Hello,

I searched all the forums looking for answers, but the scenario is unique unto itself. There are several events I will list to eliminate certain things.

June 2000- My 1989 240 Station Wagon wouldn't start. My mechanic jumped the fuel pump with a separate battery. It would start then, but we can't drive with a spare car battery duct taped to the outside. Found a bad "magnetic induction cable". Not sure I have the name right, but it's the cable that senses the spin of the drive shaft magnetic-ly (sp?), and tells the fuel pump relay to activate. According to the Volvo dealer who sold the part, that year had a bad version of that cable, so we put in the good version. And it worked.

April 2002- Fuel pump craps out on the DC beltway. My mechanic takes one off his junkers, and the used fuel pump is okay. Also installed a brand new fuel filter at that time. Runs great. BUT I have no idea how old that pump is.

June 2003- Have a few issues with bad spark plugs and wires, so I install new. Bosch paltinums. That is taken care of.

September 2004- Car begins to start hard. I have to pump the pedal just right to start it. Also, the car begins to hesitate coming off the line. Usually right in the beefy part of the power band in 1st and 2nd gear. Gets a little better if I let off the pedal a slight bit during accelleration. Smooths out once we reach cruising speed.

November 2004- Car wouldn't start (fortunately in front of the house). Checked the usual suspects (e.g. distributor cap, etc). Let it go for a week or so since I could use my wife's other car. A few weeks later tried to start it for grins and giggles. After a few seconds of a typical "hard start" I mentioned earlier, the engine fired right up and was purring! For 5 seconds. Then it just stopped like someone pulled the plug. Not a sputtering stop, just, right out.

A few weeks later, tried using ether spray. Whenever I use starting spray, the car turns over, runs for a few seconds, then dies (after the spray is consumed). Had a neighbor spray a continuous stream into the intake. Actually "ran" okay considering what we were doing. And of course when ether stops, car stops.

Yesterday tried working again. Checked the diagnostic thingy with the flashing light. I got a 1-4-4 code: "Load signal missing (from LH control unit). Control unit assumes engine is at full load"

One of those nebulous messages. This, perhaps is one thing that puts the zap on my head. Cleared the memory, and got a 1-1-1 code. Ran the engine with the "ether method", it died when the ether stopped, but it still gives me the 1-1-1.

I got under the car, listened to, and felt the main fuel pump as my buddy cranked the engine, no sound, no buzz.

BUT can we assume it is indeed the main fuel pump? Can anyone help with the mystery?
Thanks!

Alex