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(This is my first post, so if I do something wrong and this looks goofy, please forgive me--"it's my first day". :> )
I have an '89 244 (non-turbo) with 111k, which I bought a year and a half ago. For the past six months, I've had two very annoying problems: difficulty starting, and a persistent antifreeze leak.
The starting problem: it's baffling. First thing in the morning, it often starts right up on the first try. All other times, especially after a short drive (10 mins., etc.) and rest in the parking lot, it will start then die immediately when I go to start it up again. It takes about six or seven attempts to get the engine going, but it never stalls during the drive (Thank goodness). Sometimes the battery or oil lights will come on once the engine is finally running, and they'll go out after a few seconds. The #2 spark plug was REALLY loose, so I tapped a new thread with a kit from IPD, but the car still has trouble starting.
The antifreeze problem: it's not staying in the darned system. Every few days, the reservoir will look nearly drained. The water pump is only a year new, and I've tried replacing hoses, to no avail. There doesn't appear to be any antifreeze in the oil. I can't figure out where it's going--the puddle on my driveway is too tiny to account for this much loss. Back in March, a local Volvo shop told me that the nearly-new radiator was blocked and needed to be rodded out, but I've backwashed it twice since then and each time it looked fine.
Since I've run out of ideas, I am hoping some of you wise Brickboarders can provide new insights.
Thank you very much!
Jen
(a not-so-rich college student who works on her own Volvo out of both love and necessity)
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