hey anyone...

my girlfriend has an 87 740 gl wagon and the car just decided not to start. she was driving along and pulled into the driveway and she was rushing and "simulaneously hit the brake and put the car in park at the same time" (i dont know if that would make a difference) and she turned it off and went inside and came back out no more than 15 minutes later and the car wouldnt start. what could be the problem here? the engine sounds like its turning over and there's plenty of gas? could the fuel lines or fuel filter just get clogged up that quickly and not feed the engine? she parks on kind of a shallow hill daily and has never experienced this problem before. she has about 187,000 miles on the car. any advice anyone could give would be grateful!

I'm going to assume you're more familiar with the 200 series than you are with the 700 series. Some parts are in differant locations, so if I repeat anything you already know, I am not attempting to be condescending.

The first thing I would do if you beleive it's a fuel delivery issue is disconnect the fuse to the in-tank pump. It should be the right-most fuse on the top row. The fuse panel is located behind the ash-tray. After removing the fuse, I would then pulse the starter once so the pump will run for a couple of seconds. The main pump located under the driver's seat (on the bottom of the car) should make a buzzing or straining type noise if it is clogged. (Someone please correct/chastize me if I am mistaken. Mine makes this noise.)

If that is inconclusive, reconnect the fuse and disconnect the cable from the air mass meter. Crank again. If it starts, reconnect the AMM. If the engine dies, the AMM is t0zed. If it tries to die and then surges, it's OK. Of course repeat to your liking before condemning.

You may also want to check the start inhibit switch in the gear selector. Also, make sure all your fuses are good, especially the one on the top row all the way to the left. There's also a relay clipped next to the radiator expantion tank. Give her a good thump.

If I've covered anything that's ludicrous or violates everything the universe has ever shown you, please don't be afraid to flame me in correction. :)
--
89 764 GLE 150k/ 86 745 GLE 240k

that's the bosch system. the regina system only has 1 pump located in the tank. which his car might or might not have. mine had regina.

also, if it has regina, he won't have an AMM.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

I was unaware the 700 series had shipped with anything other than a Bosch engine management system. Haynes dosn't seem to mention it, although they also don't mention how to change the headlights if you drive an american model.

By the by, nice sedan. I've got a 760 (With the questionalble V6) that's my daily driver as well as my project car. The engine works well excluding times when there is a fuel starvation situation that I am too scared and poor to look into. My project is less about horsepower and more about brainpower. Adding blinky lights and knobs and buttons to distract me from the road and ensure I fly off the road at 90MPH.
--
89 764 GLE 150k/ 86 745 GLE 240k

has she/you tried restarting the vehicle after it's cooled down?
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

Do you have spark? Does it smell rich after cranking?

ya...the same thing keeps happening. the engine will turn over, but it just wont start. can you think of anything off hand that would be the cause. i was just looking at the haynes repair book i have for my 240, and it was talking about the fuel filter. could that be it?

so you basically left it sitting over night and tried to start it the next morning, same deal? hmm...

if the fuel filter were clogged, that would indeed prevent the car from starting. also, not having spark would cause it as well. have you looked at the FAQ? they have several things you can check for.

sorry if i'm not much use. :)
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

Start with the FAQ's. My first thoght, though, is that braking and shoving the shifter into park simultaneously will cause the entire drivetrain to rock fairly vioently in it's mounts - particularly if the wheels are still rolling.
I'd first suspect a connection being yanked loose by that, but would be inclined to follow the troubleshooting hints in the FAQ's before chasing the proverbial untamed ornithoid.



(Wild goose chase for those that don't care for Star Trek: Next Generation.) ;)
--
There are no stupid questions only those that are not asked.