Can anyone help me and my poorly P1800?

1974 P1800 needs help.

It starts, it will run on idle until warm, then will stall.

Runs intermittently when restarted.

Will also stall as soon as you touch the throttle it splutters. Sometimes you can get it to rev for a bit, but it feels like it’s not getting fuel or something.

Generally it seems to be a temperature thing, but it is definitely a fuel (/choke) problem.

The car is parked right now and not being used.

Is there anyone who does repairs on this type of car in the greater manchester area or anywhere near? I can't do it myself! Any help or advice is appreciated!

Thanks
Caroline

[Peter Milnes]

I would suggest that it is showing signs of fuel starvation and is likely to be a clogged filter, either in-tank or along the fuel pipe.

Is your 1800 Fuel Injected or carburretted? With carburrettor fitted cars there is usually a small gauze filter in the pipeline where it enters the carb and if your car has a mechanical fuel pump that too has gauze filters and also an internal filter which requires some small dismantling of the pump.

Please keep us informed of progress and/or success.

All the best, Peter.

[cassell]

Hello Caroline,

I'm assuming that as you state that your car is a 1974, it's a fuel injected 'E' or 'ES' model rather than a carb engine. If I'm wrong, follow the advice already given by Peter, if I'm right, here's a few things to check that may be causing your problem.

You say the car starts OK, runs on choke/idle, but stalls when warm, restarts but runs unevenly, and stalls the minute you touch the throttle?

I would suggest that perhaps one of the following items may be at fault. There is an in line fuel filter under the car adjacent to the tank and electric pump, which if blocked will starve the engine of fuel. It may be letting enough through to start from cold, but not when the throttle is opened. This is the cheapest and easiest thing to try first, about £11 for a new one, but a really messy job!.

There is a cold start valve fitted into the inlet manifold which allows extra fuel to be injected during cold start up and initial running. This should close off when the temperature rises, as it senses water temperature from the engine block, but if it continues to inject, it will 'over fuel or flood the engine causing it to stall. It is possible to isolate this valve to check whether it's still working when it shouldn't be, simply get the engine warm and remove the fuel hose to the valve, plugging the end to prevent fuel soaking you and the car before you start it! I think a new one of these is around £80.

The third suggestion is the electric fuel pump under the car, it may be that yours is worn and not delivering fuel at sufficient pressure to keep the engine running under throttle. These are expensive, so it ought to be your last resort. A genuine Bosch replacement is around £180, but I recall that Brookhouse Volvo in Ipswich can provide a non-genuine equivalent for considerably less.

I hope this information is of some use to you, let us know how you get on with the problem,

Regards,

Paul

[mike gilbert]

Sorry to add to the confusion - and I'm also assuming the car is a fuel injected ES as you say it was registered in '74 - but it could simply be an air leak probably around the manifold joints. While the extra fuel is being fed in on start up because the cold start valve is working it will not be a show a symptom but when that shuts off the car will then be running very lean because of the extra air, which will cause rough running especially on acceleration. You can test this. Try spraying some WD40 around the manifold/cylinder head joint area while the engine is running and if a few seconds later the exhaust emissions are cloudy then its sucking in the WD40 through the leak and burning it.
Worth a try.
Don't know of any 1800 injection experts in your area I'm afraid.
Mike Gilbert.