Electrical: No voltage to fuel pump fuse.

[gnnmartin]

A rather curious fault. A recently bought 1990 240 estate had been running happily, then after stopping to eat, we could not restart. The fault was traced back to the fuse box, where the fuse to the fuel pump had no voltage on the input side. The temporary fix has been to tie the input side of that fuse to the input side of the next fuse down. On Monday I hope to take the car in to a volvo garage and get them to fix it. Hopefully the problem will be a spade connector come adrift, though it's hard to imagine how that would happen.

Any suggestions? The guy who helped us did ask if it had had an immobiliser fitted, because he noticed that one of the wires in the fuse box had a spur spliced into it, such as the fitting of an immobiliser might have required. However, I called the person from whom we bought the car, and she did not think there had been an immobiliser. It had not been her car, but she had driven the car for the owner (who left her the car when she died) so I would be surprised if there could be an immobiliser without her knowing of it. Plus we have driven the car for about 300 miles, including several stops, and with no trouble, so if it is an immobiliser kicking in, it is hard to see why it did not kick in before.

So, to as again, anyone any suggestions other than just chasing back the wiring?
Nigel Martin

[RCSH]

Have you checked the inertia switch? Usually in the boot (240 owners may come on and give you a clearer answer!), I had this on a Rover years ago.


Rob

[gnnmartin]

Gosh, thanks Rob. I did not know such a thing existed. I'll check on it and post again if I get anywhere: meanwhile, if anyone knows if there is an inertia switch on a 1990 240 GL and ideally where I will find it, I should be grateful for guidance.
Nigel Martin

[gnnmartin]

I can't find any reference to an inertia switch in the Haynes manual, but I have found a reference to a fuel pump relay. I can't find which side of the fuse the fuel pump relay sits. Still searching.

I think I've managed to read the wiring diagram at last, and I think it shows that the input to fuses 6 through 10 are tied together (or meant to be), so it looks as if fuse 6 has somehow come adrift. I think I shall hand over to the garage now.

[gnnmartin]

In case anyone is curious, the garage I took the car to has diagnosed and fixed the fault and I now can say (roughly) what was wrong. The fuel pump relay had failed at some time in the distant past, and rather than replace the fuel pump relay, someone had scotchlocked a bridge from the feed to fuse 10 (heated rear window) to somewhere (input to fuse 6?) that effectively bypassed the fuel pump relay. I'm not quite sure of the kludge, nor why the kludge had failed, but the scotchlocked leads have now been removed and the fuel pump relay been replaced, and all is working.