Problem #1

I have a 1984 240GL that I have been having some problems with. It almost always starts up right away and idles fine (a little rough). But when you get going it sometimes just has a pause where it feels like it is going to stall but then kicks back in. It feels like the fuel supply is interrupted. When you get going it has the same intermittant lack of power until you get it to higher rpms. Again, it feels like it is not getting the right fuel mixture but it is inconsistant. It sort of stutters and stumbles if you can imagine it. When you get up to higher speeds it still has the serious and inconsistant lack of power but runs a little smoother. It never actually stalls, and it runs the roughest while warming up for the first minute or so. There are no leaks, and no smell of gasoline.

Since I bought the car last year ($750 from the original owner) I have replaced the fuel and air filters, spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. The previous owner (Tim Purcell) had problems with the AMM, and replaced it with another used one. He also revamped the flame trap. I have not tested the new AMM yet, but the car doesnt actually die with it hooked up. It has the LH Jetronic II fuel injection, I believe, and the AMM ends in 002 (I think). I have not checked the O2 sensor yet. Also, the car does not have a catalytic converter, it was bypassed by the previous owner. Would that effect the O2 sensor readings? Any ideas before I take it into the import shop and spend my grocery money?

Problem #2

Since I bought the car 6 hours away, I have had problems with the alternator and/or whole charging system. The alternator seems to fail intermittantly, but I have noticed recently that the only times I can remember this happening have been at night. I pulled the alternator and cleaned all the electrical contacts on the back of it. I also had to re-wire some of the wires running to it. I had it tested while it was out and it shows that its working like a champ. The battery was low yesterday and I had to jump it to get it going (very cold out, had not been driven in a few days), and when it started right up I let it run for over an hour because there was about 1/4" of ice enveloping the entire car. When I went back out it was idling without any trouble and I drove it around town without incident while listening to the radio and having the fan on full blast. When I drove it accross town a few hours later after the sun went down I noticed the lights were getting progressively dimmer. Sure enough, when I left my destination it wouldn't start and I had to get jumped. It almost died on the way home and I just barely made it into my parking spot. One thing I noticed this time was that the inop light indicator in the instrument cluster flickered several times during the trip.

Could a shorting out light cause the entire electrical system to discharge only while the headlights are on? The battery light does not come on at all, but that might just be broken. Anybody else have a simmilar problem?

The car is a 4 speed with O/D that does not work (yet), could this be a contributing factor? The relay for it is good, and I'm pretty sure it just needs a new solenoid. I can get it to kick in if I hit it at the right speed.

Sorry to be so long winded, I have been meaning to post these things seperately for a while. I'm a 22 year old college student driving my 3rd 240. In my mind, it is the best car ever made if you have a little mechanical know-how. Almost nothing on a volvo breaks, it just wiggles loose. If you know where to slap it with an open hand, it will run forever.