|
I was driving my 1984 Volvo 244 DL to work one day when I noticed that the engine was running hot. When I got to work, I noticed that the two drive belts that run around the crankshaft and the alternator where missing. After work, I drove the car about 3 miles to an Autozone to purchase new belts to install. In Autozone's parking lot, I was able to get one belt on without loosening the adjustment bolt. Since I was out of daylight and had no tools, I drove the car to my buddy's house to use his garage to install the remaining belt. In trying to loosen the adjustment bolt on the alternator, I find that it's rusted solid and I end up having to drill the head of the bolt off and replace the bolt. I finally got the second belt installed and went home. Two days later, my battery is dead. I take it to Autozone (where I purchased the battery 2 months prior because a crackhead stole my original battery out of my car). The tech at Autozone tests the battery and it is indeed "Bad." I walk out of Autozone to go home to put the new battery in my car. Two days later, I get up and drive to work. No problems. I try to leave work, and again, the battery is dead. I take it to Autozone, but this time, it just needs charging. At this point I start to think that maybe when I when I drilled out the bolt, the metal shavings that got down inside the alternator ruined it. So I buy a new alternator and install, again having to drill off the head of a bolt. I get the alternator installed, but the new alternator only has a two wire connection where the original alternator had three wires (D+, B+ and a wire attached to the alternator housing which I now assume is the ground). I left the wire that was attached to the alternator housing unhooked and went on my way (it wasn't touching anything). 2 days later, I get up and drive to work. It's a normal winter day, cold and snowing. On my way to work, I notice that the speedometer is doing some funky things. I was driving 65 when the speedometer jumped to 90. I kept jumping around for a little while and then worked like normal the rest of the way to work. I leave work to drive downtown to give my landlord a check and my car stalls after driving it the 13 miles to work and about 10 miles after work. Luckily, I was able to coast into a parking lot. I get a jump from a good samaritan and I'm on my way. Or so I thought. I get back on the street and stop for a red light about 20 feet from where I had pulled off the street. The light turns green and I take my foot off the brake and move it to the accelerator and the car stalls again. I push her off the street and into an alley to call a friend for a jump. While I'm waiting on her, I find a screw driver and unscrew one of the screws that holds the voltage regulator in place. I'm thinking that the third wire being unhooked is causing the battery is discharge and that I can use the screw that holds the voltage regulator in place as the ground point for this third wire. So I hook the third wire (that was originally attached to the housing of the original alternator) to the new alternator. My friend shows up and I try to jump the car. No luck. It will turn over, but it won't fire. As it's about -10 below with the windchill, I sit in my friend's car for a while to warm up, keeping the jumper cables attached to my battery. Sure enough, the battery won't hold a charge. I disconnect the wire I just attached and try to jump it again. No Luck. I end up getting the car towed back to my house for $60. YAY!. I'm not a car genius by any means. But my first instinct is that if a car will turn over but won't start, it's either 1) not getting spark or 2) not getting fuel. Since my car stalled while I was driving it, I'm thinking that it's #2. Especially since it was a COLD day and like a moron, I had let the fuel guage get pretty low, right on the warning line. My thought is that the fuel pump froze and stopped working. Since I have no tools to test the parts on my car, I replace the plugs. $10, no big deal but it doesn't solve the problem. So I'm back to thinking it's the fuel pump. Another thought pops into my mind. Maybe there's something wrong with my fuel guage and I ran out of fuel. I try putting some gas into the tank, but again it's not the problem.
I read my Haynes manual and it says to try using a jumper wire on the fuel pump relay. I try it and nothing.
When I finally got the money, I purchased a new fuel pump and filter. I sat outside in the rain for 3 hours trying to take the old fuel pump and filter off the car. I finally get the filter disconnected from the car and I notice that there wasn't any gas in the line (the line that goes from the fuel filter to the engine). I take eveything inside where it's not raining and as I'm disconnecting the fuel line (that runs between the filter and pump), I remove the fuel pump end first. It turns out that there's a spring of some sort inside the brass connection that is attached to the pump. I'm thinking that this is a good sign. I finish mounting the new pump and filter to the mounting bracket and I go outside to install everything. I hook up the fuel line to the pump and the fuel line to the filter. Next, I hook up the two wires to the fuel pump. I reconnect my battery and it's time for the moment of truth. I turn the key and she turns over, turns over, turns over. Still doesn't fire. I turn the key again and push on the accelerator. Again, it won't start. This time, I notice a buzzing sound. I try to start it again, but no luck and again the buzzing sound coming from the fuel pump relay. So I stop trying to start it and I disconnect the fuel pump relay and head to Autozone. They don't have one in stock nor can they order one and they have no way of testing the relay I have. Great. So I go home and I try reversing the wires on the fuel pump (thinking that I might have connected them wrong as the wires on the old pump were yellow and black and there were no signs as to which was negative or which was positive). I reverse the wires and try to start my car. It turns over, turns over, turns over and this time there's no buzzing from the fuel pump relay but it still won't start.
My car hasn't started in a month and I desperately need to get this fixed. Any ideas on what the problem could be? I've checked the fuses on the fuse panel and none are blown. I've checked the fuse that's under the hood near the battery and it's not blown either. I'm at my wits end trying to figure out why my car won't start when I've installed new plugs, fuel pump and filter. The plug wires seem to be in good shape, but I'm not 100% that I'm getting spark. I'm still leaning towards the probability that my issue is fuel related, but have no idea how to fix my car. Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.....
Matt
'84 244 Dl, 180k miles, taxi-cab top....."The Dirty Brown"
|
