Hey all,

My volvo's been gradually getting worse and worse at running. It starts fine everytime, basically, but, when a cold start is done (left overnight) if you drive off straight away (i never do), it runs well for about 20 seconds then starts hesitating, and the idle starts dropping off a bit, (i.e. if you rev it a little and back of the throttle the car *nearly* stalls...if you floor it again just as it reaches idle, the car basically splutters really badly, then jumps up again), now, i have done about 15,000k's since getting this car, i've done: - Dist. cap, rotor, spark plugs, cleaned/serviced IAC, cleaned throttle body several times, checked for as many induction leaks as i can, cleaned flame trap, air filter, removed thermostat in airbox with a hacksaw(!), and a few other small maintence items (base idle, etc). Now, it appears to be getting worse and worse, gradually over time. It *seems* worse after i let the car warm up for AGES (i.e. till it's basically 12 oclock on the temperture!)....Now i pulled the plugs today with some hope of finding some important info on them!! The tips/electrode are greyish-tanish (which is right) but what i've got around the base and on one side of the insulator is black, carbon (not BAD, but, none of this is GOOD), and it is on the same location on each plug. I am running bosch plugs of whatever is the recommended... i haven't done the wires (i've done the coil to cap wire), but they all look in reasonable condition, but the spark plugs had oil on the threads (not lots of wet oil, just sorta something that looks like a small build up over time), thinking of blow by on the plug holes, i retightened them tighter (i like to make them as tight as i feel comfortable with, ie. not too tight), but the car still runs the same, it really hates running when cold now...(it is not unusually cold or anything).....I've noticed that when labouring up hills now that it doesn't do it *quite* as smooth as it used to........Please help, i've chekced the archieves and can't find much, it's 1am so i'd better get to bed!

Thanks all

Az