Hi Peter Cannon,

Sorry you are having problems with your Volvo 940 SE, normally aspired (meaning no turbo), with B200 F engine.

Onkel, Spook, and Amarin are trying to work with you to start tyhe fault diagnosis process. They need for detailed information so they can provide guidance on the next steps for fault diagnosis, and, when the fault is found, mending or replacing what is broken so you are on your way, safely.

What year is your Volvo 940 SE?

What engine control system is your Volvo 940 SE equipped with:
- Bosch LH-Jetronic (fuel, emissions control) / EZK (ignition, emissions control)
- Bendix Rex (ignition, emission control) / Regina (Fuel, emissions control)
- Bosch Motronic (Doubtful?)

Do you have access to Volvo 940 repair manuals with diagnostic direction for fault tracing (finding) and repair? If not, I'll post links you can use.

If you believe the ignition switch (under the dash board, and behind the keyed ignition lock) is at fault or you have another electrical fault, tracing with an electric multimeter (voltage, continuity, and ohms [resistance]) helps.

The Volvo keyed ignition lock you insert the key into to start the Volvo 940 suffers with a heavy key chain connected to it. You can damage the lock and the ignition switch. For any keyed ignition lock switch on any automobile, always use the lightest key chain arrangement. Wear to the ignition key lock can damage the electrical switch. Though age and wear can cause failure of the copper contacts inside the ignition switch.

One way to fault diagnose the electrical ignition switch is to take apart the dash to access is and check the wire harness contacts (disconnect the wire harness connector) at the back of the electrical ignition switch using a multimeter. Disconnect the battery. You want the multimeter probes to securely connect to the posts at the back of the switch. You'll have for reference a wiring diagram for your year and model and nation of Volvo 940 so you can discern continuity faults when the ignition switch is at key position O, I, II (dash light on when engine off, or engine run), and III (start engine).

You say the engine quits at any time, usually on a short journeys. You smell gasoline vapors. Are you in the driver seat when you smell the gasoline vapors? Are you looking under the hood (bonnet) and smell the gasoline vapors? Do you smell excess gasoline vapors out of the exhaust pipe? Have you checked the engine oil and smelled excess gasoline odor at the oil dipstick or smelled strong gasoline vapors at the engine oil fill port after you remove the engine oil fill cap?

Did the repair garages try to replicate the type of travel you normally perform with your Volvo 940 SE to replicate the conditions of this fault?

The cause can be several. Have you checked the engine control system for fault codes? Leaking injectors? Faulty fuel rail control pressure regulator? Timing belt and timing components in proper condition? A faulty engine coolant sensor (under the number three intake port tube) used by the engine control system so the engine control system receives a proper engine coolant measurement by the resistance value this coolant temperature sensor present to the engine control system. (Whichever system you have, we don't know?)

And you've checked the onboard diagnostic (OBD) tool for fault codes. Though they may indicate a fault condition and not always the cause.

Without more detailed information, sort of hard to help you. Have you fully searched the brickboard.com for like threads and articles that contain the same fault symptoms? Such posts may contain a fault resolution you can check and try.

One wonders why the repair garages you went to were unable or unwilling to help you.

At any rate, please research this board using the search tool, and see:
- https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/
- https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/FAQSummary1.html

Though I see you are a member of the https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/index.shtml. You may want to search the Volvo Owners' Club UK for threads and articles as your specific model of 940 was not sold in the states. The FAQ is U.S. model market biased.

For reference using Volvo factory Green manual, search though:
- http://www.k-jet.org/documents/greenbooks/900-series/

Ignore the 960/ six-cylinder 90 series entries.

Volvo Wiring Diagrams (though U.S. specific, ending with the 1995 model year, last for 940 in North America, dammit.)
- http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/?dir=volvo/940%20Wiring%20Diagrams

You also have scanned images of the Haynes manual for Volvo 940 in the same directory.

I'll guess you recently bought this Volvo 940 SE?

Well, hope that helps you. Try the search feature on the brickboard.com and also on the Volvo Owner's Club UK for similar faults.

Else, without more information from your attempts to diagnose fault, we cannot really help you.

Though others may chime in with the proper response that help you mend the fault.

My best to NW England.

Hope that helps.

Rumpole of the Bailey
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