My son's 1990 240 wouldn't start today and the only way to get it to tart was by jumping fuse 4 to 6. if I remove the jumper it stalls immediately. I didn't have a lot of time before work to investigate. Any suggestions? The pump doesn't buzz when I turn the ignition on.
Of course he leaves for college tomorrow....

It was the fuel pump relay. Back in business

Philvo,

I had the exact same thing happen to me this summer. See my link here:

https://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1634325/220/240/260/280/gremlins_fuel_system.html

You have to swap in a known good fuel pump relay first and if that does not work, swap in a known good ECU.

I had both lying around the house and it wound up being the ECU. The original one was the dreaded pink label.

After this episode I went on eBay and purchase another functioning ECU and am currently looking another as I have two bricks and I need to keep them running.

Best of luck.

Matt

Have you tried swapping in a known good relay? Does it do the same thing?

If so swap in a known good ECU.

Dan

I believe this happens when the ECU fails to provide the ground to the fuel relay. Do you have a pink 561 installed?
Dan

Hi Dan,
I ended up giving my son my 1984 turbo wagon for the trip up to the university of Maine. I got the car running by jumping the fuses again and when I got it home I checked the ECU and it is not the pink label one. I will be checking all the wiring to the pumps tomorrow when I have daylight again. If the main pump was dead it wouldn't run even if jumped would it?

What ECU do you have? And label color.

If the main pump is dead it will not run.

Dan

Hi Dan,
I will have to look when I get home. Can I bypass a ground to the FPR?
Thanks, Phil

Phil
This is a safety feature of these Volvos so the fuel pump stops pumping fuel in case of an accident. You can run it like you found but the fuel pump does not stop until you remove the jumper.

I have seen a work around that involves wiring another relay in place to bypass the failed circuit in the ECU. You would have to google this repair or maybe Art will see this and comments.

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/EngineFIComputer.html#ECUWorkaround

The easiest solution is to replace the ECU with a white label 951.
Dan

Dan, I've seen the thread but note your responses are the best advice. I'm an avid hacker yet I would not send my kid to school with a hacked repair because she may have to rely on a local mechanic to unhack it.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore


"Freedom of speech gives you the absolute right to pose any question you like based on whatever unsubstantiated assertion you choose."

Thanks Art, I agree it's not ideal and I have been fortunate to always have a good spare.

Maybe Phil has at least another 240 he can swap ECU's with to get the kid off to school and then look for a solution to his car.

I have one still in school for another year, so I am near the end of that at least!
Dan

My grandson just took his under-maintained '90 240 sedan 800 miles away to school. Got a text: "Hey, I made it to Illinois. But when I was 30 minutes away, my check engine light came on. 2 was 1-1-1, but 6 had 2-1-4 and 1-4-3"

Can't say bring it on by this evening... :(
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

"It's deja vu all over again."

I still have 2 that are about 90 and 130 miles from me, both in different directions. Also 2 at home.
Dan

Three 240s, three university diplomas, no family, never married, no children.

The latter three are what make me an unpleasant person, in part, at 48 years.
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