Electrics: - Help Me - Intermittent non start

MarkCG · Feb 26th, 2016, 11:00

Morning All,

I have recently become a second hand Volvo owner and love the car but have a strange problem. Everything mechanical seems sound, however I have an intermittent starting problem.
Every now and then, seemingly not temperature related, the car will show Antiskid Service have no Engine Management light and no glow plug light and refuse to start.
The RAC fella came out and found no power to the Engine Management Relay (?). We swapped it for one he had in his van and it leapt into life. This worked for around a week and then I put a proper Volvo one in instead of the Tyco relay. All still good for another week and now it has done it again. IN between it has completed some good long runs and appears to be sound.
Any suggestions gratefully received. I am not mechanically or electrically minded, nor rich enough to own a Volvo it seems so please help!!!

cheshired5 · Feb 26th, 2016, 11:03

When you say refuse to start is it a no start but the engine cranks or no crank no start?
Has this relay been tested again?

reggit · Feb 26th, 2016, 12:29

Also what age car and which engine?

MarkCG · Feb 26th, 2016, 14:18

Thanks fellas. D5 2004 XC90 Diesel. Cranks over good as gold. Just wont start!!

MarkCG · Feb 26th, 2016, 14:19

Sorry, not retested the relay but put the old one back in to no effect.

Acer · Feb 27th, 2016, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkCG

Thanks fellas. D5 2004 XC90 Diesel. Cranks over good as gold. Just wont start!!

Mileage?

MarkCG · Feb 27th, 2016, 11:56

890000. Pretty good service history. No major issues in the time I've had it. Usual odds and sods. Checked all fuses and relays. Battery is a little weak, just under 12v when cranking.
I'd head to the starter but it cranks well. It's the engine managent light not being lot when turning the key that is completely baffling me.

MarkCG · Feb 28th, 2016, 19:40

So just to keep you updated,checked all fuses and relays, checked battery, moved gear selector up and down. Checked connections to CEM. Everything good.
Disconnected the battery and hard reset for 30 minutes. Still no start and no engine management light.
Changed the good old ECM relay and started first turn of the key despite having been sat for days in the cold with two of us tinkering with it!!
What could keep blowing the relay?

Looops · Feb 28th, 2016, 23:16

Fairly generic advice on this sort of fault: Spray some electrical contact cleaner into the relay's socket and allow it to work for a few seconds.

After a run is the relay or the area around it hot?

rsymes2k · Feb 29th, 2016, 08:51

Relays usually fail due to "hot switching" causing excess contact erosion essentially.

Also, you can get relay issues with inconsistent voltage, I would potentially switch out the battery? I have heard a lot of issues caused by an old battery in the past

There is a way you can bypass the relay with a switch if you really needed too and a lot of good advice on this page

http://www.avdweb.nl/tech-tips/misle...-symptoms.html

Feb 26th, 2016, 11:00	#1
MarkCG New Member Last Online: Mar 19th, 2016 01:48 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Oxford	Help Me - Intermittent non start Morning All, I have recently become a second hand Volvo owner and love the car but have a strange problem. Everything mechanical seems sound, however I have an intermittent starting problem. Every now and then, seemingly not temperature related, the car will show Antiskid Service have no Engine Management light and no glow plug light and refuse to start. The RAC fella came out and found no power to the Engine Management Relay (?). We swapped it for one he had in his van and it leapt into life. This worked for around a week and then I put a proper Volvo one in instead of the Tyco relay. All still good for another week and now it has done it again. IN between it has completed some good long runs and appears to be sound. Any suggestions gratefully received. I am not mechanically or electrically minded, nor rich enough to own a Volvo it seems so please help!!!

Feb 26th, 2016, 11:03	#2
cheshired5 Premier Member Last Online: Dec 26th, 2021 13:42 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Crewe	When you say refuse to start is it a no start but the engine cranks or no crank no start? Has this relay been tested again? __________________ 2002 S60 SE D5 Manual 209000 miles

Feb 26th, 2016, 12:29	#3
reggit Premier Member Last Online: Today 07:02 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Preston	Also what age car and which engine? __________________ 2009 Volvo V70 D5 (Polestar 225bhp) r-design 185,000 miles

Feb 26th, 2016, 14:18	#4
MarkCG New Member Last Online: Mar 19th, 2016 01:48 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Oxford	Thanks fellas. D5 2004 XC90 Diesel. Cranks over good as gold. Just wont start!!

Feb 26th, 2016, 14:19	#5
MarkCG New Member Last Online: Mar 19th, 2016 01:48 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Oxford	Sorry, not retested the relay but put the old one back in to no effect.

Feb 27th, 2016, 11:56	#7
MarkCG New Member Last Online: Mar 19th, 2016 01:48 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Oxford	890000. Pretty good service history. No major issues in the time I've had it. Usual odds and sods. Checked all fuses and relays. Battery is a little weak, just under 12v when cranking. I'd head to the starter but it cranks well. It's the engine managent light not being lot when turning the key that is completely baffling me.

Feb 28th, 2016, 19:40	#8
MarkCG New Member Last Online: Mar 19th, 2016 01:48 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Oxford	So just to keep you updated,checked all fuses and relays, checked battery, moved gear selector up and down. Checked connections to CEM. Everything good. Disconnected the battery and hard reset for 30 minutes. Still no start and no engine management light. Changed the good old ECM relay and started first turn of the key despite having been sat for days in the cold with two of us tinkering with it!! What could keep blowing the relay?

Feb 28th, 2016, 23:16	#9
Looops New Member Last Online: Jan 19th, 2020 17:51 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: London	Fairly generic advice on this sort of fault: Spray some electrical contact cleaner into the relay's socket and allow it to work for a few seconds. After a run is the relay or the area around it hot?

Feb 29th, 2016, 08:51	#10
rsymes2k Member Last Online: May 11th, 2024 20:45 Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Devon	Relays usually fail due to "hot switching" causing excess contact erosion essentially. Also, you can get relay issues with inconsistent voltage, I would potentially switch out the battery? I have heard a lot of issues caused by an old battery in the past There is a way you can bypass the relay with a switch if you really needed too and a lot of good advice on this page http://www.avdweb.nl/tech-tips/misle...-symptoms.html

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