Only simple fixes here, please. No magic mystery remedies.

Car sat for about a year. Won't fire up.
Good crank, good spark, strong fuel pressure, static timing is right on, good compression...

Starting fluid doesn't help. I just want it to fire. I don't even care about it running smooth. What am I missing?
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Here you go.

The RSR appears to be working. I took the cover off and wathced the relay close as I truned the key on. Then I put a noid light on one injector and got no signal. Hence, signal is not getting to the injectors. That sound Right?

Where do I go from here?
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Hi "signature",

The ground wire to the RSR pin 4 could be broken.

The RSR connector can be broken

Try grounding pin 1 of the RSR That's the Green Red wire

See if it runs that way.

Bill

I was way off base with that post.
Pin 4 goes to the Battery!

I couldn't access Brickboard for a few hours, sorry!

The RSR supplies +12V to the injectors
The ECU controls the injectors by switching the ground.
You can jump RSR pins 3 & 4 to supply +12 to the injectors to test.

Put up your email for a schematic.

Bill

Ahoy Brickskinner!

Did you find a bad bullet connector at the RSR?

Brickboard is working fine this AM and apparently not on the AWS server.

Hopefully it remains healthy.

Bill

These are all good suggestions, fellow brickers! Keep the ideas coming and we'll get this. I'll be checking the RSR later today, after work.
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Sounds like the injectors may not be happening. I was about to suggest that you use OBD Diagnostic Test Mode 3 to verify that the ECU is able to pulse the injectors, but just realized your '89 740 is a turbo. The North American market B230F Bosch fuel injected engines were upgraded to LH 2.4 in 1989 and had OBD(-I), also the B234F 16-valve was LH 2.4, but the B230FT remained LH 2.2 for another year or so. So failing that thought, did you pull each of the spark plugs after cranking to see if they're wet? If it's air starvation or a blocked cat as some suspect then they should still be wet with fuel. If you've got a good strong spark then the distributor Hall sensor and power stage are presumably okay and if you've got decent fuel pressure then the system relay, fuel pump and fuel filter are presumably okay, but that still leaves the fuel pressure regulator and injectors. Like you and others, I'm smelling a bad RSR. While you're at it, you should also check the ballast resistor pack for signs of corrosion (on the left front fender).
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Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

Hi,

A plugged exhaust will do it. On the occasion of my having a no start with good gas and spark, the engine would cough once and then immediately flood the plugs.

After a long fight I accidentally discovered the engine would run with either one or two plugs in the block, but not 4. I don't remember if I tried 3. As I was scratching my head watching the engine run on one cylinder, a friend who happened by reported there was nothing coming out of the tailpipe.

Peter

check your air cleaner - full of acorns? - full of foam rubber detached from the top?

Air, fuel and spark - have you decked all three?

When cars sit connections corrode - check all electrical connections, clean them and add dielectric grease to help in the future.

The same thing happened to our '90 740 TI when it sat waiting to be sold - never gave us any trouble when we drove it every day.

That car DID go through two crank position sensors - this car was driven to 275K then sold.

Following up on the acorn theme… My 90 240 sat for awhile when I put it up for sale. Went I went to start it, cranked but wouldn’t start. After checking many possibilities, I discovered the air filter housing was full of debris. Pine needles, leaves, foam rubber etc. A mouse or mice had moved in for the winter! Also look for chewed electrical wires.

A clogged exhaust is another possibility. Especially a clogged catalytic converter.

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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

What's a mystery cure?

Sounds like the RSR has not enabled the injectors.
Be aware that the bullet connector can fail to the RSR.
You can jump the RSR to confirm, see the FAQ.

Bill

Thanks Bill. What I mean by mystery cure usually goes something like, "have you checked the blinker fluid?..."

Thing is, I've checked all the obvious stuff. I'm getting ready to sell it and I just want to hear it run one last time.

I will check the RSR though since I forgot about that!

In the meantime, keep those suggestions coming.

Cheers!
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