anything. I thank everyone for the notes. This has got to be one of the better perqs about owning a Volvo.

That ether smell is the catalytic converter dealing with raw fuel. Not good. When (if?) this is resolved, I'd ask for a converter replacement.

Sounds like you should change dealerships or get a regional manager involved and let them reccomend a dealer (worked when I had problems with a Toyota I had).

I have a friend that had a similar problme, but never got t solved. It happened if the car was started briefly, then turned off. I also heard about this being a problem with some other 850s. Some sort of ignition issue.TPS sytem/ignition trouble.

I have to say, if you think Jap is better, well it isn't. I have regretted advising my mom to buy a Camry, which has experienced non stop engine lights(since new), and now won't start. My older style Volvos, however, always start. Only under extenuatiing circumstances do they fail to crank.Snorty? sometimes, but runners. The 93 245 at 85k has yet to do more than blow a fuse.

Maybe you might think of replacing with an albeit simpler, but more dependable Volvo? Like a 945?

You see, like all these thigns, they have to catch it whenit is failing. Simulate the trouble. And Ford is paying less dealer work, so they also may not want to look.

Good luck.

Try just cranking the engine for like 30 sec. a shot about two or three times. be sure your batt is charged fully though......

If you have the "lawnmower syndrome" the extended cranking should do the trick......you may want to check all the batt. conections..... ground to the frame, and all etc.

If it starts then use a low gear and tach it out for a few miles.....jusy dont beat it to death.

Steve Ferraro

Hoboken, NJ

There have been some similar posts. Charge the battery and try starting it with the gas to the floor. This may clear a flooded engine. If you smell gas at the exhaust pipe, that's a sure sign. If the engine is cranking over at high speed, then you may have the infamous "lawnmower" syndrome, which is caused by very short engine run times, as when moving the car to get a lawnmower out of the garage. When you get it running, look up Italian tuneup on the board. Good luck! Let us know of any progress.

Could this be a fuel pump problem where the prime is being lost. I guess you could try spraying some starting fluid into the air intake and see if it kicks off.

M. Hirsh

i just had a similiar problem with my 1990 240. It hadn't been driven for like 4 weeks and just like you said, it started the first time and drove for like 2 minutes and died. After that, we couldn't start it. It would crank and stuff which says that it isnt' the battery. AFter taking it to the shop, it was the computer that had died. Now, your car is a 1999 and I doubt that it is since it is so new. But hey, all your other things have not worked so maybe give this a try.

tim